With October comes a flurry of new restaurant openings in the capital. We’ve found the only five you need to know about…
Words Hannah Hopkins
Chicama
Love Pachamama? Then head to Chicama on the King’s Road, the latest opening from the brains behind the aforementioned Peruvian outpost. With an emphasis on seafood (delivered daily from Cornwall) and light vegetable dishes combined with bold flavours, it’s both healthy and delicious. Kick things off with a Barbarelo cocktail (similar to an Aperol spritz) and dig into sharing plates of padron peppers, sea bream ceviche, BBQ plantain and grilled John Dory.
Hackney locals are flocking to Legs, a small but perfectly formed restaurant with a daily-changing menu. Chef Magnus Reid is at the helm, developing dishes that are simple but expertly executed – think fried potatoes with creme fraiche and trout roe and strawberry pavlova – for both lunch and dinner. Special attention must be paid to the lamb ribs with dried herbs and yogurt, best enjoyed with a glass of very trendy orange wine.
legsrestaurant.comEneko at One Aldwych
Those who’ve heard of chef Eneko Atxa will know he has a pretty impressive CV – his famous Bilbao restaurant Azurmeni has three-Michelin stars and is ranked no.16 in the World’s 50 Best. Now he’s brought his culinary prowess to London in the form of the one-Michelin starred Eneko at One Aldwych. Native Basque cuisine is given a modern edge (yes, there are foams and smoke involved), resulting in plates that are as tasty to eat as they are nice to look at.
eneko.londonOrmer
Transporting his Jersey restaurant to the capital is Michelin-starred chef Shaun Rankin. Boasting a menu packed with seasonal Jersey produce, including fresh lobster, crab, oysters, hand dived scallops, Jersey royals and foraged herbs, it’s a seafood lover’s dream. The stylish Flemings hotel in Mayfair is the backdrop, with a glamorous art deco interior, leather banquette seating and glass tiles reminiscent of a 1920’s eaterie.
ormermayfair.comMargot
Two culinary masters (Paulo De Tarso of Bar Boulud and Nicolas Jaouën of La Petite Masion) have joined forces to open Margot, the hotly anticipated Italian restaurant in Covent Garden. Eschew preconceptions of your bog-standard spaghetti bolognese, this is one expertly curated menu, spanning everything from robust and tasty risotto alla Milanese to light and elegant tagliolini with crab meat and purple aubergine. Enjoy these along with a glass of Italian wine and soak up the atmosphere created by interiors powerhouse Fabled Studios.
