London’s Coolest New Restaurant & Bar Openings: June 2018

Lead image: Inko Nito, Soho

1 by Chloe, Tower Bridge Over near Tower Bridge and looking for a vegan eatery? Check out the newest spot, by Chloe. Whether you want to dine in or take away, by Chloe offers a menu as well as ‘Grab and Go’ items and seasonally-changing market specials. This will be the second London opening for by Chloe (their other London location is in Covent Garden), which first started back in 2015 in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Some of their top dishes include the guacamole burger, fish ‘n’ chips with tofu and the kale caesar salad. For fast plant-based fuel on the go, you know where to head.One Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge Road SE1 2SD; eatbychloe.com

2 601 Queen’s Rd, Wimbledon Part of the Darwin & Wallace collection of restaurants, 601 Queen’s Rd. is now open in Wimbledon. Looking for a drink prior to Wimbledon? This could be the perfect place for you because it is walking distance from the Lawn Tennis Club. Their circular bar has a good selection of wines from Italian prosecco to deep reds and crisp whites. If wine doesn’t suit your taste, there are plenty of craft, draft, and bottled beers as well as homemade lemonade. In the food category, they source seasonal and local produce and have a wide variety of options depending on what time of day you visit. On a nice day, experience their roof terrace, or if it’s a cold day, you can stay inside and experience the circular bar and natural indoor feel.Centre Court Shopping Centre, 4 Queen’s Road, Wimbledon SW19 8YE; 601queensrd.co.uk

3 The Faber Fox, Crystal Palace The Faber Fox on Westow Hill has just opened next door to Walker Briggs, making it a great time to be alive in Crystal Palace. The pub has a large bar, local British food and drink, and an area dedicated to showing all of the current sporting events. The Faber Fox also offers live entertainment and a pub staple, quiz/trivia night. Looking for a night outside? Check out their heated outdoor garden and terrace. They offer all types of food options from traditional pub fare to gluten-free and even vegan options. The cocktail menu also features local producers. The Faber Fox is the fifth pub by the Livelyhood group, which also runs The Regent, Balham, and The Old Frizzle, Wimbledon.25 Westow Hill, Crystal Palace SE19 1TQ; thefaberfox.co.uk

4 CERU, Soho For a food tasting journey into the Levant region (where the Middle East meets the Mediterranean), CERU is the spot to go. Featuring different options for seafood, meat, poultry and vegetarian, you are bound to find something to suit your appetite. You can sit down and enjoy yourself with an extensive drinks list, or you can get their express lunch platter. If you don’t have your express lunch in less than 20 minutes, it’s free! There will be plenty of flavor upon your visit to CERU Soho. This is their second opening with the first location on Bute Street in South Kensington.11 D’Arblay Street, Soho W1F 8DT; cerurestaurants.com

5 INKO NITO, Soho For a twist on traditional Japanese fare, Rainer Becker, creator and co-founder of Zuma restaurants, ROKA and Oblix, has opened a new robatayaki spot in Soho. Alongside Group Executive Chef Hamish Brown, the duo is joining the fun food scene in the Soho Since opening in mid-May, INKO NITO is serving up all sorts of fun dishes to fill you up. Their signature dishes come straight off the open robata grill and include Beef cheek or bone marrow dishes. If you don’t fancy those, there are plenty of more traditional Japanese dishes to choose from. The robata grill is situated in the middle of the dining area for everyone to feast their eyes on during their dining experience.55 Broadwick Street, Carnaby W1F 9QS; inkonitorestaurant.com

6 Moonshine Saloon, Cheslea Moonshine Saloon on King’s Road, which launched on Thursday 31 May, is an immersive new cocktail bar experience by the team who brought us Alcotraz. The unique experience will transport you from west London to the Wild West, a shady underworld gun-slinging cowboys and outlaws. Smuggle in your own liquor to be granted entry to the undercover saloon, where a night of card games, costumes and potent, personalised moonshine cocktails awaits. You’ll greeted by the King of The Moonshiners, who will guide you as the immersive storyline unfolds. Tickets are £33.99 (including 4x cocktails using your own BYO-moonshine) for a one-hour 45-minute stay at the saloon. Open for bookings for a limited four month run.535 Kings Road, Chelsea SW10 0SZ; moonshinesaloon.com

7 St Leonards, Shoreditch Taking some cues from the Southwest of France, Jackson Boxer and Andrew Clarke have opened a new venture together in Shoreditch. Some dishes like a whole roast duck and ribs of veal will come from a large log-fueled hearth while other dishes, like fish and crustacean, will come from the ice bar. There will be plenty of fluidity throughout the menu. Boxer and Clark opened St Leonards as a bit of a tribute to their parents and grandparents who made them plenty of good dishes while growing up. There will be plenty of different options to choose from food-wise and drink-wise with a 220 strong bin wine list available for selection.70 Leonard Street, Shoreditch EC2A 4QX; saintleonards.london

8 Old Laundry Yard, Shepherd’s Bush Market If you’re in the mood for street food and in West London, it would behoove you to head over to Old Laundry Yard for the best selection in street food in the area. Whether you want BBQ, West African cuisine, vegetarian or even Venezuelan, they have plenty of options. Papelon and Warung Jawa are two new stalls serving up Venezuelan and slow-cooked meals, respectively. For those interested in watching Wimbledon tennis with their meal, they will feature a Wimbledon big screen throughout the tournament with plenty of food and drinks to go around. Go and give it a try!Shepherd’s Bush W12 8EZ; oldlaundryyard.co.uk

9 Rake’s, Liverpool Street After a busy, bustling day at the office sometimes it’s nice to get away for a few minutes to enjoy a drink and some food. Located near Liverpool Street station, Rake’s is dubbing themselves as an ‘escape from the city.’ They open seven days a week and offer simple and comforting foods along with a cocktail menu and coffee options. If you wanted to, you could eat all three meals at Rake’s! It is easily accessible and offers a comfortable feel once inside.40 Liverpool Street EC2M 7QN; rakescafebar.co.uk

10 Patty & Bun, Borough High Street Lovers of big, bolshie burgers, rejoice! Patty & Bun launched its 10th and most ambitious site yet on Borough High Street in late May. Set over two floors with more casual, pop-in or take-away dining on the ground floor and plenty of seating downstairs for those who like to linger over their burgers (we highly recommend the Lambshank Redemption Burger (a layered feast of lamb buttermilk baby courgettes, pickled aubergine, cumin aioli and feta that’s not for the faint-hearted!) the site has a total of 50 seats, a buzzy open kitchen, a bar and milkshake offering, and a retro diner feel with deep red booths, exposed brickwork and Tracey Emin-esque neon light installations. And there’s more… they even serve up breakfast buns!19 Borough High Street SE1 9SE; pattyandbun.co.uk

11 Platter, Kensington For a twist on the traditional coffee shop, Platter London is the new spot to try if you’re looking for a brew and a bite. Launched by the bespoke food platter catering company of the same name, their first coffee shop, just a stone’s throw from Hyde Park, will open on 26 June to serve Allpress artisan coffees, tailor-made food platters, iced drinks and freshly baked pastries to eat in or take away. The coffee shop, as its name suggest, will specialise in handmade food platters – the first of its kind in London. Choose from Mini Platters, consisting of sweet or savoury bites for one or two people; Platter Boxes and Picnic Platters, which will both be created fresh each day and designed to be taken out and enjoyed in the park.1 Holland Street W8 4NA; platterlondon.com 

12 Akira at Japan House, Kensington Akira opens at Japan House London in Kensington on Friday 22 June. Named for the Japanese chef, Akira Shimizu, the restaurant has been dubbed ‘a Japanese restaurant like no other seen before in London’, based on Akira’s holy trinity of cooking principles: food, tableware and presentation. Menu highlights include imaginative sushi, teriyaki chicken donburi and chargrilled kushiyaki skewers, alongside with special dishes created just for London, such as sea urchin, salmon and tuna egg crepe roll with truffle cream sauce (£18), Wagyu beef with truffle and cheese (£6), and Suzuki sea bass with shiso Genovese sauce (£3.50).101-111 Kensington High Street W8 5SA; japanhouselondon.uk