February is all about embracing the vices and kicking the detox, as is proven by the string of new restaurant openings that are hitting London’s streets next month. Take Wahleeah for example, a restaurant where everything on the menu features beer, or Notes’ three new coffee and wine venues, and Boom Burger’s second restaurant. Whatever your vice I hope you find it among this list of exciting new London openings
1 Boom Burger, Brixton
South London fans of Notting Hill’s Caribbean burger joint Boom Burger will be pleased to hear that the restaurant is opening its second venue in Brixton – the burger Mecca of London. Boom Burger Brixton will be joining the likes of Honest Burger at Brixton Market where we have no doubt it will receive a warm welcome. Boom Burger Notting Hill’s Jerk burgers and plantain fries will be found on the new menu, along with new burgers concocted especially for the Brixton crowd.
1 Brixton Station Road, London, SW9 8PA; boomburger.co.uk
2 Wahleeah, Fulham
Beer lovers around Fulham will be chinking their steins together with joy when they hear about new restaurant Wahleeah. Opening in February, Wahleeah’s menu incorporates craft beer in all of its dishes. Chef Dave Ahern will be cooking up a storm in the kitchen, you’ll find chicken meatballs with mushroom mash and beer gravy; oxtail and onions in stout with horseradish toast; potted pigs cheeks in cider butter with toast; the Wahleeah Burger, topped with beef bacon, horseradish cheddar and beer ketchup; turkey burgers, topped with black garlic cheese and apple cider mayo; tuna meatloaf, with polenta nicoise and bloody beer sauce and ricotta dumplings with rainbow chard, mushrooms and beer butter. The restaurant will seat 70 people inside with space for 40 outside.
18 Farm Lane, SW6 1PP; wahleeah.uk
3 PULIA, London Bridge
A new Italian deli/diner is will be opening near to Borough Market next month straight from the beautiful cobbled streets of Milan, Venice, Torino and Florence. Pulia embraces the healthy Mediterranean diet, where traditional cooking methods have been passed down through generations. As the name suggests Pulia will be specialising in produce from the southern Italian region of Puglia. Expect the likes of focaccia, pizza rustica, burrata and mozzarella cheeses, salads, dried pastas, olive oils and wine, along with natural organic smoothies and coffees plus a range of traditional Puglian delicacies such as rustici (puff party delicacies), crocche di patate (potatoes with a variety of fillings) and pasticciotto (typical custard pie). Either stock up your larder with Pulia’s goodies or take a seat in the 30-seater dining area.
Stoney Street, Borough, SE1; pulia.it
4 Tapas Revolution, Shoreditch
From Italy to Spain and the opening of Tapas Revolution in Shoreditch. Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy will be bringing a taste of Espana to Shoreditch in February with the opening of his third tapas bar (he has one in Westfield, Shepherd’s Bush and one in Bluewater, Kent) Tapas Revolution on Bethnal Green Road. Hailing from the vibrant Spanish city of Madrid, Omar draws on its lively tapas scene for inspiration. The menu will be divided into four sections; meat, fish, vegetables and egg. Regional and seasonal sharing specials will be displayed on a large board and ‘Paella los Jueves’ will be honored – a nationwide tradition in Spain of serving paella exclusively once a week on Thursday. For those who just want to stop for a quick drink, there will be a selection of Spanish craft beers, soft drinks and wine from small Spanish producers. Designed by Shoreditch-based Alexander Waterworth Interiors, who are responsible for some of the chicest restaurants around town, Tapas Revolution will feature a copper-topped bar, open kitchen and mix of contemporary colours with rustic touches.
32-42 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 8JW, tapasrevolution.com
5 The Dolls House, Islington
What began as a pop-up in Hoxton turned into an 18 months residency that is now leading to a new restaurant, bar and members’ club in Islington. Bigger than the original venue, The Dolls House Islington is a warren of rooms, each designed its own quirky way. Taking the lead from its name and evoking thoughts of a vintage dolls house, the restaurant and bar will be split into Parlour, Drawing Room, Library and Ballroom. But unlike a classic dolls house, this venue is not full of flowery wallpaper and velvet curtains, instead, co-owner Katy Gray Rosewarne takes her monochrome marker pen to illustrate the rooms and then adds lavish touches like gold-topped tables and splashes of colour. The membership applications consists of an online form and a simple request that when you arrive for the first time you bring a bottle of top-shelf liquour with you. The menu has been concocted by Daryl Wilson, whose CV includes The Salt House (St Johns Wood) and Ampersand. Classic dishes created from locally-sourced ingredients include a 45-day aged Dexter Sirloin and duck fat chips, there’s also a lighter bar menu and a roast dinner with all the trimmings on Sundays. A second venue in Peckham opens in April 2015.
The Dolls House, 181 Upper Street, N1 1RQ; thedollshouse.org
6 Notes, King’s Cross
Notes café embraces two of the world’s greatest vices, coffee and wine. And we show no sign of losing love for the two as Notes has plans to open three new sites in 2015, one in St Pancras Square and two in Canary Wharf. Notes’ King’s Cross location will serve organic porridge and pastries for breakfast, fresh handmade salads and sandwiches for lunch, light plates for supper with a glass of wine and of course coffee throughout the day. The King’s Cross café will be closely followed by the first of Notes’ two Canary Wharf sites, opening in the Jubilee Line station in mid-February to provide a pared down offering from its usual full-service options, and providing grab-and-go service throughout the day open 364 days of the year. The final new location of 2015, located at Crossrail in Canary Wharf, is set to open with all other new retailers in May and will follow the established Notes coffee and wine bar model.
Notes, Kings Cross One Pancras Square N1C 4AG; notes-uk.co.uk
7 The Fourteenth Colonie, Clerkenwell
It’s no new thing for London restaurateurs to take inspiration from New York’s dining scene, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t welcome. Coming to Clerkenwell mid February 2015, The Fourteenth Colonie is inspired by the fact that there were 13 colonies set up by Europeans in the US between 1607-1733 on the East Coast. Promising to bring Brooklyn to EC1, the menu will focus heavily on America’s favourite meal of the day brunch. But don’t be expecting quinoa salads and poached eggs with kale, this is heavy, hangover-curing stuff. Pumpkin waffles, Nutella French toast, eggs many ways and tasty burgers will dominate the menu. In the evening there’s grills, salads, sandwiches, charcuterie and cheese, and craft beer from America and London. The team behind The Fourteenth Colonie have big plans to open eight sites in London over eight years.
45 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5RS
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