As hospitality businesses continue to re-open, a collection of brand new restaurants, bars, and pop-ups have also planned to open in London. We pick the most exciting new restaurant and bar openings taking place throughout October.
London’s best new restaurant openings
Manteca, Shoreditch
Focussing on nose-to-tail cooking, hand rolled pastas, and fire cooked cuts to share, Manteca is relocating from Soho to Shoreditch. With a new area dedicated to the team’s in-house butchery and cured meats, the new restaurant’s menu will offer the likes of a house salumi plate with fennel pollen salame or black pepper and Lambrusco salami, coppa or ‘nduja, and sticks of coppiette; pig head fritti will be served with apple mostarda; and ‘nduja steamed mussels will accompanied by cream, parsley, and sourdough. Elsewhere, new dishes include clam flatbread; pig skin ragù; fazzoletti with duck ragù; and seaweed tagliatelle with smoked seaweed butter.
Designed to be shared, larger dishes include thick-cut Oxford Sandy and Black pork chop, and wood roasted sea bream, while the constantly changing line-up of specials may include house-made Stracciatella with olive oil; stuffed pig snout; zampone (stuffed trotter), or chicken offal frittata. To drink, the restaurant will serve a concise selection of aperitivi and amaro cocktails, with a house amaro made using artichoke leaves and chamomile.
On the Shoreditch opening, co-founder Chris Leach said: “While we’ve loved our residencies around London, it’s exciting to open our very own restaurant in Shoreditch which finally brings Manteca to life in the way I’ve always imagined. The hanging room is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time, and will give us the space to make and cure more salumi than ever, and to be quite experimental in what we do. We want Manteca to be somewhere that guests can come for a quick plate of pasta and glass of wine at lunch, or to take their time over cuts to share during a leisurely dinner with family and friends.”
Manteca is set to open in October and can be found at 49-51 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3PT.
Joe Allen, Covent Garden
After a long 18 month closure, Joe Allen officially reopens this month. With a new team joining current owners Tim Healy and Lawrence Hartley, Russell Norman will also oversee the newly created Joe’s Bar, stylised as a New York tavern at the front of the restaurant. For the revamped food menu, new Executive Head Chef Gary Lee will put his stamp on the restaurant’s most love dishes, including a full rack of oak-smoked baby back ribs with raw slaw; Joe’s classic Caesar Salad; and the not-so-secret burger. Elsewhere, new dishes will include the likes of Portland crab and sweetcorn soup; shaved fennel, chicory and pecorino salad; crispy duck with watermelon, cress and cashews; a ‘3 minute’ USDA steak with peppercorn sauce and goose fat potatoes; and brick-flattened chicken with black eye bean salsa, corn muffin, chicken gravy and plantain crisps. Joe’s signature American desserts will also be on offer.
On the relaunch of Joe Allen, Russell Norman said: “Joe’s Bar at Joe Allen is the bar I always wanted to find in London but never could. Somewhere with sexy lighting, effortless style, friendly service, live piano and great classic and revival cocktails. It’s the place to go for a pre-theatre dish or two and a Jerry Thomas Manhattan, or to kick back over a few Martinis and great bar snacks with friends for an indulgent evening. It’s only taken 45 years but finally it’s here.”
Executive Head Chef Gary Lee added: “I am so happy to be joining such a creative, fun team of people as Exec Chef of Joe Allen, a place where I spent many nights after work tucking into a burger or two. Being the well loved institution that it is, it’s a fantastic challenge and I am looking forward to putting my mark on some of the dishes – a modern approach to brasserie food. Joes has always been a place for people to just go and sit, eat, chat and enjoy the ambiance, it’s a space where friends meet friends. Long may that continue.”
Joe Allen is set to officially reopen on Friday 15th October and can be found at 2 Burleigh Street, London, WC2E 7PX.
Porte Noire Bar & Shop, King’s Cross
In collaboration with Connaught Wine Cellars founder David Farber, Idris Elba will launch a new bar and shop from wine and champagne brand Porte Noire this month. At the foot of the Gasholders at Coal Drops Yard, the new bar and shop will celebrate the brand as well as a selection of international wines, all accompanied by artisanal cheese and charcuterie, plus a brasserie-style menu. In total, the bar and shop will be home to around 800 wine bins, with one of the largest fine wine tasting rooms in London.
On the launch of Porte Noire Bar & Shop, David Farber said: “We’re really excited to be bringing a slice of continental hospitality to London this autumn. Since launching our brand Porte Noire we have seen some incredible reviews of the product and we’re looking forward to creating a space to match.”
Idris Elba added: “David has been working in the wine space for a long time, I know he is going to take the Porte Noire name and create something special.”
The Porte Noire Bar & Shop is set to open on Monday 18th October and can be found at Unit A Gasholder 10, 1 Lewis Cubitt Square, London, N1C 4BY.
The Barbary Next Door, Covent Garden
Literally next door to The Barbary, The Barbary Next Door will act as a ‘little sister’ to the restaurant. In Neal’s Yard courtyard, the new restaurant will serve a menu taking cues from the fragrant spices and smoky flavours of Moorish Spain and North African cooking. With the kitchen headed up by chef Daniel Alt, the restaurant will serve sweet North African pastries for breakfast, plus Ras-el-hanout pumpkin bread, maaqooda – a Moroccan tortilla, and ‘roadside eggs’. Elsewhere, highlights from the lunch and dinner menu are set to include a selection of breads; blood orange and grapefruit salad with fennel and tarragon; mackerel fricassee; oysters with harissa oil; chicken pastilla dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar; and a choice of oxtail, vegetable, or chicken tagine. To accompany, the restaurant will also serve a considered wine list focussing on Spanish, French, and Moroccan bottles.
On the launch of The Barbary Next Door, co-founder Zoe Paskin said: “The Barbary Next Door was initially our neighbourhood delivery service during lockdown; now that everything has re-opened, we’re bringing that welcome sense of familiarity to Neal’s Yard with our new restaurant and wine bar.”
Co-founder Layo Paskin added: “The Barbary Next Door will certainly reference some of the food and design elements that The Barbary has become known for but it will be a new experience. It’s a relaxed spot where you can pop by for a coffee, chilled beer or glass of wine, perch at the bar for a quick bite or settle in for the evening with friends.”
The Barbary Next Door is set to open in October and can be found at 16A Neal’s Yard, London WC2H 9DP.
Rita’s, Soho
A follow up to the East London restaurant, Gabriel Pryce and Missy Flynn are set to open Rita’s in Soho. Symbolising the next step for the duo, Rita’s will offer a menu guided by quality and the pair’s combined experience and interest in dining culture across the globe. On the menu, food will be heavily inspired by travels across the Americas, with highlights set to include the likes of jalapeño popper gildas; hot bean devilled eggs; barbecued beef tartare with garlic, raw vegetables, and herbs; salt cod taquitos; grilled sugar pit pork collar; and a steak dinner for two served with all the trimmings. Moreover, the wine list will predominately focus on low intervention wines and the cocktail selection will draw reference from Mexico and North America.
On the launch of Rita’s Soho, co-founder Gabriel Pryce said: “The vegetables we will be using will be informed by what’s coming out of the ground from Max at the time so it may be tomatoes or courgettes or tomatillos that work their way into these dishes. In terms of meat, one of our favourite cuts is the “coppa” from inside the shoulder of the pig. We take it out and cure it whole in unrefined pure cane sugar and coconut aminos. It has a fantastic pork taste reminiscent of sugar pit barbecue and hints of char siu.”
Co-founder Missy Flynn added: “I’ve had a lot of time and opportunity to think about the kind of restaurant I want to be a part of. I’ve always considered Rita’s to be a place of genuine admiration and learning for the cultures and culinary practices we explore. Since I’m not a chef, my inspiration comes mostly from the social spaces in communities that have food and drink at their centre, and that’s I really hope Rita’s is and can become for those who have not yet experienced it.”
Rita’s is set to open on Tuesday 19th October and can be found at 49 Lexington Street, London, W1F 9AP.
Colonel Saab, Holborn
The first London restaurant from entrepreneur and hotelier Roop Partap Choudhary, Colonel Saab is a new 150-cover all-day modern Indian restaurant at the historic Holborn Town Hall site. Open from breakfast-to-dinner every day, the new restaurant will also serve an Indian-style brunch menu at the weekend, with the food menu taking inspiration from the founder’s childhood travels through India with his parents. From the menu, highlights include breakfast dishes such as caramel and banana paniyaram with jaggery sauce; dosas with a choice of meat, seafood or vegetarian options; Nizami murg; and a chicken curry which pays homage to Roop’s mother’s home cooking. A selection of cocktails have also been designed to match and complement the food.
On the launch of Colonel Saab, founder Roop Partap Choudhary said: “I am excited to be able to finally reveal an official open date for Colonel Saab. It’s been almost a decade in the planning and after this last year or so, it’s great to have some positive news to share. London was always my first choice to open a restaurant outside of India. You have one of the best and most diverse dining scenes in the world and the site at the old Holborn Town Hall is a wonderful old building with bags of charm and personality of its own, so provides the perfect venue for Colonel Saab. We have big plans afoot and can’t wait to welcome guests to the restaurant when we open this October.”
Colonel Saab is set to open on Thursday 7th October and can be found at 193-197 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BD. A soft launch will run until Wednesday 13th October, offering 50 per cent off the food bill. Booking essential.
SpiceBox, Leytonstone
A second site from vegan curry house SpiceBox will open in Leytonstone later this month, following the success of the Walthamstow original. Considerably bigger than the Walthamstow site, with space for 90 covers, the new restaurant will continue to serve reimagined curry house classics, with an expanded dinner menu comprising several brand new dishes. With a charcoal grill, the new site will also bring back the tandoori spiced cauliflower steak with coriander chutney and pomegranate seeds – a favourite from SpiceBox’s street food days. Elsewhere, new dishes will include the likes of bhaigan bharta (fire-roasted aubergine in spiced tomato sauce); mushroom madras; samosa chaat; and mango and coconut chia pudding. Elsewhere, a selection of bottled cocktails will join wines on tap and coffee from Dark Arts Roastery, while brunch will also be served at the weekend.
SpiceBox Leytonstone is set to open on Tuesday 26th October and can be found at 686 Leytonstone High Road, London, E11 3AA.
Carmine, Streatham
A new 100-cover restaurant, bar and workspace, Carmine will open on Streatham’s High Parade. Founded by friends and business partners Christopher Howe and Jamie Cottam-Allan, who also own the recently relaunched Elm Park Tavern in Brixton, the new restaurant will be open seven days a week, offering workspace membership during the day, while the brasserie-style restaurant and wine bar will showcase food from head chef Ozzy Martin Peer. Here, a collection of all-day brunch options will be offered alongside a selection of small plates and larger mains. Highlights from the launch menu include the likes of rarebit croquettes with tomato chutney; Karaage fried chicken; burrata with pickled pineapple, anchovy and rocket; and skate wing with black olive, artichoke and green beans.
Carmine is set to open on Thursday 7th October and can be found at The High Parade, 20-21 Streatham High Road, London, SW16 1EX. A soft launch will run until Wednesday 13th October, offering 50 per cent off the food bill. Booking essential.