Editor’s note
September might mark the end of summer, but London hasn’t lost its spark. This week the city’s alive with new spots to eat - Greek, Portuguese, South African, and plenty more in between. It’s a reminder of just how good this city can be for food. And honestly, I’m in awe of the people making it happen, especially when everyone’s calling 2025 one of the hardest years to open anything in hospitality. All the more reason to head out, grab a table somewhere, and back the ones keeping this city full of soul.
Replacing Pachamama East, Lagana brings relaxed Mediterranean cooking with Greek edges: doughy flatbreads and seasonal dips, loukoumades with melted Graviera, courgette tempura, skewers like dry-aged picanha and lamb kebab, bass ceviche in kakavia, plus a Pomegranate Pisco Sour cocktail.
Shoreditch | Now Open
Sir Devonshire Square opens its doors
An 81-room design hotel in a red-brick East India warehouse, blending British charm with bold interiors by Sam Wright. Expect an airy courtyard, lobby bar, café, shop, gym and yoga studio, with rooms from £290/night.
Spitalfields | Now Open
Richoux resurrects itself as a Parisian-style café
In the former Pizzeria Mozza space, expect an all-day menu of classic French favourites: croque monsieur, dry-aged rib-eye for two, escargot, tableside steak tartare, plus patisserie trolley and French cocktails. Richoux is rolling out more locations next - Tower Bridge soon, then international.
Regent Street | Now Open
Layla Bakery opens its second site
Notting Hill’s cult favourite has opened a sister site. This new spot brings their sought-after pastries and wild-farmed sourdough to Churchfield Road. Mostly takeaway, with a few bar stools inside and a bench out front. Expect familiar favourites plus Acton-only specials like hazelnut-praline cookies and cardamom-dusted bow-ties.
Acton Central | Now Open
Luso replaces Lisboeta with a fresh Portuguese pulse
The space formerly led by Nuno Mendes is reborn as Luso, under the guidance of chef Leandro Carreira of The Sea, The Sea. Expect casual dishes rooted in the Iberian Atlantic: salt-baked wild sea bass, clams à bulhão pato, roast suckling pig, spider-crab tartare and indulgent desserts like Tocinho do Céu and chilled pineapple pudding.
Fitzrovia | Now Open
After eight years in Peckham, Kudu moves to Marylebone
Founded in 2017 by husband-and-wife duo Amy and Patrick, this family-run South African-inspired restaurant is consolidating its Peckham and Nunhead sites into one flagship on Moxon Street. Expect favourites from Kudu, Kudu Grill and Curious Kudu alongside new dishes, a private dining room and bar - all rooted in their quietly warm, seasonal cooking.
Marylebone | Opens 16 September
Lilibet’s - the new seafood bar by Queen Elizabeth’s birthplace
Ross Shonhan (Bone Daddies, Nobu, Zuma) and Russell Sage Group launch a floral-forward seafood restaurant at 17 Bruton Street. Expect an oyster bar, fireside grill, heated terrace and cocktail bar. The menu balances British produce with creative flair - seafood platters, lobster tails over spaghetti, anchovy éclair, whole turbot pil-pil, and a Fish Triptych (crudo, grilled, soup).
Mayfair | Opens 16 September
Michael Caines opens his first London restaurant
Inside St James’s venerable Stafford Hotel, the Michelin-starred chef brings his modern European, terroir-focused cooking-lobster salad with cardamom vinaigrette; pan-roasted Brixham turbot; alongside classics like Beef Wellington. It’s a debut shaped by provenance and seasonal British ingredients, reflecting both Caines’s legacy at Lympstone Manor and The Stafford’s heritage.
Mayfair | Opens 17 September