8 New Restaurants Opening This May In London

May is set to be another exciting month for London’s food scene, with a whole host of buzzy new openings on the cards. Michel Roux is launching a new restaurant at The Langham, Endo Kazutoshi is spearheading a luxurious new rooftop eatery at The OWO, and Holland Park icon Julie’s is being revived, among others. Wondering where to book? Keep your finger on the culinary pulse with our guide to the new restaurants opening in London this May.

New London Restaurant Openings: May 2024

Kioku Restaurant at The OWO, Westminster

Uber-luxe hotel Raffles at The OWO is already home to a whopping nine restaurants, but it’s about to welcome one more. Opening its doors this May is Kioku Restaurant, a Japanese-inspired eatery from chef Endo Kazutoshi of Endo at the Rotunda fame. Set on the rooftop, the venue will offer a carefully curated collection of nigiri and sashimi, alongside dishes like pork ramen ravioli, native lobster with fregola, shiso oil and sancho, and a bespoke ‘tuna experience’, served tableside. There will also be an eight-seat chef’s table, plus an al fresco terrace.

When? Opening 15 May 2024

Where? 6th Floor, 57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX

BOOK: kiokubyendo.com

Chez Roux

Just a few months after saying goodbye to his family’s long-standing restaurant, Le Gavroche, Michel Roux is back with a brand-new restaurant. Launching this May at The Langham is Chez Roux, inspired by Roux’s childhood in rural Kent back in the 1960s. The menu will include Roux’s take on Welsh Rarebit, made with Montgomery cheddar, Worcestershire sauce and pickled walnut; and Lamb Chops Reform, a twist on Alex Soyer’s 1830s classic, made with herb-crusted lamb and Reform sauce. Roux will also be serving one of his all-time favourite dishes: grilled lobster with garlic butter and fries – something he recalls eating at Le Gavroche as a child. 

When? 22 May 2024

Where? 1C Portland Pl, London W1B 1JA

BOOK: thelangham.co.uk

Fellini, Chelsea

The team behind 90s Mayfair haunt Paparazzi Cafe is back with Fellini, an Italian restaurant opening in Chelsea. It will aim to bring a taste of authentic Italian hospitality to London, with a convivial feel and sharing-style menu. Dishes will be ‘approachable and unfussy’, focusing on the healthier side of Italian food: menu highlights will include primavera with aubergine, pesto and courgettes, vegan ravioli made with chickpea-filled pasta, and veg-forward pizzas prepared with organic produce. The interiors will continue the Mediterranean feel with olive trees and a terrazzo marble bar, plus a wraparound terrace primed to open in June.

When? Opening 6 May 2024

Where? 149 Draycott Avenue, London SW3 3AB

BOOK: thefellini.com

Café Petiole

Heading to Somerset House this summer? Grab a bite to eat at Café Petiole, a plant-first concept opening off the venue’s Edmond J Safra Fountain Court. The brainchild of Rishim Sachdeva, who heads up the ‘mostly vegan’ restaurant Tendril, the cafe will serve an all-day menu which includes mushroom focaccia with daikon pickle, blue corn tostadas with smoked artichoke and lime, and Sachdeva’s famous Tendril Tiramisu.

When? Opening May 2024

Where? Somerset House, The Strand, WC2R 1LA

BOOK: somersethouse.org.uk

all’onda, Fitzrovia

Another new Italian arriving in the capital this spring is all’onda, a fine dining restaurant focused around risotto. The name translates as an Italian phrase meaning ‘on the wave’, a reference to the risotto-making technique which sees rice gently tossed in the pan to create a flowing texture reminiscent of waves. Lombardy-born chef Andrea Granzarolo (whose CV includes a stint with Hélène Darroze) will head up the kitchen, combining his technical knowledge of traditional risotto with seasonal British ingredients. Diners can enjoy both classic flavours (like spring greens and squid ink) alongside more unique flavour pairings, such as pumpkin and shiso, and sweetbread and artichoke. 

When? Opening 2 May 2024

Where? 67 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 4PH

BOOK: allonda.co.uk

Julie’s, Holland Park

Opened in 1967 by interior designer Julie Hodgess, Julie’s in Holland Park attracted a string of famous faces over the years, from Kate Moss to Paul McCartney and Tina Turner. The G3 table, hidden away in a curtained alcove, was famous for hosting A-list meet-ups, and earned itself a nickname as the G-spot. In January 2023 the restaurant closed – but now it’s coming back under new ownership. At the helm is Chef Patron Owen Kenworthy, who is reopening Julie’s as a modern French brasserie, hoping to bring back its heyday glamour with decadent seafood towers and tableside martini trolleys. Sure to be a highlight is the show-stopping signature dish: a lobster souffle with buttered leeks and gruyere, presented in a silver dish.

When? Opening 8 May 2024

Where? 135 Portland Rd, London W11 4LW

BOOK: juliesrestaurant.com

Café Britaly

Italian food purists: look away now. A new ‘Britalian’ restaurant is coming to Peckham, helmed by foodie duo Alex Purdie and Richard Crampton-Platt, who met while working at Soho favourite Bocca di Lupo. The menu will serve Italian classics made non-traditionally, including spaghetti carbonara topped with a fried egg, alongside a ‘Full Britalian’ breakfast featuring fried pizza dough, fennel sausages and Tuscan-style beans. Richard said he was inspired by London stalwarts like Bethnal Green’s E Pellicci. ‘From the 1950s onwards, Italian-run cafés gave many Britons their first taste of Italian food, served alongside more familiar native dishes, and adapted to their tastes,’ he said. ‘Café Britaly wishes to rediscover that legacy and revitalise it in a way that’s resolutely modern with a tinge of nostalgia.’

When? Opening 8 May 2024

Where? 191 Rye Lane, London SE15 4TP

BOOK: cafebritaly.com