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What's New in London
What's New in London
London is a vibrant place where there's so many new things going on it can be hard to keep track. Luckily we're here to help with the latest restaurant openings, shop launches and hip new bars as well as anything else we think sounds interesting. Want to know what's new in London? It's all here...
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St James Theatre
Opening September 2012Theatre
Billed by its operators as 'the first newly built central London theatre in 30 years', St James Theatre opens to the public in September 2012. Built on the site of the former Westminster Theatre in Victoria, the venue will include a state-of-the-art 312 seat theatre, a studio performance space, broadcast TV facilities and a bar and brasserie designed by architect Tim Foster (also responsible for redevelopment projects at the Polka Children's Theatre, Gate Theatre and Tricycle Theatre and cinema). Artistic directors David Gilmore and James Albrecht will announce their first season in April, with a programme of musicals, comedies and classic revivals expected in addition to touring productions. The original Westminster Theatre building was opened in 1923 on the site of the Charlotte Chapel, which was built in 1766. In 1931, the building was transformed into a theatre, where it stood for over seventy years before it was destroyed by fire in June 2002, during demolition work which had begun. From September, the brand new theatre hopes to add something genuinely new to the London arts scene.
Emirates Air-Line | Thames Gateway Cable Car
Opens in time for OlympicsCable car
One of Mayor Boris Johnson's big initial plans for London 2012 was this proposed cable car link across the Thames from Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Docks. Similar to the service that operates between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island in New York, the Thames Gateway Cable Car - now officially named the Emirates Air Line after a 10-year sponsorship deal with the Dubai-based aircraft carrier - will connect Olympic venues the North Greenwich Arena and the ExCeL exhibition centre. At 1km in length and running around 60m above the Thames, the cable car will provide a "much-needed river crossing" and a "bird's eye view" of the capital, according to Boris. Once finished, crossings are planned every 30 seconds for up to 2,500 passengers per hour in each direction, and views will be fairly spectacular. Bikes will be able to be transported with passengers, who will also be able to tap in using their Oyster Cards. Work started in July 2011 on the £60m gondola-style project - the first urban cable car in the UK and the most expensive of its kind in the world - and it is set for completion in time for the Games.
The O2 Rooftop Walkway
Opens in time for OlympicsSkywalk
Visitors to The O2 will soon be able to see the famous domed structure from an entirely new angle - from 60-metre high Rooftop Walkway suspended from The O2's distinctive yellow masts. Due to open in time for the Olympics, the skywalk over what one of London's most successful music and entertainment venues will give visitors amazing views over the great domed building, over Greenwich, the Thames and this corner of south-east London. During the Olympics, The O2 will host the basketball, wheelchair basketball, artistic gymnastic and trampoline events so visitors can enjoy the sport and a skywalk. The walkway, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the architects responsible for the original Millennium Dome, is capable of accommodating up to 90 people at a time as they amble along the 190-metre stretch, from a base-station at the entrance to The O2 to a central viewing platform on the rooftop. Mike Davies, project director of the proposed walkway - and also of the original Millennium Dome - has said the rooftop walkway, "will offer an exciting and challenging London attraction". If you love heights, then this will be right up your street!
Tate Modern Oil Tanks
Opening summer 2012Public art gallery
A dramatic new development at the Tate Modern opens this summer as three 30x7 metre oil tanks are repositioned to display performance and installation art, providing space for discussion and education. The giant underground chambers have remained unused since the power station was decommissioned in 1981 and will now be incorporated into Tate's new annexe, playing host to new audio and performance works, installations and film. Anonymous contributors have helped to raise 70 per cent of the £215million cost and the tanks will be open as part of the London 2012 Festival, the showpiece finale to the Cultural Olympiad. For the full impact of the new development - which will create 70 per cent more gallery space - visitors will have to wait; two concrete galleries are also being added with completion date expected to be in 2016 - at the latest.
Serpentine Sackler Gallery
Opening summer 2012Art gallery
The Serpentine Gallery is making a significant expansion in the summer of 2012, restoring a former gunpowder depot not far from its original gallery in Kensington Gardens. The Magazine, a Palladian style villa built in 1805 to store arms, will be restored to a design by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid (also responsible for the London Olympics Aquatics Centre) into an exciting new 900 metre square gallery space. Preliminary plans reveal a white undulating roof, a striking modern extension to the historic structure which is a short stroll across the Serpentine Boating Lake from the original Serpentine Gallery. The new Serpentine Sackler Gallery, named after Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler, whose Foundation has made the project possible, will be open daily, showing a mix of contemporary art, architecture, dance, design, fashion, film, literature, music, performance and technology. Like the Serpentine this spin-off gallery is free to visit, and will be a significant addition to London's modern art scene.
The Shard
Opens June 2012Landmark building | Hotel, offices, homes & viewing platform
Opening in June 2012, The Shard will become the tallest building in the European Union and the 45th tallest building in the world when it is complete. Designed in 2000 by Renzo Piano, an Italian architect best known for creating Paris's Pompidou Centre in collaboration with Britain's Richard Rogers, the mixed use Shard building, visible from wherever you are in London, combines offices, three floors of restaurants and the 5-star Shangr-La Hotel (due to open in 2013) with residential apartments - Europe's highest homes; yours for 30 to 50 million pounds - and London's highest viewing gallery. Covered in 11,000 panes of glass, the 'vertical city' in the newly created London Bridge Quarter is well connected with London Bridge Tube and train stations ferrying people to and from the hard-to-miss London landmark. The public viewing galleries, way up on floors 68 to 72, open early February 2013 but you can pre-register now to be the first to know when tickets go on sale. In the meantime you can enjoy the virtual views 40 miles across the city online. Vertigo sufferers need not apply.
London Pleasure Gardens
Opens 1 June 2012Arts & entertainment destination
Due to open on the Diamond Jubilee weekend, on 1st June 2012, the London Pleasure Gardens (LPG) revive a centuries old tradition when pleasure gardens were central to London social life. The vast new 60,000 metre squared site in the Royal Docks area has capacity for 40,000 people and is a major entertainment destination, focused on community, culture and entertainment. The team behind the project includes the organisers of Glastonbury's famous Shangri-La and Lost Vagueness parties, backed by the LDA and Arts Council. They're tasked with transforming Pontoon Dock from a derelict site with iconic industrial landmarks like the Millennium Mills and the Silo D building into a creative playground with a pop-up art hotel, a sculpture park, landscaped walkways, cafes and a floating cocktail bar. Depending on what day, and what time of day you choose to visit, you may see a local community theatre performance, an international arts project, or a well known band playing a gig. Set within the Olympic Red Zone, opposite the London Olympics: ExCeL Centre, the two sites are linked by a new bridge and LPG will host events during the Olympics. But before that we have the brand new Bloc festival on 6th and 7th July and later in the month, on 21st and 22nd July, the Africa Stage at the BT River of Music festival.
Photographers' Gallery
Re-opening 19 May 2012Photographic gallery
The Photographers' Gallery - Britain's leading centre for contemporary photography - is undergoing a major building project with their grand new premises due to open on 19 May 2012 with two exhibitions: an exhibition entitled 'Oil' by Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, and a show of new works by the New Delhi Raqs Media Collective. Moving from its Great Newport Street location, the gallery's home for the past 27 years, to its current home in Ramilies Street, the Photographers' Gallery has been undergoing significant changes in the past few years. The result of the closure which began in autumn 2010 will be revealed in April 2012 when the building, by Irish architects, O'Donnell + Tuomey, is unveiled. The extended gallery, cafe and education centre will expand over six floors, three of which are dedicated gallery spaces, with a year-round programme of fantastic free exhibitions and events. The reputation of this long-standing gallery is well known, hosting as it does the Deutsche Brse Prize, the photographer's equivalent of the Turner. This is a welcome return to form from one of London's foremost photographic galleries.
Current events at Photographers' Gallery
Edward Burtynsky: OIL
event
running until Sunday 1st July 2012
TIMES From May 19, Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, ends Jul 1 PRICING Free
Canadian photographerEdward Burtynsky 's 10-year study of the manufacture, distribution and use of oil is on...
More about this event
TIMES From May 19, Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, ends Jul 1 PRICING Free
Canadian photographer
Raqs Media Collective
event
running until Sunday 1st July 2012
TIMES 19th May 2012 to 1st July 2012 - 10am-6pm PRICING Free
This show of works by theNew Delhi Raqs Media Collective is one of two exhibitions to mark the re-opening of...
More about this event
TIMES 19th May 2012 to 1st July 2012 - 10am-6pm PRICING Free
This show of works by the
Vinoteca Soho
Opening 8 May 2012Wine bar opens in Soho
Since opening their first Vinoteca in 2005 in Farringdon's St John Street, Brett Woonton, Charlie Young and Elena Ares have quenched a thirst for wine bars of the type found all over Spain and Italy - the name comes from the vinotecas of Spain. Such is the popularity of the original that they've expanded to more central London locations including Vinoteca Marylebone, which opened in late 2010, and Vinoteca Soho on Beak Street, launching 8 May 2012. Wines are very much the focus - also available to buy to take home from the wine shop out the back - and they regularly host meet-the-expert wine tasting dinners, talks and events. But the food isn't bad either with dishes such as grilled mackerel with rhubarb chilli and lovage, wild boar with polenta and gingery pears, grilled steak with chips and lemon curd and blackcurrant sorbet sandwich to go with the 300 or so bottles on the wine list. The Soho branch takes up two floors with a bar and all-day dining space on the ground floor and a dining room with enough room to seat for 45 on the first floor, reservations taken for lunch and dinner.
Cutty Sark
Re-opening 26 April 2012Historic ship
The restoration of the Cutty Sark has seen £50 million spent on the famous tea clipper ship which was damaged by fire on 21 May 2007. But with much of the ship already removed from the site, most of the original has been restored. The boat's rich history begins back in 1869 when it was built for John 'Jock' Willis, a seasoned sailing ship master, and was designed for speed, racing to bring home tea from China. Capable of going over 17 knots, and with a large hold for carrying cargo, the Cutty Sark was 'the space shuttle of its time'. Preserved for the nation by Captain Wilfred Dowman in 1922, the old clipper has been at her current resting place in Greenwich since 1954 and was first opened to the public in 1957 by the Queen. Now raised three metres above her dry dock, visitors can see the lines of her hull - covered in sheets of metal giving it a golden sheen - which made her so swift and so successful. A tour of the vessel reveals the ship's fascinating history and her various cargoes: from tea to wool to buffalo horns. The exhibition also includes the world's largest collection of merchant navy figureheads, installed in the dry berth under the bow. The Cutty Sark's own figurehead, a young witch named 'Nannie', was named after a character in the poem Tam O'Shanter by Scottish poet Robert Burns. To book, go online or telephone +44 (0)20 8312 6608 (open 09.00-16.00 daily).
La Bodega Negra
Opened 16 March 2012Mexican restuarant & taqueria
The combined talents of London restaurateur Will Ricker, British entrepreneur Ed Spencer Churchill and New York nightclub designer Serge Becker give us La Bodega Negra, an upmarket Mexican restaurant close to the theatres of Shaftesbury Avenue. The eaterie is a two-in-one combination of a taqueria and cafe on Moor Street and a larger 100-seat restaurant with a bar on Old Compton Street. With Will Ricker, whose other sites include Eight Over Eight, E&O and Great Eastern Dining Room, in charge of the operation and overseeing the food - ceviches, tacos and tostados, supplemented by rotisserie from the wood burning grill - the standard should be high. And Becker's interiors - see La Esquina, Miss Lily's, Joe's Pub, Bowery Bar, the Box and the Mercer Hotel in New York - will undoubtedly be hip enough to sip your cocktails in.
Jugged Hare
Opened 9 March 2012Gastropub
Brothers Ed and Tom Martin, the duo behind well loved London gastropubs The Gun, The Botanist, and The Angel & Crown in Covent Garden opened their tenth London pub, the Jugged Hare, in Chiswell Street, a stone's throw from their Chiswell Street Dining Rooms. Situated next to the Barbican Centre, on the corner of Chiswell and Silk streets in the City of London, the pub forms part of the famous old Grade II listed building and former home of the Whitbread Brewery from 1750. Antique features - original brass iron fittings, anaglypta textured wallpaper on vaulted ceilings and whisky barrel tables - have been retained and enhanced with the addition of red leather booths and Tom Dixon light fittings. The menu is meat-heavy with Sunday roasts a speciality and game - wild boar, whole suckling pig, and jugged hare - all available when in season. An eight-spit rotisserie and charcoal grill are the secrets to success for freshly cooked meat and fish dishes, served with their own Jugged Hare pale ale, brewed in conjunction with Sambrook's Brewery, and a selection of fine wines available by the glass and on display in the walk-in wine room.
Cotidie
Opened 5 March 2012Italian restaurant
Cotidie, an elegant modern Italian restaurant on Marylebone High Street, is the first UK restaurant from internationally renowned Michelin-star chef, Bruno Barbieri - who is well known both for his plethora of stars (the restaurants he has worked at have accumulated a total of seven Michelin stars) and his appearances on Italian MasterChef. The name comes from the Latin for 'everyday' but Cotidie is Italian in every other way, from the on-site 'sfoglina' pasta making specialist to the stylish yet informal dining room. You can sample appetizing cicchetti dishes at the counter bar, or linger for longer in the main dining room where the menu of daily changing dishes may include saddle of crispy suckling pig is served with caramelised Sicilian blood orange jus, and roasted woodcock is combined with corned veal tongue in a tortelli accompanied by celery jus, salted ricotta cheese. A predominantly Italian wine list of 100 bins includes a selection by the glass and half bottle. In setting up Cotidie with fellow-Italian Francesco Ortone, Bruno Barbieri says he is, "not trying to alter the English perception of what Italian food should taste like", instead the aim is to replicate the food which he makes in Italy. If he does manage to created the equivalent of Trigabolo d'Argenta and Ristorante Arquade in Relais & Chateaux's Villa del Quar (both awarded two Michelin stars) in London then the city's restaurant scene will be all the better for it.
Ceviche
Opened 1 March 2012Peruvian Kitchen & Pisco Bar
London may have its fair share of Mexican burrito bars but Ceviche in Soho claims to be London's first Peruvian restaurant - and it may well be the first of many with LIMA opening in Fitzrovia in the same year. Sip on a Pisco sour while enjoying the spectacle of your fish being prepared and marinated. As well as the speciality ceviche dishes - whose core ingredient is raw fish marinated in citrus juices - the menu features grilled skewers of beef, marinated chicken, salmon or braised octopus and classic favourites including wok cooked dishes (beef, chicken or vegetables with pasta noodles), Peruvian corn cake and deep fried prawns. Every last Monday of the month the bar hosts the Guinea Pig Club, a session for Pisco fans that will offer samples of new drinks. Restaurant owner Martin Morales, a DJ and former Apple exec, hopes diners will find Ceviche a little piece of Lima brought to London.
Gregg's Table
Opened 27 February 20121970s nostalgia food
Angel Delight, After Eight mints and Knickerbockerglories are just some of the 1970s nostalgia food found on Gregg's Table, the restaurant from Master Chef presenter Gregg Wallace. The 90 cover restaurant at The Bermondsey Square Hotel also offers seating for a further 100 people outside serving retro classics including lobster thermidor and mulligatawny soup - "dishes you would have found in working class tables when I was growing up - just with a little more finesse," says Gregg. This is his second London restaurant following his Wallace & Co cafe in Putney and this time around he has decided to do something posher but still maintaining affordable prices - the only really expensive things on the menu are the steak and the whole lobster. "I want it to be the sort of place local people can come into once or twice a week," says Gregg.
52 North Bar & Kitchen
Opened 7 February 2012British cuisine
The owners of The Penny Black Restaurant in Chelsea have relocated the team from their original restaurant to Soho to create 52 Degrees North Bar & Kitchen. As with their first establishment on Fulham Road, Tim Lalic and Vahram Papazyan have put the emphasis on British produce using ingredients sourced in the UK as the name suggests - 52 degrees north is the latitude of the UK. This ethos even stretches to the drinks list which features wines from Kent, organic cider from Somerset, and draught artisan beers from Scotland's Innis and Gun Brewery. When it comes to food, the British focus means Scotch woodcock sits alongside Gloucester old spot pork chop and Arbroath fish cake on the menu which offers trifle and Knickerbocker Glory for pudding. Set over two floors, the brightly lit entrance welcomes visitors with the glare of 600 light bulbs leading to a large bar, lounge area with fireplace, big sharing tables, wooden walls, Eames furniture and Chesterfield sofas.
Hix Belgravia
Opened 1 February 2012International cuisine
If you think you know what to expect from Hix Belgravia, think again. Mark Hix has gone 'off piste' with his restaurant within Belgraves hotel in the affluent area close to Sloane Street. "If you're expecting Mark's signature British style then think again," is the warning. Instead of the quintessentially English food that Hix has become synonymous with, Hix Belgravia offers menus from around the world. We travel to Vietnam for chicken broth, Spain for Seronio ham, and the West Highlands of Scotland for Loch Fyne oysters, and that's just for starters. There's a whole section dedicated to "Eggs, pasta and rice", plenty of steaks and meat-y options - chops, burger - as well as mains of Lobster thermidor baked potato, red sea prawn and pumpkin curry, or rack of Glencoe red deer. Finish with rhubarb jelly or apple fritters, served with a selection of ice creams and sorbets. Alongside the restaurant is the second of Hix's award-winning Mark's Bar with cocktails by Nick Strangeway, a smoking garden and extensive cigar menu. While sipping on a hibiscus-infused Bergameister you can take in interiors by Tara Bernerd while admiring the specially commissioned artworks from British artists including Miranda Donovan, Rachel Howard and Mat Collishaw. Hix Belgravia will be one of two Hix restaurants to open in 2012; look out for the Tramshed Shoreditch later in the year.
Pitt Cue Co.
Opened 16 January 2012American BBQ
Upgrading its premises from a van parked under Hungerford Bridge to a permanent home on Soho's Newburgh Street, the Pitt Cue Co. brings its high quality American-style barbecued meats, best washed down with a shot of burbon, to a wider audience. The restaurant off Carnaby Street is a relatively small space with rustic wooden tables and just 30 seats prompting co-founder Jamie Berger and chef Tom Adams to make this a 'no reservations' venture (not to 'be cool' but to be fair). Mains are served with sides of baked beans, braised sprout tops and hock, beet and pickle salad while the Pitt Cue pickle jar contains shiitake, fennel, kohlrabi, red onion and celery. But it's the barbecued beef ribs, brisket and pulled pork that has the reviewers in raptures. Order a pickle back if you're feeling brave - and you'll get a shot of bourbon and a shot of pickle juice to wash it all down. Surprisingly good.
Burger & Lobster
Opened 17 December 2011American cuisine
No Reservations are taken at this American-style burger and lobster joint in Mayfair serving top class fast food for those who can afford it. Launched by the team behind the Goodman steak restaurants, Lobster & Burger doesn't have menus either; the easy to remember choice of burger, lobster or lobster roll - served in a brioche with wasabi mayo - all of which come with chips and salad, is written on a blackboard instead. The burger is a 10-oz mix of grass-fed Irish and corn-fed Nebraskan beef and, for the same price, you can have a whole lobster imported from Canada which are held live in tanks on the premises. You can have your lobster steamed, grilled and served with lemon flavoured butter or with lemon and garlic. Dessert is also a limited to a choice of two - chocolate mousse or lime mousse. Drinks are strong on cocktails and spirits, and seating is at high tables or on banquettes. The staff ("trained to exhibit well-judged chirpiness", The Evening Standard) as well as the concept have clearly come straight from the States and it's an import that works well in this part of London.
The Hampshire Hog
Opened 17 October 2011The Primrose Hill set may have mourned the loss of The Engineer, one of the pioneering pubs of the gastropub movement which shut on 1st October 2011, but their loss is Hammersmith's gain. Forced out of their original premises, Abigail Osborne and Tamsin Olivier, the people behind The Engineer moved West to set up their second venture, The Hampshire Hog, on King Street which opened on 17th October 2011. The large, light room is split into two sections - the pantry to the left and the main dining room to the right, with a gorgeous beer garden out the back where they plan to grow their own, starting with herbs, moving on to veg. As you'd expect from a team that takes pride in the sourcing of their raw ingredients, the produce they use is organic where possible and there's a focus on seasonal ingredients. Menu choices change frequently but a typical selection would be whole grilled bream, served with lentils and salsa verde, partridge or savoy cabbage stuffed with mozzarella. Follow with hot chocolate and lavender pudding and wash down with a cocktail, wine, beer, Caravan coffee from Exmouth Market or a Rare Tea Company brew. If the 17-year tenure enjoyed by The Engineer is anything to go by, The Hampshire Hog is sure to become a much-loved local institution.
White Cube Bermondsey
Opened 12 October 2011Commercial art gallery
Jay Jopling's third - and largest - White Cube art gallery in London is located on Bermondsey Street and set in a former 1970s warehouse. At a massive 58,000 square feet White Cube Bermondsey is not only the largest art gallery within Jopling's White Cube empire but also the largest commercial gallery in Europe. A timely opening during the 2011 Frieze art fair, on 12 October 2011, launched the gallery to the world's richest and most influential art buyers. Designed by Casper Mueller Kneer Architects, the building has three principal exhibition spaces, substantial warehousing, private viewing rooms, an auditorium and a bookshop. The exhibition spaces are divided into the 'South Galleries', the principal display area, three smaller 'North Galleries', and the '9 x 9 x 9' gallery at the centre of the building. Frequently changing exhibitions by contemporary artists of the calibre of Jopling favourite Damien Hirst are supplemented by an education programme, artists' films and lectures. The first White Cube - one of the smallest exhibition spaces in Europe - was set up in Duke Street (1993-2002), not far from the current White Cube Mason's Yard which opened in September 2006, six years after White Cube Hoxton Square opened in April 2000.
Current events at White Cube Bermondsey
Damien Hirst
event
Wednesday 23rd May until Sunday 8th July
TIMES 23rd May 2012 to 8th July 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Contemporary works in various media.... More about this event
TIMES 23rd May 2012 to 8th July 2012 - Various Times PRICING Free
Contemporary works in various media.... More about this event
De La Panza
Opened 1 October 2011Argentinean restaurant
De La Panza started life as a market stall in six differents London locations, operating at markets at Regents Place, St. Katharine Docks, Brick Lane and the Brunswick Centre among others. Now the Argentinean eaterie has set up a permanent restaurant at the Islington end of De Beauvoir town - the area between Hackney and Islington. Having built up a loyal following through its lunchtime market trade, De La Panza - an Argentine expression for 'stuffing your belly' - rewards its fans with a relaxed atmosphere and a menu which includes Basque fish soup, house salad, and mains which range from Italian style stuffed aubergines to breaded veal and mashed potatoes, Buenos Aires style. Owner George Rockett has based his restaurant on the Bodegón-style
restaurants of Buenos Aires which were neighbourhood eateries were started by and for immigrants, usually of Spanish or Italian descent. Though this is not your typical Argentine steak house - it's much more diverse than that - great slabs of beef are still a key ingredient and they import their top quality meat from the mother country. Whether you just want a quick tapas or 'Minutas' and a glass of wine, or the full restaurant experience, De La Panza has separate areas that cater for both. Either way, you'll be leaving with a full belly.
The Hawksmoor Guildhall
Opened October 2011Steakhouse
The 10 Cases
Opened September 2011European restaurant
Ducksoup
Opened 26th September 2011European restaurant
Bread Street Kitchen
Opened 26 September 2011Modern European restaurant
Speakeasy Espresso & Brew Bar
Opened 26th September 2011Coffee bar
three different coffees made using a variety of brewing methods - including the good old French Press (or plunger); proving that you don't have to invest in expensive equipment to get good coffee. They use their own Coffeesmiths Espresso Blend, updated four times a year, mixing estates to create a blend with a good consistency year round. Their coffees, available in every type - latte, flat white, macchiato, filter - are accompanied by a range of food from muesli and croissants for breakfast to freshly made salads and sandwiches for lunch as well as a rather good gluten-free carrot cake for whenever you feel like it.
Supreme London
Open 22 September 2011Clothing & skateboard shop
Loyal fans queue around the block - some sleeping outside on a chilly September night - to get a first look at the cult skate brand Supreme store which features the full range of high end skate wear, accessories and skateboards. Seventeen years after opening its first store in SoHo, New York, Supreme arrives in Soho, London, with its first shop in Europe. Starting out in 1994 Supreme's founder James Jebbia set up a small store on Lafayette Street in downtown New York and soon attracted a loyal skateboard fanbase and a cult following. The brand is renowned for creating supremely hip street wear worn by rappers, pop stars and skaters. It produces skateboard decks in small editions, which makes them quite the collector's items. Collaborations with well known artists like Larry Clark, Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst have created skate decks that are sold by auction houses for ever increasing sums of money. At the London store the minimalist black shop front gives way to a two-storey shop featuring a photo collage by photographer Ari Marcopoulos and sculptural installation by skateboarder and artist Mark Gonzales. With the opening of its London store some may feel the brand has moved away from its origins but plenty of others are happy to have a shop Supreme this side of the pond.
Canteen Covent Garden
Opened 15th September 2011Pop-up British restaurant and bar
The Arts Club
Opened 12 September 2011Members club
Phone: 020 7499 8581
Bunga Bunga
Open 2nd September 2011Italian restaurant
Defined in the urban dictionary as an "erotic ritual which involves a powerful leader and several naked women", Bunga Bunga takes its name from the phrase made famous by Silvio Berlusconi's raunchy parties. The Battersea restaurant however is more of a "bar, pizzeria and karaoke" joint and "an Englishman's Italian". And although it promises a fun night out we doubt you'll get quite the same level of nakedness as you'd enjoy at a Bunga Bunga party. Still, this Italian bar and pizzeria featuring live entertainment and karaoke promises a lively night out in the company of Italy's finest icons. The decor is "a celebration of all that is amusing and melodramatic in Italian culture". This means there's a gondola-shaped bar on the ground floor, a Colosseum-shaped stage next to the dining area, and an entire floor dedicated to the world's most kitsch competition: The Eurovision Song Contest. There's even a tribute wall to Bunga Bunga bigwig, Berlusconi himself. Pizzas pay tribute to Berlusconi's favourite girls - Ruby, Aida and Micaela - and one comes in the shape of the 'Leaning Tower of Pizza'. Lamps are Vespa helmets turned upside down, Italian language tapes play in the toilets - Donatellas for ladies, Silvios for men - and a traditional gelato sets up stall outside in the summer.
CUT at 45 Park Lane
Open 1st September 2011American Cuisine
If you've never heard of Wolfgang Puck you're clearly from this side of the Atlantic. The Austrian-American chef is a household name in the US and he has chosen London as the city to launch his first European restaurant. The CUT at 45 Park Lane, housed within the Dorchester Collection's new Mayfair hotel, 45 Park Lane, is his fourth such restaurant and follows the same formula as the original and award-winning CUT in Beverly Hills. Puck's 74-seat London steakhouse places an emphasis on grilled food. The menu offers "contemporary interpretations of the classic steak restaurant" with Puck's signature cuts of beef including filet, sirloin, ribeye, rib-chop, Porterhouse, bone-in New York and bone-in filet. Guests can also sample an extensive array of seafood and salad dishes such as the pan roasted Scottish lobster with black truffle sabayon and Heirloom tomato salad with Neal's Yard goat curd and aged balsamic. For pudding, a collection of traditional British and American favourites include baked Alaska and banana cream pie. And there's a first for a CUT restaurant: a breakfast menu, featuring blackberry buttermilk pancakes and salt beef hash cake. If that isn't enough to make Wolfgang Puck a household name in Britain maybe his extracurricular activities will: he's the one voicing the chef in The Smurfs, the film.
SUDA
Open beginning September 2011Thai restaurant
SUDA in St Martin's Courtyard, Covent Garden, is a two-storey 'Siamese Rice Bar' claiming to house 'the UK's first som tam bar' brought to you by the people behind the Patara Thai restaurant chain. Mixing traditional dishes with contemporary fare the menu includes reliable crowd pleasers such as seabass with tangy peanut sauce with brown rice and Thai spinach, and beef sirloin green curry and papaya pad Thai. Or opt for more modern dishes like grilled lamb chop and tamtang - a spicy cucumber salad. SUDA also specialises in Westernised versions of Thai street food at the Som Tam bar upstairs where you can try crabmeat cigars and fish and prawn cake lollipops. A glass window gives you a view of the open kitchen while floor to ceiling windows offer views of the courtyard and Long Acre. It may be a long way from the bustling streets of Bangkok but SUDA certainly offers a welcome break from the shops of London.
Elliot's Cafe
Opened 30th August 2011British cafe
The Bull
Open 18 August 2011Pub & micro brewery
The Bull on the outskirts of Highgate Village housed in a Grade II listed building is not just a pub it's also home to the London Brewing Company, set up by Dan Fox, landlord of the famous White Horse pub (Sloaney Pony) in Parsons Green. There's Beer Street, named after a painting by Hogarth, who apparently frequented an establishment on this site, and a rotating second slot which, at time of writing, was filled by an American pale ale made from Californian hops. For Halloween this second ale is replaced with a spiced pumpkin beer served in a hollowed-out gourd fitted with a tap. How spooky is that? Food is gastro pub in style with a choice of fish tacos (one raw tuna, one spicy prawn), or herb crusted sweet breads and chicken livers to start. Mains on the menu are paired with recommended beers so, for example, you could choose braised beef with grilled plums washed down with Moor Fusion, or enjoy a plate of pineapple and jalapeno pulled pork accompanied by Goose Island IPA.
Spud.
Open 7th July 2011Cafe
At spud. (the full stop goes with the name) the tuberous vegetable is given pride of place, Atkins dieters look away now. Well, you can opt for a salad instead but what would be the point of going to a place called spud (full stop) if not for the potato? Potatoes are served in a noodle style box and you can opt to eat in at underspud or takeaway. While potato is certainly giving top billing the toppings are really rather good. Choose a 'Simply spud me' and you'll get a paired down potato with butter, cheddar cheese and creme fraiche... that's it. Or you can go gourmet with a Sicilian aubergine, tomato and cumin stew, served with lentils, chilli, green bean & radicchio, and goat's cheese. Slow cooked Moroccan lamb tagine, smoked mackerel, and braised barbecue pork served with apple slaw and barrel aged feta are also on the menu. The coffee isn't bad either, coming from Allpress, it's roasted in Shoreditch and made from ethically sourced beans. Stop by spud. for a hearty, filling cheap eat.
Galoupet
Open June 2011Restaurant, wine bar & shop
The owners of the prestigious Chateau de Galoupet vineyard in Provence have perfectly pitched their shop, wine bar and restaurant to appeal to the Knightsbridge locals. Situated on the suitably swanky Beauchamp Place, everything from the neutral, pale designer decor to the diet friendly small plates at Galoupet befits the harried shopper on a break from Harrods. But it would be a shame to leave it to them. The menu, for a start, is filled with "revelations of liveliness, piquancy" (Fay Maschler, The Evening Standard). 'Mediterranean with an Asian twist' is the best way to describe the dishes created by head chef Chris Golding who has worked at Zuma and Nobu Berkeley. Interesting ideas include heritage tomato, corn crusted aubergine and onglet steak which are paired with wine suggestions on the "unexpectadly indulgent" (The Telegraph) menu. There's also a hearty breakfast menu at Galoupet which opens from 8am with options like spelt waffles with maple syrup and mackerel with purple potatoes, pistachio, mint and citron. Wines are of superior quality, like the Sangiovese Le Focaie Rocca di Montemassi, with hints of violet, cherries and wild berries, and the Mas la Mola Priorat - a wine blended by Jordi Masdeu and Alessandro Marchesan, the sommelier at Zuma. But all (of the 36 choices) are available by the glass making even the most expensive bottle more affordable - if you just want to sample a little. The wine list, chosen by a host of guest sommeliers from top London restaurants and wine writers, changes frequently encouraging fans to return to see what they're up to next. Bubbly too is available by the glass thanks to the enomatic champagne machine (London's first), which dispenses four types of champagne by the glass at the perfect temperature while preserving the bubbles.
Roganic
Opened 25 June 2011Organic restaurant
This "narrow little joint, neutrally done out" (The Telegraph) is the London home of Simon Rogan's 'pop-up' restaurant, set to be in this part of Marylebone for two years. Rogan is famous for his Michelin-starred L'Enclume in the Lake District, Cumbria (L'Enclume has been favourably compared to El Bulli), and this London venture brings his foraging style of precision cooking to a wider audience. Rogan is not in the kitchen at Roganic, one of his main men Ben Spalding heads up the operation. But you can expect the kind of "brave and adventurous modern menu" (Time Out) that is Rogan's trademark style which makes for some strange sounding dishes like seawater cured Kentish mackerel, orache, broccoli and warm elderflower honey as well as shredded ox tongue, pickles and sourdough paper. There's an 'underground' feel to Roganic, thanks to the small size of the restaurant (only 25 covers), its paired down decor and due to the fact that it's here on a temporary, two-year basis. It's an 'insiders' kind of place, one where real foodies who want a fine dining experience that's on a level with the Fat Duck will enjoy.
Paul A Young Fine Chocolates
Opened 14 June 2011Chocolate shop
Soho is becoming rather blessed with a wonderful array of food destinations, and we're not just talking restaurants. The most recent is the Paul A Young chocolate shop on Wardour Street. We were sad to see the little stationers Osman & Son close down recently as they were part of the furniture of Soho, but there are no complaints about the replacement. Paul A Young makes the best salt caramels in London, great brownies and melted hot chocolate and the artisan nature of his creations shall fit beautifully into the chocolate black hole that we seem to have in this part of London. We have cupcakes; Hummingbird a few doors down, Cox Cookies & Cakes around the corner on Brewer Street where we have SNOG and we have Lina's, with Fernandez and Wells on the adjacent Lexington Street, now all we need is a cheese shop - hear our cries Fromagerie!
M&M's World
Opened 13th June 2011Confectionary store
da Polpo
Opened 2 June 2011Italian restaurant
A wonderful addition to Covent Garden (which itself is undergoing quite an impressive revival), da Polpo is the fourth restaurant joining the Polpo, Polpetto & Spuntino family. Intended to be an even more relaxed affair with a special meatball menu and a pizzetta selection. Spaced over ground and basement with a large table seating ten which is bound to be booked nightly. Reservations taken for lunch only, but building up one's appetite in the evening queue is well worth the wait.
Giraffe
Opened June 2011Family restaurant
The Booking Office Bar
Opened May 2011Hotel bar
Whistling Shop
Open May 2011Cocktail bar
There are no whistles for sale at the Whistling Shop nor, we suspect, will you necessarily hear anyone actually whistling. What you will get, however, is a cocktail worthy of wetting your whistle at this vintage Victorian underground bar. This is the second bar by Fluid Movement, run by directors Thomas Aske, Bryan Pietersen, Tristan Stephenson and Matt Whiley. Following the success of their flagship bar Purl, they bring the same level of attention and experimentation to the Worship Street Whistling Shop. And when it comes to cocktails they really don't mess around. "Many of our drinks have been painstakingly researched and prepared within our in-house laboratory" they claim. And they really have been - on the premises, in the lab in the dining room with some high pressure hydrosol thrown in (that explains the Exploded Vodka Martini). True enthusiasts will love the 'multi-sensory experience' of the 'Cocktail Emporium', a small room separate to the main bar where you can enjoy an evening of food and drink dedicated to 'The History of Rum'. As well as an astounding array of gins and gin-based concoctions there are barrels behind the bar filled with whisky, Old Tom, Genever, Gin & Pep, Jager Tee and Rye Whiskey most certainly worth a try. With bar tenders dressed as if they've woken up in the 1920s, the Whistling Shop is just the ticket if you fancy a fun evening that takes you back a century or so. Flapper dress optional.
Bassoon Piano Bar
Open May 2011Piano bar
The cocktails in the Bassoon Piano Bar are very good, expensive, yes, but very, very good. Not only that but the bar has a piano which is both a musical instrument, complete with ivories to tinkle, and a bar where drinks can be purchased. Amazing. No surprise that the bar within the luxury Corinthia Hotel London has attracted an A-list clientele - Colin Firth, Jemima Khan, Cuba Gooding Jr, Mariella Frostrup have all stayed here. This is a grand hotel, in fact, the 19th-century building was one of Victorian London's original grand hotels. No wonder there's a Winston Churchill suite which includes a whisky bar and a Harrods concession within. At the Bassoon Piano Bar this heritage is alluded to in the cocktail list which includes colonial-inspired drinks including the Victorian Moijto, Pimm's Cup and English Tea Punch. Homemade sodas are carbonated to order in the tumbler - which sounds as colonial as it gets. The decor is art deco, courtesy of David Collins (also responsible for the Connaught Bar and Artesian), but it's the cocktails that people will come for, to sip stylish drinks in one of London's most glamorous hotels.
Antidote Wine Bar
Opened May 2011Wine bar
Ladurée
Opened 12 May 2011French patisserie & macaroons
This Covent Garden shop is the third London store from Ladurée, the famous French patisserie which dates back to 1862, when Louis Ernest Ladurée, a miller from southwest France, created a bakery at 16 rue Royale in Paris. There's also the flagship branch at Harrods and a second shop in picturesque Burlington Arcade. Delicate and delightful macaroons, sold by the kilo, are their signature and come beautifully presented in boxes in a whole choice of flavours from pistachio to rose petal. But you can also choose from a whole variety of baked and creamed goods from fresh petits fours to millefeuille au vieux rhum brun - vanilla cream flavoured caramelized puff pastry with old dark rum. The sweet pastry, smooth passion fruit cream and fresh raspberriestarte passion framboise is hard to resist.
José
Opened mid May 2011Sherry and tapas bar
A great team of established restauranteurs are teaming up with Jose Pizarro in running this wee (only 30 covers) tapas and sherry bar in Bermondsey Street. With a market fresh daily changing
menu José offers diners a creative wine and sherry list which complements the inventive dishes. Jose Pizarro has all the bearings of a celebrity chef in the making having appeared on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen and UKTVFood's Market Kitchen and his book Seasonal Spanish Food was published in October 2009 by Kyle Cathie. This, his first restaurant in London, is a precursor to a larger venue opening in the Borough area in the near future, and a nice bit of diversity to a small street of very good, very British existing restaurants.
The Village Bicycle
Opened May 2011Lifestyle store
London socialite and Jardine Matheson heiress, Willa Keswick, is the stylish young thing behind The Village Bicycle, a boutique inspired by 1960's London vintage store, 'Granny Takes a Trip'. Following the closure of her a short-lived nightclub venture on Swallow Street (which shut after just six months) Willa is back with this style store in Notting Hill, filled with clothes and accessories that she would like to buy. Bored of intimidating middle-aged shops, Willa set up the conceptual boutique with the intention of bringing shoppers something different. The Village Bicycle certainly stands out on Ledbury Road where neighbouring shops include Matches, Joseph and Wolf & Badger. On the rails are a mix of vintage and contemporary clothing from the likes of Mark Fast, Todd Lynn, Bodyamr, Tom Binns and Eleven Paris exclusive collaborations and own brand designs. Other lines will include jewellery, sunglasses, books, music, art and furniture as well as art curated by Tyrone Wood with prices ranging from £2 to £2,500.
Pollen Street Social
Opened 18 April 2011Modern European Cuisine
Jason Atherton's highly anticipated opening is finally here and holding it's own very well while rubbing shoulders with several nearby highly rated Mayfair eateries. Following his celebrated tenure at Maze, expect the cooking at Pollen Street Social to be the best of British with inventive twists with many items prepared in the famed Josper grill. The atmosphere is as the name suggests intended to be 'social' and customers are encouraged to pop in for a glass of wine or linger over dinner in the modern yet warm dining room. There is also a private dining room in the wine cellar should you want to treat your best friends to a fabulous meal.
The Riding House Cafe
Opened April 2011Brasserie
They've conquered Bermondsey Street, and now the team behind the excellent Garrison and Village East are working their brasserie magic in the West end. Bric a brac, shabby chic in design but executed perfectly with many restored elements The Riding House Cafe is housed in a terrific light filled ex-rag trade showroom. Split into three sections including the 'Campbell's Tomato soup' coloured dining room, a large bar lined with comfy stools and a huge central table seating 19 on surprisingly comfortable vintage theatre chairs, and a small lounge area on the far side. Great locally sourced British cooking and a fabulous breakfast spread, also a highly recommended destination for a relaxed Sunday lunch. A wonderful addition to the somewhat sparsely populated restaurant scene north of Oxford Street.
Bubbleology
Opened April 2011Bubble tea cafe
Bennett Oyster Bar and Brasserie
Opened April 2011Brasserie and food shop
Kateh
Opened March 2011Persian restaurant
The Fox and Grapes
Opened March 2011Gastropub
Spuntino
Opened March 2011Italian restaurant
The creators of the highly popular Polpo and Polpetto have brought a third establishment to the London restaurant scene. Russell Norman and Richard Beatty introduce Spuntino, which means 'snack' in Italian, to the streets of Soho, following the small plates theme of the first two restaurants but this time taking influence from down-town New York. Think classic macaroni and cheese, shoestring fries, soft-shell crab and meatball sliders. The drinks list inventively features cocktails from the prohibition era such as the Sazerac, a potent combination of cognac, whiskey and absinthe. Unfortunately, the restaurant has no telephone and doesn't take reservations.
Nopi
Opened March 2011Middle Eastern restaurant
The brainchild of the team behind Ottolenghi, Nopi is an all-day brasserie with a Middle-east and Asian inspired menu. With inventive and well presented dishes that are designed for sharing, the restaurant is big on freshness and innovation and its menu features plenty of bold flavours, colours and spices. Highlights include Grilled Hake kebabs with lemon pickle and Slow cooked pig cheek with celeriac and barberry salad. Nopi recommend three dishes per person as they are the perfect size for sharing.
Lantern
Opened March 2011Wine bar and bistro
Expect simple, home-style cooking from this wine bar and bistro that specialises in brunch and tasting plates. Lantern use locally sourced produce wherever possible in a menu with highlights such as chicken gizzard salad, scallop terrine, duck liver ravioli and rolled rabbit stuffed with sage and prune. Acoustic music is also on offer at selected times.
Phone: 020 7483 0933
Timing: Tue-Sun 5pm-11pm
Pricing: £60 per head
Nearest Station: Belsize Park tube
St. John Hotel
Opened March 2011Central hotel
Cocochan
Opened February 2010Contemporary Pan Asian restaurant
Venosi
Opened February 2011Italian restaurant
Front-of-house restaurant extraordinaire Luigi Venosi presents this self-titled Italian establishment on Sloane Avenue in the heart of Chelsea. Luigi has worked in the industry for 40 years and all this experience and know-how has been channelled into ensuring that his newest venture, Venosi, oozes his trademark charm and hospitality. All the food is prepared in-house, from the bread to the speciality Italian sausages. The highlights of the menu include the freshly made pasta courses, featuring linguine with lobster, tomato and chilli and a daily changing ravioli dish, as well as fish dishes such as line caught sea bream with Jerusalem artichoke puree. An exclusively Italian wine list perfectly matches the authentic, seasonal menu.
The Grand Union
Opened February 2011Pub and bar
There are several pubs dotted around town all called The Grand Union - and all of them owned by the same group, Canyon Entertainment Ltd. - set up by Adam Marshall and Adam Saword. Their ten London sites are: Camden, Brixton, Twickenham, Islington, Kentish Town, Kennington, Farringdon, Camberwell Grove, Ravenscourt Park and Wandsworth. Each serves up a reliable formula of burgers and salads, beers and cocktails, in a comfy sofa-surrounded setting. The original Grand Union at 102-104 Camden Road backs onto the Grand Union Canal - hence the name, adopted by the other three bars. This new venue in Farrigdon will offer an extensive range of premium beers, wines and cocktails prepared by expert mixologists alongside a food menu consisting of more than 20 towering burgers, award winning chips, pizzas and other quality 'pub grub' favourites.
Current events at The Grand Union
Friday at Grand Union Farringdon
event
running until Friday 25th May 2012
TIMES Friday 18th May and Friday 25th May 2012 - 5pm PRICING phone for prices
Resident DJs spin dance, pop and chart.... More about this event
TIMES Friday 18th May and Friday 25th May 2012 - 5pm PRICING phone for prices
Resident DJs spin dance, pop and chart.... More about this event
Grand & Gorgeous
event
running until Saturday 26th May 2012
TIMES Saturday 19th May and Saturday 26th May 2012 - 6pm PRICING phone for prices
Resident DJs spin funk, disco and house.... More about this event
TIMES Saturday 19th May and Saturday 26th May 2012 - 6pm PRICING phone for prices
Resident DJs spin funk, disco and house.... More about this event
Chuan Spa
Opened February 2011Hotel spa complex
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
Opened 1st February 2011Refined British cooking with historical twist
Pollen Street
Opening February 2011Italian restaurant
The Penny Black Restaurant
Opened February 2011British restaurant
Poppies
Opened January 2011Fish and chip restaurant
Whitechapel Gallery Dining Room
Relaunches 15 January 2011Art gallery restaurant
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