London restaurants 2023: Nine exciting new openings this autumn - including Soho, Shoreditch, Mayfair

Summer may be coming to an end and while it will be sad to say goodbye to the longer evenings, a whole new season of culture and fun awaits.

This autumn, food lovers are in for a treat as a number of new restaurants are set to open in London.

From follow-ups from some of the city’s biggest-name chefs to newcomers on the scene, we’ve rounded up some of the most exciting new restaurant openings this autumn.

Here’s to a season of good eating and drinking.

Llama Inn Shoreditch

1 Willow Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 4BH Opened September 1

Since opening its doors in Brooklyn, New York in 2015, the Llama Inn has become a cult favourite for foodies across the pond.

Landing in Shoreditch in early September, founders Juan Correa and chef Erik Ramirez are now hoping to inspire the same cult appeal in London.

The menu features plates of scallop, yuzu kosho, pitahaya, and nori; lomo saltado, scallion pancake, rocoto, pickled chillies and fries; and lucuma tart with miso manjar blanco.

The original Llama Inn is one of the New York Times’ Top 100 restaurants 2023 and has also scored a Michelin Bib Gourmand Award.

Forza Wine at the National Theatre

National Theatre, Upper Ground, London, SE1 9PX Opened September 7

Forza Wine at the National Theatre is childhood friend’s, Bash Redford and Michael Lavery second bar following on from their popular rooftop spot in Peckham.

Reserve a table or just drop by for a few “sort of Italian” plates such as cauliflower fritti with aioli or mozzarella with figs and hazelnuts.

The outdoor terrace, open all year, must be seen to be believed, preferably with a cherry Negroni or a frozen peach margarita in hand.

Korean Grill Kensington

Courtfield Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 4QH Opened September 12

Korean Grill Kensington, which opened earlier this September, is introducing Londoners to the Korean Omakase dining experience.

Omakase means “I leave it up to you”, so diners leave it up to the chef to select and serve seasonal specialities.

Each table at KGK has an inbuilt tabletop style grill for a traditional Korean BBQ cuisine of grilling meat over a hot grill in the centre of the table. The barbecue menu includes Japanese Wagyu rib eye steak, whole tiger prawns and seasonal vegetables for non- meat options.

KGK offers lunchtime set menus between £22-25 and an evening A La Carte menu for £65 a head.

L’Atelier Robuchon

6 Clarges Street, Mayfair, London W1J 8AE Opened September 15

The French restaurant L’Atelier Robuchon has reopened in Mayfair.

L’Atelier closed in its former Covent Garden site in April 2018, just nine months after Joël Robuchon, one of the most celebrated chefs in the world, died aged 73.

The new-look restaurant offers the much-revered Robuchon staple of Purée de Pomme de Terre, often described as the best mashed potatoes in the world, a dessert trolley dispensing fresh madeleines, and a roster of DJs and live music.

The head chef of the reopened L’Atelier Robuchon will be Andrea Cofini, who joined the group in 2014.

Chishuru, Fitzrovia

3 Great Titchfield Street, Mayfair, London W1W 8AX Opened September 18

Chishuru is the brainchild of Nigerian chef Adejoké Bakare. The west African restaurant began as a pop-up in Brixton in 2020, and after a rave review from Jay Rayner it became a permanent fixture.

The original Brixton Chishuru closed back in October 2022, but now a new central London site has opened offering guests a £65 set dinner and £35 lunch menu.

The menu offers dishes such as sinasir rice pancakes with white and brown crab and squash purée, and grilled Chinese cabbage stuffed with shallots, utazi leaf, and wild watermelon seed sauce.

Bébé Bob

37 Golden Square, Soho, London W1F 9LB Opened mid October

From the team behind Bob Bob Ricard, comes Bébé Bob opening in Soho this autumn.

Bébé Bob will specialise in rotisserie chicken, with sides including truffle fries and sautéed kale, as well as a crafty caviar selection.

There are no "press for Champagne" buttons, like it’s high-end bigger sister, but the group says the new venture will offer “well-priced fine wines and champagne alike.”

Saltine

11 Highbury Park, London N5 1QJ Opened October 25

The founders of north London’s popular Fink’s coffee shops are branching out with a standalone neighbourhood restaurant in Highbury.

Mat Appleton and Jess Blackstone open the doors of Saltine in Highbury in October.

They’re bringing in chef Phil Wood (previously at Spring and St John Marylebone) to run a menu that features dishes that include a fried stracciatella and anchovy sandwich.

The restaurant will be open all day serving up coffees, pastries and dishes to grab and go during the day, then switching up to a more formal menu in the evening.

Akara

Borough Yards, Stoney Street, Southwark, London SE1 9AD Opened mid October

The team behind the upscale West African restaurant Akoko will launch a new casual concept in Borough Yards this autumn.

Akara, named after the black-eye bean fritters eaten throughout West Africa, will serve an a la carte menu of traditional flavours from the region, with street food dishes, sharing plates, and barbecued meat and fish.

Akara will open in October serving dishes priced between £6 and £38.

BKC Soho

8 Moor St, Greater London W1D 5ND Opened mid October

Biryani Kebab Chai (BKC) has opened its second site in Soho a little over a year after opening its first site in Marble Arch. The restaurant by Coupette founder Jeet Mitra offers diners northern India’s Awadhi cuisine.

The menu features a number of the Marble Arch classic dishes, as well as new plates unique to the Soho restaurant including bhatti ka khargosh (Chargrilled grilled rabbit legs infused with allspice and yoghurt), tandoori lobster (Chargrilled lobster infused with lime & pepper served with corn on the cob and raw mango chutney), and kathal ki shami (Pan-seared jackfruit and walnut patties served with coriander chutney).

The restaurant is in a cute intimate setting, with friendly staff, delicious food and right in the heart of Soho.