The best new London restaurants of 2018 so far…

Discover which openings should be on your radar in London according to the dining experts from Ten Lifestyle Group, a leading technology-enabled lifestyle and travel platform.

A new age of dining has dawned in London and it embraces a simpler way of doing things, from low intervention cooking and organic ingredients to a marked return to cooking with fire. The 2018 scene has also been characterised by less fusion and more focus on particular cuisines which, in a city of imports, are being brought to life with local produce.

We take a look at the 10 restaurants that have embraced these culinary themes and made the biggest impression of 2018 so far.

Brat4
Redchurch Street, Shoreditch

Named after the old English term for turbot, it goes without saying that the first thing you should order upon visiting is its perfectly seasoned namesake. The kitchen revolves around a purpose-built wood oven while the mantra behind Brat’s food philosophy is ‘low and slow’ resulting in a delightful combination of nouveau Welsh cuisine inspired by the Basque method of cooking with fire. Parry has gone out of his way to source ingredients, ensuring all the beef is from older grass-fed cows to vegetables sourced directly from the Basque because the intense flavour cannot be mimicked.

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85 Piccadilly, Piccadilly

Acclaimed chef and restaurateur Ollie Dabbous is back with a new venture in collaboration with Hedonism Wines. Spread over three storeys, the 250-seat restaurant and wine bar is a different approach to what we’re used to from Ollie. Ground, on street level, serves a casual all-day menu, while Above, on the second floor, is focused on fine dining with an evening tasting menu and a set lunch menu for daytime dining. Below is the downstairs bar run by his business partner and cocktail aficionado Oskar Kinberg and sees them team up with Hedonism Wines to offer one of the most interesting drinks selections in London at the moment.

Brigadiers
1-5 Bloomberg Arcade, The City

It’s clear the team behind JKS haven’t lost their Midas touch with this new restaurant and sports bar. Named and modelled after the colonial mess bars of India, Brigadiers is set to become a city institution before the year is out thanks to its fiery approach to Indian food cooked over coals and its convivial space best suited for long afternoons and evenings of socialising. Brigadiers’ menu follows the same formula, with nibbles including masala pork scratchings and ox cheek vindaloo samosas and small dishes such as the tawa masala lobster and shrimp kati roll.

Rüya
30 Upper Grosvenor Street, Mayfair

Sophisticated yet gutsy Turkish cooking is plated up by Umut Özkanca, a second generation restaurateur whose gastronomic creation pays tribute to his roots. Although a slow burner for the moment, those in the know suggest you get here fast before the reviews are out and the waiting list grows. More than one type of diner will want to frequent Rüya thanks to its business lunch, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. Our personal highlights include seared spiced duck liver with pickled Turkish cherries and butter poached lobster with urfa biber, toasted simit and chilli oil.

Beck at Brown’s
Albemarle Street, Mayfair

This could possibly be the most underrated restaurant in Mayfair right now. With its residence at Brown’s Hotel and Heinz Beck of three Michelin-starred Pergola fame at the helm, this Italian glows with promise from the outset – and it delivers. Expect to see combinations like lobster with morel mushrooms, black truffles and cep foam alongside stalwarts such as spaghetti cacao e pepe. It’s a pretty face, too, with the restaurant’s elegant design and floral accents the masterpiece of interior designer and hotelier Olga Polizzi.

Scully
4 St. James’s Market, St. James’

Ramael Scully has embarked on his first solo venture with a hugely diverse menu offering some very original cooking inspired by his incredibly colourful heritage: born in Malaysia to a Chinese/Indian mother, Irish/Balinese father, and raised in Sydney, Australia. With such a mixed background, his restaurant packs a punch in terms of flavour and flair, creating a dining experience that is as bold as it is refined. His culinary intrigues include octopus ragu with mussels, speck and black garlic, and crispy pork belly with lemon chilli jam and nettle tabbouleh.

Evelyn’s Table at the Blue Posts
28 Rupert Street, Soho

A truly exceptional evening consisting of an elegant chef’s table experience awaits from the team behind Palomar. This basement counter restaurant’s small entrance in Chinatown is through a secret downstairs door marked with nothing but a peephole. Upon entry, you’ll find yourself at an 11-seater kitchen bar, where the small team of chefs plate up seasonal Italian cuisine and locally-sourced seafood. Venture to Sicily with their cured monkfish or taste the best of England with whatever has arrived from Looe market that morning – likely red bream, lemon sole and turbot.

Sabor
35-37 Heddon Street, Mayfair

Nieves Barrigan has done it again. If its name (‘flavour’ in Spanish) doesn’t give you enough of an idea, then its well-deserved rave reviews should make Sabor rocket to the top of your must-visit list. Prepare your palette for a journey through Spain, winding through the famed tapas bars in Andalucía, stopping by the traditional wood-fired Asadors of Castile, and the seafood grills that dot the Galician coastline. This vibrant dining debutante offers distinct tastes of Spain; picture milk-fed lamb sweetbreads, patatas fritas, and artichokes with black garlic aioli are just some of the highlights.

Roganic
5-7 Blandford Street, Marylebone

Simon Rogan’s immensely popular project returned earlier this year seven years after its successful pop-up in 2011. Unsurprisingly, it delivers on every level and is a superb place for a long lunch or evening dinner date. Expect only the freshest and most reliable produce from the most trusted suppliers in the UK, including Simon’s farm in the Lake District. With a shorter and longer tasting menu, as well as a set business lunch menu, this newcomer is sure to please Diners who want to experience what’s happening the forefront of Britain’s culinary revolution.

St Leonards
70 Leonard Street, Shoreditch

Jackson Boxer and Andrew Clarke are behind this welcome addition to the upmarket casual dining scene. Its menu is focused around two elements: the hearth and a raw bar. Expect flamed-cooked dishes such as 50-day aged sirloin with anchovy hollandaise and meaty sides including hispi cabbage with pork fat and ox crumb. Much of the meat comes from Jackson’s farm while the seafood comes in fresh daily and includes highlights such as wild bass crudo and cured salmon with raw cream.