UK restaurant openings 2023: places to look out for next year

It's always good to have things to look forward to.

Whether it's for a special meal out or just to stay in the know, here's a list of exciting restaurants opening in 2023.

akub

Following building work delays this month, Chef and restaurateur, Fadi Kattan, will now make his UK debut with the opening of akub, in Notting Hill, on Monday 16th January. Modern Palestinian cooking through a distinct lens, akub will celebrate the under-represented rich culinary history of Palestine, with a bold and updated approach cultivated by Fadi and his business partner, Rasha Khouri.

Humble Chicken 2.0

Known for his yakitori-style restaurant with a ‘comb-to-tail’ ethos, and considered “one of London’s most ambitious chefs” according to Tim Hayward at Financial Times, Angelo Sato will introduce a brand-new menu at his 18-cover Frith Street restaurant, Humble Chicken, from 19 January. Curating a Japanese-led 8-course tasting menu with a European accent, the move will see Angelo sink his teeth into his most ambitious project yet.

Barnaby’s

The award-winning team behind Prawn on the Lawn have announced the brand new location for their second Padstow restaurant, Barnaby’s for Summer 2023. The focus is still firmly on fish but with the addition of locally sourced meat and veg dishes which are heavily influenced by Mediterranean and middle eastern flavours. The 45-cover restaurant will pop up this coming May to September at Trevibban Mill Vineyard and Orchard with both indoor and al fresco seating options and sweeping views of wildflower fields and vineyards. 

EDIT

A hyper-seasonal veg-forward restaurant that will open its doors in the heart of Hackney this January. Former architect-turned-restaurateur Elly Ward’s Mare Street venture will challenge traditional thinking and wasteful practices in the food industry with an innovative menu that celebrates the whole, championing organic and sustainable produce with a circular, low waste philosophy. The kitchen will be lead by chefs Fabrice Jacquet and Beth Olivier, who together with Elly have created a menu which reinvents and refines the age-old culinary principle of ‘less is more’, offering a concise list of modern British plant-based dishes.

Akira Back at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair

Korean-born, Michelin-starred chef, Akira Back, will be making his UK debut in Spring 2023 within the highly anticipated Mandarin Oriental Mayfair in Hanover Square. Across two restaurants and a bar as well as a rooftop experience, he will offer an exciting menu showcasing the elevated Japanese cuisine with a Korean-American influence that Back has become known for.

Chef Yannick Alléno at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane

Celebrated French chef Yannick Alléno will make his London debut at the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane late Spring, which promises to be one of the most exciting openings of 2023. The new restaurant and bar, at one of London’s most prestigious addresses, will offer elegant, approachable dining from breakfast through to dinner – expect contemporary and creative plates that will embody Chef Alléno’s philosophy of Modern French cuisine. Whilst dishes will be rooted in French gastronomy and techniques, the chef will take inspiration from London and British produce available to deliver a truly modern dining experience.

Midland Grand Dining Room

Award-winning hotelier Harry Handelsman announces Patrick Powell as the new chef taking over the space formerly occupied by Marcus Wareing's The Gilbert Scott within St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel. Midland Grand Dining Room, as it is confirmed to be called, will mark the third collaboration between the hotelier and chef having originally worked together at Chiltern Firehouse where Patrick was Head Chef for 4-years.

The Parakeet Kentish Town

Former celebrated Victroian pub, The Oxford Tavern in Kentish Town, will reopen as The Parakeet in March 2023 by local Camden residents and business owners Riz Shaikh and Steve Ball of The Columbo Group (The Jazz Cafe, The Blues Kitchen and Old Queen’s Head). The new pub and dining room is set to become one of North London’s most exciting new food offerings, with ex Brat chef Ben Allen at the helm showcasing a considered menu centred around quality seasonal produce and fire-cooking.

Fazenda London

Acclaimed South American Rodizio restaurant group Fazenda will open its first restaurant and bar in central London in Summer 2023. This follows the opening of the popular and successful restaurants in other UK cities including Manchester, Edinburgh and Leeds. Located in the heart of the City of London at 100 Bishopsgate, the newest addition to the Fazenda portfolio will be the first time the restaurant opens in the South. The site will be the largest of the group's restaurants, at over 10,000 square foot, and will comprise a restaurant serving the premium steaks and meats for which Fazenda has become acclaimed, in addition to its very first stand-alone bar which will occupy the lower floor.

Harvest

Acclaimed chef and restaurateur Jesse Dunford Wood (Parlour, Six Portland Road) will open his third restaurant, Harvest, in Kensal Rise, North-West London, in early 2023. Opening on Chamberlayne Road and joining the array of new restaurants flocking to the area, Harvest will be a bright and airy all-day restaurant. The colourful, approachable and seasonal frequently changing menu will start at Breakfast and Brunch and run through to Lunch and Dinner and will focus on British ingredients.

Roll Baby

Roll Baby, from the team behind London’s popular Farm Girl, launched in summer 2021 and offers a selection of fresh rice paper summer rolls, pastries, coffee and cold beverages, available across the capital. Available both to eat-in at the brand’s South Kensington shop, as well as for delivery across London, Roll Baby brings fresh, vibrant, tasty, and healthy summer rolls to busy Londoners. The brand will be opening two new sites - in Paddington and Westfield - in Spring 2023.

Hachi

Hachi is the creation brother and sister duo Andrey Datsenko and Anastasia Datsenko, together with Chef Taiji Maruyama. The grab-and-go baked goods concept will specialise in elegant Japanese pastries and cakes, honouring traditional baking methods and using premium ingredients. Hachi, will serve as a neighbourhood hub, offering a welcome, restful oasis for busy locals; a chic pit-stop for coffee and pastries before work, or destination dining for those seeking a unique lunch or snack. 

HUMO

HUMO is set to open its doors in January 2023 on St. George Street in Mayfair, London (the former site of Wild Honey). HUMO will be the debut restaurant by exciting culinary talent and Colombian-born, Chef Miller Prada, protégé of Endo Kazutoshi of Michelin starred Endo at the Rotunda. Directly translated as ‘smoke’ in Spanish, HUMO, will revolve around a four-metre long grill, with only wood and no electricity or gas utilised as cooking fuel.

JOIA

JOIA, the first London restaurant from celebrated Portuguese chef Henrique Sá Pessoa (Alma, Tapisco, ARCA), will open in Battersea in February 2023. Set across the 15th floor of the soon to launch Art’otel Battersea, JOIA will be London's new destination dining spot, offering sweeping skyline views and an Iberian menu showcasing Sá Pessoa’s vibrant, fresh takes on traditional dishes using the best of British, Spanish and Portuguese produce.

Nessa

Next March will see the launch of Nessa, a new modern bistro in the heart of Soho from Guy Ivesha, founder of Maslow’s (Mortimer House, Mortimer House Kitchen, Fitzrovia) and Tom Cenci (Loyal Tavern, Duck and Waffle) who will be Executive Chef. A vibrant and informal bistro, Nessa will sit on the prominent corner of Brewer and Warwick streets in London’s lively Soho, with British chef Cenci serving a menu of classic dishes that champion seasonality with a contemporary twist.

bar kroketa

The team behind the Spanish restaurant group Tapas Brindisa is to open a brand new bar concept in January, bringing Spanish bar culture to Beak Street in Carnaby. The postage stamp-sized space will embody the spirit of Spanish bar culture, and they’ve singled out the croqueta as their signature dish, with blackboards listing a frequently changing selection.

Kapara 

February 2023 will see the team behind acclaimed Southwark restaurant Bala Baya launch a new flagship restaurant in the heart of Soho. Kapara, will be the second stand-alone project from Israeli-born chef Eran Tibi and will take inspiration from the sights and sounds of Tel Aviv’s rooftop bars and the sun bleached streets of the city’s artistic neighbourhood Neve Tzedek.

Dovetale by Tom Sellers

May 2023 will see the launch of Dovetale, a new restaurant from two Michelin Star Chef Tom Sellers. Dovetale’s menu will be rooted in a deep respect for seasonal produce, with an à la carte menu bolstered by a dedicated offering from the grill, a raw bar and an expansive wine programme. A Knickerbocker Glory trolley will offer a Dovetale take on the classic dessert, made tableside. The restaurant will be joined by an adjacent destination cocktail bar at launch. Dovetale will open at 1 Dover Yard at the forthcoming 1 Hotel Mayfair, overlooking Green Park, which will also open its doors in spring, and will be 1 Hotels’ debut European property.

Manzi’s

The long-awaited restaurant from The Wolseley Hospitality Group, will officially open its doors in the heart of Soho in May 2023. Manzi’s will pay homage to its much-loved forefather, a restaurant which famously served Londoners off Leicester Square for more than half a century. Located at ‘Bateman Buildings’, a wide alleyway running south from Soho Square, parallel with both Greek & Frith Streets, the restaurant will epitomise the fashionable and creative Soho district and become a home away from home to its surrounding community.

Daroco Soho

Iconic Parisian restaurants Daroco, located in the 2nd and 16th arrondissements of Paris, have been a stalwart of the French capital dining scene since 2016. In September 2023 the three Founders, Alexandre Giesbert, Julien Ross, and Nico de Soto will launch Daroco Soho in the heart of London. Daroco will serve fresh handmade pastas and pizza amongst a Renaissance inspired design. Downstairs will be an intimate cocktail bar, DROP. 

Nammos London

The Mykonian hospitality group founded in 2003, are pleased to announce the forthcoming opening of their dedicated neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of Knightsbridge Village, at 13-17 Montpelier Street. NAMMOS London will be a partnership with Monterock International, and is housed in a heritage Grade II listed building, with architecture and delivery managed by award winning ultra-prime specialists Rigby & Rigby, and interiors by the eponymous Joyce Wang Studio. The venue will be an elegant and more refined version of its original concept, appropriately adapted to enhance its sophisticated urban location, with a focus on fare from their Aegean and Mediterranean roots.for NAMMOS World, where an unwavering commitment to excellent hospitality is the heart of the story.

Do you have a new restaurant opening you'd like us to shout about? Get in touch in the comments selection below or via our social media pages @thestaffcanteen