London’s sizzling summer restaurants to book for now
FLAMING June might be too much to hope for but with Pub in the Park, BST Hyde Park and the Hampton Court Palace Festival all kicking off next month, there’s plenty to keep Londoners entertained outdoors. But if you’d rather be amused inside, June’s crop of restaurant launches sees tango in Covent Garden, DJs on the Strand and Indian disco in Notting Hill. Here’s where to tuck in.
Max Halley at the Hippodrome
Quite possibly the best thing since sliced bread, sandwich supremo Max Halley is joining the food line-up at the Leicester Square casino. Halley will be serving six casino-themed stacked sarnies, including a Meatball Bonanza involving a panini roll stuffed with USDA meatballs, tomato sauce, crème fraîche and mozzarella. Note the 5am closing time, seven days a week; everyone’s a winner.
June 1, Hippodrome
Casino, WC2, hippo dromecasino.com
Gaucho Covent Garden
All-day dining, drinking and dancing is the promise of
Gaucho’s first new London restaurant in more than a decade, which will see the Argentinethemed steak chain take over the ill-fated Wahlburgers site opposite Covent Garden Tube. Expect sustainable cuts of Argentinian Black Angus cattle, empanadas and ceviches, washed down with South American wine, strong cocktails and late-night tangoing to DJs.
June 2, 8-9 James Street, WC2E, gauchorestaurants.com
Empire Empire
Harneet Baweja, pictured, is bringing something new to London dining — with a theme inspired by Seventies Indian disco at his Notting Hill venture. A custom-made jukebox, vintage LPs on the walls and tables covered with paper cloths in the dinky 40-seat dining room pick up on the retro theme, though everything else is bang up to date, from natural wines and pre-batch cocktails in the bar, to the quality of ingredients and the care with which they’re cooked in the kitchen.
June 15, 16 All Saints Road, W11, gunpowderlondon.com
Little Kudu
The third South African-inspired restaurant from husband and wife Patrick Williams and Amy Corbin is set to be more tapas-focused than the couple’s other Peckham restaurants, Kudu and Kudu Grill. Small plates will include the likes of smoked peri-peri mussels, chicken liver parfait tartlet with spiced pineapple and calendula, and ham hock terrine with biltong scratchings. To drink, there will be a 30-bin South African list from family-owned wineries.
June 21, 133 Queen’s Road, SE15, kuducollective.com
Outcrop
A bit like the restaurant equivalent of a supergroup, there are some very big names behind this arty new project gathered around the courtyard of 180 Strand. It’s been dreamt up by Luca founders Johnny Smith and Daniel Willis and a trio of Secret Cinema alumni, but more exciting is the fact that the kitchen will be run by AngloThai’s John Chantarasak. The chef treats British ingredients to thrilling Asian technique in the likes of skate wing jungle curry. Wash it down with low-intervention European wines.
June 23, 1 Surrey Street, WC2R, outcrop.social