Story Cellar
Story Cellar is the next step in the Restaurant Story journey. Restaurant Story is one of the premier London dining experiences and Story Cellar takes the same concepts and reimagines them as counter-style dining. Tom Sellars continues as the chef patron, but overseeing the kitchen is head chef Stephen Naylor, who has served as the sous chef at Restaurant Story for the past four years, meaning he’s intimately familiar with the menu and style. The signature dish of Story Cellar is their rotisserie chicken.
Where: 17 Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, WC2H 9DP
Bookings: storycellar.co.uk
Kibako
Kibako is one of the newest, high-end Japanese restaurants in London and specialises in a style of Japanese dining called kibako, a particular way of presenting omakase in a box. It’s the project of chef Padam Raj Raj, a man with over 21 years of experience in Japanese cuisine and who is an executive chef and co-owner of the Hot Stone group, the team behind the incredibly popular Hot Stone franchise. The premium omakase box meal comes with nine appertisers, sashimi and sushi with a choice of 48 hour marinated grilled black cod with spicy saikyo miso, or 48 hour marinated grilled salmon.
Where: 3 Windmill St, Fitzrovia, W1T 2HY
Bookings: kibakolondon.com
20 Berkeley
20 Berkeley is a restaurant that pays tribute to its British heritage with a focus on seasonal British produce that reflects the fact that Mayfair used to be the gateway between the city and the countryside. Housed inside a gorgeous Georgian style building, it offers a menu featuring Herdwick lamb, Shropshire Iberico pork, Newlyn John Dory and more. Plus, the Nipperkin Bar situated on the lower floor offers in-house distilled spirits.
Where: 20 Berkeley Street, Mayfair, W1J 8EE
Bookings: 20berkeley.com
Lilienblum
Lilienblum is the latest project from chef Eyal Shani, who has brought in Oren King (previously of Roka and Hide) to head up the kitchen. Shani is best known for his quirky and irreverent style of service with the menu written in Comic Sans and featuring his own commentary on the dishes. For example, menu items include “Golden Fresh Focaccia wrapped in tomato, sage, spicy and sour cream. It’s a very bad idea to eat this, but there will be no regrets” and “Ribeye Steak, the way GOD intended”.
Where: 80 City Road, EC1Y 2BJ
Bookings: lilienblum.co.uk
Midland Grand Dining Room
After the main restaurant of the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel closed down, many wondered what would rise up to replace it and the answer is the Midland Grand Dining Room. The restaurant seeks to honour its late 19th century origins while bringing the menu up to speed for a modern cosmopolitan age. The set menu includes guinea fowl, ham hock and leek pâté en croute for starters and an Ox cheek pithivier main.
Where: St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Road, NW1 2AR
Bookings: midlandgranddiningroom.com
Dim Sum Terrace Harrods
Harrods are known for their revolving array of restaurants and now on the fourth floor they’ve opened the Dim Sum Terrace. Steamed dumplings with fillings such as saffron king crab, fermented chilli and Dover sole, and lobster and coriander. It’s the ultimate taste of pan-Asian cuisine. Not to mention that with the heated terrace and views overlooking the London sky-line, it’s a great spot for an evening meal under the late summer sun.
Where: Fourth Floor, 87–135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7XL
Bookings: harrods.com
Mallow
After a successful run over in Borough Market, Mallow is expanding to a second location in Canary Wharf. The concept at the heart of Mallow is one ripe for summer with a 100% plant-based menu that showcases the best sustainable and seasonal ingredients and dishes. For example, there’s the pulled mushroom biryani, plum tomato shorba, cucumber coconut sambol, and cardamom raita with spiced almonds. Complementing the fresh and fragrant menu is a light and airy dining room equally decked out with plants.
Where: 12 Park Drive, Wood Wharf, Canary Wharf, E14 9ZW
Bookings: mallowlondon.com
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