Vesper

 London opening of the year?

Clams, beans and cider cream

Restaurant Vesper, Jackson Boxer’s latest London opening, arrives on Exmouth Market with the sort of easy confidence you’d expect from a chef who has spent years developing a distinctive voice across the capital. Boxer first made his name at Brunswick House in Vauxhall, which he has run since 2010. Vesper, which opened in June 2026, is his latest expression of that cooking philosophy: modern European food that takes inspiration from across the continent while remaining firmly rooted in good British produce. The restaurant occupies a bright corner site, with a lively bar, whitewashed interiors and bistro tables facing onto Exmouth Market. The menu doesn’t seem particularly interested in being constrained by a single national tradition, instead moving comfortably between French, British, Spanish and wider European influences. That makes it an interesting place to eat because you’re never quite sure what the next plate will bring.

Tavern

 Good but could be better

Pig skin and cod roe

Tavern arrives on Old Street with the kind of pedigree that immediately raises expectations. This is the latest venture from the team behind the Michelin-starred St Barts, replacing their former restaurant Nest with a concept that shifts away from tasting-menu precision towards something more approachable, nostalgic and unmistakably British. Executive chef Brendan Appleby and head chef Kirsty Easterbrook have brought with them the technical discipline and respect for ingredients that earned St Barts its acclaim, but here the ambition is channelled into the language of the British tavern: generous cooking, honest produce, nose-to-tail philosophy and dishes that celebrate the country's culinary traditions without falling into cliché. Expectations are therefore understandably high, and while much of Tavern delivers on that promise, the food itself proves to be a more uneven experience than the polished setting initially suggests. 

Bocca di Lupo

 A true Italian institution in London

Courgette flower stuffed with mozzarella & anchovy

Bocca di Lupo has been a fixture of Soho dining for well over a decade, and in a city where restaurant fashions arrive and disappear with remarkable speed, its longevity says almost everything that needs to be said. Yet what is most striking about Bocca di Lupo is not that it has survived, but that it has remained so consistently relevant without ever appearing to chase relevance at all. In an era when restaurants often lean heavily on theatrical presentation, social media appeal, elaborate concepts or endless reinvention, Bocca di Lupo continues to do something far more difficult: it simply cooks exceptionally well. Walking through the door feels less like entering one of London's most celebrated Italian restaurants and more like arriving at a neighbourhood institution.

Motorino

 Premium Italian offering but off the mark

Tuna, tomato and capers

There is a certain irony that Stevie Parle's return to Italian cooking arrives at a moment when London hardly lacks for pasta restaurants. Yet Motorino, the latest opening from Parle, never feels like an attempt to chase a trend. Instead, it feels like the work of a chef revisiting familiar territory with the confidence gained from years of experience. Parle, whose recent success at Town demonstrated his commitment to British produce and thoughtful, ingredient-led cooking, has teamed up with head chef Luke Ahearne to create a restaurant that borrows the soul of Italy without becoming trapped by convention.

Impala

Refreshing, one-of-a-kind  

Kibbeh of white crab and sun dried wheat wrapped in shiso leaf

Few restaurant openings in London have generated quite as much anticipation this year as Impala in Soho. The North-African-inspired venue embraces the unpredictability of open flames, creating dishes that feel instinctive rather than overly engineered. What makes Impala particularly compelling is its willingness to present combinations that initially sound unconventional but reveal themselves to be remarkably coherent once they reach the table. There is an adventurous spirit running throughout the menu, yet it never crosses into novelty for novelty's sake. Instead, every unusual pairing appears carefully tested and thoughtfully balanced.