Kitty Fishers

 Cozy yet classy British cuisine 

Whipped Cod’s Roe On Toast

When Kitty Fishers opened back in 2014, it was perhaps the most trending restaurant opening of the year. Back then it was headed up by chef wizard Tom Parry who has gone on to become a very successful restaurant operator with Brats and Mountain which both have a Michelin star. While Tom was in charge, Booking a table was mission impossible as his approach to modern British cuisine with a nod to traditional techniques was something pretty new and exciting back then. 10 years later, the menu hasn't changed much with British cuisine still at its core, using a range of fine local ingredients.

Galvin Bistrot

Classic for a reason

Chorizo croquettes 

I have been to the Michelin-starred Galvin la Chapelle a few times over the last few years, and somehow kept missing its sister joint Galvin Bistrot which is just next door to it. Unlike La Chapelle, Galvin Bistrot is a relaxing, casual French restaurant in the Bistro mood. What you see is what you get, no creativity or edgy concept, it just turns out classic French dishes in a refined manner, in a short alc menu format. Which sometimes is just what I appreciate, as when you dine with friends who are not overly keen on long hours tasting menu format and on a budget, French Bistro is always a great solution.

Sagardi

Tuleton steak in the UK

Cod fish omlette

When you think of top-grade steak, it is normal for most to think of Japanese wagyu to be the king of steak. However, I found while the texture of wagyu steak is excellent with a melting texture, I much prefer something more bold and savory in taste, which wagyu steak lacks. Therefore, the Spanish old cow 'Tuleton' steak is what I prefer. The cow aged up to 15+ years old before being slaughtered and offers a powerful creamy and beefy taste that no steak can match. The Rubia Gallega breed from the North Western of Spain is especially considered the finest. Not many London restaurants offer such a fine cut but Sagardi is one of them.

Roe

London opening of the year?

Cuttlefish fried toast, pork skin, sesame

The team behind Fallow has launched a brand new restaurant called Roe. Located in Canary Wharf and able to 500 covers thanks to its extremely large space, taking over the whole ground floor of an entire flat just off the Canary Wharf tube station. Given the location is not known as a dining hot spot. I found Roe is such a high-risk project, especially these days when more people work from home and some businesses decided to leave the area. Judging from the menu, the food has some Fallow elements but with the addition of flatbread and a few sharing dishes.

64 Goodge Street

 French cuisine, British style

Soupe au cresson & truffled Comté brioche

This is my second visit to 64 Goodge Street, a French restaurant by the same team behind the wonderful Quality Chop House. From my first visit back in 2023, I was really impressed with the quality of its take on French cuisine with a modern British essence, leveraging the best of British ingredients. Therefore, it was always worth a revisit. This time, I enjoyed lunch in its private dining room, which serves an ALC menu just like the main dining room. You are offered a number of choices from starters, mains and desserts, and you can add in snacks and sides should you wish.

The Cocochine

 Club vibe fine dining

Tanera Island Barbecued Native Lobster, Crème Fraîche, Wild Cardamon, Red Wine Jus

The Cocochine is a very interesting restaurant that just opened in Mayfair. Unlike many new fine dining restaurants that only offer a tasting menu, The Cocohine is going the opposite and offers only a 3 courses ALC menu. Spread across 3 floors, the ground floor is the main dining room space while the second floor is a chef counter setting with the same menu. It also has a private dining room on the top floor that has a member club vibe. I suspect it is still fairly unknown to most, as it shows when I visited. Including my table, there were only 5 tables with diners on the night.

Agora

Greek-inspired street food joint

wildfarmed flatbread and chard borani

Agora's sister Greek restaurant Oma launched with a bang, it gathered some very warming, over the top positive reviews from the media. I personally enjoyed my Oma occasion, too, but when I visited Oma by having to walk past the busy and lively Agora on the ground floor, I was interested in giving it a go, thanks to its fire cooking and focus on meat. The only thing that put me off is a no-booking restaurant so I had to plan to arrive before 6pm to avoid the after-work crowds. At Agora, it is all about the fast pace and keeping things super casual, with a short menu of dips salad, flatbread, skewers and roasted meat.

Nest

 Pork season tasting menu

 Charcuterie and pork terrine

Nest is a one-of-a-kind restaurant, it is sister to the 1 Michelin-starred St Barts, and just like St Barts, it offers a tasting menu only but Nest does it to the next level. Every month, it offers a seasonal menu that would be completely changed vs the last one, and it focuses on one single ingredient so you would be getting multi-courses of dishes that use either the same animal or seafood. I had an excellent lamb-tasting menu back in April so it was good enough for me to return to sample its pork menu.