The Best September Restaurant Openings in London to Book Now
Words by
Izzy Schaw Miller, Clara Taylor and Pippa Lowe
12th September 2025
September is a bumper month for restaurant openings, so here’s the ultimate guide to London’s new dining spots — from New York–style plates at Carbone to a touch of Parisian nostalgia at Richoux.
Classic pub food at The Elizabeth. ©Steven Joyce.
If you’ve been to the now shuttered Ganymede in Victoria, you’ll remember it as a spot serving pub food as polished as it was welcoming. Here to elevate things further – under its new incarnation as The Elizabeth – is Michelin-starred chef Anthony Demetre (of Wild Honey), who will be sprinkling his culinary star dust on the good old pub menu.
Carbone, Mayfair
The iconic Carbone comes to London.
Plucked straight from the city that never sleeps – where it regularly hosts the likes of the Biebers, Kardashians and Adele – Carbone is bringing Mayfair a splash of New York in all its American glory. The restaurant is housed in the former American Embassy in Grosvenor Square – clearly having its moment, having also just welcomed the hotly anticipated Chancery Rosewood hotel. Nothing is missing from the storied original: expect tuxedo-clad captains, eclectic interiors and artwork, rare wines, and the signature Spicy Rigatoni Vodka.
Kudu Marylebone
Kudu has been a Southeast London gem, with the Peckham and Nunhead that received rave reviews from The Times’ Giles Coren, who even went so far as saying it “blew me away”. West Londoners need not feel left out any longer because, as of this month, Kudu is moving to Moxon Street in Marylebone. You can expect the same European-South African food, including a full Braai offering, beef fat fingerling potatoes, and a confit leek and pecorino tartlet. If it’s good enough for Giles Coren, it’s good enough for us.
Aram, Somerset House
Aram pistachio and rose cake. ©Harriet Langford.
Imad’s Syrian Kitchen’s move from pop-ups to buzzy Kingly Court was a testament to its success in 2020, and now the restaurant is spreading its Eastern Mediterranean wings to Somerset House by the River Thames. Set across four elegant, modern rooms, the new deli, café and restaurant Aram offers a comforting array of snacks and drinks like Zaatar croissants, Halva brownies, cardamom coffee and Syrian mint tea, alongside dining room dishes such as roasted aubergine salad and labneh with poached eggs.
Cicoria, Covent Garden
Carrie Bradshaw once said her favourite thing about the ballet was that there were no words. With Angela Hartnett’s new restaurant, Cicoria, opening at the Royal Ballet & Opera House, you might also find yourself speechless. Though in this case, it’s because your mouth will be full of her exquisite Italian cooking. Drawing inspiration from the Emilia-Romagna region, Cicoria has a sophisticated yet simple ethos. The menu will have comforting but rich dishes like beef shin ragu, cavalo nero risotto, and braised cuttlefish and soft polenta. All of which can be enjoyed on the covered terrace, with sweeping views of the Covent Garden Piazza.
Tobi Masa, Mayfair
New York sushi legend Chef Masa Takayama ahead of the launch of Tobi Masa at the Chancery Rosewood Hotel.
September has been a big month at the Chancery Rosewood. The former American Embassy cum hotel opened earlier this month, and with a host of new restaurants, bars, and even a dessert salon in the form of Jacqueline. Of these, Tobi Masa is the jewel in the crown. Translated from the Japanese “to fly”, Tobi is built on a philosophy of freedom and creativity from the three Michelin-starred culinary master, Chef Masayoshi Takayama. Widely regarded as the chef who redefined sushi in America, Masa transformed the landscape of New York dining when he opened Masa in 2004.
Opening later this month, we can expect the menu to feature iconic including the all-seafood Surimi Masa Pasta, Peking Duck Tacos and the indulgent Masa Toro Tartare – a luxurious blend of finely chopped fatty tuna topped with caviar. Keep an eye for the exact opening date via the-chancery-rosewood/dining/tobi-masa
Lagana, Shoreditch
Mediterranean dining at the ever-stylish, Lagana in Shoreditch.
The Pachamama Group is not so slowly but surely taking over London. Four restaurant openings in as many years – Zephyr, Bottarga, Nina, and now Lagana - and a highly curated social media presence, Pachamama is redefining the capital’s modern dining scene. Without exaggerating, their restaurants are stunning. Each site is kitted out with vintage glassware, antique furniture, and complemented with modern touches like neon art, pendant lights, and, in some cases, leopard print wallpaper in the bathrooms. Lagana, the latest addition, is no exception.
Housed in the original Pachamama East site in Shoreditch, Lagana’s menu is a blend of Greek classics and more experimental dishes. Fan favourites like the legendary pitta, tzatziki, Greek salad, and yoghurt chicken thigh are mixed in with plates of dry-aged picanaha, bluefin tuna and pickles, and grilled mushrooms with a smoked onion broth. It’s not always that restaurants live up to their social media hype, but Lagana firmly bucks this trope. The salted caramel cheesecake is as delicious as it looks and not to be missed – no matter how many flatbreads you may have already eaten.
Book a table now via lagana.london
Nela, Bayswater
Dishes from Amsterdam's finest and Bayswater's latest, Nela.
Live-fire cooking at its finest, Amsterdam’s Nela has jumped on the Eurostar and set up shop in Bayswater. Making the Whitely its new home, Nela was conceptualised by leading chefs Hari Shetty and Ori Geller, and founded in partnership with British entrepreneur Gilad Hayeem. The menu, which focuses on bringing honest, seasonal ingredients to life, is a classic mix of elevated modern Mediterranean cuisine. Think Oysters, fermented in chilli and smoked oil, Beluga caviar on a crisp lavash, flame-grilled rib-eye, truffle potato millefeuille and more.
It’s only been open a few days, so very much hot off the press. Bookings can be made through nelarestaurant.com
Richoux, Regent Street
Illustration of the exterior of Richoux, Regent Street.
Doling out a sense of nostalgia, the 1909-born London patisserie and restaurant Richoux makes a return to the dining scene on the fittingly elegant Regent Street. Expect to be transported to the cafés of Paris as you settle into bistro chairs and leather banquettes, with sourdough escargot baked in garlic-parsley butter, steak frites with peppercorn sauce, and croque monsieurs all for the taking.
CÉ LA VI, Paddington
An array of modern Asian dishes at CÉ LA VI. ©Johnny Stephens.
The saying c’est la vie – that’s life – could refer to a spilt drink or a missed train, but here we get the sense the definition is off to new – and decidedly hedonistic – heights. This sparkling new sky-high restaurant and bar, spanning two sleek floors, is set to spice up Paddington with modern Asian cuisine, curated late-night DJ sets, and panoramic city views.
Solaya, Shoreditch
Breezing into Autumn we may be, but Solaya in Shoreditch stays firmly optimistic as it opens its doors to serve up a summery taste of the French-med on a London rooftop. Led by Michelin-starred chef Kenny Atkinson (behind Solstice in Newcastle) and set across the boastful 360-degree layout of the 25th floor of art’otel London, this one will shine bright.
Michael Caines at The Stafford, Mayfair
Pan-roasted duck liver, chicory, golden raisins, candied walnuts, orange confit and Gewurztraminer sauce
The Stafford is reimagining its signature restaurant, The Game Bird, unveiling a bold new culinary chapter this month. In partnership with Michael Caines MBE—marking his first-ever London venture—the luxury Mayfair hotel launches a modern European fine dining destination. The refreshed identity will balance beloved Stafford classics like the famed Beef Wellington with Caines’ Devonshire dishes, from a delicate Warm Lobster Salad with cardamom vinaigrette to a perfectly pan-roasted Brixham Turbot.
Officially opening doors on the 17th of September, find out more and book via thestaffordlondon.com/michael-caines-at-the-stafford/
Il Bambini Club, Shoreditch
Maximalist and made for Instagram, Il Bambini Club – playfully meaning ‘the children’s club’ – is already a favourite in Paris and Megève, and now it’s ready to charm the UK from the ground floor of The Hoxton Hotel in Shoreditch. Expect a feast of antipasti in the tricolore palette, fresh pasta, crisp pizzas and cocoa-dusted tiramisu aplenty. With its patterned interiors and carefree trattoria spirit, this is the latest of East London’s lively dining playgrounds.
Aki London, Fitzrovia
Describing itself as reimagining history with a contemporary Japanese spirit, Aki brings Haute Japanese cuisine into the hall of a Grade II-listed former bank on Cavendish Square. Designed by Francis Sultana, the restaurant’s 80-cover dining room gives way below ground to a hidden vault bar, Kiyori, where inventive cocktails shake up the atmosphere after a delicate meal of precision, fusion and flavour.
Punk Royale, Piccadilly
Brilliantly bizarre, but perhaps for fine diners craving a touch more chaos… Punk Royale, with existing outposts in Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen, is all disco balls, caviar and oysters. Now comes a London addition in Mayfair, just off Piccadilly in Sackville Street, built within the grandeur of an 18th-century building. As they say “once upon a time there was fine dining, now there’s Punk Royale.”
Aces Foodcraft, Fitzrovia
After 15 years alongside Jason Atherton, former Sosharu chef Alex Craciun has struck out on his own with Aces Foodcraft at Fitzroy Place. By day, it’s a laid-back à la carte affair; by night, it transforms into an immersive dining experience designed to push boundaries. The menu carries a distinct Japanese edge, from Kagoshima wagyu with asparagus and pickled himeji mushrooms to Okinawan Aji horse mackerel with crispy nori and fresh wasabi. Cocktails keep pace with the flavour play, from delicate Jasmine Highballs to a punchy Hibiscus Campari Soda.
