BEST RESTAURANTS AND BARS OPENING IN LONDON IN FEBRUARY 2026
February promises an irresistible lineup of new places to toast, taste, and explore across the capital. Whether you’re looking to book ahead for Valentine’s, impress a visiting friend, or treat yourself to the latest and greatest in London hospitality, this guide highlights the must-visit new restaurants and bars that deserve a spot on your 2026 radar.
Address: 6 New St, City, London EC2M 4TR
Opening Date: 1 February 2026
The Evolv Collection (formerly D&D London) replaced the recently closed Launceston Place restaurant with their Savile Row Italian restaurant Sartoria, and they have also turned their Fiume restaurant in Battersea into a Sartoria. Now a new site is opening in Liverpool Street, on the former Fish Market space, making this their fourth branch.
The Newman Hotel – Brasserie Angelica and Gambit Bar
Address: 50 Newman Street, London W1T 3EB
Opening Date: 1 February 2026
A Fitzrovian modern art boutique hotel from Kinsfolk & Co, with 81 Art Deco–inspired rooms and a wellness spa. It will have two places to eat and drink:
- Brasserie Angelica is the hotel’s European all-day restaurant, with a street-side terrace, standalone bar, and lunchtime sandwich trolley.
- Gambit Bar – an underground bar serving cocktails (including low- and no-alcohol options), local craft beers and bar snacks, with DJs, and regular chess nights.
Address: 233 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6PJ
Re-opening Date: 1 February 2026
The Light Bar in Shoreditch, which is inside a former Victorian power station, is entering a new chapter under new owner Rob Star (founder of Electric Star Pubs), following his recent opening of Firestarter. The relaunch includes a revamped food offering led by executive chef Jake Ayliffe (formerly head chef at Rogues), serving elevated pub classics in a 100-cover dining space. Brunch and Sunday lunch will continue, alongside a design refresh, a new mezzanine level, and a third-floor club space, The Timber Loft, hosting weekend day parties and club nights.
Address: 1 Westgate St, London E8 3RL
Re-opening Date: 3 February 2026
Bambi is reopening as an expanded Bambi 2.0 after taking over the neighbouring space, doubling its size with more tables, a new mezzanine, and an enlarged courtyard. The kitchen is now led by Jamie Thorneycroft, formerly of Lagom, introducing a new menu cooked over charcoal. DJs will now play nightly, with weekend dancefloor sessions, while the bar and courtyard will be kept for walk-ins.
Address: 392-393 Mentmore Terrace, London Fields, London E8 3PH
Opening Date: 4 February 2026
Opening Offer: 50% off food on 30 & 31 January 2026
The team behind Mr Bao and Daddy Bao opens a hidden new Cantonese concept at the back of Wonton Charlie’s. Cafe Kowloon will serve a contemporary London take on Hong Kong dishes, with counter seating overlooking the open kitchen and banquettes with Lazy Susans for sharing. Founded by Frank Yeung and Abhinav Malde, the restaurant will use produce from local suppliers including Fin & Flounder, E5 Bakehouse and Clean Bean Tofu.
Address: Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ
Opening Date: 4 February 2026
Nearly a decade after opening in Soho, Hoppers by JKS group is launching its fourth restaurant in Shoreditch, introducing a broader focus on South Indian cuisine alongside its signature Sri Lankan dishes. Led by creative director Karan Gokani, the menu draws on influences from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, with new dishes including Benne Dosa, South Indian–style biryani, and Kerala-inspired curries. The 55-cover restaurant will take over the former Lyles site and feature a refreshed design inspired by Chettiyar homes and South Indian art, with drinks also reflecting South Indian flavours, including expanded low- and no-alcohol options.
Donutelier – Oxford street
Address: 1 Oxford Street (4 Soho Place, W1D 3BG – by Tottenham Court Road station)
Opening Date: 4 February 2026
Opening Offer: 100 free donuts from 11am and a “spin to win” at 1:30pm on opening day
Donutelier is opening a new, 82 sqm boutique, featuring an immersive “decoration theatre” visible from the street.
Address: 1 Thomas Tower, Dalston Square, Greater London, E8 3GU
Opening Date: 5 February 2026
Chef Dom Taylor is reviving The Good Front Room, following its acclaimed residency at The Langham after his win on Five Star Chef. The restaurant will reopen permanently in Dalston, taking over the former Mildreds site, after a successful supperclub there. As previously, it will focus on modern interpretations of Caribbean cuisine inspired by Taylor’s heritage (and his great-aunt Myrtle’s front room).
Address: 3 Gerrard Street, Chinatown, Soho, London W1D 5PD
Opening Date: 6 February 2026
A new “refined noodle and fried dumpling” restaurant by founder Keng Leong (of YiQi, The Eight and Dozo). Spread across three floors, they will serve classic dishes with a moderne touch, using sustainable British ingredients, by executive chef Daren Liew (ex Hakkasan Group, Duddell’s and Nanyang Blossom).
Address: Protein Studios, 31 New Inn Yard, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3EY
Opening Date: 6 February 2026
Domino’s launches new chicken-focused range featuring tenders, wings, and boneless bites with a free immersive experience in Shoreditch to showcase the new menu, where visitors can swap foreign currency for free food. This new, permanent, hot and crispy chicken menu includes nine globally inspired, mix-and-match dips including Smoky BBQ, Garlic Aioli, Fiery Ghost Chilli Glaze, and Katsu Curry.
Address: 394 Mentmore Terrace, London Fields, London E8 3PH
Opening Date: 7 February 2025
A new Japanese–inspired cake shop and café by Le Cordon Bleu-trained baker Ayako Takei, known for her work at The Wolseley, Honey & Co and London markets. The cafe will serve European pastries with Japanese flavours alongside matcha, hojicha, speciality coffee and soft serve, with limited indoor and outdoor seating.
Wild Izakaya
Address: 33 Old Jewry, London EC2V 8EY
Opening Date: 9 February 2025
A new Japanese restaurant in the City from the team behind Goodman, Beast and Pinna, opening quietly opposite Goodman. Led by former Koyn Head Chef Satoru Hashimoto (who previously spent over a decade with Nobu), the menu focuses on sushi, robata skewers and deep-fried izakaya classics. A dedicated bar serves Japanese-inspired cocktails, while an extensive wine and sake list ranges from rare bottles to premium celebratory pours.
Address: 33 S End, Croydon CR0 1BE
Opening Date: 9 February 2025
An authentic Sri Lankan dining venue with locations in Hounslow and Aylesbury. It serves traditional, fiery Sri Lankan cuisine, including curries, hoppers, and, in some locations, Indo-Chinese and grilled dishes.
Address: 12 Blank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14
Opening Date: 9 February 2026 (TBC)
Investment group Imbiba will open the group’s first London hotel, the 65,000 square feet site that boasts 78 bedrooms, as well as a rooftop bar, music venue and events space. The music setting will be an Amazing Grace music space with it being managed by Camm & Hooper.
Address: 3 Rivington Walk, Canary Wharf, London E22 3AB
Opening Date: 11 February 2025
Opening Offer: 50% off food on opening day
Mama Li, popular fro its Cantonese roast meats and Siu Mei selection, is expanding to a new location, with a larger dine-in space.
Address: Peckham – 44-46 Choumert Road, London SE15 4SE
Opening Date: 12 February 2026
A neighbourhood cafe and sandwich shop led by Zoë Heimann alongside private chef Cecily Dalladay (quarter-finalist on MasterChef “The Professionals”), with a strong focus on Welsh produce. The menu centres on house-made focaccia and Welsh-inspired dishes, including Bara Brith, a Swansea breakfast, and fillings such as slow-cooked Welsh lamb, saffron coronation chicken, and crab rarebit with Caerphilly cheese. A Pembrokeshire lobster roll will be available on Saturdays only.
Afrikana – Uxbridge
Address: 16 High Street, Uxbridge, UB8 1LB
Opening Date: 13 February 2026
Opening Offer: 15 free platters on opening day to early customers and then 20% off
A new “refined noodle and fried dumpling” restaurant by founder Keng Leong (of YiQi, The Eight and Dozo). Spread across three floors, they will serve classic dishes with a moderne touch, using sustainable British ingredients, by executive chef Daren Liew (ex Hakkasan Group, Duddell’s and Nanyang Blossom).
Address: 59, Greek Street, London, W1D 3DZ
Pop-Up Date: 13 – 14 February 2026
Greggs is launching a new iced matcha range in three flavours: classic iced matcha, vanilla and strawberry. To celebrate the launch, the bakery chain is hosting a free “Matcha & Move” pop-up Pilates experience in central London for one weekend, with a complimentary iced matcha and sausage or vegan roll after each session. Tickets are £10 but will be refunded upon attendance.
Address: 6 Greek St, London W1D 4DE
Opening Date: 14 February 2026
Charlie Mellor closed The Laughing Heart three years ago but now returns with Osteria Vibrato, a new Italian restaurant, taking over the former Cinquecento Pizzeria site. The menu is created by Gaia Enria (founder of recently closed Burro e Salvia), with a focus on simple, regional Italian cooking, including pre-order-only Brodo di Vasto from Abruzzo. A £3 cover charge will apply, and the 250 wines list will spotlight classically styled wines.
Hot Saint at the Old Queen’s Head
Address: 44 Essex Rd, Islington, London N1 8LN
Opening Date: 16 February 2026
The long-running pub, run by Columbo Group (who also own The Parakeet), is launching a new pizza concept called Hot Saint Pizza, created by ex-Dough Hands chef Tom Budakan, as part of the pub group’s 20th-anniversary food revamp. The menu features 48-hour fermented dough pizzas alongside pizza sandwiches and a banana miso soft-serve dessert.
Address: 140 Wardour Street, London W1F 8ZT
Opening Date: 19 February 2026
The pizzeria spreads across two-floors, with a classic pizzeria upstairs and a downstairs space dedicated to a seven-course pizza tasting menu paired with curated wine flights. Highly awarded, it has been named Best Pizza Maker in the World (2023) and Europe’s Best Pizzeria (2024 and 2025). The design is minimalist, with chrome pizza ovens as the focal point.
Copains – Islington
Address: 133 Upper St, London N1 1QP
Opening Date: 19 February 2026
French bakery with site in Covent Garden comes to Islington, fully gluten-free and serving beautiful pastries, with another bakery due to open in Marylebone soon.
Address: 46 Berkeley Square, London W1J 5AT
Opening Date: 20 February 2026
After a fire forced the closure of Endo at The Rotunda in September 2025, chef Endo Kazutoshi is launching a five-month pop-up at Annabel’s. Officially titled Endo, Upstairs at Annabel’s (referred to by the chef as “Untitled”), the pop-up will be run by the same team and is open to non-members while the White City restaurant prepares to reopen.
Address: Carousel, 19-23 Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RW
Opening Date: 20 February 2026
The founders of Carousel, Ed and Ollie Templeton, are opening Cometa, a contemporary Mexican seafood restaurant taking over Carousel’s former wine bar space. Inspired by venues such as Contramar and The Four Horsemen in New York, the menu will focus on ceviches, aguachiles and larger seafood dishes, led by Ollie Templeton alongside chefs José Lizarralde Serralde (Relae, Nicos, Meroma) and Alejandra Juarez (Estela, Máximo, Makan). Drinks will include margaritas, mezcal cocktails and house-made agua frescas, with the space undergoing a full redesign.
Sushi Amamoto
Address: 36 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JE
Opening Date: 20 February 2026
The omakase restaurant Taku (awarded Michelin star in 2023) relaunches as Sushi Amamoto under chef Shogo Amamoto, (his restaurant in Taipei has won two Michelin stars), and he is keeing Taku’s head chef Jongho Park.
Address: Manette St, London W1D 4AL
Opening Date: 26 February 2026 Soft launch / 29 February 2026 official launch
Forza Wine is opening a new outpost in Soho, taking over the former Daroco site. The large venue includes a spacious terrace and additional bar space below, with the offering expected to follow the Forza Wine formula: Italian small plates, cocktails with a focus on negronis and margaritas, and a low-intervention wine list.
Address: 235 Well St, London E9 6FE
Opening Date: 23 February 2026
Just under a year ago, the popular Hackney pub The Gun announced it was closing down. Back then, its owners, who also run The Compton Arms in Islington, cited the current economic conditions saying “despite our very best efforts it has become unsustainable to continue trading”. Well, where one door closes, another opens and it looks as though the pub is about to get a new lease of life.
It’s been bought, according to trade title Propel, by J-Pub Holdings. That in itself doesn’t sound particularly exciting until you discover that the man behind that is Kotaro Ogawa, the man behind high-end Mayfair steakhouse Aragawa. And despite practically no information about what he has planned for the pub, it appears to be reopening in a few weeks time.
What we do know is that they’re billing it as a “traditional London pub reimagined with Japanese food, drinks and great Guinness.” And we’re presuming that prices are a shade below what they are in Mayfair, where 100g of steak can cost you as much as £230.
Address: 19-20 Poland St, London W1F 8QF
Opening Date: 24 February 2026
Opening Offer: 50% off food and drinks on 24-25 February
The team behind The Tamil Prince and The Tamil Crown is opening Tamila in Soho, on the former Obica Mozzarella bar, the two-floor restaurant will serve a modern take on South Indian curry house classics, led by executive chef Prince Durairaj, with dishes inspired by his heritage. A ground-floor bar will serve South Indian–inspired cocktails, alongside a bold, design-led interior.
Address: 45 St Martin’s Ln, London WC2N 4HX
Residency Start Date: 25 February 2026
St Martin’s Lane Hotel is launching a new residency-led food and culture space replacing the former Asia de Cuba. Created in collaboration with creative studio Whipped Cream, Spotlight will host rotating concepts. It will begin with a two-week launch residency from chefs Sertaç Direk (ex-Mangal 2) and Marcello Rodrigues (recently at at Quality Wines, Leo’s, The Plimsoll and more), known for his Portuguese-inspired cooking.
WatchHouse – Millennium Bridge
Address:Unit 1B Peter’s Hill, The City of London EC4V 4AU
Opening Date: 25 February 2026
The City is seeing two notable new coffee openings.
First, specialty coffee brand WatchHouse launches a stylish new café designed by CAKE, (the team behind venues like Kricket and A Bar with Shapes for a Name). Located right by Millennium Bridge, it offers specialty coffee just steps from the Thames.
Meanwhile, Allpress Espresso is expanding into the City for the first time with a new café in Farringdon. The upcoming site will operate mainly as a grab-and-go espresso bar, serving its signature coffee alongside pastries and cakes.
Br3wery Taproom – Furzedown
Address: 97 Moyser Road, London SW16 6SH
Opening Date: 27 February 2026
South London brewery Br3wery is opening its third taproom, and its first outside Beckenham. Taking over the former Belgiardino site, the new venue will serve Br3wery beers alongside wines from Crystal Palace Wine Club, with food provided by local Naked Loaf Pizzeria.
Address: 180-186 Pentonville Rd, King’s Cross, London N1 9JP
Opening Date: February 2026 (scheduled for 28 January)
Dim Sum Duck is opening a second site the King’s Cross area, taking over the former Meat House space, just minutes from the original. The new restaurant will serve the same all-day dim sum and Cantonese roast duck menu, seven days a week, offering an affordable expansion of one of the area’s most popular dining spots.
*This guide is updated daily so check again for new restaurants
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