BEST RESTAURANTS AND BARS OPENING IN LONDON IN MAY 2026
May in London is shaping up to be a busy month for new openings, with everything from high-profile chef-led launches to ambitious neighbourhood projects and one-day brand pop-ups. Expect a mix of cuisines and formats: sky-high dining rooms in the City, modern Japanese and Awadhi restaurants in Mayfair and Borough, rotisserie and pizza-focused concepts on the South Bank and Hackney, and a wave of creative food and drink collaborations across the city.
Address: 66 Union St, London SE1 1TD
Opening Date: 1 May 2026
Chef Aktar Islam, known for his Birmingham restaurant Opheem (the UK’s first Indian restaurant to earn two Michelin stars), is opening his first London venue. The new restaurant will launch in Borough inside a three-storey listed Victorian building, previously home to Lupins. The concept is inspired by the Awadhi region of India, referencing Lucknow’s historic cuisine traditions and its UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy status. The menu will showcase traditional Awadhi cooking, and a key focus is dum pukht slow cooking, which gently builds deep, layered flavours over time. Desserts draw from Lucknow influences.
Address: 7-8 Market Place, London W1W 8AG
Opening Date: 1 May 2026
A Turkish restaurant from the group behind hit bakery Fred Bakery, is opening on the former Carmel site. Led by head chefs Salih Serden and Akacan Agir, the restaurant will focus on modern Turkish cuisine inspired by different regions of Turkey, offering mezze, salads, small plates, and dishes such as lamb Tandır. It will also include a separate cocktail bar.
Address: 10 Clapham Common Southside, London SW4 0JA
Opening Date: 1 May 2026
The Doghouse Distillery is opening a new permanent bar just off Clapham Common, a short distance from its main site in Battersea. Originally tested as a pop-up in December, the space has now been turned into a full bar. It will showcase the distillery’s own spirits (gin, vodka, and “moonshine”-an American-style whisky) as the base for an extensive Old Fashioned-focused menu, including tasting flights and a claim to London’s largest selection of the cocktail. The venue spans two floors: upstairs features ageing barrels, while downstairs is styled as a low-lit Nashville-inspired speakeasy. Alongside cocktails and tastings, there will also be food such as gourmet toasted sandwiches, charcuterie, and cheese boards.
Cépages
Address: 69 Westbourne Park Rd, London W2 5QH
Opening Date: 1 May 2026
French chef Gaston Savina reopens former Notting Hill wine bar Cépages after its founders returned to France. Having worked there 12 years ago, Savina has revived the space with a new bistro-style menu and refreshed look. The updated menu is inspired by his time on MasterChef: The Professionals. Wine remains central, with a 100-bottle list focused on independent producers and family-run vineyards.
PizzaExpress – Brixton
Address: 462 Brixton Road, London SW9 8EA
Opening Date: 2 May 2026
PizzaExpress opens a new fast-service concept store in Brixton, its first UK location designed more like a takeaway spot than a traditional pizzeria. Featuring self-order kiosks and options for dine-in, grab-and-go or delivery, the branch marks the start of a rollout of smaller-format PizzaExpress sites. New locations are planned for Finsbury Park and Earl’s Court, with the Finsbury Park branch set to open near the station on Wells Terrace. CEO Paula MacKenzie also announced a partnership with the Brixton Soup Kitchen to donate nearly 800 pizzas annually.
Address: 107 Muswell Hill Road, London N10 3HS
Opening Date: 5 May 2026
Opening Offer: 50% off on 5-10 May
Family-run Italian restaurant Rossella is expanding from Kentish Town into North London. The new opening takes over the former Giggling Squid site and will be a larger, multi-purpose space featuring a restaurant, a separate bar, and a deli. It will operate as a neighbourhood spot where guests can drop in for aperitivo, dine in, or pick up takeaway Italian produce. The menu will build on Rossella’s classic pizza and pasta offering. Ingredients will include ciabatta from local bakery Dunn’s Bakery, and the restaurant will also feature a vintage-style tiramisu trolley for tableside service.
Address: 30 Upper Grosvenor Street, London W1K 7PH
Opening Date: 6 May 2026
A modern Japanese restaurant taking over the former Ruya site next to Corrigan’s. The project comes from the Thesleff Group, the team behind London venues such as Los Mochis, Sale e Pepe, and the omakase concepts Juno and Luna. The menu, led by Executive Chef Leonard Tanyag, blends contemporary design with traditional techniques. Drinks are overseen by Bar Director Pietro Collina. The large Mayfair space will seat over 150 guests, with an additional private dining room for 20, and will transition into a cocktail-led bar in the evenings.
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar – Bishopsgate
Address: 59th Floor, 22 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4BQ
Opening Date: 6 May 2026
Gordon Ramsay is set to open a new Bread Street Kitchen after a 15 months delay. Located on the 59th floor, the new site will be Ramsay’s 100th restaurant opening worldwide and includes an all-day dining concept plus a 24-hour sports bar. At opening, it will be the second-highest restaurant in London, offering views across the City alongside a full-day service model.
Address: 44 Atlantic Road, Brixton, London SW9 8JN
Opening Date: 6 May 2026
Opening Offer: 25% off food
Chefs Malika Green and Paschelle Brown are turning their sold-out supperclub All Roads into a permanent restaurant in Brixton. Built on three years of pop-ups, the concept reflects their shared Caribbean heritage alongside British, European and Southern American influences, shaped by experience in kitchens such as Patty & Bun, Chotto Matte, Burger & Beyond, Soho House, and others. The small 35-seat restaurant will focus on comfort-led dishes. They also have weekend DJ sets planned.
Slice Circle residency at The Old Nun’s Head
Address: The Old Nun’s Head, 15 Nunhead Green, Nunhead, London SE15 3QQ
Opening Date: 6 May 2026
A new pizza residency is taking over the Old Nun’s Head, replacing the former Dough Hands pizzeria. The project is run by chefs Angus Whitfield (formerly Dough Hands) and Methun Chelvan (formerly Bad Boy Pizza Society). Their style is inspired by classic New York slice culture, a with a thin, crispy base, sturdy “no-flop” structure, and a crust made for dunking.
Dough Hands residency at All My Friends
Address: Unit 1, Hamlet Estate, 96 White Post Ln, Hackney, London E9 5EN
Opening Date: 7 May 2026
Dough Hands is launching a new slice-focused residency at Hackney inside All My Friends. Run by chef Hannah Drye, the menu includes pizzas sold whole or by XL slice. It’s designed as a high-volume, 240-capacity spot, with Happy Endings ice cream sandwiches to finish.
Address: 47 Newington Green, Newington Green, London N16 9PX
Opening Date: 7 May 2026
A new pizza restaurant created by Ed McIlroy (Four Legs, The Plimsoll, Tollington’s) and US pizza chef Joe Beddia of acclaimed Philadelphia pizzeria Pizzeria Beddia. The menu will focus on seasonal, ingredient-led pizzas in Beddia’s signature style, alongside dishes like aubergine parmigiana, meatballs, sides, and soft serve. Drinks include spritzes, negronis on tap, and low-intervention wines. They are taking over former Italian restaurant Nino’s space, and designer Mike Stampler will create an interior inspired by mid-century Milanese design.
Address: 41 South Audley St, London, W1K 2PS
Opening Date: 7 May 2026
Bar Des Prés by chef Cyril Lignac is relocating within Mayfair, moving from Albemarle Street to a larger corner site on South Audley Street, formerly Socca. The new space features a redesigned interior with counter seating and a dedicated private dining room. The French–East Asian menu remains largely unchanged, with dishes like crab and avocado galette, yuzu-marinated sea bass, and signature profiteroles.
Address: 51 Wilton Way, London E8 1BG
Opening Date: 8 May 2026
The team behind LUPA, actor Theo James, restaurateur Ed Templeton, and chef Naz Hassan, are opening a second restaurant in Hackney. Following the success of LUPA, Ornella shifts focus from a neighbourhood trattoria to a more formal Milan-inspired Italian restaurant, reflecting Hassan’s Milanese background. The new space is nearly twice the size of LUPA, with a pavement terrace.
Address: London Fruit Exchange, Brushfield St, London E1 6AG
Opening Date: 8 May 2026
Tigermilk is opening a second London site in Spitalfields, shortly after launching its first location on Charing Cross Road. The new restaurant will be its largest to date, seating around 280 guests across indoor and terrace areas, and designed as a “hacienda-style” space that unfolds room by room. It continues the group’s Latin American concept, with tacos, ceviches, quesadillas, grilled dishes, and a cocktail list focused on tequila and mezcal.
Address: 13 Hanover St, London W1S 1NE
Opening Date: 8 May 2026
Dubai and Mumbai-based Indian restaurant brings its “modernist Indian dining” concept to London. Led globally by chef Himanshu Saini and in London by head chef Amit Bagyal (formerly Yaatra), the restaurant will be a tasting-menu-only experience focused on high-end, theatrical Indian cuisine. A standout feature is a Chaat Trolley with tableside preparation and liquid nitrogen elements. The site will also include a basement bar focused on Indian-inspired spirits and private tasting rooms, plus a separate private dining space upstairs.
Address: 130 Regent’s Park Rd, London NW1 8XL
Opening Date: 8 May 2026
The former Home Kitchen in Primrose Hill has relaunched as 130 Primrose, with Monica Galetti taking over the kitchen as both Executive Chef and Trustee. Alongside a new all-day menu focused on seasonal British ingredients (with future Samoan influences), the restaurant continues its social mission to train people affected by homelessness and addiction. The space has also been redesigned, with a bright brasserie upstairs and a speakeasy-style cocktail bar set to open downstairs soon.
Address: 12 Macclesfield Street, London W1D 5BP
Opening Date: 9 May 2026 (soft launch 9-11 May, full launch 12 May)
Comedian Nigel Ng (aka Uncle Roger) is opening his first UK restaurant, Kawan by Uncle Roger, in London. The project is a collaboration with restaurateur Keng Yew (of YiQi and The Eight) and chef Daren Liew (of Duddell’s and the Hakkasan Group), serving Asian-inspired, family-style dishes with a modern British twist. Expect fried rice alongside dishes like Hainanese chicken chop, Sarawak pepper belly, and a playful take on fish & chips.
CZER
Address: 33 N Row, Mayfair, London W1K 6DE
Opening Date: 9 May 2026
Inspired by a viral TikTok about London’s lack of quality chicken Caesar wraps, hospitality duo Mairi and Marius have partnered to serve NYC-style chopped chicken Caesar wraps from a deli counter inside The Mayfair Food Fair. The menu keeps things simple with two wrap options, classic or picante, both customisable with crushed crisps mixed in, alongside “London’s crispiest Diet Coke” served over crushed ice.
Cantinera
Address: 10 Coulgate Street, London SE4 2RW
Opening Date: 14 May 2026
Chefs Jake Barwood and Celia D’Ortiz open their first restaurant together after previously running pop-up Codillos. Inspired by Mexican cantinas and Spanish tapas bars, it will serve weekly-changing, seasonal dishes influenced by Celia’s Spanish and Mexican heritage. Located in the former Mother Flipper site, the restaurant is currently BYOB with corkage and operating on a walk-in-only basis.
Address: Moen & Sons, 24 The Pavement, Clapham, London SW4 0JA
Opening Date: 15 May 2026
Pop-Up Offer: Free hot samples fresh from the grill to try and free full packs of the new range to take away (while stock lasts)
The Jolly Hog Butchers is hosting a one-day-only pop-up in London to celebrates the brand’s new collaboration with Marmite and Colman’s Mustard. They are taking over a traditional butcher shop space and offering free sausage samples and complimentary packs to take home. The three brothers behind the brand, including former rugby player Olly Kohn, should also be on-site to chat with fans.
Address: 1 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London, E2 8AA
Opening Date: 15 – 17 May 2026
A limited-time Grogu-themed café pop-up is coming to London, inspired by the Star Wars character Grogu. The experience will feature matcha drinks from Perfect Ted, desserts from Bread Ahead, and bubble tea from Bubble CiTea, alongside themed décor and photo opportunities designed as a playful, immersive fan experience.
Address: 6 Bedford St, London WC2E 9HZ
Opening Date: 15 May 2026
Opening Offer: 50% off for subscribers
Arcade Covent Garden is a major new food hall opening in Covent Garden, taking over a large former TGI Friday’s site.
The 12,500 sq ft space with 385 seats will feature two standalone restaurants, a new bar, and a central Arcade housing five brands, alongside Studio Coffee – a listening space that shifts from day into night. Expect chef-led kitchens, considered design, and a space shaped around gathering, sharing, and returning. The seven food concepts are:
Manna – The smash burger and fried chicken spot by the team behind Bake Street.
Solis – The chicken and steak grill from Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng of TaTa Eatery.
Gracey’s – This will be the third London location for the New-Haven-inspired pizzeria that started life in St Albans.
Hero – North Indian fast food, previously seen at Arcade Tottenham Court Road.
Plaza Khao Gaeng – The third location for Luke Farrell’s Southern Thai restaurant, which will be a standalone affair at Arcade.
Two other are a new Mediterranean restaurant, and a Mexican taqueria, still to be announced.
The Studio Coffee, created with Rich Woods (aka The Cocktail Guy), will focused on coffee during the day and cocktails in the evening.
Address: 108 Golborne Rd, Notting Hill, London W10 5RZ
Opening Date: 16 May 2026
A new Berlin-inspired neighbourhood kebabery in the former Counter Turkish restaurant. The interior will be sleek and stainless-steel-heavy, unlike a traditional kebab shop. The menu focuses on three kebabs served in pide (veal, chicken, and a vegan option), paired with sharp sauces, classic sides, and seasonal specials. Drinks include German and Austrian beers plus cocktails, and there’s a takeaway hatch for grab-and-go kebabs.
Address: 13-14 Maiden Ln, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7NE
Opening Date: 16 May 2026
Noodle Inn is expanding again taking over a former Gordon Ramsay Street Burger site, just before the brand’s upcoming Battersea restaurant. The new outpost will serve Noodle Inn’s popular menu of street food-style starters and hand-pulled noodle dishes.
The Bird in Hand
Address: 88 Masbro Road, London W14 0LR
Opening Date: 19 May 2026
Chef Max de Nahlik has revived the Brook Green pub The Bird in Hand, following his successful transformation of The Holland in 2022. Unlike The Holland’s British-focused menu, the pub serves Italian and Mediterranean-inspired dishes, all made with local British ingredients. Monthly chef collaborations and Sunday roasts, including porchetta, are also on offer, while the venue keeps its traditional pub feel with a dedicated drinking space.
Address: Royal Hospital Road, Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3 4SR
Opening Date: 19 May – 23 May 2026
Spring Garden returns to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for 2026, offering an elevated dining experience alongside the famous gardens. This year’s lineup is led by Jeremy Chan (acclaimed chef behind London’s two-Michelin-starred Ikoyi) and Spanish chef José Pizarro (celebrated for his bold and authentic Spanish flavours), bringing a fresh culinary direction following the long-running partnership with the late Skye Gyngell. The experience includes sit-down dining, masterclasses, and live music.
Magnolia Bakery at Cafe Ciel
Address: 7 Horse Guards Ave, London, SW1A 2EX
Opening Date: 19 May – 10 June 2026 (Tuesday-Sunday)
New York favourite Magnolia Bakery is popping up in London through a collaboration with Cafe Ciel at The OWO during the Chelsea Flower Show. A courtyard kiosk will serve Magnolia’s famous banana pudding, sticky toffee pudding, and exclusive twists including an iced matcha banana pudding and pudding-topped iced coffee. Inside Cafe Ciel, visitors can also try Magnolia-inspired dishes like banoffee French toast, American pancakes and an NYC bagel, though the bakery’s iconic cupcakes won’t be on the menu.
Address: 33–35 Abbeville Road, Clapham, London SW4 9LA
Opening Date: 20 May 2026
Chef Nikita Pathakji is opening her first solo restaurant, fresh off winning Champion of Champions on Great British Menu. A family-run project with her mother and sister, MAAI will serve bold, modern British dishes influenced by her heritage, using top UK produce. The menu includes standout TV dishes like her octopus “tako yaki” doughnut and halibut with Malaysian fish head curry. Cocktails, created by her sister, will feature inventive options like a butter popcorn Old Fashioned and salted melon daiquiri.
Address: 6 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9HZ
Opening Date: 22 May 2026
A new Greek–Cypriot taverna opening inside Arcade Covent Garden in Covent Garden. It’s led by chefs Nick Molyviatis (ex-Kiln, Singburi, Oma, Agora) and Barry Karacostas, blending Greek and Cypriot heritage cooking with a focus on charcoal grilling. Seating is intimate, with around 50 covers and counter dining around the kitchen.
Address: Unit 2, Commodity Quay, St Katharine Docks, London E1W 1AZ
Opening Date: 24 May 2026
The team behind Good Fortune Club and Tao Tao Ju are opening a new dim sum restaurant called Banquet 88. Positioned as a premium Cantonese dining spot, it will focus on large-scale dining for both business and family occasions, with dim sum alongside classics like whole Peking duck, roast suckling pig, and seafood dishes. The riverside site will seat around 140 guests, include private dining, and may also feature outdoor seating overlooking the docks.
Address: 15 Berkeley St, London W1J 8DY
Opening Date: 26 May 2026
Greek beach-club brand Nammos is changing plans for its London debut, opening in Mayfair instead of Knightsbridge. The restaurant will open in the former Il Borro site, reimagined as an “urban expression” of its famous Mykonos beach clubs. The menu will focus on Mediterranean seafood and sushi, including theatrical sushi boats. The two-floor space will include a main restaurant and upstairs private dining/events area.
Address: 57 Lordship Lane, London SE22 8HX
Opening Date: 26 May 2026
The long-running East Dulwich restaurant Franklin’s is closing after 26 years as owner Rod Franklin retires. It will be replaced by The Victory, a new pub-restaurant led by Jamie Younger and his wife Rema Waterhouse, with chef Seán Breen (formerly Noble Rot) running the kitchen. The concept focuses on modern French-bistro cooking using British ingredients. It will also feature a martini list and French-focused wines, with a pub upstairs and a 70-seat dining room downstairs.
Address: 8-10 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QA
Opening Date: 26 May 2026
Chef Jackson Boxer is opening a new restaurant on the former Taqueria site. Known for Dove and Brunswick House, Boxer is creating a modern bistro-style menu with small and large plates focused on British produce and eclectic influences. A bar will also sit at the entrance, making it a casual drop-in option for the area.
Address: Hammersmith Road, City of London W14 8UX
Opening Date: 26 May 2026 (taking reservations from 6 June)
Hot on the heels of the new Park Hyatt in Nine Elms, Hyatt is launching its second Regency property in London with the Hyatt Regency London Olympia. The 204-room hotel, complete with four meeting rooms, will be located on the redeveloped Olympia London exhibition centre site, directly connected to the convention centre and is scheduled toopen in the latter part of 2025.
Address: 4th Floor, Colechurch House, London Bridge Walk, SE1
Opening Date: 27 May 2026 soft launch, 1 June official opening
Opening Offer: 30% off the bill
Named after the tragic character Nancy from Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist (who met her end beneath London Bridge), the bar is designed with 1970s maximalist glamour. It features plush banquette sofas, a disco-ball dance floor, and a tiger-print pool room.
Address: Spitalfields Market, 65 Brushfield St, Shoreditch, London E1 6AA
Opening Date: 28 May 2026
Paris-born smash burger chain Junk Burger is set to open its third London location in Shoreditch, following its Soho and Marylebone sites. The new restaurant will serve the brand’s signature smashed beef cheeseburgers, available with up to four patties, alongside truffle burgers, panko-fried chicken bites and its popular Puffy cookies. Located inside the market near the food stalls.
Address: 141 Commercial Street, London E1 6BJ
Pop-Up Dates: 29-30 May 2026
The Magnum After Hours pop-up bakery is opening at Roll Boys for two evenings only (6–10pm) and it will serve three limited-edition cinnamon rolls: Milk Chocolate & Cherry, White Chocolate & Cookies, and Gold Caramel Billionaire, topped with Magnum bites.
Address: 243 Pavilion Road, London, SW1X 0AW
Re-opening Date: 29 May 2026
Seafood shop and wine bar The Sea The Sea is relocating slightly on Pavilion Road, moving into the former Wulf & Lamb site. The new space adds an upstairs seafood bistro led by chef Nick Marsden (ex Dovetale, Pitt Cue, The Laughing Heart), featuring oysters with optional caviar and a more restaurant-style menu. Downstairs, the retail space expands with additions like a seaweed counter by day, and transforms into a small 10-seat wine bar by night, alongside a larger outdoor terrace.
Ionian Gold Olive Oil Bar pop-up
Address: OF THE BEA
Opening Date: 30 May – 30 June 2026
The premium single-estate olive oil brand is hosting a month-long pop-up. Brand founder and olive oil sommelier Nicholas Dellaportas has transformed half of his wife Beatrice’s boutique, OF THE BEA, into a Mediterranean-inspired experience. Visitors can explore and purchase the brand’s latest sustainably produced, small-batch harvests.
Address: 29 Bedfordbury, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4LA
Opening Date: 25 May 2026
Almost a year after launching their first matcha cafe Frothee in King’s Cross, Hanife Hursit and her dad Ram are opening a second site. The new cafe, taking over a former copy shop, will serve hand-whisked matchas, cold-foam coffees, and cinnamon buns. The new cafe, taking over a former copy shop, will serve hand-whisked matchas, cold-foam coffees, and cinnamon buns.
Address: Unit 16, Bagley Walk Arches Coal Drops Yard, London N1C 4DH
Opening Date: 9 May 2026
Basque cheesecake specialist La Maritxu is opening a new café and bakery in Coal Drops Yard. Known for its single-focus menu, the brand sells Basque cheesecakes by the slice or whole, including classic, chocolate, Manchego, and rotating limited editions like pistachio or goat curd. The new King’s Cross site will add indoor and outdoor seating, coffee and matcha service, and mini cheesecakes for takeaway.
Address: Gloucester Road Underground Station, Gloucester Road, London SW7 4SF
Opening Date: End of May 2026
French–Chicago cookie brand Laura Todd is opening its first London store, inside Gloucester Road station’s listed building. Known for premium cookies made with high-quality ingredients like Normandy butter, sustainable cocoa, and Madagascan vanilla, the brand has been established in Paris and Belgium for decades. The London shop will focus mainly on takeaway cookies and coffee, served in partnership with French roastery My Little Cup, with a small number of seats available inside.
*This guide is updated daily so check again for new restaurants
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