BEST RESTAURANTS AND BARS OPENING IN LONDON IN AUGUST 2026
August is shaping up to be another exciting month for London’s dining scene, with a wave of new restaurant openings, rooftop bars, neighbourhood bakeries and chef-led concepts arriving across the capital. From premium steakhouses and sushi spots to Caribbean restaurants and ice cream destinations, here’s our round-up of the best new restaurants, cafés and bars opening in London this August.
Address: Battersea Power Station
Opening Date: 1 August 2026 (postponed)
Opening offer: 100 free acai bowls on opening day
Jungle Berry is opening a new superfood coffee shop at Battersea Power Station. The shop serves natural açaí bowls, smoothies, protein shakes, and Brazilian snacks
Address: 111 Waterloo Road, London
Re-opening Date: 1 August 2026
Re-opening Offer: Celebration Party on 1st of August 1pm till late
Tonight Josephine Waterloo is a vibrant, neon-lit cocktail bar and party destination, famous for themed bottomless brunches, bold signature drinks, and a high-energy nightlife atmosphere. It is now officially reopening following a temporary closure due to maintenance issues.
Address: 4 SCHWARTS Wharf, Hackney Wick, London E9 5AA
Opening Date: 1 August 2026
Gwenda is a highly anticipated Italian-inspired canalside “ristobar”, cocktail lounge, and cultural salon created by Luigi Fersini and the creative team behind the former local favorite The Pirate’s Hub.
Address: STAN Food Court 9, 11 Genotin Rd, Enfield EN1 2AA
Opening Date: 2 August 2026
Opening offer: 100 Free Discovery Boxes on opening day, 2-4pm
A Halal Mexican-style street food vendor launching its first permanent food hall location, transitioning from a mobile food trailer. It specialises in a variety of loaded tacos, wings, and street food sides.
Vagabond – Canary (Wood Wharf)
Address: 12 Park Drive, Canary Wharf Estate, London E14 9ZW
Opening Date: 3 August 2026
Vagabond Wines is opening a brand-new, two-story interactive wine bar. Features automated machines offering over 100 choices of wine by the glass and pours varieties crafted at their flagship urban winery in nearby Canada Water, accompanied by modern European small plates, sharing platters, and a heated waterfront terrace.
Address: 13 Motcomb Street, Belgravia, London.
Opening Date: 7 August 2026
A premium, high-profile matcha café concept on the former Ottolenghi space, by the high-profile German fashion influencer, model, and entrepreneur Leonie Hanne, alongside her longtime partner and business collaborator, Alex Galievsky. It is inspired by green onyx stone, whose flowing green patterns resemble ceremonial matcha and milk being whisked together. The space is designed around the themes of quiet luxury and slow living.
Address: 267 St John’s Street, London EC1V 4PE
Opening Date: 7 August 2026
Opening offer: 100 Free bowls on 7 – 8 August
A new branch of the afro-inspired restaurant, offering signature dishes like peri grill and jerk BBQ
Address: Boxpark Camden
Opening Date: 8 August 2026
Opening offer: 100 Free sushidogs on opening day
The popular grab-and-go sushi chain SushiDog is officially launching a brand-new branch at BOXPARK Camden. The new 42-seat vibrant street food spot features their signature “sushi in a hot dog format” alongside customisable options.
Address: Top Floor, Seven Dials Market, Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LX
Opening Date: 8 August 2026
Opening offer: 8-9 August 2026, Flake 99s ice creams at 99p each day
Big Kid Ice Cream is expanding with the launch of Whippies, a new soft-serve concept at Seven Dials Market. The menu centres around its signature Vanilla Whippy, made with organic milk, brown butter and Madagascan vanilla, served in indulgent sundaes including the Solero Knickerbocker, Hot Fudge Cookies N’ Cream Supreme and Banana Split. For those after a nostalgic treat, Whippies will also serve a homemade Flake 99, alongside retro favourites like the “Brain Freeze” slush and a rotating line-up of creative limited-edition specials and collaborations.
Address: 19 Devonshire Rd, London W4 2EU
Opening Date: 12 August 2026
Doctor Dough Pizza is opening in Chiswick after growing from a Hammersmith stall and Brentford residency. Founded by Sonay Ali, the pizzeria focuses on lighter, more digestible dough inspired by New York-style pizza, with a menu including a New York marg, pepperoni, white pizzas, tomato pie, vodka pie and New Haven, alongside rotating chef’s specials and seasonal options.
Address: 3-4 Berwick Street, London W1F 0DR
Opening Date: 13 August 2026
Opening Offer: 100 FREE piece of sushi for the first customers, from 11.30am
The team behind Milk Beach is opening Saltwater, a new takeaway sushi spot on Berwick Street in Soho specialising in freshly made handrolls, sushi and donburi bowls. The menu features handrolls filled with salmon, bluefin tuna or maple aubergine, alongside nigiri such as seared salmon with miso glaze and hamachi with ponzu and jalapeño, plus dishes including a Saltwater Schnitty donburi. The menu has been created by Shaulan Steenson, formerly of Endo at Rotunda and Asa Izakaya, with Executive Chef Tom Cajone leading the kitchen. Although designed for grab-and-go dining, the restaurant will also offer seating for up to 50 guests.
Address: 7A Ezra Street, London E2 7RH
Opening Date: 13 August 2026
Chef Gabriel Waterhouse and Patricia Wakaimba are returning with Waterhouse, a new restaurant and wine bar opening in a restored Victorian warehouse following the closure of The Water House Project. The 24-seat restaurant will feature an open kitchen and a regularly changing menu focused on seasonal Northumbrian produce, including Lindisfarne oysters, hand-dived scallops and Herdwick hogget, while a separate wine bar is set to open in September. The new venue will also include a large garden supplying herbs, flowers and seasonal ingredients for the kitchen.
Address: 61-66 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1B 5BB
Opening Date: 14 August 2026
The Imperial Hotel in Bloomsbury is set to unveil Arcus, a new rooftop bar with space for more than 300 guests and panoramic views across London, including St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye and the British Museum. Led by former Wagtail chef Abismael Urena Castillo, the venue will serve Mediterranean-inspired small plates such as yellowfin tuna tartare, heritage pork loin and breaded aubergine, alongside a cocktail-focused drinks menu and late-night DJ sets. The rooftop will feature both open-air and covered seating, as well as a private dining room overlooking the city.
Two Twins Tacos – Spitalfields
Address: Old Spitalfields Market
Opening Date: 14 August 2026
Opening Offer: £1 on opening day, from 12pm–3pm
The California-inspired taco brand is opening its newest site at Spitalfields Market, following locations in Brixton, Notting Hill and Kilburn. Founded by Graham Bradbury in Brixton in 2023. The menu features seven fillings, including Birria Beef, Anchiote Lamb and Pineapple Jerk Chicken, alongside tacos such as the OG Soft Shell, Crispy Birria, Vampiro and Cali Crunch.
Address: Coal Drops Yard, Stable St, London N1C 4LW
Opening Date: 14-16 August 2026, 11am to 6pm
TikTok creator Maddi Neye-Swift, the woman behind the @CripandDip account with more than 600,000 followers, is launching her new food brand Messy Dips with a pop-up at King’s Cross. The initial range includes The Dirty Martini, Layered Vodka Marinara and Sichuan Cucumber Tzatziki, with Maddi taking over the Turn Up Truck in Coal Drops Yard for Londoners to try the new dips.
Address: 15 Sherwood St, London W1B 5AP
Opening Date: 15 August 2026
A new tiramisu-focused café in Soho, from second-generation Italian Giancarlo Fanigliulo is taking over the former Old Spike coffee spot on Sherwood Street. The launch menu features three versions: Original with Estate Dairy cream and dark roasted espresso, DOP pistachio made with Sicilian Bronte pistachios, and Valrhona dark chocolate with Maldon sea salt. Customers can also choose boozy or alcohol-free versions.
Address: 35 St James’s Pl, London SW1A 1NY
Re-opening Date: 17 August 2026
Dukes London, the five-star hotel in Mayfair, will remain closed until summer 2026 as it undergoes a multi-million-pound renovation. Originally expected to reopen in late 2025, the refurbishment is being led by Russell Sage Studio and will introduce a redesigned look that blends modern sophistication with classic elegance. The hotel has been closed since January 2025, although the iconic Dukes Bar has remained open throughout the renovation.
Address: 61–66 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, WC1B 5BB
Opening Date: 17 August 2026
Bancone is set to open its sixth London restaurant this summer, taking over a space inside the newly refurbished Imperial Hotel on Russell Square. The new venue will seat 140 guests indoors, alongside a 60-seat terrace, serving the restaurant’s signature fresh pasta dishes.
A Wong at the Mandarin Oriental
Address: 22 Hanover Square, London W1S 1JP
Opening Date: 18 August 2026, for six weeks
Two-Michelin-starred restaurant A Wong will temporarily relocate from Pimlico to the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair for six weeks while its original restaurant undergoes a summer refurbishment. Taking over the hotel’s private dining space, chef Andrew Wong will serve his acclaimed “Collection of China” tasting menu, featuring signature dishes such as Isle of Mull seared scallop, honey-glazed Iberico char siu, scalded oysters with fish-fragrant aubergine sauce and the “Memories of Peking Duck” dim sum course. The limited-time residency offers diners the chance to experience one of London’s most celebrated Chinese restaurants in the heart of Mayfair.
Address: 81-85 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JS
Opening Date: 20 August 2026
Australia’s viral frozen yoghurt chain Yo-Chi is making its UK debut bringing its popular self-serve concept to London. Following the success of LA’s Go Greek Yogurt, Yo-Chi will offer nine frozen yoghurt flavours, including salted butterscotch, strawberry cream and açaí, alongside a wide range of toppings such as fresh fruit, brownies and cookie dough. Known for its lively atmosphere, complete with DJ booths and disco balls.
Address: 87 Brewer St, London W1F 9UX
Opening Date: 22 August 2026
CZER, the viral chicken Caesar wrap spot in London, is expanding after the success of its Mayfair location. Co-owners Mairi Livsey and Marius are opening a second site in Soho, while the original spot at the back of Mayfair Food Fayre will remain open. The new six-month lease will offer CZER’s classic and picante Caesar wraps, plus an exclusive vegan/veggie option, in a fully dedicated space.
Address: 6 Clarges Street, London W1J 8AE
Opening Date: 26 August 2026
Cordelia’s Mayfair is a new live-fire steakhouse opening on Clarges Street in the former L’Atelier Robuchon site, bringing premium grilled meats and late-night entertainment to the heart of Mayfair. Led by former Le Petit Beefbar chef Jordi Sebastianelli, the restaurant will specialise in in-house aged British beef alongside international cuts including Galician, Finnish Sashi and Italian Parmesan-fed beef, all cooked over a charcoal grill in an open kitchen. As the evening progresses, DJs and live music will transform the space into a lively late-night dining destination.
Address: Kachette Annex, 1 Kingsland Road,, London E2 8AA
Opening Date: 28-31 August 2026
KFC is teaming up with La Vieille Ferme, better known as Chicken Wine, for Coq au Vin, a three-day wine and fried chicken pop-up in Shoreditch over the late August bank holiday weekend. Guests can enjoy popcorn chicken, hot wings and tenders alongside La Vieille Ferme’s sparkling rosé, rouge, blanc and rosé wines. Tickets cost £15 for a 90-minute slot.
Address: The Street, Westfield
Opening Date: August 2026
Soul Mama is a live music venue and restaurant at Angel Central in Islington, London, founded by YolanDa Brown and T Oyelola. Following the success of its Stratford debut, Soul Mama is opening a second venue at Westfield Stratford City’s The Street, combining Caribbean-inspired dining with live music. The new restaurant will expand on the original menu with slow-cooked Caribbean curries, one-pot dishes with rice and peas, Soul Arepas and the Jerk Wings Pit, featuring flavours such as rum BBQ and scotch bonnet with mango. A dedicated performance stage will once again sit at the heart of the venue, with a live music programme to be announced ahead of the opening.
Address: 60 Hampstead High St, London NW3 1QH
Opening Date: August 2026
Launch offer: They’re throwing Back-to-School party for Hampstead families with every child getting a free bagel
Three years after opening its first bakery in Primrose Hill, NYC-inspired bagel shop It’s Bagels is expanding to Hampstead with a new location set to open at the end of the summer. The bakery will serve its signature range of freshly filled grab-and-go bagels alongside freshly baked plain, sesame, poppy seed, garlic, onion and “everything” bagels. The new opening marks the brand’s continued growth across North London, offering locals an ideal stop before a walk or picnic on Hampstead Heath.
*This guide is updated daily so check again for new restaurants
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