Jean-Georges at The Connaught, Photo Credit: Ray Main
Whatever cuisine you’re after, from laid-back sharing plates to multi-course menus, London has plenty of eateries to satiate your appetite. Choosing which one to go to is the tricky thing, which is why we suggest following your nose (and our professional advise) to these three hot new restaurant openings as soon as possible.
Jean-Georges at The Connaught
When celebrated French chef and restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten opened this new London location of his eponymous empire in the summer of 2017 — the iconic toque first entered the U.K. with Vong back in 1995 — he added to an impressive global portfolio of more than 30 dining establishments, including his Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star eatery in New York City.
Jean-Georges at The Connaught echoes the splendor of the Five-Star Mayfair hotel it sits within thanks to design touches like artist Jean-Michel Othoniel’s stained glass. The eclectic menu reflects the chef’s taste for Southeast Asian flavors (like crispy salmon sushi) as well as offers fun twists on Connaught classics through breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.
Scallops at Core by Clare Smyth, Photo Credit: Core by Clare Smyth
Core by Clare Smyth
With a bundle of accolades under her belt, including the British Empire’s distinguished MBE for services to the hospitality industry, chef Clare Smyth debuted her first restaurant. And it’s a highly anticipated one. The former chef-patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay launched Core, a laid-back, fine-dining restaurant in the heart of Notting Hill, this summer.
Expect meticulously presented dishes that sum up the seasons — Isle of Mull scallops in early August, for example — and are made using sustainable ingredients sourced from British farmers and artisanal producers.
Core by Clare Smyth is open for lunch and dinner, with two prix fixe options and a tasting menu from which to choose.
Chef Simon Rogan, Photo Credit: Aulis London
Aulis London
Chef and restaurateur Simon Rogan, known for the acclaimed Cartmel restaurant L’Enclume, has an interesting new opening coming in fall 2017. Aulis London, an intimate eight-seat chef’s table, will serve as an experimental kitchen for Rogan’s other new venture, Roganic, opening in Marylebone later this year.
Whether you choose to dine solo or reserve the full table, you can expect an inventive, wine-paired, multi-course tasting menu selected daily by the chefs and held at a secret central London location revealed to you only once you’ve booked. All you need to do is bring an appetite.
While the exact launch date hadn’t been announced at press time, bookings are being taken now at aulislondon@simonrogan.co.uk.
