Restaurant radar: September 2020

The Elder​
Mike Robinson, owner of meat and game focused restaurant The Woodsman, in Stratford on Avon, and part owner of London gastropub The Harwood Arms, will open his latest venture in Bath on 9 September. The 60-cover The Elder is located within the new Hotel Indigo Bath and will serve fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in the restaurant’s garden, with wild game supplied by Robinson being prepared in the in-house butchery. It will also feature a large terrace on for al fresco drinking and dining.
South Parade, Bath​
theelder.co.uk​​

Louie​
French-based hospitality group Paris Society is finally set to open its first London outpost on 8 September, on the Covent Garden site previously occupied by L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. A partnership between Guillaume Glipa (former Zuma manager and Chiltern Firehouse food and beverage director) and Paris Society founder Laurent de Gourcuff, Louie will ‘blend the characteristics of New Orleans, Paris, New York, and London’. Named after both King Louis XIV of France and famed New Orleans jazz musician Louis Armstrong, Louie's 150- cover dining space will feature interiors designed by Dion & Arles, with New Orleans chef Slade Rushing overseeing the kitchen. Signature dishes will include ‘deconstructed’ oysters Rockefeller; New Orleans-style barbecue lobster; and banana foster rum baba.
13-15 West St, West End, London WC2H 9NE​
louie-london.com​​

Club Mexicana​
Following a slight delay as a result of the Coronavirus lockdown, Mexican-Californian inspired street food operator Club Mexicana is finally set to open its first bricks and mortar site in Soho’s Kingly Court. Billed as London’s first vegan taco joint, the restaurant’s design has been inspired by the street-side taquerias of Los Angeles and Mexico City. Its signature dish will be a shawarma-style dish of house-made seitan served with the restaurant’s secret marinade, which is made with five types of chilli and a handful of spices as well as fresh pineapple.
Kingly Court, London W1B 5PW​
clubmexicana.com​​

Chishuru​
Nigerian-born chef Adejoké ‘Joké’ Bakare’s debut standalone restaurant will open in Brixton this month celebrating the lesser-known dishes of West Africa cuisine in the UK. Located in Brixton Village, Chishuru’s menu will feature goat ayamase (slow-cooked goat shoulder with spiced green sauce); groundnut soup with chargrilled cauliflower in a spiced peanut butter sauce; and baobab mousse with peanut ice cream, malted millet and sorghum molasses granola.
Unit 9, Market Row, Brixton, London​

Luke’s Place​​
Chef Luke Reynolds will open his bijou ‘relaxed, laid back, affordable approach to fine dining’ restaurant in Sheffield this month. The 16-cover Luke’s Place will serve a five- course tasting menu (£30 or £50 with wine pairing) with a heaving leaning towards local and seasonal produce with diners sat at the counter where they can watch the chefs in action. Dishes on the launch menu include stout bread with yeast butter; sweet potato with kombu and caviar; celeriac, hay, truffle and black garlic; cod, artichoke, cabbage and miso; bbq venison with hawthorn, carrot and mushroom; and a dessert of malt and yoghurt.
132 Infirmary Road, Sheffield​​
restaurantlukesplace.com​ ​​

Rondo​
Quality Chop House co-owner Will Lander has joined forces with former St John executive chef Chris Gillard to launch Rondo, a neighbourhood-style restaurant and wine bar at The Hoxton hotel in London's Holborn. Lander - who also co-owns London restaurants Clipstone in Fitzrovia, and the Michelin-starred Portland - has worked with Gillard and Hoxton owners Ennismore to oversee the concept, as well as put together Rondo's European-focused wine list. As head chef, Gillard - who left St John back in 2016 and briefly oversaw the stoves at EartH Kitchen in Dalston - has created a seasonal menu of 'pared-back, punchy dishes’ that includes crispy pig’s cheek salad with roast shallots and watercress; grey mullet cooked over charcoal and served with tomato, fennel and aioli; and Tamworth pork chop with bobby beans and chutney.
199-206 High Holborn, Holborn, London WC1V 7BD​
thehoxton.com/london/holborn/rondo-restaurant​​

JAE​
Chef Jay Morjaria is bringing his take on Korean ‘anju’ food to Untitled bar in Dalston, east London, with a semi-permanent pop-up. Launching on Thursday 3 September and running between Thursday and Saturday nights thereafter for the foreseeable future, JAE will serve a small plates menu. Dishes will include grilled padrón peppers with whipped feta and shin cup seasoning; kimchi, devilled eggs, crispy shallots; crudo with apricot and leche de tigre; and a cold soba noodle salad with sweet and sour gochucharu dressing and cucumber salad.
538 Kingsland Road, London​
untitled-bar.com​ ​

The Princess of Shoreditch​
Not exactly a new opening, but this month sees the reopening of London gastropub The Princess of Shoreditch, with chef Ruth Hansom taking over the stoves. The relaunch follows a complete refurbishment of the pub, with a new 30-cover restaurant space set to open upstairs, which Hansom will oversee as head chef. Focused on British provenance, Hansom's menu will include dishes such as Rhug Estate venison haunch tartar with mustard seed, fennel and nasturtium; end of Season wild sea trout with beetroot, samphire and orange; and St Ewes’ yolk and watercress ravioli with tender broccoli, lord of the hundreds and morel. Discussing her new post recently, Hansom commented: “I am so excited about my new role at The Princess of Shoreditch, it’s a beautiful building with so much potential. We have a highly skilled, passionate team of people that really can’t wait to give all our guests a memorable experience, whilst highlighting great British producers, suppliers and craftsmanship.”
76-78 Paul St, Hackney, London EC2A 4NE​
theprincessofshoreditch.com​​

Maison François​
Located in London’s St James’, this all-day brasserie has a kitchen led by Matthew Ryle, former head chef at Isabel in Mayfair and a finalist in the 2018 series of MasterChef: The Professionals, with Ed Wyand, formerly of Hackney wine bar Verden, in charge of the wine offer. Classic brasserie dishes abound, with breads and patisserie made in house and menu items to include oysters; terrines; homemade charcuterie; and meat and fish dishes cooked over a wood-fire grilled, such as roast chicken and John Dory. The restaurant will also feature a dessert trolley that will do the rounds, from which dishes such as Paris-Brest will be served. The restaurant will open on 14 September.
34 Duke Street, St. James’s, London​
maisonfrancois.london​ ​ 

Five Star Kebabs​
Chefs Dan Kenny and Luka Dmitryi will launch a kebab-focused residency at Hove co-working space Platform 9 later this week. Born out of lockdown, Five Star Kebabs originally saw the pair serve new wave kebabs from the window of a Brighton flat with orders placed on Instagram. The menu ranges from the eclectic (lamb shoulder and smoked sturgeon kofte, green pepper relish, caviar mayonnaise, crispy seaweed, shiso and lemon kosho) and the more traditional (chicken shish, chilli sauce, garlic sauce, salad and Turkish pickled pepper). The two chefs are well known in Brighton & Hove from their work at upmarket small plates and tasting menu restaurant The Set and are using the same quality of produce for their hyper-creative and – it must be said – so far very well-received kebabs. Platform 9 members get priority booking and 10% off but the residency is open to the public too.
Hove Town Hall, Church Rd, Hove BN3 2AF​
platf9rm.com/events-programme​​

Giannino Dal 1899​
Milanese restaurant Giannino Dal 1899 is to finally open its first international outpost in London’s Mayfair on September 7. Taking over the Blenheim Street site formerly occupied by Camillo Benso (another Milanese restaurant brand), Giannino Dal 1899, which first opened its doors in Milan 120 years ago, will serve a menu of ‘traditional’ Italian dishes served ‘with a modern twist’. Executive chef Salvatore Suzzi will oversee the kitchen, with the menu set to feature dishes like spaghetti aglio, olio e pepperoncino; and Mazara Del Vallo red prawn crudo. There will also be a selection of homemade desserts, including a reinterpretation of the Sicilian orange cannoncini dessert, served here with namelaka cream and raspberry sauce.
10 Blenheim St, Mayfair, London W1S 1LJ​
gianninomayfair.com​​

The Packet Inn​​
The team behind seafood gastropub The Tolcarne Inn in Newlyn will open their second venue next month. Chef and restaurateur Ben Tunnicliffe and head chef Matt Smith will relaunch The Packet Inn, an old coaching inn located near Prussia Cove, today (2 September) with a menu of small plate dishes. The pub will serve local produce ‘guided by seasonal cycles’ and will work directly with local butchers and smallholders as well as growers and fishermen.
Rosudgeon, Penzance TR20 9QE​​

Taka​
Opening on 24 September, Taka Marylebone is the second London outpost for siblings Andrew and Anastasia Datsenko’s Japanese restaurant Taka. Serving a menu has been created by group executive chef Taiji Maruyama and head chef Jonathan Dowling, Taka’s focus is on small plates of hot and grilled dishes as well as sushi. Dishes will include a yakitori omakase; kani crab croquettes; fried chicken wings stuffed with truffle and potato; a salad of preserved seasonal ingredients served with mizuma and roasted sesame seeds; and mochi flat breads and dips. There will also be a brunch menu served on weekends featuring the likes of waffles with chicken kare-age and wildflower honey; and gluten-free Japanese pancakes.
109 Marylebone High Street, London​
takalondon.com​ ​