Restaurant radar: June 2024

Albatross Death Cult​

Alex Claridge will continue the anarchic style of running restaurants he began when he opened The Wilderness with a new ‘singular and unapologetic’ concept opening in Birmingham. Housed in a Grade II listed warehouse in the city’s Jewellery Quarter, Albatross will seat 14 guests around a monolithic kitchen counter, serving a tasting menu of 12 or more dishes of (mostly) seafood and coastal ingredients when it opens on 14 June. In Claridge’s words, the food will be “brutalist in style” with many ingredients to appear in multiple parts across the menu - mackerel, for example, will appear as a fresh sashimi-style serve, while all the fish’s messier elements (the bones, the heads, the trim) reappear later, reduced, and clarified in a smoky dashi.
Newhall Square, Birmingham, B3 1RU​
wearethewilderness.co.uk/adc​​

Akira Back​

Korean chef Akira Back finally throws open the doors of his eponymous London restaurant this month - a 148-cover dining room at the new Mandarin Oriental Mayfair. Dishes at his all-day London outpost are inspired by his Korean heritage as well as his modern interpretation of Japanese cuisine, further influenced by his global travels. Menu options include a selection of bento boxes and donburi served at lunch as well as an extensive range of hot and cold dishes that include a tuna pizza; wagyu tartare; and wagyu bulgogi tacos and a range of sushi and sashimi and signature rolls. Also opening at the hotel later on is Dosa, a more exclusive 14-cover dining experience that Back will also oversee.
22 Hanover Square, Mayfair, London, W1S 1JP​
mandarinoriental.com/en/london/mayfair​​

Tender by Niall Keating​

Following his recent departure from Luna in Staffordshire, Niall Keating is set to launch his new restaurant venture this month in Manchester. Opening within the Gary Neville-owned Stock Exchange Hotel, Tender will take the space that previously housed the Schofield brothers’ short-lived Stock Market Grill (and prior to that was home to Tom Kerridge’s Bull & Bear). Named after the care put into crafting each dish and with a nod to the heritage of the hotel, Tender will serve ‘gourmet food for everyday dining’ and will serve weekday brasserie lunch, a la carte dinner, afternoon teas, a special Sunday roast and chef’s table and special tasting menu, all created by Keating. In addition to the main dining room will be 'The Bank', a private space for up to 12 guests. The restaurant will be run by newly appointed general manager Tracy Harrison, who was previously worked at venues including The Midland, The Principal in York, and Macdonald Hotels and Resorts.
4 Norfolk St, Manchester M2 1DW​
stockexchangehotel.co.uk/tender​​

Tartan Fox​

Adam Handling’s second pub will also be his second Cornish venue when it opens today (4 June) in a 400-year-old Grade II listed building that sits on 30 acres of land located in the countryside between Newquay and Truro. The 90-cover site is split across two floors with a bar, wine room, restaurant and two private dining rooms, with additional restaurant seating upstairs. Opened in time for summer, there’s also an extensive garden area and external space The Barn at The Tartan Fox for additional guest seating and private events. As with his other Cornish venue Ugly Butterfly, Tartan Fox puts sustainability front and centre, with all produce locally sourced from in and around Cornwall, and like his Surrey pub The Loch & the Tyne dining options range from snacks and pub classics to signature Adam Handling dishes, with a touch of Scottish influence.
Carvynick Farm, A3058, Newquay, TR8 5AF​
tartanfoxpub.co.uk​​

Y Maram​

Brothers Liam and Ellis Barrie are to relaunch their award-winning Anglesey restaurant The Marram Grass this month under the name Y Marram. The site will initially reopen as an events space, beginning with a guest chef series, before moving to a ‘daily offering’ later in the year. The first guest chef dinner will take place on 28 June and be hosted by Romy Gill. This will be followed by evenings over July, August and September featuring the likes of Pip Lacey, Simon Rimmer, Tony Singh, Adam Reid and Jeremy Pang.
White Lodge, Newborough, LL61 6RS​

Henri​

Chef Jackson Boxer is once again partnering with restaurant and bar operator Experimental Group to launch a new bistro concept at The Henrietta Hotel in London’s Covent Garden this month. Opening on 10 June, Henri will ‘reflect the culinary traditions of a Parisian bistro’, serving Boxer’s take on French classics alongside ‘signature’ Experimental cocktails. French interior designer and longtime collaborator of Experimental Group, Dorothée Meilichzon, will oversee the interiors at Henri, which will be located on the ground floor of The Henrietta Hotel. The design will take cues from the visual language of Paris whilst also referencing Covent Garden’s own history.
14-15 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8QH​
henriettahotel.com/eat​​

Jones & Sons - South Woodford​

Andy Jones will open a second Jones & Sons restaurant and cocktail bar in London this June. Located within the Elmhurst estate just off the high road in South Woodford, the new site will take over the space previously occupied by Elmo’s Pizza following a full renovation of the site and garden terrace. Split over two floors, the new restaurant, bar and events venue will have space for up to 150 covers inside and 50 covers on the outside terrace. The upper ground floor will feature a bar area and two distinct dining spaces, while the lower ground floor features an open kitchen with intimate chef table, cocktail bar, and a versatile function room catering to private dinner and events. Overseeing the food menu at the new site will be head chef at Jones & Sons’ site in Dalston, Kieran Hope. His menu will feature seasonal British produce with dishes to include oyster Rockefeller; tuna ceviche with strawberry ponzu and sesame; caesar salad with croûtes, parmesan, smoky bacon and anchovy mayo; crab tagliatelle with chilli and spring onion; tempura courgette flower, goats’ cheese and wild honey; honey miso cod with apple dashi; and poached pear and almond frangipane tart with chantilly cream. It will also serve a Saturday brunch menu that will include wild mushrooms, truffle oil and poached eggs on sourdough; and buttermilk fried chicken, waffles, fried eggs and maple syrup, and a Sunday roast menu.
98–106 High Road, South Woodford, London E18 2QH​
jonesandsonslondon.com/jones-and-sons-south-woodford​​

Permit Room Cambridge​

Opening on soft launch from 10-19 June, the second outpost of Dishoom’s more drink-led sibling will bring all-day dining and drinking to Cambridge’s Trinity Street. The menu will major on drink-friendly snacks and savouries with sections for chaats and patties, salads, and ‘not poppadoms’ but heartier Dishoom dishes such as its chicken ruby curry and mattar paneer will also feature as well as sides such as naan bread and rice. Launched in Brighton, Dishoom has big hopes for Permit Room, which will also open in Oxford later in the year.
17 Trinity Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TB​
permitroom.co.uk/locations/cambridge​​

Bobo Social​

Ealing’s Filmworks development is the location for the new Bobo Social opening this month. Bobo Social Ealing will have 120 internal covers an additional 40 covers outside and will serve a menu of modern British and European cuisine with dishes to include chilli salt squid; braised lamb croquettes; Devon crab tostada; and a smash burger. There will also be a focus on cocktails, with options including The Sicilian (gin, Aperol, elderflower, Prosecco); and One Day In Summer (vodka, strawberries, elderflower, cranberry, lemon juice). Bobo Social was founded by restaurateur Mike Benson on Fitzrovia’s Charlotte Street in 2014, and a second site launched in south London’s Elephant Park development in 2020, but both have since closed.
Filmworks Walk, London, W5 5FA​
boboealing.com​​

The Little Violet Door​

The house-party inspired late night bar and restaurant concept invites guests to its new Soho venue this month. The two-storey venue has space for 180 people and as with its sibling venues takes the form of a fictional flat with each area designed to transport guests to a ‘real life’ home with colourful soft furnishings, prints, bookcases and record collections. At Soho site, inspiration comes from Swinging London in the 1960s with references to both music and fashion throughout the 70s and 80s at the venue. Unlike its other sites, however, The Little Violet Door will trade from noon daily seven days a week serving a food a menu of sharing dishes including tacos and mezze boards as well as a bottomless brunch at the weekend.
9 Kingly Street, Carnaby, London, W1B 5PH​
thelittlevioletdoor.co.uk​​