It’s (finally) Christmas! You can now put up that tree, play Wham!, and go on a wreath-making workshop. The London restaurant scene is also in celebration mode, lining up an advent calendar of exciting new eateries, including a Shoreditch High Street branch of Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana, barbecue joint Temper’s fifth site in Paddington, and The Good Bagel – a fresh and chewy bagel-centric guise for Stoke Newington’s The Good Things Deli.
Now over to the biggest and best new openings of the month. Put that mince pie down and sink your teeth into this lot.
Liz & Max Haarala Hamilton
1. South London’s first ever Dishoom
You’ll find the debut south-of-the-river Dishoom by the honking great Battersea Power Station redevelopment. Officially opening its doors on December 6, it’ll offer the Bombay-style cafe’s tried-and-tested menu as well as a chef’s special of smokey bhatti chicken, marinated in black spices. There’s room for 235 heads here, and – in a Dishoom first – it’ll be the only one where dogs are welcome, so bring your pup when you next mainline murgh malai.
42 Electric Blvd, SW11 8BJ
Roti King
2. More perfect – and bargainous – flaky roti
Another London staple is branching out, with Roti King’s third outpost set to open on December 1. You’ll find the latest from the Malaysian champion of cheap eats on Lower Marsh and the menu will be much the same as the iconic Euston joint, with small prices and big flavours. A 50-cover spot, it’ll offer four different kinds of kari – chicken, mutton, dahl and fish – which come with two pieces of roti. There’ll also be stuffed roti murtabak, as well as rice dishes such as beef rendang and nasi lemak, and noodle-y char kuey teow and kari laksa.
97 Lower Marsh, SE1 7AB
Whyte Rushen
3. Whyte Rushen’s first ever restaurant
Hackney
There’s been a bit of drama when it comes to Whyte Rushen’s new home – the king of the pop-ups recently revealed the original site for his new restaurant had fallen through, but he’s found a replacement. ‘After a few well stressful days, we’ve found another one, another site, also in Hackney,’ wrote the chef. Phew. The plan is still to open in December, and Whyte’s been sharing sample menus to get us all excited, featuring intriguing things such as oyster and snail rockefeller with aged comte & Monster Munch Cafe de Paris sauce, turnip cake with chinese sausage, dry shrimp raw yolk & black vinegar mayo and burrata with burnt leeks & truffle butter honey. Oh and, of course, his insta-famous burger will be making an appearance. The restaurant’s GoFundMe is still up and running, if you want to chuck him a few quid.
TBA
Ottolenghi
4. A decadent deli for perfect pastries
If anyone knows how to give good deli, it’s Yotam Ottolenghi. This seven-day-a-week, all-day eating spot is your new pre-Heath stroll stop-off. Load up on coffee and pastries before navigating the muddy fields of north London. In the summer, it’ll be excellent for an á la carte dinner, with a 26 cover terrace and Ottolenghi’s sensational salads. It’s open from December 11.
32-34 Rosslyn Hill, NW3 1NH
5. A pub with loads of wine
Alfi, Spitalfields
Who needs beer when you have wine? Opening December 1, this posh boozer focusses on glasses of vino over pints. It’ll all be of the low intervention persuasion, with drops on offer from organic farms across Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Germany. There will, of course, also be beers, but don’t be surprised if staff try and tempt you with a lambrusco instead of a lager. There’ll be food from February next year, with the likes of grilled courgette, goat’s cheese and fried basil cooked on a centrepiece stone robata grill.
3 Crispin Place, E1 6DW
Padella X Crisp
6. The mega pasta/pizza collab
Italian fast food fans – your time is now. Well, on December 12 to be exact. For one day only you’ll be able to scoff a sublime collaboration between pasta people Padella and pie pros Crisp Pizza W6. Expect Padella sauces slathered over pizza, including eight hour Dexter beef shin ragu with mozzarella cheese as well as pumpkin, ricotta, chilli, gorgonzola & crispy sage, and a squid ink pie with puttanesca. You want more? How about a pici cacio e pepe calzone? Filth, gorgeous filth.
25 Crisp Rd, W6 9RL
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https://www.timeout.com/london/news/all-the-best-new-london-restaurant-openings-in-december-113023
