We may be lamenting over the loss of this year’s summer, but we can rest assured knowing it has left us with a whole host of new restaurants dotted around the City of London. Rooftops always come and go for summer, but plenty of top-notch eateries came too – and are here to stay.
We were given new luxury fine dining destinations, a food hall and a huge array of international cuisines. It’s not all steaks and modern European dishes in the City anymore. It’s already an international hub for finance. And it’s slowly being recognised as a foodie destination too.
So, if you haven’t checked out these new spots yet – be sure to ASAP. Help these budding businesses breathe some delicious life into the Square Mile.
Arcade Food Theatre
It’s not technically a restaurant, but more of a whole series of semi-permanent pop-up stalls set up within a lush looking food market. They’ve got seven different restaurateurs taking part and three bars bashing out all the classic cocktails to City folk wanting some more variety in their night out.
Be sure to check out the Flat Iron Workshop where their team of chefs experiment with new dishes before they hit the chain restaurants. And, with Oklava being one of our favourite local dining spots, we couldn’t be happy to see them joining on all the foodie festivities. You can even pop in to their morning café and bakery for a little meeting or snack on the go.
103-105 New Oxford Street WC1A 1DB
Bob Bob Cité
The sister restaurant to Bob Bob Ricard took a little longer than hoped to be completed but it was well worth the wait – and massive £25million refurb. The Leadenhall Building’s luxury French restaurant has the famous ‘press for Champagne’ button and is kitted out to look like a first-class futuristic carriage on the Tube. But it isn’t all smoke and mirrors
here.
They back it up with top notch French cuisine which isn’t overwhelmingly buttery and rich. And wines come in the form of all the best international vintages, in a whole host of unnecessary large sizes. Celebrate in style with an epic methuselah bottle. It’s over the top, eccentric & unnecessarily glamorous. For those who can afford it, is a must visit.
Level 3, 122 Leadenhall Street EC3V 4AB
Three Uncles
The City of London is increasingly embracing a greater variety of international flavours – it’s not all modern European eateries anymore. And thank goodness for that. Without the area developing its palette, we wouldn’t be graced with the likes of Three Uncles. A trio of friends hailing from Hong Kong have set up this small eatery by Liverpool Street Station, serving up damn good Cantonese roasted meats, noodles and dim sum.
They’re bringing Chinese cooking out of China Town and into the Square Mile, and we all get to benefit from this. The duck is delightful, but we are all about getting the mixed meat platter and a side of char siu bao buns for an extra dose of delicious gluttony. Try these guys next time you need to dash out for lunch – it will give you all the inspiration you need to get on with the rest of the day.
12 Devonshire Row EC2M 4RH
Officina 00
These guys opened up at the tail end of summer, serving up some of the City’s best pasta – coming with their very own intimidatingly attractive chefs making fresh batches of the carby stuff in the window. And, our favourite part of this concept is how it’s all made for sharing. Somehow, they make pasta tapas work.
Order a few starters (not missing the fried cacio and pepe raviolis) before ordering a handful of smallish pasta dishes to share. We were all over the corzetti with wild mushrooms and banging pork and fennel bangers. The ragu with smoked ricotta and the clam linguine are also some immediate favourites. They do well with experimenting with traditional dishes – not straying too far from nonna’s path but still playing around with recipes enough to keep guests gleefully surprised. A must for any pasta lover out there.
152 Old Street EC1V 9BW
The Fancy Fork
Farmer J is one of the City’s very best takeaway joints. You get high quality healthy dishes with masses of flavour. On the back of this success, they’re doing what few takeaway food retailers attempt – totally transforming the space and menu for evenings. The Fancy Fork is just that – a glammed up version of Farmer J. And they’ve done it brilliantly. The atmosphere completely changes, and the quality of food and drink offerings rise with it.
They’ve held onto their European and Middle Eastern influences but add some complexity and more interesting produce. Grab a round of margaritas as you dive into the whole grilled fish, the fried courgette flowers and a squid and freekeh risotto. Thank us later.
24/32 King William Street EC4R 9AT
