Welcome to 2025 foodies. If your New Year's resolution is to eat out more, then tuck in your napkin and dine on this. Jo Aspin rounds up the hot new restaurant openings and food news in London and beyond.
Row on 5
Photographer: John Carey
Set to be one of the most exciting high-end restaurant openings this spring, Row on 5, a new flagship restaurant from Chef Jason Atherton and executive Chef Spencer Metzger, is now in motion at No.5 Savile Row. Split across two floors, just 28 guests can experience a 15-course British tasting menu divided into three parts. The first three courses are served in the lower ground bar and lounge surrounded by the wine cellar that houses 4,500 bottles. The next nine courses are served upstairs in the main dining room before diners return downstairs for the last three courses of desserts.
Arterton said: “I have been fortunate enough to open restaurants all over the world, but Row on 5 is different. I want it to be my legacy, and I don’t say that lightly. ‘Row’ stands for ‘Refinement Of Work’, and in this case I mean my life’s work as a chef. Row on 5 will be like a fashion designer’s haute couture collection - a showcase of creativity and finesse, but instead of fine fabrics and artisanal needlework, the stars of Row on 5 will be the world-class culinary team and the very best produce from all over the British Isles.”
Now open
5 Savile Row, London W1S 3PB
The Bat and Ball, Oxfordshire
Cuddesdon in Oxfordshire gets a new county pub with the opening of Bat and Ball this month. It’s the second site for The Montgomery Group, which took over The Lamb Inn in Milton in 2022 (which incidentally, has just recieved an entry in the 2024 Michelin Guide).
Expect 'elevated classic pub bangers', as well as five guest rooms for overnight stays. The kitchen will be overseen by Michelin-star-trained Head Chef Rick Owens, previously of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Food will be matched with a curated wine list focusing on small growers, local ales and seasonal, sustainable pub food.
Opens 8 Jan
28 High St, Cuddesdon, Oxford OX44 9HJ
Kêu Borough
Vietnamese street food arrives in Borough with the opening of the fourth Kêu this month, adding to locations in Soho, Shoreditch and the City. Pick up their signature bánh mì mì thịt nướng– a Vietnamese baguette filled with honey-glazed pork shoulder and Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang - rice noodles with umami pork stock, topped with pork and prawns. All dishes have been inspired by the markets of ancient Saigon. Drinks-wise, Kêu Borough will offer their traditional Vietnamese coffee made with condensed milk, Saigon lime soda, and homemade lemonade.
Now open
Kêu Borough
A new home for JÖRO
Tim Green Photography
Acclaimed Sheffield Nordic/Japanese restaurant JÖRO moves to a new home this month. JÖRO 2.Ö will be housed in a renovated 19th-century paper mill in the Don Valley, on the edge of the Peak District. Adding to the flagship dining experience, there will be two bars, an all-day dining terrace, an outdoor BBQ kitchen concept, seven boutique rooms and a deli shop, so come and make a weekend of it.
Opens 15 January 2025
JÖRO OUGHTIBRIDGE MILL, Main Rd, Wharncliffe Side, Sheffield S35 0LB
Bar Valette
Keep an eye out for this new restaurant opening on Hackney’s Kingsland Road this Jan. It’s the latest venture from the two Michelin-starred Clove Club’s Isaac McHale. Bar Valette has been inspired by the chef's love of Southern French and simple Spanish cooking, plus some of the greats from Clove Club will pop up on the menu too - all hail the buttermilk fried chicken in pine. Wine and sherry will be a central focus too under the direction of Sommelier Wilem Powell.
Isaac said “I hope Bar Valette will be a restaurant that people want to come back to over and over. The menu is exciting and different, and I can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been working on. As a chef it’s been really exciting to look at all the amazing produce we use at The Clove Club, and think how to cook things in a simpler way here.
Opens January 2025 – date TBC
28 - 30 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8AA
Yolk Sandwich Shops give away £1 Coffee on 13th Jan
Yolk sandwich shops in London are giving away £1 coffees on Monday (13th Jan) to celebrate the launch of their Brew Club – a new coffee subscription service for the capital.
Yolk has nine stores across Central London: Canary Wharf, London Bridge, New Street Square Chancery Lane, Soho, Broadgate, Strand, London Wall Liverpool Street, Victoria and New Oxford Street so if you’re in London town, plot your nearest and head for a bargain pick-me-up to kick off your week. Read the full article here: Yolk Sandwich Shops Launch Brew Club.
Features Editor, Chatting Food: Jo Aspin
Jo Aspin is a freelance writer specialising in UK restaurants, travel, food and drink. She is also a Director at hospitality PR agency Amy Williams Consultancy, based in London.
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Instagram: @welovechilli
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