laming June might be too much to hope for but with Pub in the Park, BST Hyde Park and the Hampton Court Palace Festival all kicking off next month, there’s plenty to keep Londoners entertained outdoors. But if you’d rather be amused inside, June’s crop of restaurant launches sees tango in Covent Garden, DJs on the Strand and Indian disco in Notting Hill.
Look out, too, for new outposts of a trio of the better chains — a Lina Stores in Clapham, a Casa Do Frango in Victoria, a Zia Lucia in West Hampstead — as well as the revival of one of east London’s most missed wine bars when P. Franco reopens in Clapton after a successful crowdfund.
Of course, if you really must be outside, then we’ve got you covered with our round-up of the capital’s best terraces — but June is just as nice under cover, too. Read on to find summer’s hottest new tables to book.
Max Halley at the Hippodrome
Sandwich Final 7
Quite possibly the best thing since sliced bread, sandwich supremo Max Halley is joining the surprisingly decent food line-up at the Leicester Square casino (already home to a fab outpost of roast duck specialist Four Seasons). A legend in his own lunchtime for Max’s Sandwich Shop in Crouch Hill, here Halley will here be serving six casino-themed stacked sarnies, including a “Meatball Bonanza” involving a panini roll stuffed with USDA meatballs, tomato sauce, creme fraiche and mozzarella. Truly, everyone’s a winner. Don’t forget to bring some ID to show the doorman and note the 5am closing time, seven days a week.
Opens: June 1
Hippodrome Casino, Cranbourn Street, WC2H 7JH, hippodromecasino.com
Gaucho Covent Garden
All-day dining, drinking and dancing is the promise of Gaucho’s first new London restaurant in over a decade, which will see the Argentine-themed steak chain take over the old Maxwell’s site (and briefly Wahlburgers) opposite Covent Garden Tube. Expect sustainable cuts of Argentinian Black Angus cattle — all carbon-neutral, the group says — empanadas and ceviches, washed down with South American wines, strong cocktails and, for anyone with the stomach for it, late-night tangoing to DJs. In need of a hangover cure the morning after? This Gaucho will be open for breakfast, too.
Opens: June 2
8-9 James Street, WC2E 8BH, gauchorestaurants.com
Empire Empire
Gunpowder’s Harneet Baweja’s Notting Hill venture promises to bring something new to London dining with a theme inspired by 1970s Indian disco: Bollywood meets bell-bottoms. A custom-made Marshall jukebox, vintage LPs on the walls and tables covered with paper cloths in the dinky 40-seat dining room pick up on the retro theme, though everything else is bang up to date, from natural wines and pre-batch cocktails in the bar to the quality of ingredients and the care with which they’re cooked in the kitchen, whether a beef bihari boti kebab slowly charred over hot coals or a lobster dum biryani encased in a pastry lid.
Opens: June 15
16 All Saints Road, W11 1HH, gunpowderlondon.com
Little Kudu
The third South African-inspired south London restaurant from husband and wife Patrick Williams and Amy Corbin is set to be more tapas focused than the couple’s other Peckham restaurantsKudu and Kudu Grill. Diners will sit at either a six-seat bar or a communal table; small plates will include the likes of smoked peri-peri mussels, chicken liver parfait tartlet with spiced pineapple and calendula, and ham hock terrine with biltong scratchings. To drink, there will be a short and snappy 30-bin South African list from family-owned wineries.
Opens: June 21
133 Queen’s Road, SE15 2ND, kuducollective.com
Outcrop
A bit like the restaurant equivalent of a supergroup, there are some very big names behind this arty new project gathered around the courtyard of 180 Strand and set to a soundtrack of live DJs. It’s brought to us by Luca founders Johnny Smith and Daniel Willis and a trio of Secret Cinema alumni, but more exciting is the fact that the kitchen will be run by AngloThai’s John Chantarasak. The chef treats British ingredients — native breed animals, line-caught fish and seasonal veg —to thrilling Asian technique in the likes of skate wing jungle curry. Wash it down with low-intervention European wines, all served on tap by the glass or carafe.
Opens: June 23
1 Surrey Street, WC2R 2ND, outcrop.social
Also opening:
Kima
/ Press handoutKima
The ancient Greek word for “wave”, Kima comes courtesy of the team behind Opso and Ino and will offer fin-to-tail Greek-style seafood from a central fish counter prepared raw, cured or cooked.
Opens: June 5
57 Paddington Street, W1U 4JA, kimarestaurant.com
Crunch
A Spitalfields site for the pop-up turned permanent, whose inventive brioche sandwiches — slow-cooked Gressingham duck leg with banana shallots and smoked apple sauce — were first seen in the Prince Arthur pub on Old Street.
Opens: June 12
Old Spitalfields Market, 16 Horner Square, E1 6EW, sandwichuprising.com
Fish Game
A seasonal and sustainable restaurant from Macellaio RC founder Roberto Costa, offering a daily changing menu of fish and game from British producers cooked over fire and charcoal.
Opens: June 22
14 Water Street, E14 5GX
Mallow
A second site for the plant-based offshoot of Soho veggie legend Mildred’s, the Canary Wharf Mallow will serve internationally inspired vegan cuisine from breakfast through to dinner, inside and out.
Opens: June 26
12 Park Drive, E14 9ZW, mallowlondon.com
Masala Zone Piccadilly Circus
A fourth branch of the quality Indian chain, just down the road from parent MW Eat’s Veeraswamy, this new Masala Zone will take up residence in the elaborately mosaiced Grade II*-listed surrounds of the Criterion, one of the most beautiful rooms in London.
Opens: Mid-June
224 Piccadilly, W1J 9HP, masalazone.com
@mrbenmccormack