2023 sees the arrival of some very exciting new international restaurants on the London dining scene. There’s a renewed feeling of optimism in the air, as some big name chefs and brands from across the globe – stars in their local markets not necessarily yet in ours – set their sights on conquering the capital. So, who are they all? Find out who’s who with our edit of the hottest new international restaurants and chefs hitting town this year.
Brazilian chef Alberto Landgraf has scooped up award after award since opening Oteque in Rio de Janeiro in 2018: GQ ‘Man of the Year’ (twice), two Michelin stars, and a spot on this year’s World’s 50 Best, to name but a few. Expectations will be high, then, for Bossa, Landgraf’s debut London restaurant, which opens beneath the Brazilian consulate in central London in early 2023. It won’t be “the second Oteque” but will be a new slant on contemporary Brazilian food, wine, and cocktails. Oteque head chef Nilson Chaves has relocated permanently for the launch, joined by sommelier Laís Aoki, who’ll be working with influential UK sommelier Honey Spencer. There will be lots of newness to discover, from a Brazilian pet nat to batida cocktails with jambu leaf, and dishes such as crab pastel with açaí dip and cupuaçu fruit compote with cumaru cream. Bossa, incidentally, marks a return to the capital for Landgraf who worked for Tom Aikens and Gordon Ramsay in the early noughties.
On the menu: Seafood “moqueca” with fried rice, banana farofa, pirão (manioc cream)
Bossa, 3 Vere Street, Mayfair, London W1G 0DH
bossa.co.uk
Henrique Sá Pessoa is a celebrity chef in Portugal and holder of two Michelin stars for his Lisbon restaurant Alma. He lands in London for the launch of Joia (‘jewel’ in Portuguese), his bar and restaurant opening in February on the top two floors of the new art’otel London Battersea Power Station. The timing’s perfect – our obsession with Portuguese food and travel grows by the day – and the setting’s spectacular, with interiors by Russell Sage Studio and views out over the Grade II*-listed power station. Look forward to Sá Pessoa’s signature ‘la bomba de Lisbon’ croquettes with Alheira sausage, and modern Iberian dishes such as octopus salad with red pepper, potato and smoked paprika; scallops with black garlic sabayon, and chocolate and chorizo crumble with sherry vinegar. The views from the chef’s table will make it the best seat in the house.
On the menu: Bacalhau à Brás, salt cod with shoestring potatoes, parsley, and black olive, mixed tableside
Joia, 1 Electric Boulevard, Battersea, London SW11 8BJ
joiabattersea.co.uk
Nobody could ever call Harrods predictable. Fresh from bringing Sweden’s three Michelin star Björn Frantzén to Knightsbridge, the world’s most popular department store has another ace up its sleeve in Neha Mishra, founder of Dubai ramen restaurant Kinoya. Mishra (AKA @astoryoffood on Instagram) made her name with her supper club serving what’s widely held to be the city’s best ramen. After four years, the supper club became bricks-and-mortar restaurant and was this year declared ‘One to Watch’ in the World’s 50 Best. Opens Spring 2023.
On the menu: Shio paitan ramen with chicken broth, burned garlic oil and freshly made noodles
Kinoya, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL
kinoya.ae
Korean-born, Aspen-raised, professional snowboarder Akira Back swapped life on the slopes for life at the stove. This Spring, he comes to London and the highly anticipated new Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, for the launch of the latest restaurant in a global empire that stretches from Las Vegas to Paris, Istanbul to Singapore. Back achieved a Michelin star for his modern Korean in Seoul but it’s his Japanese food accented with Korean American flavours that’s won him worldwide fame and an A-list clientele that includes the Olsen twins, Taylor Swift, Bill Clinton and the Dalai Lama. On his UK debut, we can expect two restaurants, an outpost of ABar, and a glamorous rooftop space.
On the menu: The sushi-grade Akira Back Tuna Pizza with shiso and truffle, as seen at the iconic Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas
Akira Back at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, Hanover Square, Mayfair, London W1S 1JP
mandarinoriental.com
The international fashion pack knows Paper Moon well, the Milanese institution founded in 1977. It’s a fashion week favourite, thanks to its palazzo setting in the prestigious Quadrilatero d’Oro (‘golden rectangle’) and, of course, its impeccable pasta. In Spring 2023, it joins Mauro Colagreco at the new Raffles London at the OWO. Be prepared for its statement bar to be packed at aperitivo hour from day one. Elegant Italian-style interiors with olive trees and terracotta will set the scene for classically craveable Italian cuisine.
On the menu: Linguine with lobster; pappardelle ‘Paper Moon’ with cream and bacon’; burrata with caponata
Paper Moon, Raffles London at The OWO, Whitehall, London SW1A 2EU
theowo.london
Restaurant Review
A decade after the closure of Nahm at The Halkin Hotel, the first Thai restaurant in Europe to win a Michelin star, Australian chef David Thompson returns to London with Long Chim in Chinatown. The concept, a proven success in Sydney, Perth and Dubai, will showcase Bangkok-style street food in a large basement site with courtyard seating. London’s contemporary Thai scene – think Som Saa, Smoking Goat, Kiln, and Farang – would be unimaginable without Thompson, Nahm, and Thompson’s seminal tome Thai Food, a cookbook no self-respecting chef would be without.
On the menu: Chargrilled pork neck skewers with condensed milk, fish sauce and coconut cream; and grilled beef salad with roasted rice and long leaf coriander
Long Chim, 9 Horse & Dolphin Yard, Soho, London W1D 5AZ
longchim.com
A titan of French gastronomy, chef Yannick Alléno holds 15 Michelin stars, including three apiece at Alléno Paris at Pavillon Ledoyen and Le 1947 at Cheval Blanc in Courchevel. In the Summer of ‘23, he’ll be checking into the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane to open a new restaurant and bar under his name. It’s too soon for a menu reveal but we can expect exceptional British produce, sourced without compromise, allied to his French gastronomic roots (he grew up cooking in his parents’ bistro).
On the menu: Alléno is known for an obsession with sauces, having written an entire book on the subject and established an “Ecole de la Sauce” at the Institut Paul Bocuse
Yannick Alléno at Four Seasons Park Lane, Hamilton Place, Westminster, London W1J 7DR
fourseasons.com
Mykonos comes to Knightsbridge in Autumn 2023 with the arrival of Nammos from the island’s Psarou Beach. Nammos, founded in 2003, is the place to see and be seen on the island, with a reputation for attracting a glossy, gorgeous party crowd. The vibe, in a Grade II-listed building will be pure cosmopolitan escapism. with a sun-drenched menu of Aegean flavours. Interiors by Joyce Wang (Tattu, the Berkeley). Outposts in Dubai, Qatar, Limassol and soon, Cannes.
On the menu: Centrepiece dishes of whole fish and cuts of dry-aged beef.
Nammos London, 13-17 Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1HQ
nammos.com
Leave it to the Parisians to do pizza and pasta their own stylish way. Daroco, with restaurants in the 2e and 16e, has a loyal following in the City of Lights for its highly original interiors, cool staff and easy-to-love food. Daroco’s founders are hoping to repeat their success in the increasingly lively eastern edges of Soho (see Milk Beach, Tattu etc). We’re promised Renaissance-inspired design and a destination cocktail bar. Alas, we’ll have to wait until September to visit.
On the menu: Vitello tonnato; trofie with pesto; pizza al tartufo; chocolate mousse
Daroco, Ilona Rose House, Charing Cross Road, Soho, London WC2H 0DU
daroco.fr
Along with Noma, the Fat Duck, el Bulli and co, Mauro Colagreco’s three Michelin star Mirazur in the south of France is a member of the elite “Best of the Best”, one of just eight iconic restaurants to have held the top spot of the World’s 50 Best. Colagreco himself is the star signing of Raffles London at The OWO, the new luxury property launching this Spring in the Old War Office in Whitehall. The Italian Argentine chef, trained under such legends as les deux Alains (Passard and Ducasse), will put his name to three new concepts for Raffles London: a fine-dining restaurant, “a brasserie with a twist”, and a private chef’s table.
On the menu: Colagreco is known for his creativity and exacting standards; be in no doubt, he will be at the head of the line for the best produce from British producers
Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London at The OWO, Whitehall, London SW1A 2EU
theowo.london
