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March was a toughie, with some of our favourite places in London to eat and drink closing their doors for good.
Pour one out for these legendary venues.
1. The Gun, Hackney
We’ve already banged on about how much of a loss this is, but we see no reason to stop now. The Gun wasn’t just east London’s perfect party pub, it was an incubator for some of the best cookery talent in the capital. It was at The Gun that Ling Ling’s perfected their Sunday roast and where Rake finessed their fabulously earthy fried foods before moving onto The Gun’s sister boozer The Compton Arms. You will be missed.
2. Dina Wines, Leytonstone
There are still a couple more days to cram into Leyton’s lovely Dina Wines, home of some of the tastiest chef residencies in the east. Their last service is on April 5.
‘It has been 4 years of the most joyous memories… customers have told me that this is the best damn low key wine bar in the world and in this moment of reflection, I’ll take that,’ they wrote on Instagram. Jean-Martin Louw and Katy Severson will take over the 289 High Rd Leytonstone venue at the end of April ‘under a new guise but sharing the same values and community focus’. We’re thirsty to see how it shapes up.
3. The Brilliant, Southall
Here’s another one with a couple more days left. After half a century, this Southall mainstay of Punjabi cuisine (with a Kenyan twist) is set to shut on April 7. Founded by Gulu Anand in 1975, The Brilliant was named by King Charles as his favourite curry house. But all is not lost; Gulu’s daughter Dipna is set to open a new Southall restaurant, Brilliant Gastro, in mid-April.
4. High Hill Tap, Walthamstow
News that High Hill Tap was closing this month shook the Blackhorse Beer Mile to its hoppy foundations. Citing an ‘untenable’ relationship with their landlord, the London Borough of Waltham Forest, the bar adjunct of Hackney Brewery will close on March 30. The brewery will remain in operation, but you’ll have to tick the tap room off your list of spots to stumble into when traversing Blackhorse Lane’s numerous beer holes.
5. Hakkasan, Fitzrovia
After 24 years of very expensive Cantonese cookery, Hanway Place’s fancy dining room has closed. Opened in 2001 by Alan Yau, Hakkasan fast became a celebrity hotspot, winning a Michelin star in 2003 (but losing it last year, oops). The Mayfair branch remains open, if you retain a craving for peking duck with caviar.
6. Five Fields, Chelsea
This posh Chelsea spot still had its Michelin star when it revealed it would be shutting. No reason was given for the west London fine dining spot’s closure, but they thanked their regulars and suppliers for 12 years in the game. Five Fields was renowned for its native British focus, using fresh produce from its own gardens in East Sussex.
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