The 6 best new London restaurant openings in October

Embrace the drizzle. Grab onto the grey. Summer has gone and all we can do is retreat indoors until spring. Thankfully, there are lots of lovely places to do just that, including new restaurants from two of London’s most talented, Michelin-star boasting chefs; Santiago Lastra of Kol and Jason Atherton of Berners Tavern. Sit down, order something cosy while the evenings draw ever-closer in. You love it really. 

Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor, and knows everything about everything in the city’s current restaurant scene – yep, even that. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

1. The masterful Mexican restaurant

Fonda, St James’s 

Santiago Lastra doesn’t mess about. The co-owner and chef-patron of Marylebone’s Kol – regularly voted one of the best restaurants in the world – is opening up a new Mexican joint inspired by traditional family-owned ‘fondas’. The focus will be on regional flavours, informal and market-style cookery. Bring on the Baja tacos with cucumber, pistachio and mint sauce, chipotle and sourdough and tostada with baked beetroot, seaweed oil, marigold and elderflower vinegar. But most of all, we’re excited by the dedicated paloma section on the cocktail list. It opens October 3.

12 Heddon St, W1B 4BZ

2. Dosa delights in south London

Tamila, Clapham

With their north-of-the-river pubs – The Tamil Prince and The Tamil Crown – doing a roaring trade in roti and pints, this mini desi chain is now opening up in Clapham. Tamila is less pub and more restaurant, a casual curry house with dishes conjured up by executive chef Prince Durairaj. They’ve got dosas for days, chicken lollipops, and masala poori on the menu, as well as Indian-inspired cocktails; the gunpowder margarita, Tamil negroni and charcoal old fashioned. Doors open October 1. 

39 Northcote Rd, SW11 1NJ

3. The west London all-day bistro

Three Darlings, Chelsea 

One of four 2024 openings from Jason Atherton (the others being Hot Dogs by Three Darlings in Harrods Food Hall, Sael in St James’ Market and an as-yet unnamed new fine-dining spot in Mayfair) and partner Irha, Three Darlings is pitching itself as a modern English bistro, and is, cutely, named after their three daughters. Open all day, food promises to be ‘seasonally driven and crafted from fresh, locally sourced produce’, with the likes of smoked brisket with fried duck egg and XO gravy, skate schnitzel with anchovy and amalfi lemon dressing and British Iberico pork chop with seasonal chutney. It opens late October. 

241b Pavilion Road, SW1X 0PB

4. The jazzed-up, historic cocktail spot 

Below Stone Nest, Chinatown

Ok, sure – it’s not new-new, but this subterranean drinking den has been shut for a revamp, so we thought its reopening was worth a shout out. Mid-October will see the relaunch of this deeply sophisticated late-night central London space (until 2am Tuesday to Saturdays!), which older, chicer readers might remember as 1980s new romantic nightclub Limelight and even older readers might remember it as a Welsh Presbyterian chapel. The less said of its era as a Walkabout the better. In charge are the Boxer brothers (Jackson of Brunswick House and Frank of Frank’s in Peckham) who’ll be heading up a new highball cocktail menu and small plates selection with olive, octopus and guindilla spikes, devilled eggs with potted shrimp and toasted sandwiches with Paris ham, Templegall cheese, boudin noir and Aleppo pepper honey. Absolutely fabulous.

136 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 5EZ

5. Three restaurants - one building

Amélie, Sachi and Luum, Belgravia

Until recently known as Pantechnicon and specialising in Japanese-Nordic cuisine, fancy Belgravia dining hall is relaunching as 19 Motcomb Street and bringing in a trio of new food-and-drink destinations. Amélie is all about Provençal and Mediterranean flavours with head chef Steve Raveneau formerly of Annabel’s and The Arts Club in charge. Sachi will take over the second floor and rooftop of the grand, neoclassical building offering ‘kappo ryori’ Japanese dining, concept, meaning ‘to cut and to cook’. Finally is Luum, a Mexican-styled late night cocktail lounge. Choose your fighter.

19 Motcomb St, SW1X 8LB

6. The big birthday bash

Carousel, Fitzrovia

Celebrating 10 years of rotating special guest chefs, Carousel is having a five-day party from October 15-19. Expect £5 marianitos – aka the Basque version of a negroni – in the on-site wine bar, as well as pop-ups from the likes of smashburger pros Chuck's NYC (Oct 15), Sokunthear Vong ex- Aux Deux Amis in Paris (Oct 16), and a Ukrainian feast from Olia Hercules (Oct 19), as well as a very special surprise guest chef (Oct 18).  

19-23 Charlotte St, W1T 1RW

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