The August Hit List: Lighthaus, Kitchen Table, Jolene, Sucre, and More

Originally opened in 2012 as a ‘hidden’ dining room behind the popular Bubbledogs, this chef’s counter in Fitzrovia has consistently delivered some of London’s most high-wire modern tasting menus. Now relaunched with a Japanese-inflected redesign that oozes minimalist luxury – as well as a new Michelin star to add to its first – James Knappett’s menu promises even greater highs than before, with incredible British produce showcased in a series of mind-blowing dishes. His food plays off sommelier Sandia Chang’s relaxed hospitality and masterful list of grower champagnes. Ambitious and expensive, yes – but worth it.

Jaded Londoners who have seen and eaten it all should decamp to this miraculous café on, of all places, a Leyton industrial estate. While it doesn’t appear much from the outside, the breezy interior is all high ceilings, cosy corners, and chic Nordic furniture that invites lingering. While it’s a beloved staple for locals, visitors are directed to chef Alex Vines’ relaxed weekend menus that build upon his impressive CV (40 Maltby St, Rochelle Canteen); crisp fritters of seasonal veg or a sublime tortilla are staples, while perfectly cooked meat and fish precede proper puddings, like gooseberry mess or apricot bakewell tart. Learn more here, and call or text 07502952278 to book.

This splashy new Soho opening comes courtesy of the highly-regarded Buenos Aires duo of chef Fernando Trocca and bartender Tato Giovannoni, each regarded as among the very best in Latin America within their professions. Housed in the former Royal College of Music, its beautifully appointed dining room certainly makes an impression – vaulting ceilings and over-the-top chandeliers set the mood for Argentine-leaning dishes prepared over live fire, and a highball-focused cocktail menu at Abajo, its downstairs bar, makes for an excellent pre- or post-dinner tipple. Don’t miss the dulce de leche fondant — more info here.

Vegetable-forward fare has, of course, existed long before the arrival of Western veganism. This new Islington restaurant – from Zhang Chao, a co-founder of the widely admired Xi’an Impression – reiterates that simple fact, with a stunning repertoire of meat-free dishes that showcase a variety of regional Chinese flavours that span Shaanxi, Dongbei, Sichuan and more, using fresh vegetables and an array of mock meats. As well as meat-free takes on classics like Chongqing chicken and husband-and-wife slices, slicked with chilli and numbing Sichuan pepper, the restaurant makes its tofu in-house daily – a genuine rarity, best enjoyed in a classic mapo tofu or doufu hua. Details here.

East Londoners with a hankering for wood-fired steaks, puffy pizzas, and Basque cheesecake now need only stroll over to London Fields. This Borough institution has opened a second site on Mare Street, minutes from Broadway Market, with a bright dining room, a terrace, and a pretty zinc bar perfect for a few martinis and the same excellent menu as the original. So, expect Basque-inspired plates (like a Ganbara-esque dish of girolles, garlic, and egg yolk) and a low-intervention list overseen by sommelier and GM Cameron Dewar.

A highly anticipated sibling to the Brooklyn establishment of the same name, those in the know will be making a beeline to Notting Hill for NYC-style brunches, inventive cocktails, and stacks of impossibly fluffy malted pancakes drenched in syrup. While the famed brunch doesn’t launch until the middle of the month, expect it to become a regular neighbourhood draw (and a fine addition to W11’s reawakening dining scene), with a breezy dining room made for long lunches, happy hours, and relaxed dinners.

Despite their riches, East Londoners still had to travel up to Newington Green for Jolene’s impressive pastries and magnetic dining room – or further, if we’re talking Westerns Laundry and Primeur, the group’s other restaurants. No more, as a satellite of one of London’s most modish bakeries (if Aesop did croissants) has finally opened in Shoreditch, offering excellent coffees, sandwiches and pastries made with wild farmed grain to take away – a hint to the owners’ ambitions to introduce regenerative farming ideals into the mainstream. The babka is very good — details here.

While this Dalston tequila bar and self-styled agaveria already had plenty to shout about (award-winning drinks and margaritas, for starters), it’s been bolstered by the arrival of a summer residency courtesy of taco specialists Maíz Azul. Tortillas are made by hand each day, arriving at the table as slow-cooked beef suadero tacos, flautas with mole poblano, or with consommé as birria tacos. There’s plenty of outdoor seating, and the mirrorless margarita is amongst the best tequila cocktails anywhere.

One of the fissures exposed by the pandemic was the crisis of food insecurity experienced across Britain. Social enterprise Fat Macy’s has addressed many of these disparities for years via its pop-ups and catering and this, their first ever restaurant, serves delicious Middle Eastern-inspired sharing plates while training homeless youth in hospitality, helping them move from hostels into their own homes. While intentions are one thing, the restaurant is genuinely great – split the Lebanese breakfast and an order of honey blossom pancakes at brunch, or go all-in on a spread of colourful salads, flatbreads laden with Akkawi cheese or punchy harissa, or perhaps a plate of grilled meat or fish to share. Consider donating to their fundraiser while you’re at it, too.

After the success of their Kings Cross bakery and café, the Bao team are on a bit of a roll. Their sleek new restaurant on Redchurch Street (across from Brat and Smoking Goat) focuses on niu rou mian, the legendary Taiwanese beef noodle soup; expect versions with a rich short rib and beef cheek broth, or a lighter broth with a signature aged white soy and rump cap. Cocktails are excellent and new bao editions unique to Shoreditch will be on offer; there’s also a karaoke room with food available at the push of a button.