The September Hit List: Kurisu Omakase, Sessions Arts Club, Imone, and More

The opening of the year will not be Salt Bae’s forthcoming restaurant; our money is either on home-grown talents like Brutto, from legendary restaurant figure Russell Norman, or John Spiteri’s Sessions Arts Club. The latter is as swoon-worthy a restaurant as there’s been in years; pitch-perfect plates from beloved chef Florence Knight, a wine list put together by Noble Rot, a terrace with sweeping views over the city, and a dining room in Old Sessions House capable of stirring the kind of emotional response that lets you know you’re witnessing something special.

Max Rocha’s love letter to his grandmother and the Irish cooking of his upbringing reflects the tiniest details of the chef’s pedigree at institutions like The River Café and St. John Bread and Wine. A fabulously laid-back dining room sets the scene for what, for now, is one of the best lunches in London – perfectly al dente rabbit pasta, serious charcuterie skills, and an almond tart to return for.

Chris Restrepo’s sushi dinners were always difficult to book – London’s best sushi chefs have long made the trip to experience the young chef’s creativity – but with a recent rave review in the books, a seat at his counter is now the hottest ticket in town. Trained at Tokyo’s prestigious sushi academy, an evening at Kurisu is an experience that could only exist in London, with pristine nigiri interpreted through the lens of the chef’s Colombian and Thai heritage, and incredible hospitality courtesy of Restrepo and his mother Suwannee.

It says much about the quality of the restaurants on this month’s list that there are three venues ahead of Leo Carreira’s long-awaited follow-up to his critical darling in Chelsea. Co-founded with Alex Jackson, this futuristic chef’s counter beneath a Haggerston railway arch is easily capable of delivering the most dazzling and original seafood in London; visual trickery and plays on texture and flavour never get in the way of delivering blindingly delicious plates, backed up by an excellent sake and grower champagne list, and warm banter with fellow guests and Carreira himself.

It’s openly known that the best Korean cooking can be found in New Malden. While its contemporaries have ignited social media with promises of K-BBQ and sticky-sweet fried chicken, the best cooking in the area – and therefore London – is at this unassuming eatery on the high street that caters to the local community. Food is a reset for those who have mostly experienced central London’s offerings; light, fluffy pajeon and healing broths are perfect for the impending autumn, while specials like a crisp, texturally satisfying whelk salad with pears and a whole whiting in a sweet-savoury sauce with herbal chrysanthemum greens linger long in the memory.

Want to know where you should be hanging out in Soho? The answer’s at this effortlessly cool bar and restaurant that breathes new life into the modern wine bar with touches of Americana and a sly wink. A relaxed terrace is an appropriate spot for pulling up with a few friends and a couple of rounds of Gabriel Pryce’s tacos, toasted corn and cheddar beignets sprinkled with Old Bay, and many, many margaritas.

Nunhead is probably the last place one would expect a South African-inspired braii restaurant beautiful enough to embarrass all but the grandest of dining rooms. Co-founder of the original Kudu in Peckham, Amy Corbin has never done things by halves, and this newcomer’s inventive starters and desserts (as well as sharing platters like a whole bream or aged T-bone cooked over fire) and warm style of service reflect her brand of laid-back hospitality and co-founder Patrick Williams’ Durban upbringing. Casual enough for drinks and snacks, but definitely worthy of an occasion.

Upstairs at the ever-popular Bun House in Chinatown, chef Joo Won (ex-Galvin at Windows) has been serving creative takes on Korean dishes, like a creamy ‘risotto’ infused with kimchi and cheddar and a signature Korean fried chicken in an intimate room that gently evokes Hong Kong teahouses of old. Meanwhile, his pastry chef and wife Sujin fashions ethereal desserts that combine classic French techniques with East Asian flavours. Their residency’s only on for another month, so hurry.

Battersea doesn’t lack for places to grab a drink, but few can boast a list put together by owner Sunny Hodge, who also founded award-winning wine bar Diogenes the Dog. During the day, a bakery and superb coffee makes it an excellent spot to linger; as the nights grow longer, the intimate space comes alive with the sound of locals going in on boozy cheeseboards and South London charcuterie, accompanied by excellent minimal intervention wines. More info here.

Occupying a light, breezy room at the Treeouse Hotel minutes from Oxford Circus, the arrival of California’s legendary chef and restaurateur Nancy Silverton is reason enough for excitement. Silverton’s sunny, Italian-inflected menu focuses on crisp, airy pizzas loaded with seasonal toppings; meanwhile, outstanding snacks and small plates offer a glimpse at the chef’s deft touch with classics like oven-roasted corn with Fresno chilli butter, or a sweet, buttery LA-style budino you won’t want to share. More info here.