The January Hit List: Roketsu, Manteca, Sarap Filipino Bistro, and More

Having quietly opened at the end of 2021, this restaurant is nevertheless one of the most anticipated openings of the year among the city’s insiders, and with good reason: kaiseki restaurants in London are few and far between. Referring to the formal Japanese multi-course meal, chef Daisuke Hiyashi trained under Yoshihiro Murata at three Michelin star establishment Kikunoi Honten in Kyoto and brings pedigree and expertise to the most revered of Japanese dining traditions. Serving a single graceful, truly seasonal multi-course menu in serene surroundings (with a hinoki wood Sukiya-style interior built in Kyoto and shipped piece-by-piece to London), a meal here is both theatrical and contemplative – and well worth the price of admission.

The early popularity of Chris Leach and David Carter’s pasta and nose-to-tail restaurant can’t hold a candle to its new Shoreditch digs – Manteca’s final form is something special. There’s an open kitchen and pasta counter upstairs, and swathes of natural wood and cosy corners everywhere you look. Food-wise, Leach’s fresh hand-rolled pastas are a big draw, as are the pork-centric meat dishes and salumi (made in-house daily from Gothelney Farm pigs). As we’re in the depths of winter, expect comforting plates (duck ragu, pumpkin cappellacci) and plenty of winter citrus and Italian greens. Natural wines and amaro cocktails round it out.

After hustling through the pandemic, the Fallow team have been rewarded with a roomier site in glitzy St. James Market, boasting a separate bar and counter seats overlooking the open kitchen. A sustainability-led restaurant offering a genuine sense of fun, dishes build on foraged and low-impact ingredients offering both flavour and finesse – no surprises, given the kitchen’s pedigree. Notably, senior sous Anna Williams’ desserts (former head pastry chef at two-starred Dinner) are exceptional, with an unmissable Chelsea tart with caramelised whey offering ample excuse to drop in for a drink. Pro tip: The best seats in the house are at the counter, which offers a front-row view of the action.

Few have documented the challenges of owning a restaurant quite like chef Budgie Montoya, and even fewer have quite so many rooting for it. It’s fitting, then, that his latest, most focused Filipino restaurant has been unanimously lauded by London’s critics. Taking up the site of 10 Heddon Street (famous alums: Fallow, Manteca), the restaurant’s magical Mayfair location is a prelude to plate after plate of stunning cooking that riffs on Montoya’s Australian and Filipino roots; aged rump cap bistek, monkfish escabeche, and a crispy pig’s trotter stuffed with adobo pork rice. Don’t skip dessert – the cassava cheesecake is well worth it.

The depths of winter call for comfort, and few provide it like Anna Tobias’s graceful Bloomsbury café. The kitchen’s daily-changing menu straddles the line between nostalgic British fare (for those who grew up eating it) and chic continental flourishes, informed by Tobias’ own sensibility and her time leading the kitchen at Rochelle Canteen and others; potato and cheddar pie or sticky date pudding with ice cream play confit duck or grilled Montbeliard sausage with lentils and mustard, while charming service and natural wines cosset throughout.

The second restaurant from acclaimed caterer Fat Macy’s, this Shoreditch establishment’s social enterprise model trains Londoners in temporary accommodation to learn culinary and hospitality skills – all while providing outstanding food and service. Here, find Lebanese-inspired small plates accompanied by an extensive list of natural and biodynamic wines and sweet service; if the praise for Ebury, its sister restaurant across town, is anything to go by, Sohaila and its trainees will be set up for great things ahead.

One of London’s most beloved kitchen residencies when they were at the Compton Arms, the Four Legs boys upped the stakes and refurbished this historic boozer in Finsbury Park. The atmosphere is about as convivial as it gets – this is their own pub, after all – and those familiar with Ed McIlroy and Jamie Allan’s cooking can expect similarly finessed bistronomy-influenced small plates from a menu that changes daily. Dover sole Grenobloise, pigeon bhuna and burnt cheesecake are typical of the duo’s style. A White Russian is recommended, while the Dexter beef cheeseburger remains undefeated.

An emphasis on truly traceable seafood reigns at this Wapping restaurant, led by chef Neil Wagner in collaboration with Shaun Henderson (of Henderson Seafood, supplier to many of London’s very best restaurants). The provenance of a daily-changing menu of fish and shellfish dishes can be traced down to the boat, time of day, and even the named fisherman, offering true transparency – an ever greater concern. You’ll also be glad to know that Wagner’s cooking is excellent – dishes like seabass sashimi with shiso or ikejime sea trout let produce shine, while heftier plates like halibut with wild chanterelles and crab mac and cheese offer finesse and comfort. For those playing it cautious, there’s also a fishmonger offering the finest fresh and aged fish, and a takeaway section with excellent fish and chips to go.

Known for a singular focus on bowls of ramen with a London twist, this Dalston favourite enters the new year with a thrilling line up of guest chefs throughout January and February. With each takeover offering a pair of dedicated snacks and a bowl of noodles, expect next-level creativity from the likes of Megan Moore (ex-Black Axe Mangal), Ixta Belfrage (Ottolenghi), and Jenny Phung of modern Chinese-Viet pop-up Ling Lings (currently slinging dishes at The Gun in Hackney). Tickets go on sale a week before each evening – check Supa-Ya’s Instagram for updates.

It’s usually the case that the casual offshoot of a famous restaurant ends up being a whole lot of fun and in this case, this younger sibling to the mighty Barbary in Neals Yard is quite the vibe. Relax at a curvaceous zinc counter for white port Martinis, cold glasses of Alhambra, and Spanish and Moroccan-leaning wine list put together by Honey Spencer; food-wise, there’s much to love, with vibrant salads, crudo and grilled merguez joined by heartier fare like oxtail tagine or a butter bean stew laced with smoked paprika.