Where To Eat in January: Evernight, Bouchon Racine, Kitchen W8, and More

One of 2022’s gems turned out to be this ambitious ‘modern izakaya’ tucked away in Vauxhall’s Nine Elms development. There’s a short list of grilled skewers that befits its casual description, but really, the menu is a high-wire execution of the best (and most popular) casual Japanese dishes, finessed by a couple of fine dining vets in Singaporean chef Lynus Lim (Laughing Heart) and Chase Lovecky (Clove Club). The informality of the menu – plump gyoza, Aylesbury duck donabe, silken chawanmushi – is matched by luxurious touches like fine British smoked eel, ceps, and supplementary slugs of Monarch sturgeon caviar, while a thoughtful list of sakes and a strikingly minimal dining room add to its singular appeal.

To make a reservation, call 020 4547 6390.

With a spot on the World’s 50 Best and a second Michelin star this past year, Ikoyi was the place on everyone’s lips when it came to fine dining in London. When it appeared that Ire Hassan-Okudale and Jeremy Chan had pulled out all the stops, Ikoyi moved from its original St. James premises to a gorgeous new restaurant in 180 The Strand, with an even more ambitious menu – and pricing to match – complete with a private area and a glamorous new dining room designed by Studio David Thulstrup. Only weeks old, the latter has already won a prestigious design award, and though the emphasis on Moneyball-style tasting menus hasn’t changed, Jeremy Chan’s hyperseasonal cooking remains as compellingly creative as ever – a third star and a rise through the global ranks feel within the realms of possibility.

The original Racine in Knightsbridge cemented Henry Harris as a proper chef’s chef, proffering the kind of dreamy French comfort fare that would get any restaurant lover with a pulse properly misty-eyed. Fast forward to the present day, and Racine 2.0 finds itself above the Three Compasses Pub in Farringdon, with a space that’s equal parts smart dining room and cosy country bouchon. Warming fare that evokes Lyonnaise cuisine is the order of the day, with a punchy French-leaning wine list, plus aperitifs and digestifs all but obligatory. The lapin à la moutarde is a Harris signature, and the menu runs from unashamedly Gallic classics like celeriac remoulade with Bayonne ham or steak au poivre, to treats like calfs brain with peppercorn sauce, all beautifully chalked up on a daily changing menu.

For reservations, email bonjour@bouchonracine.com.

This Kensington neighbourhood institution has been a model of fine dining consistency since opening in 2009, under the eye of head chef Mark Kempson and owner Phil Howard (Elystan Street), earning and maintaining a Michelin star in the process. Right now, it’s also a hotbed of talent, with 2022’s newly crowned Masterchef: The Professionals winner Nikita Pathakji on the pans as junior sous. The cooking, unsurprisingly, is exceptional, pairing peak seasonal produce with elegant flavours and precision in dishes like roast Iberico pork with cracked wheat, or a chocolate aero cake dense with Valrhona chocolate and paired with a vanilla and citrus cream. Service and ambience make dinner here a dream, and the tasting menu is worth a splurge for a special occasion; meanwhile, a prix fixe menu offers the same precision at lunchtimes for a fraction of the cost.

In the world of high-end gastronomy, Stockholm chef Björn Frantzén has few peers, and Studio Frantzén, his new restaurant on the fifth floor of Harrods is arguably the jewel in the crown of a program that also includes the likes of Tom Kerridge and Jason Atherton. Frantzén’s brand of Nordic cuisine with Asian influences is on display in a serene Scandi dining room that boasts 150 covers, two bars for late night drinks, floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic views across the city. Many dishes on an a la carte menu are cooked over open fire – a Frantzén signature – that juxtaposes wild game and cured seafood with luxurious dishes like grilled porterhouse steak with pine-scented bone marrow, or lobster with curry hollandaise.

For reservations, call 020 7225 6800. 

After a spell of romanticising Neapolitan-style pizza, a brace of excellent spots dishing up pies reminiscent of New York-style coal oven pies comes as a breath of fresh air. There’s All Kaps, of course, but in Hammersmith, some of London’s best pizza right now can be found at family run pub The Chancellors. Crisp Pizza is suitably hyped, and more than deserves it – regular and Grandma (square) pies are both excellent, with oozy cheese, herb-flecked red sauce, and thick-cut pepperoni pucks with plenty of bite. Monthly specials offer plenty of incentive to return, but for purists, the plain pie is about as good as you’ll get this side of the Atlantic.

Walk-ins only.

This cosy neighbourhood restaurant has only been open a couple of months, but has already earned a reputation as one of the city’s toughest tables. Chef Thomas Straker is, of course, a social media phenom, but has worked in some of the city’s finest kitchens and brings finesse to the table in relaxed dishes like a puffy flatbread layered with scallops that demands an immediate re-order, silken taglioni with girolles and parmesan, an autumnal plate of roasted turbot with grilled cabbage, borlotti beans, and pumpkin, and superb desserts. There’s a pronounced local feel to the proceedings, flowing cocktails, and a killer soundtrack to boot – get in while you still can.

Walk-ins only.

This independent Peckham Bakery found success in pop-up form and as Frog Bakery (before being forced to rename last year), with queues around the corner for imaginative takes on familiar favourites. A bittersweet chocolate chip cookie, for example, gets a pleasantly salty hit with the addition of soy sauce, while a riff on pain au chocolat is electrified with a savoury filling of fork-tender pork and sauerkraut. Its bakes have made it the bakery du jour for much of London, with the hype more than justified.

Walk-ins only.

In a city brimming with excellent pasta, the original Officina 00 on Old Street stood out by nailing the fundamentals – fantastic handrolled pasta, addictive saucing, a short-but-sweet repertoire of starters and sides – but also by raising the game with creative spins on Italian fare. Their second site in Fitzrovia ups the ante more, with a greater emphasis on Naples, the owners’ home region, plus a wider repertoire of dishes that include signature fried raviolo filled with cacio e pepe sauce, prawn-stuffed anolini bobbing in a smoked shiitake broth, or an elevated carbonara with truffle sauce, crispy guanciale and Pecorino Romano. Notably, flour is milled by British producer Wildfarmed, to produce a nuttier, earthier base for the restaurant’s pastas.

The set menu at this intimate Farringdon wine bar was a hit between lockdowns, and they’ve brought it back for the post-holiday period . At £35 for several courses (here, supplements must always be indulged), it’s excellent value, and an evening is anchored by chef Nick Bramham’s deft cooking. Velvety egg yolk pappardelle with lamb and a brassica and anchovy salad are preceded by a briny gilda and the chef’s excellent focaccia, followed by a wonderful chocolate and hazelnut cake. The vibe is between a spirited dinner party and the corner bistro of your dreams, in no small part buoyed along by somms Chris Madden and Molly Steemson. Trust them completely with your evening, and you won’t go wrong.

For reservations, email info@qualitywinesfarringdon.com.