The July Hit List: Sonora, Bossa, 107, Darlings at Vestry, and More

In terms of pure excitement, few things inspire the kind of fervour among those who follow London’s restaurants closely than the return of this Sino-Portuguese duo. Here, the chef duo of Ana Goncalves and Zijun Meng (who met at Viajante and later sold out Tayer and Elementary’s chef’s table) are popping up during July at The Sea, The Sea in Hackney, cooking their wildly creative and sublimely delicious cuisine at easily one of the most dramatic chef’s counters in London. As far as tasting menus go, this is a once-in-a-blue moon happening – don’t miss it.

To top that, the duo are also hosting A-list chefs during July, with the likes of Calum Franklin, Niall Davidson and Jan Oste from Wilsons in Bristol on the pans on Mondays through the month, each cooking a one-off menu with Goncalves and Zijun. More info here.

Years after Sam Napier and Michelle Salazar de la Rocha emerged onto London’s restaurant scene with pitch-perfect tacos in Netil Market, the duo have successfully converted a crowdfunder into their first bricks-and-mortar site in Stoke Newington. Sonora will be indisputably one of the most popular spots in the city this summer, not just for a busy ‘scene’ of industry folks, locals and taco pilgrims making it one of the most feelgood spots around right now, but also for Sonora’s superb renditions of barbacoa, carne asada and a likely sleeper hit in the adobada, marinated pork studded with luscious chunks of pineapple. Along with La Chingada, Sonora has moved the needle for the quality of London’s Mexican offerings. Takeout is available if you’re lucky enough to be local, but there’s a couple of counters to greedily wolf down your tacos, plus a quieter downstairs area to do likewise.

Walk-ins only. More info here.

Formerly head chef at Fulham’s acclaimed Fenn, this tasting menu-only counter from chef Joe Laker is a serious new entrant for the title of the summer’s finest new openings. Laker’s M.O. is to champion progressive producers and farmers from across the British Isles, who supply him and the team within the restaurant’s spacious open kitchen with formidable raw materials, from which he whips up an impressive 15-course procession of dishes for 16 guests each night. Respect for provenance is paramount, of course, but so too is flavour, and Laker’s food tastes as good as it appears – dishes on the opening menu include the likes of a miniature English muffin with egg and truffle, or smoked eel with caviar and wasabi. A shimmering marble countertop is a fitting backdrop for each of Laker’s creations, while a wine list of New World-leaning bottles is on hand for pairings.

The news that ex-Bright chef Giuseppe ‘Pep’ Belvedere had teamed up with the founders of Juliets Quality Foods on a new restaurant has brightened an East London scene still recovering from P Franco’s closure – and with the restaurant taking over the former Jim’s Café site on Chatsworth Road, felt like fate. At the front, there’s a caff for morning coffees, snacks, and brisk lunches; meanwhile, the breezy dining room at the back is perfect for intimate get-togethers and celebratory evenings, with dishes pulled from the kitchen’s wood-burning oven and served in a high-ceilinged room decked in vintage furniture, white tablecloths, and chic floral arrangements. An elegant opening menu includes plates like perfect asparagus with prosciutto San Daniele and 60-month parmesan; rabbit and olive agnolotti; and seabass a l’acqua pazza, paired with a largely Italian list of low-intervention wines.

For more information, click here.

A disco-themed Indian restaurant in Notting Hill is the headline at this new opening from Harneet Baweja (behind the much-loved Gunpowder restaurants), but don’t assume the cooking is any less serious than its sibling. Here, musical references are worn lightly – from a faux photo booth as you enter the restaurant, to LP covers lining the walls and a soundtrack of Bollywood disco tunes – but the focus is resolutely on the cooking, which draws reference from Punjab. The menu is studded with dishes like succulent Bihari boti kebabs plucked hot from a tandoor; luxurious lobster biryani; and saffron milk cake. To drink, there’s a strong lineup of cocktails, as well as a natural wine list curated by Mattia Bianchi of Carmel and Berber & Q. Stumbling out onto a bumping All Saints Road after a long lunch or dinner is what summer dreams are made of.

London outposts from internationally renowned chefs are a dime a dozen, but rarely do they deliver on their creator’s vision quite like this sleek Mayfair dining room from Brazilian chef Alberto Landgraf. Landgraf is, of course, known for two-starred and World’s 50 Best-inductee Oteque in Rio de Janeiro, and Bossa, his first and only London restaurant, has garnered early raves, with a breathtaking menu of dishes like fore rib tartare with shiitake confit and summer truffle, crackling pork belly with feijoada broth (peep the ethereally light crispy skin), and a showstopping seafood moqueca. The action (as ever) is at the bar to watch the action in the kitchen, and wine pairings from award-winning sommelier Laís Aoki keep things suitably chipper.

To make a reservation, call 020 3062 5844. 

Trained at one of the most highly regarded sushi-ya in Japan and owner of the two-starred Sushi Kanesaka in Tokyo, this serene omakase counter (found within the Dorchester Hotel) from sushi master Shinji Kanesaka promises exquisite sushi and hospitality to go along with its exorbitant price tag (£420 for 18 courses – what cost of living crisis?). No expense has been spared in recreating an elite edomae sushi experience – from the exquisite Japanese and British luxury ingredients to (genuine) artisan-crafted crockery and the obligatory counter carved from a single piece of hinoki wood. Hospitality is on par with each jewel-like mouthful of nigiri, led by a trained okami (manager) to create the all-important connection with each guest.

To make a reservation, call 020 7493 4545. 

Whatever you do when you visit this Clapton wine bar, just don’t call it P. Fra*co. The closure of the influential bottle shop and wine bar was felt across E5 and beyond, but its bar manager organised a successful crowdfund and is opening again in the space under the venue’s street name, 107. The same intimate atmosphere, sense of community and thoughtful pours will return, while the lauded chef residencies will also be coming back. First on the pans will be chef and pasta maestro Mitchell Damota (ex-Burro e Salvia) whose swoonworthy takes on rustic Italian fare are irresistible, with a short menu that could include anything from cotechino with pear puree, trofie with a lively pesto of pistachio, or stone fruit salad with piattone beans and peretta cheese.

The Kudu empire shows little sign of slowing down, and Little Kudu, their newest endeavour, quietly arrives on the former site of their acclaimed cocktail bar (which has since moved to Chelsea). Both Kudu Grill and the group’s eponymous flagship Queens Road restaurant are proper restaurants, but this new sibling shifts the focus to a South African-led wine list alongside a menu of ‘tapas’-like small plates, from chicken parfait tartlets with spiced pineapple to smoked peri-peri mussels and braaibrodjie (grilled cheesed sandwich) with a smoked tomato chutney. The dining room itself is immaculately appointed, and there’s a breezy outdoor terrace for sundowners on the Queen’s Road riviera – just in time for summer.

The National Theatre’s new flagship restaurant is named for the building’s eminent architect, Denys Lasdun, and combines the brilliant cooking of the team behind Hackney’s Marksmanwith the Brutalist splendour of an iconic Grade I-listed structure. The room itself is enough reason to visit – inside, it’s all brooding concrete and sculptural brilliance – whether you’ve tickets to a production or not, but when you factor in superb seasonal set and a la carte menus, a genuine buzz, and an excellent drinks list, it’s clear that the food is the star of the show. Expect dishes like dressed Dorset crab with a soft saffron bun and chicken, wild garlic and leek pie for two to share, along with Marksman favourites like the sublime brown butter and honey custard tart. More info here.

For reservations, email bookings@lasdunrestaurant.com.

Where are the hot girls eating this summer? If this is the season’s most pressing question, the answer is, of course, at this al fresco dream at Vestry House Museum. Egle Loit, supperclub host and fashionable pasta personality, arrives at the venerated Walthamstow institution for a summer residency at the museum’s restaurant, whipping up delicious plates of pasta, from dreamy paccheri with pistachio cream and shrimp, to twirlable bucatini with the deep flavours of anchovy, garlic and chilli, finished with a flourish of pangrattato. There’s a breezy line up of small plates, wines and gelato, but really, the pasta and setting should be more than enough to sell it. More info here.

Walk-ins only.

Brunswick House’s new quarterly Bar Sessions sees the restaurant host a different supplier during the aperitivo hour (6-7:30pm), allowing farmers, foragers and producers to hold court and introduce their magnificent bounties to guests. First up is Simon Lamont of Rocks Oysters, who will host a masterclass on 9^th July with three varietals from across the British Isles, perfectly paired to sparkling wine from the family-run Westwell vineyard in Kent. It’s a stylish prelude to a dinner at Jackson Boxer’s much-admired restaurant, and at £20 for six oysters and two glasses of wine, a snip to boot. Even better – stay for dinner, and you’ll receive the cost of the masterclass deducted from your final bill. Run, don’t walk.