New on Resy: Trivet, Whyte’s, The Tamil Crown, and More

A beautiful mid-century dining room, a 450-odd strong wine list that’s arguably one of the city’s finest, and pin-sharp cooking make Trivet one of the city’s most impressive fine dining restaurants to have opened in years. Tucked away behind London Bridge, the restaurant comes from two former Fat Duck captains (an exec chef and sommelier) who have created a menu and wine list that brims with accomplishment and invention, earning them a Michelin star in 2022 and a sommelier of the year award. They’re joined by one of the UK’s finest front of house teams, creating an environment and cuisine that’s pitch-perfect for special occasions and low-key splurges alike. There’s also an informal wine bar for impromptu drop-ins, as well as a relaxed lunch menu with pristine takes on classical French plates.

Hospitality veterans Charlie Sims and Honey Spencer can count some of London’s best restaurants on their CVs, but the vibe at their new wine bar and restaurant on Broadway Market hits the notes between food, wine and service in a way that feels special. Spencer’s rep as one of London’s foremost sommelier shines in a wine program that’s approachable, well-travelled and almost exclusively natural; meanwhile, elevated comfort fare (beef tartare toasties; smoked eel Caesar salad; a pork chop to get excited about) comes from an ex-Pidgin chef and pairs perfectly to Spencer’s pours. Despite lofty associations, the restaurant remains a neighbourhood affair, and the sort of place to drop in for a drink and a few snacks, or a full-blown celebration with your nearest and dearest.

Opened in late 2023, this hit restaurant from the founders of Mamasons and Panadera impresses with a blend of finessed, upscale Filipino cuisine, a casual vibe, and excellent cocktails. Found on the top floor of Kingly Court in Soho, the central location makes its owners’ vision for modern interpretations of dishes like sea bream kinilaw and chicken inasal an easy proposition for anything from a fun group dinner to a long overdue catch up. But really, you’re here for the food – the head chef comes from a Michelin star kitchen, and it’s evident in dishes like a perfectly cooked turbot with fragrant, spicy coconut sauce; excellent siomai dumplings topped with fresh crab; and an unmissable ube choux for dessert.

A perfectly formed neighbourhood restaurant that’s worth going out of your way for, Saltine can be found just a few minutes from Highbury and Islington overground. Menu-wise, expect relaxed modern British fare – the chef is ex-St. John – with superb ingredients treated simply. Roasts, braises and salads will put a smile on anyone’s face – and the sticky date toffee pudding has become one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes for a reason. There’s a relaxed, light-filled dining room at the back to savour at any time of day – breezy during the day, intimate in the evening – while there’s a bakery and café up front for impromptu drop ins.

This cosy pub and dining room is the sister restaurant to the popular Tamil Crown, which brought Prince Durairaj’s flaky roti, lamb chops and okra fries to North London. Here, the space is more tightly packed – and all the better for it – with a winsome menu that’s familiar (the aforementioned dishes) and new, with magnetic dishes like a crab masala or beef uttapam making for fitting centrepieces. Downstairs, you can get a finely poured pint of Guinness, but most of the action is upstairs, where locals pack the dining room at weekends for South Indian riffs on Sunday roasts.

Abby Lee’s tribute to the Nyonya cooking of her heritage is another reminder of the Malaysia’s regional culinary charms, but the chef’s proudly inauthentic dishes are all her own. Dishes like crispy lor bak (five-spice minced pork wrapped in tofu and fried to filigree), otak-otak prawn toast and a herbal bak kut the are reason enough to visit, without even mentioning her excellent sour curries and herbal salads. There’s a strong neighbourhood feel to the DIY chic dining room, and an open kitchen with the electric Lee on the pans is nothing less than spellbinding. Even if you aren’t local, it’s worth the trip.

A few tables and an enormous marble counter encircle chef Whyte Rushen’s open kitchen, which gives you an indication of the type of experience you’re in for at this Hackney newcomer. The chef has built a reputation on pop-ups that fuse his background in some of London’s famous kitchens (Kerridge’s, Brat), a playful sense of humour, and a magpie-like propensity for picking out influences from London’s immigrant enclaves, whipping them into creations like a flambe Basque cheesecake, crème fraiche, poached fruit and Crunchies, or [checks notes] a ‘sweet and sour’ prawn toast pork cutlet sando. Perching at the bar with a drink and ordering a la carte offers kitchen theatrics without pretence, and a relaxed air to the proceedings makes for a fun night.

The intimate space that used to house Peg (and before that, Legs) on Morning Lane in Hackney has been transformed into a serene dining room run by brothers Gennaro and Gianmarco Leone. There’s a homestyle feel to the short menu, with stellar antipasti and pastas preceding Italian comfort fare like guinea fowl cacciatore. The dining room is a study in modern elegance (one of the brothers runs a showroom for Italian design) and paired to personable service, classical Italian wines and a laid-back neighbourhood feel, makes the restaurant one for casual hangs and special meals alike.

This London Fields newcomer takes up the former Bright site and has quickly become a destination for a fun night. Equal parts listening bar and wine bar, you can perch at a high stool to watch the chefs and bartenders in the open kitchen; meanwhile, there’s shelf upon shelf of vinyl, bookended by state-of-the-art speakers. The food (from chef Henry Freestone) is uncomplicated and delicious, offering chicken parm and marinara sandwiches by day, evolving into a wine and small plates affair at night. Expect dishes like cauliflower cheese arancini, roast squash and ricotta, or whole roast chicken with green sauce and chicken fat focaccia until 10pm, when the floor is cleared for DJs to spin until 1am.