Just opened
Cloth, London
Housed in a Grade- II-listed building near London’s Smithfield Market in Farringdon, new restaurant and wine bar Cloth offers a modern take on traditional British favourites. Headed by wine importers Joe Haynes and Ben Butterworth, who have joined forces with chef Tom Hurst, diners can expect seasonal menus using ‘best of British’ produce accompanied by an eclectic wine list. Sample dishes include Somerset hogget with grilled cos lettuce, smoked tongue and anchovy, and Cornish pollock with razor clams, white asparagus and lovage. The restaurant’s interior is a mix of old-world charm and classic bistro, with low ceilings, wood panelling and dimmed wall lights creating a cosy and intimate atmosphere. Guests should look out for regular winemaker dinners and special events throughout the year too.
Pasta Evangelists, London
Artisan pasta emporium, Pasta Evangelists, has just opened their first franchise location in Richmond, with plans to roll out 20 further sites over the next five years. Like their first restaurant located in Harrods’ prestigious Dining Hall, the new space offers fresh pasta made by hand on-site and served from open pasta counters. The restaurant features self-pour wine machines offering a selection of classic, natural and organic wines. Pasta dishes include lobster tortellini or slow-cooked beef and Chianti ragù, as well as ‘half & half’ options for indecisive diners who want to try different bits of the menu. Set up like an ‘Italian hub’, the restaurant also offers weekly wine tastings, informal Italian lessons and kids’ pasta-making sessions on Saturdays.
Elements, Glasgow
Located in in Bearsden, Glasgow, Elements is the first Scottish fine dining restaurant by head chef Gary Townsend. Using produce sourced from local Scottish farmers, as well as foraged ingredients from the surrounding areas of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, the 36-cover restaurant offers a tasting menu and à la carte option. Look out for North Sea cod loin poached in butter and served with cockles and white asparagus or Scottish lamb saddle, combining the shoulder with sweetbread, BBQ gem lettuce, smoked aubergine, and chimichurri. The restaurant’s elegant interiors combine a minimalist open-plan layout with understated luxury, featuring smoked oak timber flooring and velvet seating.
Mamasan, Glasgow
Scotland’s first dedicated listening bar has just opened in Glasgow. Catering for audiophiles who want to enjoy music in a more relaxed setting, Mamasan has undergone a complete transformation and re-opened as a bar and records concept space. New state-of-the-art sound equipment allows guests to listen to music, while still being able to hold a conversation. Music lovers can look forward to DJ sets from members of Sub Club, Belle & Sebastian and The Buff Club. In addition to a comprehensive cocktail list, the bar offers a Thai-inspired BBQ menu created by Scottish chef Finn Steel-Perkins in collaboration with the Great British Menu’s Ali Borer. Notable dishes include Satay Chicken Skewers with Jungle Satay, peanuts and clementine and Hung Lay Ribeye, with 8oz Ribeye, hung lay sauce and fried shallots.
Dishes, Cardiff
Dishes, the new restaurant by chef Andrew Sheridan, has just opened on Prestatyn High Street in Cardiff. The latest addition to his portfolio – which includes his award-winning flagship restaurant, 8 By Andrew Sheridan in Liverpool – offers small sharing plates and snacks. Menu highlights including slow-cooked lamb and baba ghanoush, scallop tikka with crispy rice or corn ribs with sriracha seasoning and lime. The restaurant also offers brunch on selected Saturdays, as well as Sunday roast sharing platters.
Gorse, Cardiff
After a period of running successful pop-ups in Cardiff, Gorse is the debut venture from Welsh chef Tom Waters. Located in the Cardiff suburb of Pontcanna, the 24-cover restaurant specialises in delivering unpretentious, modern Welsh cuisine using fresh produce from local fishermen, growers, farmers and artisans. Waters has previously worked at prestigious restaurants including Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, The Square and Bonhams. Menu highlights include hake with walnut, gem lettuce and sea beet or longhorn beef rib with carrots, spring greens and pickled mustard. Based in a former coffee shop setting, the space has been transformed into a bright and modern dining room with open plan kitchen.
Opening soon…
Oriole, London
Opening on 28 August 2024
The award-winning cocktail bar Oriole is set to reopen as a permanent restaurant and bar towards the end of August. Once located in Smithfield Market, Oriole has run a series of pop-ups in 2024 but will return with a permanent iteration in Covent Garden’s St. Martin’s Courtyard. The Bamboo Bar on the ground floor will serve a menu of small plates and cocktails on draught, while the plush downstairs restaurant will serve an à la carte menu of Latin American fusion cuisine from chef director Gustavo Giallonardo. Menu highlights include trout mi-cuit, torrontes beurre blanc, roe egg and daikon. Diners can also enjoy an evening programme of live jazz, cabaret and world music.
Margo, Glasgow
Opening in September 2024
Margo, a new 138-cover restaurant will be opening on Miller Street in Glasgow city centre in September. With a focus on Scottish seafood, meat butchered in-house, and bread and pasta made by hand, chef Robin Aitken will offer a menu of snacks, small plates and sharing dishes. Delivered by the team behind Glasgow’s trendy Ox and Finch restaurant, the wine list will include classic wines and natural bottles from independent producers. The interior is set to feature banquettes and booths with a dining room and upper mezzanine that looks on to a large open kitchen with counter seating.
