April arrives with a welcome shift in pace, longer evenings, lighter menus and the first hopeful signs of spring, even if the temperature hasn’t quite caught up yet. These are the London restaurants to book in April 2026.
This month’s openings reflect the spring momentum. Firstly, there are a lot of new openings to get excited about, from quirky new neighbourhood spots to high-gloss Mayfair arrivals, alongside a few under-the-radar launches we anticipate will become hot bookings, all giving a real breadth to what’s happening across the city right now.
Alongside them, April sees a calendar full of collaborations and experiences, from an afternoon tea with a brie-lightful twist to a one-night-in-London arrival from Somerset’s most talked-about hotel.
MA/NA A New Japanese Power Player Arrives in Mayfair
From the Thesleff Group (Los Mochis, Viajante87 and Sale e Pepe), the sophisticated MA/NA opens in Mayfair this month, part restaurant, part late-night destination. In the kitchen, executive head chef Leo Tanyag brings a strong grounding in Japanese technique, but the menu is aiming to go beyond the traditional. Toro tartare with truffle soy, tiger prawn tempura with creamy wasabi, and Wagyu ishiyaki cooked on a Himalayan salt stone, alongside robata-led plates designed for sharing are some of the stand-outs. As the evening moves on, the space is designed to shift into a contemporary cocktail bar. The lights drop, resident DJs take over, and the energy lifts. The bar is led by Pietro Collina (ex-Eleven Madison Park, Nomad and Side Hustle), bringing some exceptional mixology pedigree to the cocktail list.
Orrery A New Chapter for the French Fine Dining Restaurant
Reopening under executive chef Pierre Minotti (formerly of two-Michelin-starred Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal), Marylebone’s Orrery has been refurbished and refreshed, stepping confidently back into London’s fine dining scene with a five or seven-course tasting menu. Inspired by the clockwork models of the solar system beloved by Sir Terence Conran when he first opened the restaurant in 1997, the experience for all begins in the Salon du Vin, home to a carefully curated list of over 800 wines. From there, guests move into a dining room that subtly nods to its celestial origins, promising an immersive sense of occasion without pushing too far into formality. Menus are rooted in classical French technique, paired with the best of British seasonal produce. Expect dishes such as Plymouth John Dory with brown crab and lemon verbena, Minotti’s own refined take on bouillabaisse, and Gariguette strawberries with elderflower and Chantilly. A highlight comes midway through the meal with a Chartreuse-led interlude at the marble bar, a spin on the traditional Trou Normand (a French digestive break in a meal).
Kumori Designer Handrolls Arrive in Soho
Located in the heart of Soho, Kumori, a compact space on Denman Street, brings a high-energy, counter-led dining format to the West End, balancing Tokyo precision with downtown cool. Head chef John Randy De Guzman spent nearly a decade at Nobu alongside senior roles at Katsuya and Tobi Masa under chef Masa Takayama. Here, handrolls are the focus, made to order and passed directly from chef to guest. Expect combinations like toro with torched bone marrow, unagi with foie gras, and spicy tuna with jalapeño miso, alongside new-style sashimi, crispy rice and a tight selection of seasonal small plates. The space itself is a big part of the draw. Designed by CAKE Architecture (the team behind SOMA and Kricket Shoreditch), it’s intentionally compact, atmospheric and built around the counter. Add in a custom sound system playing a soundtrack of house and rap, and it’s quickly apparent that this will not be your traditional sushi spot.
Kinz All-Day Dining, from Beirut to Notting Hill
Set within a former Lloyds Bank building that dates back to the 1930s, KINZ brings a fresh, all-day take on Lebanese cooking to Notting Hill. Co-founded by Rasha Khouri Bruzzo alongside brothers Jad and Karim Lahoud, the restaurant has a warm, neighbourhood feel, with a deli at the entrance and a dining room that then unfolds beyond. The menu moves from breakfast through to dinner, with plenty of mezze and larger plates, all intended for sharing, Expect classics done well: baba ghanoush, tabbouleh and house breads, alongside more substantial dishes like lamb kafta and fattet aubergine (baked aubergine layered with yoghurt, pine nuts and crisp pita). With a drinks list spotlighting Lebanese wines and cocktails reworked with regional flavours, KINZ has been designed as a destination for lingering over a good meal, in the true Middle Eastern tradition.
Padella, Soho Pasta Favourite Comes to the West End
Ten years on from its debut, Padella opens its third site in Soho, bringing one of London’s most reliably excellent pasta spots into the heart of the West End. Founded by Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda, the Kingly Street opening sticks to what works: fresh pasta made daily, with a tight menu of signature dishes alongside a handful of seasonal additions. Set across two floors, the space feels slightly more polished than the others, but still true to Padella’s signature aesthetic. Expect the popular dishes; pici cacio e pepe and pappardelle with beef shin ragù, alongside new plates that lean into British produce. It remains exactly what you want it to be: just as good for a quick solo lunch as it is for a longer, more indulgent dinner with friends.
Willett's A Classic Bistro for Chelsea
Set within The Cadogan Hotel, Willett’s is a new British bistro aiming to feel more like a neighbourhood favourite than a hotel restaurant, somewhere for easy midweek suppers and weekend lunches. Executive chef Michael Turner (formerly of the Savoy Grill) has designed a menu that focuses on seasonal British cooking with a nostalgic edge, designed to evolve daily. Standout items include sourdough crumpets served across the menu, from duck liver parfait with Yorkshire rhubarb to Dorset crab, alongside dishes like chicken and morel pie, Cornish mackerel, and the ever-classic prawn cocktail, served with bloody mary jelly. Desserts are also classic and comforting, like sticky toffee pudding and jam roly-poly. This is a menu that leans into nostalgia, but with polish.
Cafe Jikoni A Café, Reimagined for the V&A East
From Ravinder Bhogal and Nadeem Lalani Nanjuwany, Café Jikoni brings one of London’s most distinctive culinary voices to V&A East, reimagining the museum café as something more thoughtful, inclusive and culturally layered, shaped in collaboration with local creatives and the V&A East Youth Collective. Building on the success of their Marylebone restaurant, Jikoni, the space will translate Jikoni’s ethos of cooking across borders into an all-day format with a menu designed to reflect the movement of communities and the flavours that travel with them. The menu includes dishes ranging from turmeric and ginger chicken pie to lamb merguez flatbreads and their cult Bombay sandwich, alongside more unexpected combinations like yuzu and pandan strawberry iced buns. It’s generous, flavour-led food, designed to be accessible both in style and price point for museum visitors and those heading straight to the restaurant.
The Latimer A Family Affair in North Kensington
If you know London’s restaurant scene, the Spiteri name carries serious weight. Set on Latimer Road, this new neighbourhood pub brings one of the capital’s most respected hospitality families together under one roof, with two generations working side by side. Jon Spiteri, an original partner in St. John, The French House Dining Room and Sessions Arts Club, alongside Melanie Arnold, co-founder of Rochelle Canteen, are joined by their children – Lorcan and Fin (Caravel) and Molly (Koya) – making this a fully family-run operation. In the kitchen, Lorcan leads on a menu rooted in British pub tradition, with thoughtful, refined touches. Expect dishes like black pudding confit potato with homemade brown sauce, brown crab tagliolini with bisque and lemon, and oxtail with mash and horseradish, alongside proper puddings and generous, sharing-style Sunday roasts. Fin heads up drinks and front of house, with a concise, well-considered list spanning draft beers, wines on tap and a tight edit of favourites. The space itself is warm, characterful and designed to feel genuinely local, but given the family behind it, this has all the makings of a must-visit destination.
MIKO Mei Mayfair From MiMi to MIKO in Mayfair
From Samyukta Nair of LSL Capital, who is also behind Jamavar, Bombay Bustle and Nipotina, MIKO Mei Fair is set to open as an intimate, Thai-led addition to her portfolio. Located within the Georgian townhouse that houses MiMi Mei Fair, the new space shifts the focus from China to Thailand, while keeping the same sense of atmosphere and occasion for which the original is known. Soonthorn Apaipat (KOYN Thai) has created a menu rooted in the balance and regional diversity of Thai cooking, moving from the heat of Isaan to richer southern flavours. The menu is designed for sharing, and fire-led cooking plays a central role, with a robata-style grill bringing depth to dishes like toasted rice beef tenderloin, lobster choo chee and a Penang curry paired with MiMi’s signature apple wood Peking duck. Cocktails follow suit, incorporating tropical fruits, warming spice and bright citrus. MIKO Mei Fair looks set to be another Mayfair winner.
Idalia Dining Meets Design at this Olympia Upgrade
Set within Olympia London’s magnificent Grade II*-listed hall, Idalia anchors Pillar Hall, a new dining, events and live entertainment destination as part of Olympia’s £1.3 billion regeneration. It’s a space steeped in cultural history, from early film screenings to Vivienne Westwood’s first catwalk – and that theme of theatre, fashion and design runs throughout Idalia, a grand all-day dining room led by Samantha Williams, formerly executive chef to Angela Hartnett, alongside pastry chef Lorena Tommasi. The menu is rooted in modern British cooking combined with much-loved international flavours; dishes include lobster linguine, whole roasted turbot and generous steaks designed for sharing. Desserts pay homage to fashion, most notably the Vivienne Heel, a chocolate stiletto. At the bar, The Cocktail Tailor serves up a playful atelier-inspired cocktail programme with drinks themed around design pieces, from the Zandra Royale, to the D&G which comes served in a glass bag like a statement accessory. The space itself has been designed by Robert Angell Design International and keeps much of the drama of the original architecture, with marble pillars, layered lighting and a central bar. As the day moves into evening, live jazz and soul is promised to create a more atmospheric, late-night energy.
Sova The New Notting Hill Destination for Wine Lovers
Just off Portobello Road, Sova is a new wine and vinyl bar focused on low-intervention bottles from Central and Eastern Europe. The wine list, curated by sommelier Cristian Vega, leans into producers from Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine, with a strong focus on skin-contact and orange wines, alongside pét-nats, chilled reds and a short list of Champagne. Food is simple and designed to match with the menu offering beef tartare on Borodinsky bread, miso-glazed duck with plum, sea bass with fennel. Music is central, with vinyl-led sets and guest DJs being teed up to shape the mood from early evening into late night. It’s the kind of place that feels slightly under the radar, but likely to become a neighbourhood favourite.
Auguste Rural Italian Opens in Urban London
In a city full of Italian restaurants, Auguste brings something a little different to East London, an Abruzzese-inspired spot built around fire and arrosticini, the region’s signature skewers. Traditionally eaten standing, straight from the grill, here they range from lamb and Wagyu to liver and wild boar, cooked over charcoal and served in quick succession. Founded by Mike Bagnall (ELM) and Dylan Walters (Bambi), the space is split between an upstairs dining room centred around the grill and a more relaxed bar downstairs. Alongside the skewers, expect inventive, slightly unexpected combinations that still feel grounded in Italian cooking, the menu features Roman artichokes, stracciatella, smoked potato with miso and larger plates like whole grilled fish. The wine list, from Scout O’Donoghue, focuses on low-intervention Italian bottles, with a broader European rotation, while cocktails lean classic and Italian. It’s aiming to feel like a slice of rural Italy dropped into East London, with just enough edge to keep it interesting.
Le Nusa A Contemporary Take on Indonesian Cuisine
Already established in Jakarta and Paris, the London opening of Le Nusa marks the next iteration, and in a city saturated with pan-Asian menus, it’s well worth seeking out. Drawing on the country’s vast culinary landscape, the menu moves across regions with a refined touch. Dishes like udang jeruk bali (prawns with pomelo, lime and chilli) and bebek sambal andaliman (pan-seared duck lifted with citrusy pepper) balance brightness with depth, while richer plates such as lamb shank tongseng and smoked brisket with sambal luat offer comfort food with a kick. There’s a wider intention behind it, too. Le Nusa is positioning itself as a space for cultural exchange, and that comes through in both the food and the setting. Subtle references to Indonesian craft such as batik textiles, carved wood and woven details give the dining space warmth without tipping into cliché.
Must-book Experiences and Collaborations
Afternoon Cheese at Brasserie Max A Savoury Take on a British Tradition
Afternoon tea gets a rethink at Brasserie Max, where the usual procession of cakes and finger sandwiches is replaced with something far more satisfying: a fully savoury, cheese-led spread. Created in collaboration with Neal’s Yard Dairy, the menu leans into rich, well-sourced British cheeses at every turn: cheddar scones with goat’s curd and caramelised onion jam; stilton éclairs with pickled walnut; and a Welsh rarebit-stuffed doughnut in place of the traditional sandwich tier – all served alongside a thoughtful selection of English wines. It’s playful and it retains the structure and ceremony of afternoon tea, while shifting the focus firmly onto flavour.
The Goring Her Life in Style Afternoon Tea
Another special afternoon tea arrives at The Goring this month, celebrating one of Britain’s most enduring style icons. Created to coincide with the Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style exhibition at The King’s Gallery, the menu takes cues from some of the late Queen’s most recognisable looks, translated into a series of carefully considered pastries and cakes. The classics remain reassuringly intact: smoked salmon, coronation chicken and cucumber sandwiches, warm scones, and a nostalgic raspberry brioche inspired by her childhood favourites. Served in The Goring’s light-filled Veranda overlooking the garden, you can also add a glass of Bollinger if you’re feeling indulgent, and it makes for a very polished way to extend the sense of occasion after a morning at the gallery.
Platapian x Phed Mark Bangkok Heat Lands in Soho
Platapian, the Greek Street Thai from restaurateur Nam Parama Raiva has been well received since opening last summer and it now welcomes Bangkok cult favourite Phed Mark for a limited run, bringing its famously fiery pad kaprao to London. Founded by food and travel blogger Mark Wiens alongside chef Gigg and partners, Phed Mark’s signature dish pad kaprao comes served with your choice of beef, chicken or vegetarian, alongside rice and a fried duck egg, with spice levels tailored to diners’ preferences. A London-exclusive special with holy basil, grilled lobster tail and a fried egg is a slightly more indulgent option. Platapian’s own menu runs alongside it, with starters like crispy pork dumplings and grilled satay, creating a neat meeting point between traditional Thai cooking and Bangkok street food energy. A short-term residency worth catching before it disappears.
Three Sheets Soho x Dumplings’ Legend Celebrating Three Years of an Influential Bar
To mark 10 years of Three Sheets, still one of London’s most consistently excellent and influential bars, the team are keeping things characteristically simple. Recently ranked No.8 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025, Three Sheets has built its reputation on stripped-back, precision-led cocktails that have shaped London’s drinking scene over the past decade. Here, that approach meets the bold, comforting flavours of Dumplings’ Legend: two cult favourites together. For one month only, they’re teaming up in a collaboration that feels both playful and genuinely well matched. Expect a crossover of signature serves and limited-edition specials running across both venues and giving you a very good reason to spend more time moving between Soho and Chinatown this month.
The Newt in Somerset x Tate Modern A Taste of Somerset in the Heart of London
For one night only, The Newt in Somerset is coming to London. Taking over Tate Modern’s restaurant, Gelf Alderson joins the Tate’s head chef Tommy Boland for a banquet-style supper built entirely around the Somerset estate’s own produce. It’s a direct expression of The Newt’s field-to-table approach, from spring vegetables and wild garlic to buffalo-milk cheeses and heritage British White beef raised on the estate. The format will be sharing-led, designed to mirror how the food is enjoyed back in Somerset, with each course paired with cyder from the estate’s own orchards. Expect a proper introduction to fine cyder – from the crisp, Riesling-inspired Wyvern Wing to the richer, more complex Ice Cyder, guided throughout the evening by the team behind it. This is a rare opportunity to experience the hotel’s famous hospitality without leaving London.
SENSORA x Bicep A Creative Collaboration for a Good Cause
One to book now, and a real treat for fans of food and music, SENSORA brings together both in a one-night-only, multi-sensory experience at HERE at Outernet. Created by Mark Tuttiett (of two Michelin-starred Da Terra) and his brother James Tuttiett in support of The Brain Tumour Charity, the evening pairs a six-course tasting menu with an immersive live set from electronic DJ duo Bicep, each course designed to represent one of the senses. The chef line-up is as strong as the concept, with contributions from Cal Byerley (Restaurant Pine), Mark Donald (Glenturret), Will Murray (Fallow) and Tom Brown (The Capital), alongside Tuttiett himself. Dishes are inventive and range from chalk stream trout with lemon verbena to Bathurst estate venison and oyster ice cream with cucumber sake. The event was conceived following the Tuttiett brothers’ own experience of losing both their parents to brain tumours, while Bicep’s Matt McBriar is also currently living with a rare brain tumour, making this as much a poignant fundraiser as it is a creative collaboration. With welcome drinks from Three Sheets and a closing DJ set from Bicep, it sits somewhere between supper club, live performance and immersive installation.
Sarah Jackson is a dining contributor at Citizen Femme. A Londonophile, she has previously lived in Dubai and Copenhagen, building her career in international communications. When not discovering the capital’s hottest new restaurants and bars, she loves to jet off for a European city break, always with the next meal in mind.
Lead image: Sova
We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site.
Any Questions or Tips to add?