TOZI – We’ve heard great things about this new Italian eatery in Victoria – even Fay Maschler was impressed. Head chef Maurilio Molteni (ex-Shoreditch House) and his all-Italian kitchen team are serving impressive Venetian-inspired sharing plates, pizzettas, and imported Italian cheeses and salumi (pictured above). There’s Prosecco on tap (so hot right now), Italian wines and liqueurs, and cocktails priced at £8. We like the sound of the ‘Vatican Secrets’ – a punchy mix of Cazadores Blanco Tequila, agave nectar, lime juice, mint and chilli. Insider tip: If you book a table between 5 and 7pm and quote ‘Pre Theatre’, you can enjoy a Bellini on the house.
Bird of Smithfield – After fifteen years as head chef at The Ivy, chef Alan Bird has opened his own restaurant on the former site of 26 Smithfield. It’s spread over five floors with a ground floor lounge bar, first floor dining room serving British dishes ‘with a twist’, and a private dining space with an open kitchen above that. Drinkers can sip cocktails created by the team from Purl in the basement Birdcage bar or, if the weather’s nice, head for the rooftop terrace which overlooks Smithfield Market. Don't miss the crispy monkfish cheeks on the bar snacks menu.
Stories – The Mothership Group (the brains behind the Queen of Hoxton and The Book Club) have opened a new bar on Broadway Market. It’s a light and airy laid-back space which will give local creatives and freelance-types somewhere to meet, eat and work. Open from 10am to midnight, the bar serves brunch throughout the day and then bar snacks like arancini and piri piri squid and prawns from 5pm until midnight. There’s a decent list of draught and bottled beers, wallet-friendly wines, and a list of interesting cocktails which are good value at under £8 each.
The Pearson Room – If you live or work in the Wharf, you’ve probably noticed this slick new all-day eatery on Canada Square. There’s a good-looking breakfast menu, a wine list put together by Trishna sommelier Sunaina Sethi, and cocktails created by Victor Matos (ex-Soho House) in collaboration with the team from Purl. The main menu includes dishes like diver scallops with n’duja and gremolata, lamb cutlets with caponata, Pearson mac ‘n’ cheese with pig cheeks, and a lobster club sandwich. As a soft opening bonus, they’re offering 25% off your bill until May 11th.
Also open: Egyptian takeaway concept Koshari and Homeslice Pizza in Covent Garden; Oblix at The Shard; Daisy Green organic café in Marylebone; The Crown & Shuttle pub in Shoreditch; swanky seafood joint, Kaspar’s, at The Savoy; and American bistro Red House. Find out more by keeping an eye on our New Openings and Coming Soon lists.