Previously Impossible Restaurant Bookings You Can Now Get A Table At
We recently did a piece on the most popular restaurants for the summer, the ones that are booked out for months, that you have to fight your way into. But what about the hyped restaurants of last year’s summer? Or the summer before that? Maybe you tried to get a table at Mountain, or The Devonshire but gave up after it became too difficult, never to try again. Well, you’re in luck, because now they have tables, for this coming weekend even. Here’s a list of restaurants that used to be booked out, but are now much easier to secure a table at.
The Devonshire
Turn back a year ago, and you couldn’t even dream of getting a table at The Devonshire. But now the hype machine has turned its gaze elsewhere, if you wanted dinner for two this Friday evening on the terrace overlooking Picadilly Circus, you could book it (as of writing).
Focusing on British produce, the Ember Grill restaurant serves Scottish beef, dry-aged and butchered on-site, creel-caught langoustines from Oban and fresh day boat fish, lobster, and hand-dived scallops from Devon. There are also classic desserts, including sticky toffee and bread and butter puddings. Little-known London secret – the Guinness is also pretty good.
I lost count of how many times I tried to get a booking at The Devonshire. When I finally managed to get a table, I could understand why it was hyped.
Natasha, Digital Editor
where: 17 Denman Street, London, W1D 7HW
website: devonshiresoho.co.uk
Chishuru
Originally a supper club, Chishuru first became a permanent fixture in Brixton, and then moved to Fitzrovia in 2023, boasting a modern menu that blends age-old recipes with modern flavour. It received its first Michelin Star in 2024, chef Adejoké Bakare making by becoming the UK’s first Black woman to receive the accolade. It’s still as good, if not better, and you can secure a table pretty handily and sample the tasting menu filled with West African hits like pepper soup, ayamase and ábáchá.
where: 3 Great Titchfield St, W1W 8AX
website: www.chishuru.com
Mountain
Another restaurant that, if you turned back the clock a year, you couldn’t get a table for love nor money. But now there are spots aplenty at the place that received a Michelin star within six months of opening.
By chef Tomos Parry, also behind the equally buzzy Brat, the food is stunning, the sort that is undeniable. Think fire-roasted red mullet, organic Sobrasada sausage on toast with honey and guindilla peppers, and torrija, a cinnamon caramelised brioche soaked in buttermilk custard with blackberries.
WHERE: 16-18 BEAK ST, LONDON W1F 9RD
WEBSITE: MOUNTAINBEAKSTREET.COM
Bibi
BiBi, which means ‘The lady of the house’, is the brainchild of chef Chet Sharma. This is a contemporary Indian restaurant in Mayfair, serving chaat and grills, which are perfect for sharing, and which embrace the full multicultural span of Indian cuisine. Sharma has drawn on the years he spent cooking and sourcing ingredients for some of the most esteemed Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK to create dishes that combine the best produce from both here and India. The butter chicken is the stuff of London legend.
where: 42 North Audley Street, W1K 6ZP
Website: www.Bibirestaurants.com
Jolene
Ask anyone in the Hackney area where their favourite place to eat is, and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t say it’s Jolene. It’s the quintessential ‘East London small plates’ restaurant that also functions as a bakery in a roomy, industrial-chic space. The menu is updated daily and posted on their Instagram, but think ricotta gnocchi with peas & wild garlic, with a nduja honey bun chaser to go. This site is their original, but there are two new satellite sites in Redchurch Street and Colebrooke Row.
where: 21 Newington Green, N16 9PU
website: www.Jolenen16.com
Ambassador’s Club
A big, grand 2024 opening based around exclusive clubs in 20th Century India? Naturally, tables were booked out for months, but now they’re available again. Named after the founders’ grandfather, a former Ambassador, the restaurant takes inspiration from his residence in Northern India and the abandoned party mansions of the region. Classic Punjabi hospitality is showcased through the sharing of fine food and liquor.
The menu is inspired by the food of undivided Punjab — India and Pakistan — and the shared food heritage of the two countries. Cocktails capture the spirit of generosity and theatre alongside large-serves and a playful list of shots, with an all-day drinks list moving through lunch to dinner to late-night party.
where: 25 Heddon Street W1B 4BH
website: www.ambassadorsclubhouse.com
Oma
One of the best new openings of 2024, a recipient of a Michelin star, and number six in the National Restaurant Awards earlier this year, Oma brings the flavours of the sun-soaked shores of the Greek Isles to London. Located in Borough Market, it draws its name from the Greek word for ‘raw’, featuring both a crudo bar and an open-plan, live-fire kitchen – it’s also one of the most affordable Michelin-starred spots in the city.
Jorge Paredes, formerly executive chef of Sabor, is leading the kitchen alongside David Carter (Founder of SMOKESTAK and Manteca). The menu is a haven for sharing, with options including reimagined Aegean dishes like squid ink giouvetsi, charred lamb belly with hummus, shallot and mint salata, and seabass crudo with jalepeño, lime and ginger.
It’s a busy, industrial-feeling spot that still finds a way to feels cosy and relaxed. From the walk upstairs to the open kitchen. I genuinely still think about it once a week.
Caitlin, Senior Campaign Success Manager
where: 3 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL
Website: www.oma.com
Sessions Arts Club
Situated in a grand Grade II* listed building in Clerkenwell, Sessions Arts Club is a restaurant that acts like an art studio, with regular curated art programs adorning its grand walls. Most recently, they’re showing the art of Cologne-based artist Melike Kara, whose abstract paintings revolve around themes of displacement and marginalization, drawing from her Kurdish heritage. The food is also great, with Andy Hayler overseeing a modern European menu.
where: Old Sessions House, 24 Clerkenwell Green, EC1R 0NA
website: www.Sessionsartsclub.com
