The May Restaurant Openings To Know

Vesper

Jackson Boxer follows Dove with Vesper, opening on Exmouth Market. Named after the evening star, the restaurant takes over a double-fronted corner site with a bar, candlelit dining room and terrace.

The menu has that Boxer mix of invention and appetite: oyster with green apple and Chartreuse, croquette Arnold Bennett, raw beef and smoked pepper tostada, chicken liver agnolotti, grilled prawns with green garlic, roast chicken with bread sauce and salted lemon, and chocolate porter cake. Designer Jermaine Gallacher is behind the room, so expect character rather than polish-by-numbers.

When: 26 may
Where: 8-10 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QA
Website: www.instagram.com

The Victory

The Victory sees Jamie Younger (The Begging Bowl) bring new life to the former Franklins site on Lordship Lane.

In the kitchen, Seán Breen (ex-Noble Rot) is heading up a British ingredient-led menu with a French bistro edge — from steak tartare and Cornish crab to roast chicken and larger sharing dishes.

With a martini-led drinks list and a polished take on the classic pub setting, it’s one set to quickly re-establish itself as a neighbourhood favourite.

When: 26 May
Where: 157 Lordship Lane, London, SE22 8HX
Website: www.instagram.com

The Sea, The Sea

The Sea, The Sea expands on Pavilion Road with a new bistro and fish shop opposite its original Chelsea outpost.

Upstairs, a 40-cover bistro led by head chef Nick Marsden will focus on ethically sourced seafood direct from low-impact fishing vessels, with dishes including smoked eel consommé, pickled Fowey mussels, cuttlefish with pickled salsify, skate wing with Trombetta courgette, grilled half Cornish lobster with Vin Jaune sabayon and whole plaice for sharing. Downstairs, the fish shop adds dry-ageing cabinets, oyster shucking, a seaweed counter, lunch boxes and oven-ready seafood dishes. There’s also a 28-cover terrace for alfresco lunches and dinners.

When: 29 may
Where: 243 Pavilion Road, London, SW1X 0AW
Website: www.theseathesea.net

Ornella

From the founders of LUPA (Theo James, Ed Templeton and Naz Hassan), Ornella brings Milanese cooking to Wilton Way in London Fields. Head chef Naz Hassan draws on the food of the city where he was raised, with a menu rooted in butter-rich, Alpine-influenced northern Italian cooking.

Expect mondeghili meatballs, penne alla vodka, tagliatelle al burro e Parmigiano, risotto alla Milanese, vitello tonnato and cotoletto di vitello, followed by mille foglie alle fragole or zuppa inglese. With 48 covers and a handful of window seats reserved for walk-ins, this is one for the London Fields list.

Read the full Ornella review

when: 1 May
Where: 51 Wilton Way, London E8
Website: www.instagram.com

Oudh 1722

Chef Aktar Islam, the force behind Birmingham’s two-Michelin-starred Opheem, makes his London debut with Oudh 1722 in Borough. The restaurant is dedicated to Awadhi cuisine, a historic cooking style shaped in the royal courts of Lucknow.

Expect shorba, naashta, kebabs, slow-cooked dum dishes and richly layered curries, from kakori kebabs with lamb shoulder, chilli and rose to smoked Wiltshire lamb shoulder baked in a lamb-fat crust. Set across three floors of a listed Victorian building, this is one of May’s biggest openings for anyone interested in Indian food beyond the familiar.

When: 1 may
Where: 66 Union St, London SE1 1TD
Website: www.oudh1722.com

Lokal

From the team behind Fred Bakery and Faros, Lokal opens in Fitzrovia with a contemporary take on Turkish cooking. Led by head chefs Salih Serden and Akacan Agir, the menu moves through handmade mezze, fresh salads, lamb tandır and lamb loin, with plenty for vegetarian and vegan diners too. The drinks list follows the same regional thinking, with cocktails such as Mesopotamia, made with tequila infused with padrón peppers, rosé wine, Campari and rosehip cordial.

With 110 indoor covers, outdoor seating, counter dining and a dedicated cocktail bar, Lokal looks set to bring a broader, more modern view of Turkish dining to central London.

When: 5 may
Where: 7-8 Market Place, London W1W 8AG
Website: www.lokalrestaurant.co.uk

All Roads

After three years of sold-out supper clubs, chefs and partners Malika Green and Paschelle Brown open All Roads on Atlantic Road in Brixton. The 35-cover restaurant is shaped by the pair’s Caribbean heritage, travels and years spent in London kitchens, with a menu rooted in comfort, generosity and sharing.

Expect butterbean whip with soy pecans, torched mackerel on toast, sweet black tea-marinated fried wings, oxtail and turkey, lamb neck, pork chops with pimento peppercorn sauce, cobblers, pies and house-made ice creams. Music is part of the DNA too, with DJ sets across the weekend.

When: 5 may
Where: 44 Atlantic Road, London SW9 8JN
Website: www.instagram.com

Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, 22 Bishopsgate

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants Global marks its 100th restaurant worldwide with a new Bread Street Kitchen & Bar on the 59th floor of 22 Bishopsgate. Opening above the City, the restaurant is the brand’s most elevated expression yet, serving breakfast from 6.30am on weekdays before moving through lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and late-night dining.

The menu includes lobster Benedict, hot cakes, Galician T-bone steak and Meyer lemon cheesecake, plus the first Bread Street Kitchen tasting menu. With a dedicated sports bar, DJ sets from Thursday to Saturday and opening hours stretching to 3am on key nights, this is very much an all-day, all-night City opening.

When: 6 may
Where: 59th Floor, 22 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4BQ
Website: www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com

Tigermilk Spitalfields

After its London debut on Tottenham Court Road, Tigermilk goes bigger with a 280-seat flagship in Spitalfields. The Latin American-inspired brasserie takes over a huge hacienda-style space with a courtyard, orangery, terrace and six-metre-high bar stocked with more than 2,000 bottles.

Food is bold and generous: cochinita pibil tacos, ceviches, sharing dishes, maracuyá tiramisu and dulce de leche cheesecake, alongside more than 250 tequilas and mezcals.

When: 6 may
Where: London Fruit Exchange, Brushfield St, London E1 6AG
Website: www.tigermilkrestaurants.com

Bar Des Prés

Cyril Lignac’s Bar Des Prés moves from Albemarle Street to South Audley Street, taking over the former Socca site. The new address gives the restaurant a brighter corner space, a larger counter area and a private dining room at the back.

The menu keeps its French and East Asian identity, with dishes such as crunchy crab and avocado galette, marinated sea bass with yuzu, dry miso and rocoto, and the signature profiteroles with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and Chantilly. For fans of the original, the move sounds like a proper upgrade rather than a reinvention.

When: 7 may
Where: 41 South Audley St, London, W1K 2PS
Website: www.bardespres.com

130 Primrose

130 Primrose sees Monica Galetti step in as Executive Chef on a project with real purpose — recruiting, training and employing people with experience of homelessness.

Set on Regent’s Park Road, the 50-cover restaurant will serve a Mediterranean-leaning menu from breakfast through to dinner — think seasonal small plates, salads, sandwiches at lunch, and heartier evening dishes, with Samoan influences set to follow. A cocktail bar is also due to open downstairs later in the month.

More than just a new opening, it’s one to have on your radar for what it stands for as much as what’s on the plate.

When: 8 May
Where: 130 Regent’s Park Rd, London NW1 8XL
Website: www.130primrose.org

Kawan

Nigel Ng, better known as Uncle Roger, brings his first UK restaurant to London with Kawan. Created in partnership with Keng Yew and Malaysian executive chef Daren Liew, the restaurant is built around sharing, comfort and Asian-British flavour.

Fried rice sits at the heart of the menu, but there’s plenty more besides, from Sarawak Pepper Belly Delight and Hainanese Chicken Chop to Crispy Puff Chicken Wellington and Fish n Chips with “Uncle’s Black Magic.” Expect humour, hype and a dining room that leans into Nigel’s huge global following without losing sight of the food.

When: 9 may
Where: 12 Macclesfield Street, London W1D 5BP
Website: www.instagram.com

Dough Hands at All My Friends

Dough Hands heads to Hackney Wick with a permanent residency at All My Friends, stepping into the XL slice game with 20-inch pies and slices. Chef Hannah Drye’s pizzas are known for big, well-balanced toppings on crisp, feather-light dough made with regenerative flour from Shipton Mill and Wildfarmed.

The new menu includes tomato pie with anchovy, stracciatella and green sauce, garlic sausage with pistachio pesto, Lamiri harissa aubergine with salted ricotta, and coppa with pineapple and house guindilla. No food bookings, just slices, whole pies and a very good summer setup.

When: 7 may
Where: Unit 1, Hamlet Estate, 96 White Post Ln, London E9 5EN
Website: www.instagram.com

YOPO Zaytoun at The Mandrake

Opening mid-May, YOPO Zaytoun marks a new direction for The Mandrake’s restaurant, shifting towards Eastern Mediterranean, Levant-inspired cooking.

The menu leans into seasonal, sharing-style dishes — think grilled meats, bright citrus-led plates, and richer, spice-forward flavours — alongside cocktails that nod to the concept, including an olive oil martini. The lush terrace returns too, adding to the restaurant’s signature, transportive feel.

One of the more atmospheric openings this month.

When: 14th May
Where: 20-21 Newman St, Fitzrovia
Website: www.themandrake.com

Kiez Kebab

Kiez Kebab opens on Golborne Road with a Berlin-inspired take on döner. The menu is ultra-focused: three core kebabs served in pide bread, with veal, chicken and vegan options, plus fermented vegetables, sharp sauces, fries and seasonal specials. The veal kebab comes with fennel, red cabbage, tomato, onion, cucumber and parsley, while the chicken takes inspiration from Gemüsekebap with fried courgettes and aubergines. Drinks come via a cocktail list curated by Bar with Shapes for a Name, alongside German and Austrian beers and wines. There’s also a street-side hatch for kebabs and cocktails to go.

When: 16 may
Where: 108 Golborne Rd, London W10 5RZ
Website: www.kiezkebab.com

Pasta Evangelists

Pasta Evangelists is heading to Fulham Road, opening on 18th May with a more polished, design-led take on the brand. Think Milan-inspired interiors, a stronger focus on dining in, and the same lineup of well-loved dishes — from Carbonara of Dreams to truffle cacio e pepe.

There’s also a broader wine list, cocktails tailored to the neighbourhood, and, from June, pasta-making classes with bottomless prosecco.

When: 18 May
Where: 329-331 Fulham Rd, Chelsea, London SW10 9QL
Website: www.pastaevangelists.com

MAAI

Great British Menu Champion of Champions Nikita Pathakji is opening her debut restaurant, MAAI, in Clapham this May alongside her mother and sister. Growing out of the family’s sold-out supper clubs, the restaurant will pair seasonal British produce with bold influences from Pathakji’s heritage and travels, in a space designed to feel warm, personal and relaxed.

Expect vibrant small plates, playful cocktails and signature dishes including her much-talked-about octopus “takoyaki” doughnut. One of the month’s most exciting neighbourhood openings.

When: 20 may
Where: 33–35 Abbeville Road, London SW4 9LA
Website: www.restaurantmaai.com

Zylia

Launching at the new Arcade Covent Garden, Zylia is a Greek-Cypriot taverna from chef Nick Molyviatis and Barry Karacostas.

The menu is rooted in family recipes and shared heritage: handmade pitta, melitzanosalata, tyrokafteri, spanakopita, prawn saganaki, sheftalia, pork and chicken souvlaki, lamb kleftiko, grilled fish and lamb chops with olive oil chips. Desserts stay traditional with karidopita, galaktompoureko and kaimaki ice cream with sour cherry preserve. With 50 covers, counter seats and a dedicated street entrance, it promises warmth, smoke and proper taverna energy.

When: 22 may
Where: 6 Bedford St, London WC2E 9HZ
Website: www.zyliataverna.com