Cahoots Postal Office in Borough Yards is the first branch of this post-war themed cocktail bar brand to open South of the River, following the success of Soho’s Cahoots Ticket Hall and Cahoots Underground.
Manicomio – A King’s Road Classic
Manicomio is the kind of place you need to add to your address book. When someone asks you where to go for good, authentic Italian food, without any fuss, this is where you should head. While the name of the restaurant means ‘mad house’ in Italian (the restaurant is in a Grade II listed building that was formerly the Royal Military Asylum) what you’ll find at Manicomio is far from insane.
Albert’s Schloss
Albert’s Schloss is a Bavarian-style Bierkeller with entertainment on Shaftesbury Avenue in The Trocadero site that previously housed the execrable Rainforest Café. Named after Queen Victoria’s other half, the venue opened in July 2024 and is the fourth site bearing the brand, with the first one opening in Manchester in 2015, followed by Liverpool, Birmingham, and finally London.
Kin Restaurant – Fitzrovia
Foley Street’s Kin Café has been a popular spot for daytime vegan bites since 2014. Now the team behind the café have expanded into the next-door premises and opened Kin Restaurant. We two flexitarians went along one Veganuary evening to try out the new offering.
Sushi Kyu Japanese in Soho
One of my favourite options when overloaded with options is Japanese cuisine. I love the clean flavours, the top-quality fresh fish, the reverence for the food and attention to detail. Sushi Kyu offers all of this and its tiny proportions – 10 seats around a counter – plus an Omakase dinner, transported me to Tokyo.
Dove – Notting Hill – Restaurant of the Month
January’s restaurant of the month at London Unattached is the freshly opened Dove on Kensington Park Road. Chef Jackson Boxer closed his specialist seafood restaurant Orasay on New Year’s Eve 2024 only to reopen as Dove a week later on the same spot with the same team. The intention with Dove is to offer a more affordable menu better suited to dining in today’s precarious economic climate. Dove turned out to be a great pick – we finished our evening already fantasising about coming back and eating all the other dishes on the menu that we hadn’t yet had a chance to try.
THE OX, Clapham
The OX London, a new addition to Clapham High Street as of November 2024, opened its doors promising a modern twist on the classic British gastropub. From the team behind The Rose & Crown on The Polygon, The OX had already generated buzz in the neighborhood and when I was invited to review it, I couldn’t have been more excited.
The Coach, Tom Kerridge, Marlow – Happy 10 year anniversary
The two-Michelin-starred Hand and Flowers restaurant brought Tom Kerridge to fame, the first gastropub to win that accolade. It’s celebrating twenty years in 2025. The Coach, also owned by Tom Kerridge and run by head chef Sarah Hayward is its younger sibling, ten years old this year and that’s where we headed.
Parsons – Contemporary Fish Restaurant with a Retro Feel
From historic fish restaurants to newer openings, there are plenty of places to try everything from classic fish and chips to lobster and more. While Parsons is a relative newcomer, having opened in 2017, it has a retro feel. It reminded us of the old Wheeler’s oyster bars with vintage tiles, dark bentwood chairs, bottle green leather banquettes and raised marble bar seating.
Thirteen LDN at Chateau Denmark
Blending historic grit with rock-and-roll glamour, Thirteen LDN stands as a modern tribute to the creativity and cultural royalty that has defined Denmark Street since 1911.