London’s best new restaurants, bars & pubs to try this June

1 Amazónico’s OCTO, Mayfair

Glitzy Mayfair Latin American restaurant Amazónico has created a cocktail lounge for late night drinks. Found at the end of a golden-clad staircase, OCTO’s interiors are inspired by the Amazon River’s cenotes, and its cocktail list comes with a range of innovative tipples made with the likes of passionfruit kombucha and kumquat liquor.  Small plates such as apreas corn cakes, lomi lomi maki and langoustine pibil are served until 11pm, and the bar’s resident djs will play a mix of electro-topical tunes, laid back house, nu disco and deep house until late.

Address: 10 Berkeley Square, W1J 6BR

Website: amazonicorestaurant.com

2 Oren Deli, Hackney

Near to Broadway Market, the Tel Avivian deli Oren has now opened for dining in. With an outdoor space for sunny days, the deli now serves up a selection of Israeli small plates – taramasalata and labneh with in-house baked challah and pita, burnt aubergine and romano pepper salad, and Schmaltz herring with beetroot horseradish for example – and natural wines, available by the glass, the selection of which changes daily.

Address: 6c Ada Street, Hackney E8 4QU 

Website: orendeli.com 

3 Gaucho Covent Garden

It’s been 10 years since steak house Gaucho have opened a new restaurant, and it is now bringing the flavours and colours of Buenos Aires to the West End. With all the glamour of its sister venues, this restaurant plates up premium steaks alongside a menu of Latin American dishes and indulgent cocktails in an art deco-inspired dining room. Open for breakfast from 8am and open to mid-night, also look out for tango performances, live music, djs and pre-theatre dining options.

Address: 8-9 James Street, WC2E 8BT

Website: gauchorestaurants.com

4 Counter 71 & Lowcountry, Shoreditch – Opening date TBC

Ex-Fenn Head Chef Joe Laker will open his first solo venture this month, a 16-seater chefs table restaurant, Counter 71, and a bar that pays homage to the cocktails of the American south, Lowcountry. The restaurant’s tasting menu will be a tribute to the British isles and a minimalist style of cooking, and include things like smoked eel, crispy chicken skin, and langoustine and dill Lowcounty’s creative cocktail list has concoctions made with flavour-heavy ingredients such as bacon-wash bourbon, creole bitters, jalapeno infused tequila and basil oil.

Address: 71 Nile Street, Shoreditch N1 7RD

Website: counter71.co.uk

 

5 Meat the Fish, Chelsea

What started out as a delivery service in Beirut has now evolved into a restaurant and grocer with three locations in Lebanon and now, another in west London. Open for breakfast through to late night, post dinner cocktails, Meat the Fish is by the same group behind luscious Japanese omakase in Marylebone and plates up Mediterranean and Asian inspired dishes such as beef carnitas tacos, unagi donburi, sashimi for lunch and dinner, and salted chocolate crisps for dessert.

Address: 39 Cadogan Gardens, Chelsea, SW3 2TB

Website: meatthefish.co.uk

6 Little Kudu, Peckham – open June 21, book from June 7

This South African-inspired tapas restaurant is by the same husband and wife team behind Michelin Bib Gourmand Kudo and Kudo Grill, which are also culinary odes to the African nation. In interiors designed by A-nrd (Kol, Darjeeling Express and the other Kudo joints) featuring a six-seater counter and a fully mirrored back wall, tuck into the likes of chicken liver parfait tartlet, spiced pineapple and calendula and braddibroodjie – a type of grilled cheese sandwich, and South African wines.

Address: 133 Queen’s Road SE15 2N D

Website: kuducollective.com

7 Kima, Marylebone

A new Greek restaurant for Marylebone, Kima focuses on fresh seafood, prepared simply; raw, cured or grilled. With goods on display in the impressive fish counter, diners can feast on whole turbot and grouper, as well as hand dived scallops and freshly caught langoustine. The kitchen also cooks with every part of the dish and animal, so try lightly fried tails served with aioli or charred fish collars.

Address:  57 Paddington Street, Marylebone W1U 4JA

Website: instagram.com/kima.restaurant.london