The new London restaurants to book in February 2026

(Image credit: Courtesy of Jul’s)

Jump to category:

February 2026
January 2026

London in the 21st century is the restaurant capital of the world. British chefs vie with the most famous names on the international food scene to secure the primest sites for their new ventures. Here you can find almost any cuisine on the planet, often made with seasonal British ingredients, whether organic meats, sustainably caught fish, and regeneratively farmed vegetables, but the food is only half the story: chefs collaborate with designers to ensure that the surroundings look every bit as enticing as what’s coming out of the kitchen.

Each month, we visit some of the city’s buzziest openings to discover the most exciting new menu items and locations across the capital.

The Wallpaper* guide to new London restaurants

February 2026

Jul’s

A long-running hit in Ibiza since 2018, Jul’s occupies a former bank in St James’s: the land of gentleman’s clubs rather than nightclubs. Greek chef and co-founder Christos Fotos has another spin-off in Athens called Humain by Jul’s, and there’s a strong Hellenic influence here in everything from the interiors to the cooking.

The mood: Athens-based design studio Arcset has reimagined the grand heritage architecture with marble, mosaic floors, scorched wood and a moody chiaroscuro of light and shadow. A glass wine wall runs the full height of the ground floor, while below, No. 11 functions as an open bar laboratory where cocktails reflect the flavour profiles of the kitchen.

What to order: Greek-inspired but broadly Mediterranean dishes shaped by British ingredients and seasonality. Expect giouvetsi flatbread with slow-cooked lamb, and grilled fish cooked over an open fire.

Why we love it: For proving that Mediterranean cooking can feel just as at home in St James’s as it does on a sun-drenched Balearic island.

Jul’s opens at the end of February. It is located at 11 Waterloo Place, London SW1Y 4AU, UK

Osteria Vibrato

Charlie Mellor, whose Hackney restaurant The Laughing Heart became a chef favourite before closing in 2022, returns to the restaurant scene with a Soho opening alongside fellow sommelier Cameron Dewar, most recently head of beverage at Luca. The restaurant’s name refers to the technique for producing a richer, more resonant tone: a nod both to Soho’s musical heritage and Mellor’s former career as an operatic tenor.

The mood: Mellor has designed an elegant dining room filled with cream tablecloths, candlelight, banquettes upholstered in bespoke ‘Vibrato red’ British Pasture Leather, and a Diespeker terrazzo floor. Handcrafted rosewood veneer panels the lime-plastered walls beneath Murano chandeliers, while the sound system plays Mellor’s own record collection. The Green Room cocktail bar has 12 seats for Negronis and ice-cold martinis.

What to order: The menu reflects the influence of co-creator Gaia Enria, founder of London’s first artisan pastificio Burro e Salvia, with painstaking preparation employed throughout: fior di latte mozzarella made in-house daily, fresh pasta rolled each morning, and amaretti baked to order and served warm.

Why we love it: For a triumphant return from one of hospitality’s most generous-spirited hosts.

Osteria Vibrato opens on 11 February. It is located at 6 Greek Street, London W1D 4DE, UK

Temaki

A.M. Dupee’s handroll bar, which first opened in Brixton Market in 2021, relocates to Mayfair with a new and significantly larger home. Dupee has earned a devoted following for his Californian approach to Japanese cuisine, and the move to the West End brings an expanded menu alongside the signature handrolls.

The mood: Split across two levels, with an intimate 16-seat upstairs dining room where guests sit at a counter overlooking the chefs at work. Downstairs, a 28-seat space takes inspiration from Japan's listening bars and doubles as a private dining room.

What to order: While handrolls remain central, the menu now includes crispy rice topped with premium cuts of fish, A4 wagyu sliders, and rotating sandos and toro. The drink list offers saké, wines and a snappy line-up of cocktails.

Why we love it: For delicious proof that a cult indie can make the leap from Brixton to Mayfair without losing its edge.

Temaki opens at the end of February. It is located at 11 Maddox Street, London W1S 2QF, UK

January 2026

Tiella

Chef Dara Klein was born in Italy’s foodie capital of Emilia-Romagna and grew up in New Zealand, where her parents owned a restaurant in Wellington. She first channelled her family heritage with her two-year Tiella residency at the Compton Arms pub in Islington. Now it has a permanent home in Bethnal Green, where Klein has teamed up with her childhood friend, restaurateur Ry Jessup.

The mood: Homely comfort. Klein and Jessup have retained Victorian pub features alongside reclaimed G-Plan chairs and pieces from local friends such as Walthamstow-based furniture designer Herb Palmer.

What to order: Klein’s all-time favourite dish of passatelli in brodo – pasta in broth – is on the menu here; more substantial plates include chicken Milanese with green apple and herbs.

Why we love it: Klein has created the perfect synthesis of the British pub and Italian trattoria.

Tiella is located at 109 Columbia Road, London E2 7RL, UK

DakaDaka

Georgia can claim to be the birthplace of wine, with a heritage stretching back 8,000 years, but the Caucasian country has an equally rich culinary history. Georgian eating and drinking both get a contemporary spin at this restaurant and natural wine bar just off Regent Street, courtesy of chef-patron Mitz Vora.

The mood: Katya Samsonadze’s design of handmade clay, limestone, carved woodwork and hand-blown chandeliers reflects Georgian craft traditions, as does the open-fire charcoal grill that forms the basis for much of the cooking.

What to order: Georgia’s signature dish of khachapuri – boat-shaped, cheese-filled bread – comes in two versions straight from the fire, while other dishes include khinkali soup dumplings and smoky grilled meats.

Why we love it: One of the world’s oldest and richest cuisines deserves a central London showcase.

DakaDaka is located at 10 Heddon St, London W1B 4BX, UK

Read our full restaurant review of DakaDaka

Cato

Cato Alexander was a slave turned freedman who owned his own bar in Midtown Manhattan in the 1840s. His legacy is being revived in 21st century Covent Garden by former Nipperkin bartender Angelos Bafas, who has created a drinks list to reflect three distinct spaces.

The mood: The ground-floor House of Julep is a New York-style tavern for daytime drinking; come evening, head downstairs to the low-lit Cato, where the 14 colour-inspired cocktails are sipped surrounded by wood, velvet and stainless steel. Cocktail masterclasses are held in Cato’s Study, a creative laboratory.

What to order: Mint juleps served in frosted cups and made with herbs grown on site demonstrate Bafas’s dedication to the freshest ingredients; the bar food is equally US-inspired, from fried oysters to a beef pastrami sandwich.

Why we love it: American bartending heritage meets British micro terroir.

Cato is located at 17 Mercer Street, London WC2H 9QJ, UK

TOPICS

Ben McCormack is a London-based restaurant journalist with over 25 years’ experience of writing. He has been the restaurant expert for Telegraph Luxury since 2013, for which he was shortlisted in the Restaurant Writer category at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. He is a regular contributor to the Evening Standard, Food and Travel and Decanter. He lives in west London with his partner and lockdown cockapoo.