If you’re a lover of a restaurant opening, you’ll want to feast your eyes on The Handbook’s most anticipated restaurant openings of 2023.
From the exciting Portuguese outpost in Battersea to Big Mamma Group’s latest venture, read on find out the best restaurants opening next year.
Joia
The restaurant opening we’re all waiting for, JOIA is set to take over the top floors of the newly opened art’otel London Battersea Power Station.
It’s set to be led by Henrique Sá Pessoa, one of Portugal’s most celebrated chefs and the brains behind the two Michelin-starred Alma and trans-Iberian tapas spot Tapisco in Lisbon. The menu at JOIA will showcase Sá Pessoa’s culinary heritage, with influences from Catalonia and Portugal.
Meaning ‘jewel’ in Portuguese, the restaurant’s menu will feature a selection of snacks, petiscos and tapas, including Sá Pessoa’s signature croquette made with potato and traditional Portuguese Alheira sausage, served with tomato and sofrito sauce.
OPENING DATE: FEBRUARY 2023
WHERE: 15TH FLOOR, ART’OTEL LONDON BATTERSEA POWER STATION, 1 ELECTRIC BOULEVARD, SW11 8BJ
WEBSITE: WWW.ARTOTELLONDONBATTERSEA.COM
Gura Gura
A brand new Asian bar and kitchen is set to land in Covent Garden in 2022, bringing with it spice, sauciness and scandal.
Named Gura Gura, the restaurant’s interiors are something to shout about. Expect plenty of hanging plants, tropical-style fabrics and feature tree-style pillars in the centre of the dining space.
On the menu, expect a mix of traditional Asian fare, from sushi and sashimi to small plates, dim sum and a dedicated wok menu.
OPENING DATE: TBC
WHERE: 19 SLINGSBY PLACE, WC2H 9DL
WEBSITE: WWW.GURAGURA.CO.UK
Jacuzzi
Big Mamma Group, the team behind Gloria, Ave Mario and Circolo Popolare, are preparing to take over Kensington High Street in early 2023.
One of the hottest restaurant openings of 2023, Jacuzzi will boast a staggering 170 seats and four spiralling floors. Expect the interiors to blow your mind as always, complete with alabaster walls, a botanical mezzanine and a giant limone tree that’s spread its canopy across the stucco ceiling.
Head chef Manuel has crafted a menu featuring ingredients from their beloved Italian suppliers. Look forward to the return of their epic cheese wheel pasta, pizzettes topped with seasonal ingredients and their first-ever shareable chocolate fondue, made with half a kilo of Valrhona chocolate.
OPENING DATE: JANUARY 2023
WHERE: 94 KENSINGTON HIGH STREET, W8 4SH
WEBSITE: WWW.BIGMAMMAGROUP.COM
Akub
This one has been delayed a couple of times but will definitely be worth the wait… Making his UK debut this next year will be chef and restaurateur Fadi Kattan. Opening up in Notting Hill, akub is a celebration of the under-represented culinary history of Palestine with a more refined, modern approach that Fadi and his business partner, Rasha Khouri, have mastered.
The menu will showcase the best of Palestinian produce while incorporating quality British seasonal ingredients. Expect a mix of small and larger plates for sharing, such as labneh balls; arak cured sea bream; freekeh risotto; crunchy mansaf balls; and dead sea chocolate cake. Pair these with a class of natural wine from Palestine and you’ll be transported back to Fadi’s home country in seconds.
The interiors have been designed by award-winning hospitality designer Annie Harrison of FARE INC, incorporating a colour scheme that mirrors Palestine’s landscape – think olive green, earthy pinks, oranges and sandy tones. There’ll also be an internal courtyard covered by a glass roof filled with olive trees and jasmine.
OPENING DATE: JANUARY 2023
WHERE: 27 UXBRIDGE STREET, NOTTING HILL, W8 7TQ
WEBSITE: WWW.AKUB-RESTAURANT.COM
EDIT
Led by former architect-turned-restaurateur Elly Ward will launch an exciting hyper-seasonal veg-forward restaurant in Hackney in early 2023. EDIT, located on Mare Street, will offer a unique approach to dining, celebrating the whole, championing organic and sustainable produce with a low-waster philosophy.
The kitchen will be led by chefs Fabrice Jacquet and Beth Olivier who hope to reinvent and refine the age-old culinary principle of ‘less is more’, offering a menu of British plant-based dishes.
The daily-changing menu will focus on seasonal availability and zero waste cooking. Expect dishes such as roasted salsify with smoked aioli, crispy kalettes with purple potato mash; beetroo à trois; wild mushroom fricassée with creamed barley and wilted chard; and homemade chaga ice cream with blood orange granita.
OPENING DATE: JANUARY 2023
WHERE: 217 MARE STREET, E8 3QE
WEBSITE: WWW.EDIT.LONDON
Nessa
Making a beeline for Warwick Street in March is Nessa, a brand-new modern bistro from Maslow’s Guy Ivesha and executive chef Tom Cenci. Taking over the lively Soho spot, the restaurant will serve up a selection of classic dishes that champion seasonality with a contemporary twist.
Inspired by the history of Soho, Vanessa Bell and other artists and creatives from the Bohemian movement, the menu will boast produce from Britain and across the channel. Look forward to dishes such as brioche with black pudding and brown butter noisette; celeriac carbonara with confit egg, parmesan breadcrumbs and truffle; mussels with cider, parsley and seeded garlic baguette; and bulgar wheat stuffed cabbage, parsnip purée and herb oil.
OPENING DATE: MARCH 2023
WHERE: 1 WARWICK STREET, W1B 5LR
WEBSITE:WWW.1WARWICK.COM
Joia
Gura Gura
Jacuzzi
Akub
EDIT
Nessa
