As the season changes, we're ready to cosy up with a lush glass of wine and party down with some extra AF cocktails. Luckily, these new London bars and restaurants understand the assignment. Read on for our pick of the best new spots to booze, from an underground drinking den inspired by Alice in Wonderland to a massive Daiquiri bar...
St John Marylebone
Opening in September
Photo credit: @samaharris for @st.john.restaurant, Instagram
St John is the OG of the nose-to-tail cookery movement, but it's famous for so much more than sweetbreads and kidneys. Its original location in Smithfield and its restaurant in Shoreditch are renowned for everything from hot cross buns to next-level wines. Now the team are opening an outpost in Marylebone - and this one's all about the vino. Taking the all-day bars of Paris and Florence as inspo, the new spot will feature a bangin' wine list, all of St John's seasonal signatures and some extra-luxurious twists. Sounds offally good to us...
98 Marylebone Lane London W1U 2QA
The Palm House
Opening 22 September
Channel some serious beach club vibes at this super-sized new venue from the folks behind Pergola. Set in the Nova development in Victoria, The Palm House combines the style of Miami with the flavours of Cuba, which means loads of palm trees, an epic DJ line-up, a lush menu of sharing dishes and - our fave part - a dedicated Daiquiri bar. Round up your mates and act like you're on holiday, hun.
50 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5LB
Din Tai Fung Centre Point
Opening 22 September
Photo credit: Facebook.com/ukdintaifung
You've not lived until you've scalded your mouth on a Din Tai Fung soup dumpling. The first London outpost of this Taiwanese restaurant opened in Covent Garden in 2018, and now another one is heading to the towering Centre Point building near Tottenham Court Road. We hear there's gonna be a separate bar area serving up epic signature cocktails, along with robot waiters delivering fresh shumai straight to your table.
Centre Point, 11 St Giles Passage, London WC2H 8AP
Piazza at the Royal Opera House
Opening 27 September
Photo credit: Luke Hayes
After a cheeky little makeover, the restaurant and terrace at the Royal Opera House is back in business, baby. It used to serve season ticketholders only, but now it's open to all - meaning anyone can try its lush seasonal menu, whether Puccini tickles their fancy or no. The food is all about locality and sustainability, and the cocktails mirror the kitchen's zero-waste ethos, featuring ingredients that would otherwise go unused. Our first sip? It's gotta be the Parsnips & Pears, with bourbon, parsnip juice, pear liqueur and honey.
5th Floor, Royal Opera House, Bow Street, London WC2E 8HD
Beaufort Bar
Opening end of September
The little sister of the American Bar at The Savoy is stepping into the spotlight. This super-sultry, intimate drinking den is reopening with a new menu and concept called Nocturne, developed with hospitality consultant and all-round badass Anna Sebastian. The new drinks list explores the aromas and flavours of Champagne, so get ready for opulence - the Golden Apple Champagne Cocktail, a knockout mix of whiskey, Cognac, calvados, toffee apple and Laurent-Perrier, even has a 24K gold sugar cube as a garnish. Caviar bump and bubbly, anyone?
The Savoy, The Strand, London WC2R 0EZ
Swift Borough
Opening in October
T-Swift announcing Midnights has nothing on our fave Swifties dropping the bombshell news that they're opening a new bar in Borough. Swift's original Soho location is known for its versatile upstairs-downstairs setup and wicked Irish Coffees, Martinis and Sgroppinos, and the new space will recreate this model. Bask in light, airy vibes of the ground floor with classic serves and aperitivo drinks, or book a table downstairs for a dark, cosy atmosphere and a genius menu of seasonal cocktails featuring ingredients from the market nearby. This is one album we'll have on repeat for a long, long time.
66 Borough High St, London SE1 1XF
Cocktail Club Canary Wharf
Opening in October
Canary Wharf is about to get a whole lot more fun. The Cocktail Club is expanding its party-bar empire to the Blade Runner-esque financial district. The new venue will have room for 100 peeps, with an epic terrace and all the rowdiness of the other 10 outposts. It's also set to run a killer happy hour - we're talkin' two-for-one on every drink, Monday-Friday from 4pm-7pm. See ya there...
9 Cabot Square, London E14 4QS
The Libertine
Opening in October
Back in 1571, the Royal Exchange became the first place in London to sell alcohol with a Royal Licence. Today, this historic space is home to a bunch of different shops and restaurants - and its drinking and dining options are levelling up this autumn with the opening of The Libertine, a mahoosive restaurant and bar housed in its subterranean vaults. Drawing on the site's history, booze will be a big draw here, with a whisky vault, a cocktail menu featuring twists on the classics and a bunch of bangin' wines and beers. Organising an event? This place has two private dining rooms, so you can party underground all night long.
1A The Royal Exchange, Cornhill, London EC3V ELL
Bacchanalia
Opening in October
Mayfair never fails to deliver a healthy dose of hedonism, and we have a feeling this new addition to the neighbourhood will fit right in. It's the newest project from Sexy Fish restaurateur Richard Caring, so you know it's gonna be over the top. Expect ancient sculptures, Damien Hirst artwork and a members-only section - and, if it's anything like Sexy Fish, an amazing cocktail menu, too.
Connaught House, 1-3 Mount Street, London W1K 3NB
By Kate Malczewski
08/09/2022