Main image: Wahaca
Tequila With Tommi
Wahaca’s turning up the agave vibes this November with a brand-new Tequila Experience (£14.95). Sip your way through a curated flight of blanco, reposado and añejo tequilas, each matched with the big, warming flavours of a new winter menu (butter bean and confit garlic dips; smoky frijoles with esquites, chickpeas and Carlin peas; and roast ancho mushroom tacos anyone?) and that make Mexico’s favourite spirit shine. Guided tasting notes included. Salud! Book it.
Tuscany By Way Of Notting Hill
After waving goodbye to their Covent Garden restaurants, the Petersham Nurseries clan is back – or rather, the next generation is. Lara Boglione and her husband Giovanni Mazzei (of Tuscan winery Marchesi Mazzei) are opening Trogolo, a Florence-inspired trattoria and bar on Westbourne Grove. Expect long communal tables, marble-topped spots for two, and a menu that mingles British and Italian producers – from sage leaves fritto and pecorino with pears to tagliolini with white truffle. Wine lovers are in for a treat too: with 350 bottles on the list and a Tuscan-heavy focus, Mazzei’s aiming to make Trogolo the London destination for Italian wine. And if that’s not enough, the downstairs bar will be pouring cocktails and serving crostini late into the night. When the post-midnight hunger hits, you know where to head. Book it.
St. John Bakery Upsizes In Neal’s Yard
Big news from Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver: the beloved St. John Bakery has moved to a larger spot just across the yard in Covent Garden. The new space stretches across two floors and comes with a booze licence, turning the teeny bakery into more of a bar-meets-bakery setup. Expect a short wine list, oysters on ice, and those iconic custard doughnuts to finish. With late openings and hidden-away charm, it’s shaping up to be one of Covent Garden’s most tempting tucked-away spots.
LA Cool Comes To The Donovan Bar
Mayfair’s ever-iconic Donovan Bar at Brown’s Hotel is getting a West Coast shake-up this season, as LA chef-creator Jesse Jenkins brings his laid-back energy to Brown’s Hotel for a three-month residency (helped along by the always-brilliant Adam Byatt). Expect his signature mix of sunshine-bright plates – zesty tuna ceviche, jalapeño-spiked oysters etc – paired with Salvatore Calabrese’s knockout cocktails. Old-school Mayfair meets modern Cali swagger: we’re very much here for it. Book it.
Best In Field
Ivan Tisdall-Downes, the man behind Native, returns to London with a new restaurant and wine bar in the heart of London Fields. The aptly named Field Notes draws on his travels and a few of his greatest hits, all rooted in his signature sustainable approach. Expect dishes like brown crab tikka masala and pickled cockle flatbreads, plus a wine bar championing low-intervention producers. Launching with lunch service before expanding into dinner, it’s shaping up to be one of Hackney’s most exciting autumn openings. Book it.
