Autumn’s hottest restaurants, bars and food festivals

Frankie McCoy gives the heads-up of where to eat this autumn
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Frankie McCoy17 October 2016

Chill October nights are drawing in — and that’s great news. It means it’s totally legitimate to batten down the hatches, eat drink and be merry, assuring people through a muffled mouthful of cheese that you need more calories in the cold.

Luckily London, as ever, provides. Between now and Christmas there are countless restaurant openings and events to drag you from Netflix and out into the city. So shut your laptop, close the Deliveroo app and head out to feast on the latest seriously innovative food and booze. You’ll be saving on your central heating too. Here are the 23 dishes and openings you need to know about this autumn.

Perilla

Head chef Ben Marks used to cook at Noma, so expect something special from his new permanent restaurant, where a five-course menu including cuttlefish bolognese and roast kale with cod roe costs only £35.

Info: Opens early November, 1-3 Green Lanes, N16; perilladining.co.uk

Anzu

Emma Reynolds and Ken Yamada, the brains behind top London ramen joint Tonkotsu, go a bit fine-dining with this Japanese brasserie. They’ll be serving king crab gyoza, oysters “the Anzu way” and teishoku, a Japanese take on the Indian thali.

Info: Opens November 5, 1 Norris Street, SW1; anzulondon.co.uk

Temper

Barbecue legend Neil Rankin’s Soho restaurant opens. Come for the live-fire cooking, stay for the mind- bending tacos — think sesame prawn toast or ham and pineapple — and the cracking wine list.

Info: Opens November 5, 25 Broadwick Street, W1; temperrestaurant.com

Epicurean London

Sample yourself silly on the countless variations of wine, cheese and other fine foodstuffs on show at this new event at Truman Brewery, before tipsily settling down for some existential booze-focused talks, such as “What does craft beer really mean?”

Info: October 28-29, Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, E1; epicurean.online

El Pastor, Corazón, Breddos

You can’t move for tiny tortillas this autumn. The Hart brothers have El Pastor in Borough, there’s Corazón in Soho, and street-food kings Breddos open a permanent taqueria in Clerkenwell, where tacos come topped with crunchy nut sweetbreads and black pudding mole.

Info: El Pastor, 7a Stoney Street, SE1, @Tacos_El_Pastor, Corazón, 29 Poland Street, W1, @corazon_uk, Breddos Taqueria, 82 Goswell Road, EC1; breddostacos.com

Glandstonbury

A celebration of all the tastiest bits of animal we often waste. Tom Oldroyd, Andrew Clarke and Jackson Boxer are among the top chefs preparing a 10-course, offal-based meal at the Drapers Arms pub, including devilled chicken feet and ox-kidney pastries, and bone marrow beignets with foie gras truffles. Leave any offal puns at the door.

Info: October 27, 44 Barnsbury Street, N1; thedrapersarms.com

Barullo wine festival

Think Argentinian wine ends at Malbec? Think again. Sip yourself straight at this four-day pop-up celebrating the South American nation’s vino, plus food from two Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco.

Info: October 25-28, 25-27 Hackney Road, E2, winesofargentina.org

Smokestak

If you know, you know: David Carter’s brisket and ribs are simply the best in London. This autumn he moves from Street Feast to a permanent restaurant, with new dishes such as smoked girolles on bone-marrow toast and coal-roasted sweet potato, smoked ricotta and bacon besides that brisket.

Info: Opens early November, 11 Sclater Street, E1; smokestak.co.uk

Luca

It’s hard enough to get into Isaac McHale’s Michelin-starred Clove Club, ranked 26th in the world. So good luck trying to nab a table at the restaurant’s second venture. It will serve Italian food made with British ingredients, such as an incredible-sounding ravioli of grouse with potato and whisky sauce.

Info: Opens November, 88 St John Street, EC1; luca.restaurant/

Bread Ahead Covent Garden

The Borough Market-based bakery makes probably the best doughnuts in London. At its new shop they’re selling those vanilla cream-stuffed pillows of joy alongside buttery brioche buns, with fillings including chicken Caesar and Little Gem.

Info: 1a Monmouth Street, WC2, breadahead.com

Autumn brunch-over

Dump the avo-toast, there are far more exciting brunch menus launching. Chinese Laundry has belly-warming crab congee, or head to posh kebab shop Le Bab for Levantine haggis and eggs or shawarma-spiced pork hash with tater tots and fried eggs.

Info: Chinese Laundry, 107 Upper Street, N1; chineselaundryroom.co.uk, Le Bab, Kingly Court, W1; eatlebab.com

The Laughing Heart

This truly joyous wine bar/off-licence, which gets its name from a Charles Bukowski poem, serves from its 300-strong wine list until 2am. Make sure to soak it up with the char sui bao (smoked pork in steamed buns), which might even beat a bacon sarnie as a hangover cure.

Info: 277 Hackney Road, E2, thelaughingheartlondon.com

Cafe Murano Piemonte supper club

Angela Hartnett cooks exceptional Italian food at her London restaurants, and in November she’s teaming up with cult wine merchant Passione Vino to serve a regional dinner, with dishes influenced by the north Italian region. Expect seriously hearty dishes and lashings of full-bodied wine.

Info: November 1, 36 Tavistock St, WC2E 7PB; cafemurano.co.uk

Hot turmoil: Laos-style pollock
Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures

Kiln

Ben Chapman made outstanding, spicy Thai at Smoking Goat; now he’s headed to Brewer Street for yet more scorchingly tasty dishes — think aged hogget with Szechuan pepper, or roast long pepper and Tamworth pork shoulder curry. Our very own food critic Fay Maschler gave this tiny “side of the road” restaurant five stars this week, so good luck getting a seat.

Info: 58 Brewer Street, W1; kilnsoho.com

Pop-ups at The King & Co

This Clapham pub hosts a different chef residency each month. Head there before October 30 for lamb bourek from the brilliant Iraqi chefs at Juma Kitchen, then return in November and December as the pub turns to Basque, with Donostia Social Club cooking piles of pinxtos, prawns and Iberico pork.

Info: 100 Clapham Park Road, SW4; thekingandco.uk

Motu Indian delivery

If you really can’t drag yourself out, you’re allowed an Indian takeaway— but make it korma and pilau with a twist. This is the latest offering from the Sethis, owners of Michelin-starred Gymkhana and Trishna. “Feast Boxes” include poppadoms, naans and dahl, and curries from madras prawn masala to LKO chicken korma — all made to top restaurant quality.

Info: From October 17; motuindiankitchen.com

Veneta

The Salt Yard Group has another addition to its group of top-notch tapas restaurants. Veneta, in the new St James’s Market development, is headed by the lovely Ben Tish. Dishes will include kid-goat ragu with papardelle, beautiful Italian hams and cheeses, and a raw bar with native oysters and spider crab.

Info: Opens November 7, 3 Norris Street, SW1; veneta-stjames.co.uk

Gastro gelato: Cherries and almonds by Bruce Poole

Gelupo collaboration

As if the Soho gelateria didn’t already serve some of the best gelato in London, it’s now teaming up with a host of Michelin chefs to create some fairly mind-blowing flavours. Flavours include Fernet Branca and crème de menthe from Fergus Henderson and Cuban tobacco and dark rum from Pierre Koffmann.

Info: 7 Archer Street, W1, gelupo.com

Flippin’ Nell

Home-made bread made on a market stall that’s light but strong enough to take the weight of excellent fillings — for vegetarians there’s aubergine, honey walnuts and whipped feta, while merguez and egg is hangover-beating dynamite for meat-eaters.

Info: Brixton, Clapham, Crystal Palace, Herne Hill, Norwood markets, @flippinnell

Lahpet

What better way to stick two fingers up to freezing winds than to fortify yourself with curry? This street-food stand serves proper insulation in Burmese specialties such as Rakhine chicken curry (coconut-rich with fermented shrimp relish) and the umami-ish fermented tea-leaf salad that gives the stall its name.

Info: Weekends, Maltby Street, SE1; lahpet.co.uk

Vicky’s Donuts

An ever-changing line-up of fun new twists on the classic, from blueberry cheesecake and the devilish Reese’s (peanut butter and chocolate) to an “exploding Smartie” flavour for Kerb’s fourth birthday tonight.

Chick ’n’ Sours

The clue’s in the name: this cult restaurant, which recently opened a second branch in Seven Dials, is rightly adored for its fried chicken and sour cocktails. But those in the know go for the sides: from sticky Szechuan aubergine to the hot-and-sour pineapple.

Info: 1a Earlham Street, WC2; chicknsours.co.uk

Makatcha

Warm up with this punchy Indonesian staple cooked in coconut cream with lemon grass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves, with peanut sauce and sweet/sour pickle. Look out for the specials, including creamy noodle soup and mango sticky rice.

Info: Various markets, makatcha.co.uk

Visit standard.co.uk/restaurants for the latest news and reviews from London’s food scene.

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