The Best New Restaurants in London, 2018

It is the tradition at Eater to end the year with a survey of friends, contributors, rovers of the industry, critics, and professional eaters. This year, the group were asked eight questions, spanning meal of the year to biggest dining grievance. Their answers will appear throughout this week. Responses are related in no particular order, cut and pasted below. Restaurant standbys have been chosen — now it’s time for 2018’s best newcomers.

Adam Coghlan, Editor, Eater London: Jolene, Brat, Sabor, Limin’, Blacklock Shoreditch, and Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles.

James Hansen, Assistant Editor, Eater London: Bright; Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles; Jolene; Brat; Kaki; Blacklock Shoreditch; Two Lights. Good year for sequels.

Anna Sulan Masing, food writer and Eater London contributor: Scully, Stem, Sambal Shiok, Coal Office.

Katsu sando at Bright, London Fields, one of east London’s best snacks — The very 2018 chicken katsu sando at the very 2018 Bright in London Fields

Jonathan Nunn, food writer and Eater London contributor: Predicting everyone’s answers for this will be Boring, Repetitive, And True. Also, Kaki and Rice Coming have been the best additions to London’s Sichuan and Hunan scenes in the last 5-6 years.

Sejal Sukhadwala, food writer and Eater London contributor: A surprisingly large number of highly acclaimed and award-winning places have not been good for vegetarians – not interesting enough veggie options, and in a few cases, no options at all. Stokey Veg Vegan, Wildflower and Oliveira are three impressive new vegetarian restaurants that opened this year. Plus I liked Rovi, Jolene, Lina Stores, Barrafina Kings Cross, Brigadiers and Indian Accent.

Sichuan specialities at Sichuan Chinese restaurant Kaki on Caledonian Road, London, one of the hottest restaurants in London right now — Kaki left its mark on Caledonian Road, and Giles Coren

Emma Hughes, freelance food writer and Eater London contributor: Sambal Shiok, Stockwell Continental, and some other excellent places not beginning with S, like Kyseri.

George Reynolds, food writer and Eater London contributor: You’d probably have to nod to the sheer scale of Hide and Brigadiers, or the ambition and skill on show at Cornerstone, Maos and St Leonards. But I haven’t been back to any of them — and, again, this is probably not a coincidence. Instead, it’s Brat, Sabor and The Coach — cheaper, tighter, less fancy, more intimate — that I’m still revisiting even now, and it’s this that takes them to the top for me.

Shekha Vyas, food writer and Eater London contributor: There have been a host of brilliant newcomers this year and, for me, without getting to them all it would be hard to rate. Both Coal Drops Yard and Victoria Market Hall are significant achievements in enhancing London’s restaurant scene and I thought it was important that Lahpet secured a permanent site. I have also enjoyed Leroy, 1251 and Brigadiers this year.

London’s best new restaurants in 2018: Sabor in Heddon Street — The dining room at Sabor, another hit for Nieves Barragàn Mohacho

Helen Graves, food writer at Food Stories and Eater London contributor: Brat, for the grown-up spin on live fire cooking and the fab room; Bright for the long summer afternoons I lost in there (many, so many); Kudu - such an original new local restaurant for Peckham and beautiful use of South African flavours.

MiMi Aye, food writer, cookbook author, and Eater London contributor: Brat, Nest, and Bright. They all sound like apps for controlling your central heating though.

Zeren Wilson, food writer at Bitten and Written and Eater London contributor: Jolene — just opened, just getting into its stride, just brilliant; Brat; The French House; Berenjak; Sabor; Sambal Shiok; Kin+Deum; L’Antica Pizzeria High Barnet; The Duke of Richmond; The Coach and Horses, Leyton; The Cleveland Arms, Paddington

Daisy Meager, food writer and Eater London contributor: Kaki, St Leonards, Bright, Kyseri, Cornerstone, Brat, Sabor.

Angela Hui, food writer and Eater London contributor: Brat, Bright, Din Tai Fung, Kaki, Sabor, Sambal Shiok.

Din Tai Fung’s xiaolongbao dumplings let down food critic Tim Hayward at world-famous dumpling chain restaurant in London. — Hyped, but matched it: Din Tai Fung

Leila Latif, Eater London contributor: 1251, Hicce, and Bun Shop at Market Hall Victoria.

Foursquare

The Most Impressive Restaurant Newcomers of 2018

Sabor

Indian Accent

BRAT

Sambal Shiok

hicce

Barrafina

Hunan

SCULLY

ROVI

Cornerstone

Market Hall Victoria

Kudu

KAKI

Stockwell Continental

HIDE

Kyseri

Brigadiers

Lina Stores

Bright

Stem

The Coach

St Leonards

Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles

Jolene

Two Lights

The Most Impressive Restaurant Newcomers of 2018

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