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Everything to Know About Central London’s Next Hot Dining Development

Arcade Food Theatre’s impressive raft of vendors, Din Tai Fung’s second London restaurant, all-day dining inspired by the 1960s, and also Pret

Xiao long bao dumplings on the menu at Din Tai Fung’s first London restaurant opening Tomas Jivanda

Centre Point wants to be London’s next dining development. The 1960s skyscraper, renovated into luxury apartments with a proportion of affordable housing well below the Mayor of London’s targets, and with half of those 82 luxury apartments unsold, is slowly opening its restaurant offering up to the public.

With the second European restaurant from a world-famous, hugely hyped dumpling chain, a 1960s-inspired flagship, and two prominent chains, it’s smaller scale than 2018’s big players. It’s not got the London restaurant names of Bloomberg Arcade, or the bankable sequels of Coal Drops Yard and Market Hall Victoria; it does have Din Tai Fung.

Well, until now. The news that Arcade Food Theatre will bring London’s next big food hall to Centre Point — and with it, some of London’s hottest and most exciting restaurants — Centre Point suddenly has a restaurant scene to compete with Market Halls’ high calibre vendors. It could be a game-changer, but it will also have serious work to do to transform Centre Point into the destination that, right now, it is not.

Here’s a rolling guide to all the restaurants opening at the Tottenham Court Road rebuild that’s become an involuntary symbol for the capital’s approach to mixed-use development.


Vapiano

The casual Italian chain is the first restaurant to open, with its RFID chip service and made-to-order-in-front-of-diners model providing a reliable, serviceable option pretty ideal for a location as indebted to tourists as it will be residents. Chief executive Roberto Moretti says, “It is such a stunning space, well designed and with a ceiling height bar, a mezzanine overlooking the room and Graffiti Kings artwork on the lift shaft, it’s truly a Vapiano like no other.”

Opening date: Open now

Centre Point Tottenham Court Road: Italian chain Vapiano is open
The dining room at Vapiano Centre Point
Vapiano [Official Photo]

Din Tai Fung

One of 2018’s most hyped restaurant openings, the Taiwanese dumpling chain’s second London restaurant is sure to be the biggest draw at Centre Point. The world-famous xiaolongbao, glass preparation chamber, and thoughtful accompaniments are already winning queue-happy diners over at the Covent Garden location.

Opening date: TBC

Trays of xiaolongbao dumplings at Din Tai Fung’s London restaurant in Covent Garden
Trays of xiaolongbao at Din Tai Fung Covent Garden
Tomas Jivanda

Arcade Food Theatre

Details are light at present, but planning documents reveal a design concept for Arcade Food Theatre Centre Point, split over three floors. The venture is run by Streat Markets Ltd, a previously dormant company, with design plans describing “a cross-section of affordability and everyday indulgence,” including a retail offer covering coffee, flowers, and barbering that sounds similar to Mare Street Market in Hackney. According to the design statement:

Our carefully curated ‘new to London’ concepts represent a cross-section of affordability and everyday indulgence. We aim to showcase 8 individual chef led operators together with 2 curated bars. It is our intention, where possible, to select some of our tenants from within the borough.

Arcade Food Theatre has now announced its first raft of operators, and it’s a serious list:

TāTā Eatery’s new katsu sando shop and rice bowl operation, Tóu, will take the inaugural spot in ‘The Loft,’ which is described as an “incubation-focused mezzanine kitchen space.” Zijun Meng and Ana Gonçalves’ cooking at Tayēr + Elementary on Old Street — their first permanent restaurant space in London — is already winning serious plaudits, and this shop’s focus on their now-legendary katsu sando and rice cookery is, arguably, headline news.

Joining Tóu are:

There will also be three curated bars, art installations, and counter seating at each kitchen. This sounds like the serious food operation that Centre Point has been waiting for.

Opening date: July 2019

Arcade Food Theatre food hall at Centre Point brings some of London’s best restaurants to Tottenham Court Road
The restaurants going into Arcade Food Theatre are serious
El Pastor: Samuel Ashton; Tātā Eatery: [Official Photo]; Chotto Matte: [Official Photo]; Pophams Bakery: Issy Croker; Flat Iron: [Official Photo]; Oklava: Ola Smit; Composite: Eater London

Vivi

The self-described “flagship” for Centre Point is an all-day dining restaurant inspired by its 1960s heritage. Expect “modernised” dishes such as chicken à la king — sautéed chicken, mushrooms, cream and white wineaccompanied with warm (buttermilk dumpling) biscuits; cauliflower cheese croquettes with slow roasted tomatoes and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, and banana splits for two.

Opening date: 16 February 2019

Centre Point Tottenham Court Road restaurants: Vivi
The dining room at Vivi Centre Point
Vivi [Official Photo]

Pret a Manger

See also: every other Pret a Manger.

Opening date: Open now


Check back for more details as Centre Point’s dining offer develops.

Market Hall Victoria

191 Victoria Street, , England SW1E 5NE Visit Website

Soho House

76 Dean Street, London , W1D 3SQ Visit Website

Mare Street Market

117 Mare Street, , England E8 4RU 020 3745 2470 Visit Website

Sushisamba

Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London , EC2N 4AY Visit Website