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Trullo, 300 - 302 St Paul's Road, London N1 2LH, tel 020 7226 2733; www.trullorestaurant.com
Trullo, 300 - 302 St Paul’s Road, London N1 2LH, tel 020 7226 2733; www.trullorestaurant.com
Ming Tang-Evans/Trullo

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How London’s 38 Essential Restaurants Are Reopening

How the best restaurants in the city are reopening — if they are reopening at all

With restaurants now permitted to open for dine-in service, operators across the city are figuring out what it means for them. Some never closed; some adapted to COVID-19’s reshaping of the city with restaurant delivery, meal kits, and whole new brands. Others spoke last week of their plans to bring customers back into their dining rooms.

As dine-in measures become more finalised, from social distancing to mask-wearing to temperature checking, Eater will track how its current 38 essential restaurants in the city are reopening — and if they are reopening at all. Restaurants are expected to post their COVID-19 safety measures online, but just get in touch with the place in question if more clarity is needed.

As restaurants navigate any new guidance and customer confidence, this list is extremely likely to change. Check for regular updates, and if there’s a tip Eater needs to hear, send it right over.


Esters

Where: 55 Kynaston Road, Stoke Newington N16 0EB
Status: Open for takeaway, with a more portable menu focussed on Roman-style pizza and salads.

P. Franco

Where: 107 Lower Clapton Road, Clapton E5 0NP
Status: Open for takeaway wine, tinned fish, and crisps, Wednesday — Sunday, 10 a.m. — 6 p.m, with an evening four-course menu Wednesday — Saturday starting from 29 July. Sister restaurant Bright opened for dine-in service at reduced capacity on Tuesday 7 July.

Westerns Laundry

Where: 34 Drayton Park, Highbury N5 1PB
Status: Open, with a new set menu served in two sittings at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Wednesday — Sunday. Occasional lunch barbecues at the weekend too. Sister restaurant Primeur opened for dine-in customers on Wednesday 8 July, while the third restaurant in the group, Jolene, reopened for dinner on Wednesday 22 July.

Ocakbasi and mezze at Mangal 2, the Turkish restaurant in Dalston that that forms part of the best 24 hour restaurant travel itinerary for London — where to eat with one day in the city
Ocakbasi and mezze at Mangal 2, which has transformed itself ahead of reopening
Ola Smit/Eater London

Mangal 2

Where: 4 Stoke Newington Road, N16 8BH
Status: Opened Monday 6 July after refurbishment, with reduced capacity and a new, more concise menu.

Trullo

Where: 300-302 St Paul’s Road, Islington N1 2LH
Status: Opened Saturday 4 July.

Black Axe Mangal

Where: 156 Canonbury Road, Islington N1 2UP
Status: “We’re closed for now, looking forward to opening again in the near future. Watch this space,” owner Lee Tiernan says.

The Laughing Heart

Where: 277 Hackney Road, E2 8NA
Status: Opened Saturday 4 July, now adding lunch for the first time. Also offering delivery through its proprietary app, Big Night, created by Laughing Heart owner Charlie Mellor during lockdown.

Marksman

Where: 254 Hackney Road, E2 7SJ
Status: Opened Wednesday 15 July, with a three-course, daily changing set menu with three options for each course. Plus bar menu of buns, pies, and tarts.

Roti canai at Roti King, reopened in Euston
Roti canai at Roti King
Ola Smit/Eater London

Roti King

Where: 40 Doric Way, Euston NW1 1LH
Status: Open, for takeaway and collection Wednesday — Saturday.

Brawn

Where: 49 Columbia Road, E2 7RG
Status: Open now as a deli and for takeaway and delivery of some of its best dishes, including tiramisu. The dining room will reopen on Wednesday 5 August.

The Clove Club

Where: Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, EC1V 9LT
Status: Reopened on 1 September, keeping its tasting menu format.

Moro

Where: 34 — 36 Exmouth Market, Farringdon EC1R 4QE
Status: Reopened on Wednesday 22 July; tapas bar sibling Morito is open on Exmouth Market, so too is Morito on Hackney Road.

TāTā Eatery

Where: TBD
Status: Closed before the pandemic. Keep an eye out for chefs Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng whose katsu sando, kimchi burger, and sparkling wine pop-ups will be announced on Instagram.

Quality Chop House

Where: 88-94 Farringdon Road, Farringdon EC1R 3EA
Status: Reopened on Tuesday 14 July, for lunch dinner. Outstanding next-door sibling Quality Wines has already reopened for dinner, now with bookings.

Best seafood restaurants in London: Slow-grilled seafood is the focus at Brat, chef Tomos Parry’s restaurant in Shoreditch
Brat’s Tomos Parry will grill seafood on the edge of London Fields this summer
Ben McMahon/Brat

Brat

Where: Residency at Climpson’s Arch, 374 Helmsley Place, Hackney E8 3SB
Status: Opening for the summer months at coffee roaster Climpson and Sons’s arch in London Fields, 5 p.m. — 10 p.m. Monday — Friday. The restaurant proper on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch reopened on Tuesday 21 July, with reservations only. No walk-in bar tables will be available in the short-term.

Honey & Co.

Where: 25 Warren Street, Bloomsbury W1T 5LZ
Status: Open as Katish Katash, with falafel, crisp zaatar chicken, and sabich — no bookings, tables outside.

Lyle’s

Where: 56 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JJ
Status: Reopened for dinner only 12 August; lunch and coffee slated for September. Flor, its sister restaurant has launched a new takeaway pizza brand called ASAP, which is operating out of Borough Market now.

Sushi Tetsu

Where: 12 Jerusalem Passage, Farringdon, London EC1V 4JP
Status: Closed until further notice, but recently introduced a takeaway service.

Otto’s

Where: 182 Grays Inn Road, Holborn WC1X 8EW
Status: Reopened for dine-in on 21 August, after offering weekly takeaway lunches, currently two variations on whole poulet de Bresse.

Noble Rot

Where: 51 Lamb’s Conduit Street, Bloomsbury WC1N 3NB
Status: Opened Monday 6 July. No walk-in bar area for the time-being. Reservations only.

A range of shared items on decorative dishes.
Biang biang noodles, smacked cucumbers, ou jia mo, and liang pi at Master Wei
Sam Ashton

Master Wei

Where: 13 Cosmo Place, Holborn WC1N 3AP
Status: Opened Monday 13 July.

St. John Bread and Wine

Where: 94-96 Commercial Street, Spitalfields E1 6LZ
Status: Reopened on 29 July, for dinner Wednesday — Sunday. There is a new non-refundable “no-show fee” of £20 per booking.

Dumpling Shack

Where: Old Spitalfields Market, Brushfield Street, Spitalfields E1 6BG
Status: Open, Monday — Sunday, as is sister brand, Fen Noodles, next door.

Bao Fitzrovia

Where: 31 Windmill Street, Fitzrovia W1T 2JN
Status: Open, under the Call Suzy brand, while continuing with Rice Error delivery in London and bao kits nationwide. Bao Borough Market has reopened with an outside terrace and hatch for collection.

Koya Soho

Where: 50 Frith Street, Soho W1D 4SQ
Status: Reopened with outdoor seating on Wednesday 29 July, as well as offering food delivery for the first time.

Core By Clare Smyth

Where: 92 Kensington Park Road, Notting Hill W11 2PN
Status: Opened Saturday 4 July.

Food House

Where: 48-36 Gerrard Street, Chinatown W1D 5QH
Status: Open, Monday — Saturday 12 p.m. — 11 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. — 10 p.m.

Blacklock Soho

Where: 24 Great Windmill Street, Soho W1D 7LG
Status: Opened on Thursday 23 July; the Shoreditch branch reopened on Thursday 9 July, with the City restaurant reopening on 1 September.

Kiln

Where: 58 Brewer Street, Soho W1F 9TL
Status: Reopened on Friday 24 July. Smoking Goat in Shoreditch reopened on Saturday 11 July.

Smoked crab jollof rice at west African-inspired restaurant Michelin star Ikoyi in St. James’s Market
Smoked crab jollof rice at Ikoyi, which will remain on a new, comfort-focussed menu
Tomas Jivanda/Eater London

Ikoyi

Where: 1 St James’s Market, St. James’s SW1Y 4AH
Status: Reopened on Friday 17 July at a reduced capacity for dine-in customers and with a new delivery menu focussed on its version of West African-inspired comfort food.

Santa Maria Pizzeria

Where: 15 St Mary’s Road, Ealing W5 5RA
Status: Fully reopened. Sites in Fulham and Fitzrovia reopened on Saturday 4 July. Diners can sit in at the Red Lion pub next door.

The Wolseley

Where: 160 Piccadilly, W1J 9EB
Status: Opened Saturday 4 July.

A mezze platter with various dishes surrounding a mound of rice.
A Kurdish mezze platter at Nandine
Nandine

Nandine

Where: 45 Camberwell Church St, Camberwell SE5 8TR
Status: The Babans’ outstanding Kurdish cafe-restaurant is closed for dine-in, but open for takeaway in Camberwell.

40 Maltby Street

Where: 40 Maltby Street, Bermondsey SE1 3PA
Status: Has reopened for dine-in, with a four-course set menu inside, a terrace menu outside, and a solo diner table for the dedicated.

A. Wong

Where: 70 Wilton Road, Pimlico SW1V 1DE
Status: Opened Monday 6 July.

River Cafe

Where: Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, Hammersmith W6 9HA
Status: Opened Monday 6 July.

The best Trinidadian roti and Caribbean food in London: Fried baras filled with chickpea curry from Roti Joupa on Clapham Common, London
Doubles at Roti Joupa
Adam Coghlan/Eater London

Roti Joupa

Where: 12 Clapham High Street, Larkhall SW4 7UT
Status: The Trinidadian doubles and macaroni pie specialists reopened on 22 June.

Tasty Jerk

Where: 88 Whitehorse Lane, South Norwood SE25 6RQ
Status: Open for takeaway jerk chicken and pork with rice and peas from the oil drums in SE25.

Quality Chop House

94 Farringdon Rd, London, Greater London EC1R 3EA +44 20 3490 6228 Visit Website

Black Axe Mangal

156 Canonbury Road, , England N1 2UP Visit Website

St. John

26 Saint John Street, , England EC1M 4AY 020 7251 0848 Visit Website

Westerns Laundry

34 Drayton Park, , England N5 1PB 020 7700 3700 Visit Website

Morito

32 Exmouth Market, , England EC1R 4QE 020 7278 7007 Visit Website

The Clove Club

380 Old Street, , England EC1V 9LT 020 7729 6496 Visit Website

BRAT

4 Redchurch Street, , England E1 6JL Visit Website

Dumpling Shack

Brushfield Street, , England E1 6BG Visit Website

Roti King

40 Doric Way, , England NW1 1LH 020 7387 2518 Visit Website

Mangal 2

4 Stoke Newington Rd, London, Greater London N16 7XN +44 20 7254 7888 Visit Website

Bao

83 Rue De La Gauchetière Ouest, Ville-Marie, QC H2Z 1C2 (514) 875-1388

Kiln

53 Foy Lane, , NSW 2000 (02) 8099 8799 Visit Website

The Laughing Heart

277 Hackney Road, , England E2 8NA 020 7686 9535 Visit Website

Canonbury

Wallace Road, , England N1 2PG 0343 222 1234 Visit Website

Trullo

Saint Paul's Road, , England N1 2LH 020 7226 2733 Visit Website

Roti Joupa

20 Stroud Green Road, , England N4 3EA 07466 761972 Visit Website

Blacklock Soho

24 Great Windmill Street, , England W1D 7LG 020 3441 6996 Visit Website

Nandine

45 Camberwell Church Street, , England SE5 8TR 020 7703 3221 Visit Website

Food House

46 Gerrard Street, , England W1D 5QH 020 7287 2818

Brawn

49 Columbia Road, , England E2 7RG 020 7729 5692 Visit Website

TĀTĀ Eatery

152 Old Street, , England EC1V 9BW Visit Website

40 Maltby Street

40 Maltby Street, , England SE1 3PG 020 8076 9517 Visit Website

Master Wei

13 Cosmo Pl, Holborn, Greater London WC1N 3AP +44 20 7209 6888 Visit Website

Sushi Tetsu

12 Jerusalem Passage, , England EC1V 4JP 020 3217 0090

Moro

34-36 Exmouth Market, , England EC1R 4QE 020 7833 8336 Visit Website

Esters

55 Kynaston Road, , England N16 0EB Visit Website

River Cafe

1A Station Approach, , England SW6 3UH 020 7736 6296

Primeur

116 Petherton Road, , England N5 2RT 020 7226 5271 Visit Website

Old Spitalfields Market

16 Commercial Street, , England E1 6EW 020 7375 2963 Visit Website

Koya Soho

50 Frith Street, , England W1D 4SQ 020 7434 4463 Visit Website

Tasty Jerk

88 Whitehorse Lane, , England SE25 6RQ

Honey & Co.

25a Warren Street, , England W1T 5LZ 020 7388 6175 Visit Website

Marksman

254 Hackney Rd, London, Greater London E2 7SJ +44 20 7739 7393 Visit Website

Noble Rot

51 Lamb’s Conduit St, London, Greater London WC1N 3NB +44 20 7242 8963 Visit Website

The Wolseley

160 Piccadilly, , England W1J 9EB 020 7499 6996 Visit Website

Ikoyi

1 Saint James's Market, , England SW1Y 4AH 020 3583 4660 Visit Website

Core by Clare Smyth

92 Kensington Park Road, , England W11 2PN 020 3937 5086 Visit Website

Smoking Goat

64 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JJ

Bright

1 Westgate Street, , England E8 3RL 020 3095 9407 Visit Website

Santa Maria Pizzeria

11 Bond Street, , England W5 5AP 020 8840 4998 Visit Website

BAO Fitzrovia

31 Windmill Street, , England W1T 2JN Visit Website

Jolene

54 Great Jones Street, Manhattan, NY 10012 Visit Website

Quality Wines

88 Farringdon Road, , England EC1R 3EA Visit Website