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Two servers, blurred, walk through the Brutto dining room.
Brutto closed on 22 December 2021
Michaël Protin

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A Running List of London Restaurants Closing Early for Christmas

Uncertainty surrounding the omicron variant has prompted a growing number of London restaurants to close up early. This time, they hope and expect it will not be for long

The prevalence of the omicron variant — since 15 December, the dominant strain of Covid-19 in London — is beginning to have an impact on restaurants across the capital. Because of either an overwhelming number of cases among staff, or as a preemptive measure against infection among those staff as they head into the Christmas holidays, a growing number of London restaurants have announced that they will close their doors early.

Unlike in previous Covid waves, the peak for omicron will arrive comparatively quickly. For restaurants, that means that even in the as-of-now unlikely event of more restrictions being introduced, it is likely that any measures would be short-term. Indeed, the as-of-now is this: “We’re not closing hospitality,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in his press conference on 15 December.

Nevertheless, omicron has impacted restaurants in London just before Christmas in a way that few would have predicted only a fortnight ago. As one general manager of a London restaurant group told Eater candidly: “It’s a fucking nightmare.”

This is a fast-moving situation, with more and more restaurants announcing closure. The below list will remain updated over the coming days.

If they are now listed below, then please send any tips or news of closures to london@eater.com


Brutto

Address: 35-37 Greenhill Rents, London EC1M 6BN
When: 22 December
Projected reopening: January


Koya City

Address: 10-12 Bloomberg Arcade, London EC4N 8AR
When: 21 December
Projected reopening: 4 January; Soho and Koya Ko in Hackney remain open


Sessions Arts Club

Address: Old Sessions House, 24 Clerkenwell Grn, London EC1R 0NA
When: 20 December
Projected reopening: January

Ombra

Address: 1 Vyner St, Cambridge Heath, London E2 9DG
When: 20 December
Projected reopening: 31 December “maybe”

Cafe Cecilia

Address: 32 Andrews Road, Hackney E8 4RL
When: 20 December
Projected reopening: January


Planque

Address: 322-324 Acton Mews, London E8 4EA
When: 19 December
Projected reopening: January

Trullo

Address: 300-302, St Paul’s Rd, London N1 2LH
When: 19 December
Projected reopening: 28 December


Dumpling Shack

Address: Old Spitalfields Market
When: 18 December
Projected reopening: 2 January

St John / St John Bread and Wine

Address: 26 St John St, Barbican, London EC1M 4AY / 94-96 Commercial St, London E1 6LZ
When: 18 December
Projected reopening: Dining rooms in January; Bread and Wine remains open for takeaway.

Chick ‘n’ Sours

Address: 390 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AA
When: 19 December
Projected reopening: 3 January

Jolene

Address: 21 Newington Green, Stoke Newington N16 9PU
When: 18 December, “eight days earlier than anticipated.”
Projected reopening: January

Westerns Laundry

Address: 34 Drayton Park, Holloway N5 1PB
When: 18 December, “eight days earlier than anticipated.”
Projected reopening: January

Primeur

Address: Barnes Motors, 116 Petherton Road, Newington Green N5 2RT
When: 18 December, “eight days earlier than anticipated.”
Projected reopening: January


The Clove Club

Address: Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, Shoreditch EC1V 9LT
When: 17 December
Projected reopening: 7 January

Luca

Address: 88 St John St, London EC1M 4EH
When: 17 December
Projected reopening: January


Pidgin

Address: 52 Wilton Way, Hackney E8 1BG
When: 16 December
Projected reopening: 5 January

Bright

Address: 1 Westgate Street, London Fields E8 3RL
When: 16 December
Projected reopening: January; a retail space will arrive in the coming days.

Peg

Address: 120 Morning Lane, Clapton E9 6LH
When: 16 December
Projected reopening: January. Open as a shop for now.

P.Franco

Address: 107 Lower Clapton Road, Lower Clapton E5 0NP
When: 16 December
Projected reopening: January for drinking and eating in; bottle shop is remaining open.

Quality Chop House

Address: 88-94 Farringdon Road, Farringdon EC1R 3EA
When: 16 December
Projected reopening: January

Quality Wines

Address: 88-94 Farringdon Road, Farringdon EC1R 3EA
When: 16 December
Projected reopening: January

Portland

Address: 113 Great Portland Street, Fitzrovia W1W 6QQ
When: 16 December
Projected reopening: January

Clipstone

Address: 5 Clipstone Street, Fitzrovia W1W 6BB
When: 16 December
Projected reopening: January

Llewelyn’s

Address: 293-295 Railton Road, Herne Hill SE24 0JP
When: 16 December
Projected reopening: January

Camberwell Arms

Address: 65 Camberwell Church Street, Camberwell SE5 8TR
When: 16 December
Projected reopening: After Christmas

Mangal 2

Address: 4 Stoke Newington Road, Dalston N16 8BH
When: 16 December
Projected reopening: January


Forza Wine

Address: The Rooftop, 133A Rye Lane, Peckham SE15 4BQ
When: 15 December
Projected reopening: After Christmas

Kol

Address: 9 Seymour Street, Marylebone W1H 7BA
When: 15 December
Projected reopening: January

Snackbar

Address: 20 Dalston Lane, Dalston E8 3AZ
When: 15 December
Projected reopening: January

Cafe Deco

Address: 43 Store Street, Bloomsbury WC1E 7DB
When: 15 December
Projected reopening: 4 January for dinner, but will operate as a shop selling home meals in jars, mince pies, charcuterie and wine in the run up to Christmas.

Hill & Szrok

Address: 60 Broadway Market, Hackney E8 4QJ
When: 15 December
Projected reopening: It will remain open as a butchers shop but the cookshop and wine bar will not reopen until further notice.

Hector’s

Address: 49a Ardleigh Road, De Beauvoir N1 4HS
When: 15 December
Projected reopening: 5 January for drinking and eating in; bottle shop is remaining open.

Toklas

Address: 1 Surrey Street, Temple WC2R 2ND
When: 15 December
Projected reopening: 6 January

Max’s Sandwich Shop

Address: 19 Crouch Hill, Finsbury Park N4 4AP
When: 15 December
Projected reopening: 5 January

40 Maltby Street

Address: 40 Maltby Street, Bermondsey SE1 3PA
When: 15 December
Projected reopening: 6 January for dinner but open now as a bottle shop, provisioner, and meals to cook at home.

Quality Chop House

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

Westerns Laundry

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

Luca

88 Saint John Street, , England EC1M 4EH 020 3859 3000 Visit Website

Portland

113 Great Portland Street, , England W1W 6QQ 020 7436 3261 Visit Website

Pidgin

52 Wilton Way, , England E8 1BG 020 7254 8311 Visit Website

The Clove Club

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

Broadway Market

Broadway Market, , England E8 4QJ

Forza Win

133 Copeland Road, , England SE15 3SN 020 7732 7500 Visit Website

Hill & Szrok

60 Broadway Market, London, Greater London E8 4QJ Visit Website

Dumpling Shack

Brushfield Street, , England E1 6BG Visit Website

Bloomberg Arcade

Bloomberg Arcade, , England

Sessions Arts Club

24 Clerkenwell Green, , England EC1R 0NA 020 3793 4025 Visit Website

35-37 Greenhill Rents

35-37 Greenhill Rents, , England EC1M 6BN

Mangal 2

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

Trullo

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

120 Morning Ln

120 Morning Lane, , England E9 6LH

E2

, , England E2

Cafe Deco

43 Store St., London, WC1E 7DB +44 20 7323 4501

Planque

322-324 Acton Mews, , England E8 4EA 020 7254 3414 Visit Website

40 Maltby St

40 Maltby Street, , England SE1 3PA

40 Maltby Street

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

Koya City

10-12 Bloomberg Arcade, , England EC4N 8AR Visit Website

Peg

120 Morning Lane, , England E9 6LH 020 3441 8765 Visit Website

113 Great Portland St

113 Great Portland Street, , England W1W 6QQ

OMBRA

1 Vyner Street, , England E2 9DG 020 8981 5150 Visit Website

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

N16

, , England N16

Forza Wine

133A Rye Lane, , England SE15 4BQ 020 7732 7500 Visit Website

KOL

9 Seymour Street, , England W1H 7BA 020 3829 6888 Visit Website

St John Bread and Wine

94-96 Commercial Street, , England E1 6LZ 020 7251 0848 Visit Website

Bright

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

Clipstone

5 Clipstone Street, , England W1W 6BB 020 7637 0871 Visit Website

Jolene

54 Great Jones Street, Manhattan, NY 10012 Visit Website

Quality Wines

88 Farringdon Road, , England EC1R 3EA Visit Website

Snackbar

20 Dalston Lane, , England E8 3AZ 020 3771 8769 Visit Website

Cafe Cecilia

32 Andrews Road, , England E8 4FX 020 3478 6726 Visit Website