London Food And Drink News: 27 February 2014

Ben O' Norum
By Ben O' Norum Last edited 121 months ago
London Food And Drink News: 27 February 2014

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Welcome to our weekly round-up of all that’s happening in London’s food and drink scene.

Inside this week: New Hawksmoor, Bethnal Green bar, Waterloo market, dog deli

Hawksmoor Goes West

The much-loved steak behemoth that is Hawksmoor has announced plans for a new restaurant in Knightsbridge later this year. It follows in the footsteps of the original in Spitalfields, as well as branches in the City, Covent Garden and on Air Street just off Regent Street. Owners Will Beckett and Huw Gott also run Foxlow in Clerkenwell. The new opening will take the site of Frankie’s Bar & Grill on Yeoman’s Row, not far from South Kensington station.

New Dabbous

Fitzrovia restaurant Dabbous is currently one of the hardest in London to get a table at. Now details have been released of a new venture for chef-owner Ollie Dabbous and mixologist and co-owner Oskar Kinberg. Named Barnyard, the new restaurant set to open on Charlotte Street in March will be much more casual with a strong British focus. Dishes already mentioned include homemade sausage rolls, and roast beef on toast with warm horseradish buttermilk. In a statement, Oskar said: “It’s not another burger or chicken joint. Just home-cooking, done well and without all the washing-up”.

Bethnal Green Bar

Since it was announced that chef Nuno Mendes was leaving the Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green and that his flagship restaurant Viajante was to close, news has been rolling in of what will replace it. The latest information we’ve heard is not about the restaurant at all, but the bar. The new cocktail spot will be called Peg + Patriot and will open in mid April, headed up by Matt Whiley. If you don’t know that name, you might have come across his alter-ego Talented Mr Fox at One Leicester Street, or Fluid Movement which he was previously a big part of. The latter is responsible for bars including Purl and Worship Street Whistling Shop. In short, it’s quite a big deal.

Waterloo Food Market

A new produce market launches on Waterloo’s Lower Marsh this Saturday, aiming to bring some of the street’s weekday bustle to the weekend. It will run from 10am-3pm each Saturday and feature stalls selling fruit, veg, cheeses, meat, fish, baked goods and confectionery. Among the stalls are Cannon & Cannon selling British charcuterie fresh from their Brixton deli, chocolatiers and brownie experts Konditor & Cook, excellent local cupcake bakery Raffo and Ridgeway, and Stoke Newington-based smokery Hansen & Lydersen selling smoked salmon.

Dog Deli

No, it’s not a follow-up to Bethnal Green’s Cat Emporium or anything to do with this dog caff. It’s just a new pet-free deli from the team behind street food’s sausage stars: Big Apple Hot Dogs. It is not just its stock of artisanal, locally-made and small-batch foodstuffs that will make Cole & Sons (named after owner Abiye Cole) particularly special when it opens in the next week or so on Caledonian Road. In the basement will be a kitchen where street traders or small businesses can come to make their goods before having them sold in the shop, while a pitch outside will see guest chefs cook food-to-go on one of the Big Apple Hot Dog grills.

New Openings

This week has seen longstanding plush St James’s restaurant Avenue re-launch with a new American-focused menu. Today sees 8 Hoxton Square (the follow-up to Soho’s popular ingredients-led eatery 10 Greek Street) open its doors, and The Clink in Brixton Prison let in diners. Tomorrow sees the launch of Vietnamese noodle joint Salvation In Noodles in Stoke Newington, and Assado, a hybrid of Portuguese and Indian food from chef Cyrus Todiwala, officially opens in Waterloo on Saturday.

Talk To Us

We still want your help to keep these weekly food and drink news round-ups as relevant, up-to-date, and interesting as possible. Got any top tips, local gems or foodie news? Tried one of the new restaurants we mentioned? Leave a comment below or hit us up at hello@londonist.com. ‘Til next week…

Last Updated 27 February 2014