December 2025 marks a culinary renaissance for London’s dining scene, with seven notable restaurants opening their doors across the capital.
Clare Smyth, one of Britain’s most celebrated chefs, leads the charge with Corenucopia, a luxury bistro at 18-22 Holbein Place in Chelsea. Opening on December 3, this casual yet refined establishment follows her success with three Michelin-starred Core, and reservations are available immediately. The restaurant offers an impressive standalone potato menu featuring spuds prepared in ten different ways.
In Mayfair, Serdar Demir introduces Chargal, a refined Turkish restaurant opening December 11. The venue features an open oak-charcoal fire for cooking specialties like wagyu İskender and red bream ceviche. Mayfair has become a dining hotspot with establishments like The Marlborough attracting queues up to five hours for their New Haven-style pizzas.
The three-level space offers formal dining on the ground floor, a first-floor Mezze Bar for snacks, and a basement Lounge for cocktails. Visit chargal.com for bookings.
Fitzrovia welcomes Alex Craciun’s Aces Foodcraft at Pearson Square, which opened November 1. The restaurant transforms from a casual à la carte daytime venue to an exclusive nine-seater chef’s table experience in the evenings, featuring prominent Japanese flavors.
Follow @aces_food_craft for updates.
Jonny Lake and Isa Bal expand from their Bermondsey success with Labombe by Trivet, partnering with COMO Metropolitan on Park Lane. Located at 19 Old Park Lane, the restaurant showcases the duo’s chef and sommelier collaboration expertise. The restaurant opened on 16th September 2025 with significant anticipation from the fine dining community.
French seafood destination Mazarine arrives on Hanover Square, led by chef Thierry Laborde. His impressive background includes LPM, Le Louis XV, and Michelin-starred L’Oranger, bringing classical French expertise to this iconic address.
The Good Oak in Notting Hill, formerly The Oak, rebrands with an LA-inspired Italian menu under Steven Shamoon and executive chef Alex Craciun. The menu features nostalgic items like Chicken Parm Bites and a signature hot dog.
Completing the lineup is Trogolo, a casual Italian spot in Notting Hill by Lara Boglione and Giovanni Mazzei, joining the growing trattoria trend in a chi-chi corner location designed for locals.
