October’s Hot New Restaurant Openings - London

The Azuki Room, Holborn

After winning a cult following with his much-loved Dotori in Finsbury Park, Alan Tse is finally opening his second restaurant — and this time, he’s headed for the City. The Azuki Room, tucked just off Chancery Lane, promises to “blend fine Japanese cuisine with the soulful energy of a Tokyo backstreet izakaya.”

The space, a hidden site on Rolls Passage, will feature two floors and a terrace, morphing from set-lunch calm into late-night izakaya lounge. With a 2am licence and binchotan-fuelled grills, it’s set to become a City favourite for after-hours dining and drinking.

Having trained at the Japan Culinary Institute in Tokyo, Tse is drawing on that experience to bring refined Japanese cooking into an atmospheric, down-to-earth setting. Think serious food, relaxed vibes, and a touch of late-night Tokyo energy.

Opens early October, Rolls Passage, EC4A 1HL

Rosi at The Beaumont, Mayfair

Lisa Goodwin-Allen is making waves this autumn with her new restaurant Rosi, opening at The Beaumont hotel in Mayfair. Known for her celebrated cooking at Northcote and her stint at The Game Bird at The Stafford, Goodwin-Allen is bringing her modern British brasserie vision to life with the help of long-time collaborator Jozef Rogulski.

The menu leans into playful reimaginings of classics: chipolatas as bar snacks, John Dory fish fingers, seasonal pies, chicken Kyiv, and a pork pie that’s always on. Expect a little theatre too, with dishes like flamed sponge puddings finished tableside. Desserts include a Mayfair Millionaire Tart and the much-loved “build-your-own sundae” that dates back to Corbin & King days.

The interiors are also getting a refresh, moving away from the Colony Grill’s dark clubbiness in favour of a lighter, brighter brasserie feel.

Opens 1 October, 8 Balderton Street, W1K 6TF

The Marlborough, Mayfair

Pizza lovers, this one’s for you. The Marlborough (formerly The Marlborough Head) is set to reopen this October, bringing together two heavyweight teams: Carl McCluskey’s cult favourite Crisp Pizza and the hospitality powerhouses behind The Devonshire.

Downstairs, Crisp Pizza will run the show with their thin, New York-style pies that have already become a pilgrimage-worthy draw in Hammersmith. Upstairs, the pub will follow The Devonshire’s formula — proper pints, best-in-class Guinness, and traditional pub warmth.

With Crisp’s reputation (even Michel Roux and Dave Portnoy have sung their praises) and The Devonshire team’s knack for creating London’s most talked-about pub openings, The Marlborough is shaping up to be a Mayfair sensation. Expect queues, pints spilling onto the pavement, and plenty of pizza chatter.

Opens October, 24 N Audley Street, W1K 6WD

Tobi Masa, Mayfair

Mayfair’s hotly anticipated Chancery Rosewood hotel is already a magnet for big names, and its first confirmed restaurant comes from none other than sushi legend Masa Takayama.

Best known for his three-Michelin-starred Masa in New York and, more recently, his Harrods Dining Hall residency, Takayama will launch Tobi Masa as a full-scale restaurant with an omakase counter, main dining room, and separate bar.

The menu will include signature dishes like Masa Toro Tartare, Surimi Masa Pasta, and Peking Duck Tacos, alongside new creations developed exclusively for London. With Carbone also opening in the same hotel, Grosvenor Square is fast becoming one of the city’s hottest dining addresses.

Opens late October, 30 Grosvenor Square, W1K 6LE

Motorino, Fitzrovia

Barely months after launching Town in Clerkenwell, Stevie Parle is at it again. This time, he’s teaming up with Luke Ahearne — the chef behind Michelin-starred Lita — to open Motorino in Fitzrovia.

The name nods to Parle’s much-missed Dalston spot Rotorino, but the scale here is far bigger. Taking over the vast former Percy & Founders site, Motorino will seat 140 guests, with design echoing Town’s retro-futuristic style but in a bold yellow palette.

On the food front, details are still under wraps, but with Parle’s track record at Pastaio and Ahearne’s flair for contemporary cooking, expect a menu that balances accessibility with creativity. Cocktails will once again come from Kevin Armstrong (Satan’s Whiskers), meaning the drinks will be just as compelling as the food.

Opens 1 October, 1 Pearson Square, W1T 3BF

The Trafalgar, Chelsea

Chelsea is about to get something it hasn’t seen in over a century — a brand-new pub on the King’s Road. The Trafalgar, from the team at Three Cheers Pub Co, will revive the name of a long-lost pub that once stood in the same spot.

Housed in a handsome Edwardian building designed by Sir Roger Blomfield (who also built Chequers, the PM’s country retreat), the two-floor venue will blend heritage charm with modern-day polish. Upstairs, expect a bright, window-filled pub serving classics like pea and shallot ravioli, beer-battered fish and chips, and sticky toffee pudding.

But downstairs, things take a different turn: a late-night basement bar promising live music, comedy, cabaret, and even a hidden cocktail den. It’s Chelsea tradition with a twist.

Opens late October, 224–226 King’s Road, SW3 5UA