September’s Hot New Restaurant Openings - London

Il Bambini Club, Shoreditch

Paris’s most flamboyant Italian restaurant is heading east this autumn, bringing extravagant interiors and oversized desserts to The Hoxton, Shoreditch.

Il Bambini Club, from Paris Society (the group behind Gigi, Louie and Maxims), has already made waves in France and the Alps. Now it’s London’s turn to experience its vibrant mix of trattoria classics and theatrical design. Expect truffled tagliatelle, veal Milanese with rocket and Parmesan, and their signature giant lemon meringue pie.

Described as a “vibrant escape filled with fresh pasta, pizza and plenty of spritzes,” Il Bambini Club looks set to channel Big Mamma’s maximalist energy, but with a sleeker Parisian edge. With late-night opening hours promised, it could become Shoreditch’s next party-dining hotspot.

Opens September, 1 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HU

CÉ LA VI London, Paddington

If you’ve ever gazed at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands rooftop and wished for a London version, you’re in luck. CÉ LA VI, the brand behind that famous sky-high restaurant, bar and club, is opening in Paddington Square this September.

Spanning the 17th and 18th floors of Renzo Piano’s striking new building, the space promises panoramic views across London, complete with a main dining room, lounge bar, and a private room for 14. Menus are billed as “modern Asian,” with dishes such as miso seabass with green Szechuan sauce, lobster noodles with aromatic lobster oil, and a dedicated dim sum selection.

Already established in hotspots like Dubai, Taipei and Tokyo, this London outpost will cement CÉ LA VI’s reputation for fusing culinary flair with high-energy nightlife. It’s easily one of West London’s boldest new openings this year.

Opens 12 September, Paddington Square, 128–142 Praed Street, W2 6LG

Lilibet’s, Mayfair

Opening on the very site where Queen Elizabeth II was born, Lilibet’s is Mayfair’s most talked-about new seafood restaurant — and for good reason.

Created by Ross Shonhan (Bone Daddies, ex-Nobu and Zuma) in collaboration with the Russell Sage Studio, the restaurant combines striking design with a seafood-led menu that celebrates British produce while pulling in global influences. Expect an oyster bar, fireside grill, heated terrace, and martini-focused cocktail bar, all set against bold floral interiors.

Dishes range from the theatrical — like a Fish Triptych served crudo, grilled, and as soup — to indulgent lobster spaghetti and seafood platters, alongside creative flourishes such as anchovy éclairs.

With history, glamour, and one of London’s most respected operators behind it, Lilibet’s is destined to be a headline-opening this September.

Opens 16 September, 17 Bruton Street, W1J 6QB

Aki London, Mayfair

From Malta to Mayfair: Aki, the Japanese restaurant that made its name in Valetta, is opening its first international outpost in London. The £15 million transformation of a Grade II-listed former bank on Cavendish Square sets the scene for what’s sure to be one of autumn’s most spectacular dining rooms.

Upstairs, guests will find a soaring dining space serving sushi platters, tempura, robata-grilled wagyu, and kushiyaki skewers, while downstairs, the old bank vault has been reimagined as a Japanese-inspired cocktail bar complete with green tea air foam creations. A private dining “banking room” adds to the glamour.

It’s a big-ticket opening that promises serious style as well as substance.

Opens September, 1 Cavendish Square, W1G 0LA

Punk Royale, Mayfair

If your idea of fine dining involves white tablecloths and hushed tones, Mayfair’s Punk Royale is about to flip that notion on its head. After cult success in Stockholm and across Scandinavia, the irreverent “brutal bistro” is setting up its first permanent UK base on Sackville Street.

The concept? A mash-up of high-end technique and anarchic party spirit. Think MEATliquor energy meets Michelin-level cooking. Menus blur Nordic inspiration with a London edge — highlights include chawanmushi tart, foie gras au torchon, langoustine nigiri, and their notorious “caviar bump” (caviar licked off your hand with a shot of vodka).

Having wowed Londoners with a sold-out Carousel pop-up, Punk Royale is ready to settle in for good. The Mayfair site has been home to short-lived concepts before, but if anyone can make it work, it’s this wild mix of performance, dinner party and boundary-pushing cuisine.

Opens 12 September, 6 Sackville Street, W1S 3DD

Richoux, Fitzrovia

A true comeback story, heritage French café Richoux is returning to London after its pandemic-era closures. Once a beloved chain across the city, the brand is relaunching under new owners Big Belly Hospitality, with a flagship in Fitzrovia and plans for Tower Bridge, Dubai and Saudi Arabia to follow.

The new Richoux blends the charm of a Parisian brasserie with a modern London sensibility. Expect escargot baked in garlic-parsley butter, Croque Monsieur, steak tartare prepared tableside, and larger plates like a 36-day dry-aged ribeye to share. For sweets, patisserie and viennoiserie will be served from a classic trolley (who doesn’t love a trolley moment?).

With its wood-panelled interiors, marble tabletops, navy banquettes and all-day service, Richoux feels perfectly timed for the city’s growing appetite for chic, casual French dining.

Opens 15 September, 14–15 Langham Place, W1B 2QS

Michael Caines at The Stafford, St James’s

Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines is finally making his London debut this month, and he’s doing it in serious style at The Stafford. Best known for his Michelin-starred Lympstone Manor in Devon (and before that, two stars at Gidleigh Park), Caines is bringing his celebrated take on modern British cuisine to the capital.

The move comes after The Stafford Collection acquired Lympstone Manor earlier this year, making this new venture a natural next step. Taking over the hotel’s main restaurant space (formerly The Game Bird), Caines promises an “elevated dining experience” that balances innovation with familiar favourites. Expect a brand-new tasting menu showcasing dishes such as warm lobster salad with cardamom vinaigrette and pan-roasted Brixham turbot with shellfish chowder, alongside Stafford signatures like their legendary beef Wellington.

It’s an exciting new chapter both for Caines and The Stafford, and one of the most anticipated London openings of 2025.

Opens 17 September, 16–18 St James’s Place, SW1A 1NJ