Things are really hotting up at what used to be Terminus Place. When it opens next month as Market Halls Victoria, it will have a very strong line-up of operators. Among others, Baozilnn will be there, and the team behind The Marksman’s new venture bunshop (pictured above). These two join a new udon bar from Koya (Koya Ko), and a spin-off of cult Euston classic Roti King, called Gopal’s Corner.
 

Also opening next month is Le Petit Citron, in a site in Hammersmith that is currently operating as all-day restaurant Mustard. The same owners, husband and wife team Lawrence and Emily Hartley, are changing the focus from modern British to classic French food with Provence as the main theme. Expect coquilles Saint-Jacques, onglet frites, and pastries in the morning.

Robin Gill mentioned to a CODEr recently that he had a new project, but it wasn’t this one. So it’s a welcome surprise to hear the man behind The Dairy and Sorella will open Darby’s (after his father’s nickname) at the Embassy Gardens Towers development in Nine Elms. The food will have Irish roots and provenance, with the deft open-fire cooking for which Gill and team are well known. When it opens in spring next year, the Dairy team will also be running the rooftop bar and restaurant.

Talking of big developments, veteran property man Harry Handelsman’s long-talked-about project The Stratford hotel will open in spring next year, in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Good news for diners is that the hotel will have two restaurants, Allegra with chef Patrick Powell (former head chef at Chiltern Firehouse), and The Stratford Brasserie, overseen by Ben Harrington, formerly of Soho House Group.

Indulgent comfort food and playful cocktails aren’t necessarily what you’d once have associated with vegan restaurants, but things have changed. The Meet is a plant-based pop-up in Clapham opening in November by chef Dominic Taylor and is in the Fu Manchu site on a railway arch on Lendal Terrace.

And on the subject of vegan, the Covent Garden favourite Wild Food Café is to launch a second branch, in Islington, on 7 December. The menu lists seitan, kale, jackfruit and more vegan classics, but the dishes themselves have global influences. And there will be a wood oven for gluten-free pizza too in the much-larger space.

On soft launch from tomorrow is new Filipino joint Kinilaw & Buko, on Hoxton Street – serving their take on ceviche (kinilaw) and ice cream (buko). A little further ahead, Diogenes the Dog sounds intriguing – a new shop and wine bar in Elephant and Castle that will open in early November from Sunny Hodges, who worked at Margot and on the set-up of Fordwich Arms.

It’s good to hear that after the devastating fire at Mandarin Oriental Knightsbridge, its two restaurants, Dinner and Bar Boulud will reopen on 4 December. The Savoy’s Beaufort Bar has had a revamp and a new menu, available from next week. And Pergola Paddington opens its winter season from Thursday – with Yucatan, MAM and Patty & Bun amongst the food offerings.

Le Gavroche has a new head chef, and it is 29-year-old Gaetano Farucci. Farucci has been working at the Michel Roux restaurant since 2013 and will work alongside  Roux and executive chef Rachel Humphrey on developing seasonal menus at the two-Michelin-starred Mayfair landmark.

André Garrett has been named as executive chef at Corinthia Hotel. For the past five years he has been in the same role at Cliveden House and has also worked with Galvin restaurants. When he joins in January he will be overseeing all food for the hotel (apart from Kerridge's Bar & Grill) including revamping The Northall restaurant.

When The Standard hotel opens early next year, the rooftop restaurant will be run by the Michelin-starred chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias. His Casamia restaurant in Bristol is much celebrated and signing him is a major coup for the hotel. He plans a sharing menu with Spanish and Mexican accents.

Meanwhile Gymkhana also has a new executive chef… Jitin Joshi has joined after working for Taj hotels in Dubai – he also has experience in kitchens with Eric Chavot and Gordon Ramsay. In addition to heading the kitchen at the Mayfair restaurant, Joshi will be working with JKS Restaurants on developing growth and new projects at the group.

A great opportunity has arisen to work alongside Mark Hix, at his flagship Soho restaurant. We are currently seeking chefs of all levels to complete the brigade, working closely with our Chef Director and Mark himself.

You will have at least 2 years’ experience in a similar role, a passion for food and an interest in British seasonal ingredients. You will be a team player, with excellent skills and thrive on working in a busy kitchen.


Click here to read more

Padella is our award-winning restaurant at Borough Market. Founded on a commitment that everything is made from scratch, reflecting the best produce available to make life-changing pasta.

Our managers feel comfortable with our ingredients and processes, enabling them to inspire this throughout the team and in their engagement with customers, making our bustling restaurant a dynamic place to work and grow.

Click here to read more

Fay Maschler reviews Kym's, City

Jimi Famurewa reviews Kerridge's Bar & Grill, Westminster

Kombucha: can the fermented drink compete with beer at the bar?

From Big Macs to sliced white: Tim Hayward on the joy of ‘bad food’

Mon 15 October

• Wild Pasta Menu at The Ninth
 
• Beer pairing at The Anthologist
 
• Industry offer at Donelly's pop-up

Tues 16 October

• James Shyabout at Lyle's
 
• Rafael Gomes at Carousel

Wed 17 October

• Michelin Dinner Series at Lords: Simon Rogan

Thurs 18 October

• AIR Workshop: Getting the Best from Your People

Fri 19 October

• Deanston whisky dinner + CODE special offer
 
• Late nights at Jinjuu

News broke last week that BAO is to open its third site in London. This time the Taiwanese favourite is going to set up in Borough. The Dumbwaiter wonders who’ll end up with the longest queue. BAO or Padella?

The Dumbwaiter was dining at ROVI on Saturday night and spotted Yotam Ottolenghi perched at the counter in his Fitzrovia restaurant enjoying dinner.

Move aside all the usual A-lister restaurants in London, apparently the place to be is in Chigwell. The Dumbwaiter read about Sheesh over the weekend. This Turkish restaurant in Essex, that serves £100 cocktails and £20 truffle chips is, apparently, all the rave. Reem.

From Crispin to Carousel. Click here to read The Dumbwaiter’s best bites of the week.

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