London’s restaurant scene just hit a new peak, and honestly, it’s kind of overwhelming how good things have gotten. Plates London made history in February 2025 by becoming the UK’s first fully vegan restaurant to earn a Michelin star, while 253 new restaurants opened across London in 2023 alone – that’s nearly five new spots every single week. What makes this wave of best new restaurants London different is the sheer diversity: we’re talking everything from family-run Korean joints in Hackney to Ukrainian restaurants in Shoreditch, plus some seriously impressive best new indian restaurants London that are redefining what curry means in this city.
The numbers tell the story of a city that’s eating better than ever. With £55 billion flowing through the UK’s restaurant and hospitality industry and London claiming about 38% of that pie, there’s serious money backing serious talent. But it’s not just about the cash – critics like Grace Dent are calling places like Tatar Bunar “already most definitely a highlight of 2025,” while Jay Rayner reflected that “in 2024 my optimism was richly rewarded” when it came to discovering the best new London restaurants.
Michelin-starred newcomers are changing everything
The biggest story of 2024-2025 has to be Plates London in Shoreditch, where chefs Kirk and Keeley Haworth pulled off something nobody thought possible.
Their seven-course vegan tasting menu (£75) earned that coveted Michelin star in February 2025, proving plant-based fine dining isn’t just a trend – it’s the future. Kirk, who was Champion of Champions on BBC’s Great British Menu, serves up things like barbecued maitake mushroom with black bean mole that’ll make you forget you ever needed meat.
AngloThai in Marylebone grabbed a Michelin star just three months after opening in November 2024.
John and Desiree Chantarasak spent six years doing pop-ups before finding their permanent home, and the wait was worth it. Grace Dent nailed it when she said “There is an understated elegance to just about everything that AngloThai does.” Their Brixham crab with Exmoor caviar and coconut ash cracker is the kind of dish that makes you rethink what fusion can be.
Then there’s Miga in Hackney, the Korean family restaurant that snagged both a Michelin Bib Gourmand and Time Out’s #1 Restaurant in London 2025.
Three generations of the Ko family are cooking together, and their 22-year history shows in every bowl of ox bone broth. The BYOB policy keeps things accessible, which is exactly what London needs right now.
OMA in Borough Market made headlines as the first Greek restaurant in the UK to receive a Michelin star.
Chef David Carter, who previously worked at Manteca and Smokestak, is doing something special with open fire cooking that critics can’t stop talking about.
East London leads the restaurant revolution
If you want to know where London’s food scene is heading, look east. The best new restaurants east London scene is absolutely on fire right now. Hackney has become the unofficial restaurant capital, with everything from Miga’s Korean excellence to new spots like Sune on Broadway Market serving ricotta gnudi with octopus. The borough saw a 27% income rise in Bethnal Green South since 2012, and that money is flowing straight into ambitious new restaurants that represent the best new restaurants in London.
Tower Hamlets experienced the highest levels of gentrification in London between 2010-2016, with 12 neighborhoods making the gentrified areas list. That demographic shift is creating demand for restaurants that would’ve been unthinkable here a decade ago. Take Barge East in Hackney Wick – it’s literally on a 120-year-old Dutch barge serving sustainable British dishes to the creative professionals who’ve moved into the area.
The Creative Enterprise Zone designation for Hackney Wick & Fish Island isn’t just bureaucracy – it’s reshaping how this part of London eats. Restaurants like Lagom, focusing on live-fire cooking, and Duchy, opening in March 2025 with French-Italian cuisine, are targeting the creative industry workers who now call this area home. These spots consistently rank among the London best new restaurants for good reason.
Indian restaurants are having their moment
London’s Indian restaurant scene is exploding with creativity, and it’s about time. The best new indian restaurants London has to offer are finally moving beyond tired curry house stereotypes. Tamila opened its first location in Clapham in October 2024, bringing Tamil Nadu and South Indian specialties to a city that’s been stuck on North Indian standards for too long.
Executive Chef Prince Durairaj, who used to run Roti King, is making everything to order – their Thali Sundays featuring pumpkin payir masala and Chettinad mutton masala are the real deal.
Kricket is expanding everywhere, with their Shoreditch location opening in March 2025 and a fifth spot planned for Neal’s Yard later this year.
What makes them special is that all-day dining approach – they’re serving breakfast alongside their signature Keralan fried chicken, painted entirely in Jaipur Pink because why not?
Empire Empire in Notting Hill from Gunpowder’s Harneet Baweja earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2024, but the real draw is the vibe. It’s themed like a 1970s Indian disco, complete with a custom Marshall jukebox playing Bollywood classics. The kid goat samosas and Old Delhi butter chicken are excellent, but you go for the whole experience – there’s literally a photo booth and space for dancing.
Celebrity chefs are betting big on London
Jeremy King’s Arlington in St James’s might be the hottest table in London right now. King couldn’t use the Le Caprice name due to trademark issues, but he recreated everything else – the salmon fishcakes, the bang bang chicken, the Scandinavian iced berries.
Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Orlando Bloom are regulars, which tells you everything about the clientele.
Jason Atherton closed three places in 2024 but opened five new ones, including Row on 5 on Savile Row with Spencer Metzger from The Ritz. The Dubai version of this concept has two Michelin stars, so expectations are sky-high. His Sael in St James’s Market is doing serious business lunch trade – Grace Dent noted that Mountain, another Atherton spot, “feels like 1998 in there, the place is full to the brim of people doing business lunches.”
Santiago Lastra’s Fonda in Mayfair brings the casual Mexican concept from his Michelin-starred KOL. The heirloom corn tortillas are made fresh, and there’s a whole section dedicated to Paloma cocktails. The design, featuring Fernando Laposse artwork including a giant pink sloth, makes it Instagram-ready without trying too hard.
The economics behind London’s restaurant boom
Here’s what’s really driving this wave: London restaurants are getting 38% of the UK’s total restaurant revenue, which hit £55 billion in 2024. But it’s not just about the money coming in – it’s about where restaurants can afford to open. Rents in East London are still 30-40% cheaper than Central or West London, which explains why 52% of new openings are happening outside the traditional prime areas.
The 253 new restaurant openings in 2023 represents a 13% increase from 2021, putting London at 90% of pre-pandemic levels. That’s remarkable considering the challenges: 63% increase in electricity costs and 124% increase in gas prices hit the industry hard. Most restaurants planned price increases averaging 11%, but they’re getting creative with formats like BYOB policies and set menus to keep things accessible.
Investment in restaurant tech dropped to $1.3 billion in 2024 from a peak of $14.5 billion in 2018, but that’s pushing restaurants toward fundamentals – better food, better service, better experiences. The result is places like The Yellow Bittern in King’s Cross, which goes cash-only and Monday-Friday lunch service only, creating scarcity that drives demand.
Looking ahead to what’s coming
The pipeline for best new restaurants London 2025 looks incredible. Duck and Rice is opening a second location at Battersea Power Station with 185 covers, bringing their British pub-meets-Cantonese kitchen concept to South London. MOI from MAD Restaurants opens in Soho in July 2025 with an omakase sushi bar and 150 covers across two floors.
Singburi 2.0 relocates from Leytonstone to Shoreditch in spring 2025, bringing cult Thai food to a location that can handle the crowds. The Montacute Yards development is becoming a mini food destination, with several restaurants planning openings there.
The Ukrainian dining scene is booming, according to Grace Dent, with places like Tatar Bunar already impossible to book. These restaurants are filling a gap in London’s dining scene while serving communities that need representation.
Conclusion
London’s restaurant scene in 2024-2025 represents something special – a city that’s maintained its global dining reputation while becoming more diverse, more affordable, and more creative than ever. The combination of Michelin-starred innovation, family-run authenticity, and celebrity chef ambition creates options for every mood and budget. Whether you’re chasing that impossible Miga reservation or trying to score a table at Arlington, the common thread is restaurants that respect their ingredients, their communities, and their craft. With over 250 new spots opening annually and more planned for 2025, London’s eating better than it has in years – and that’s saying something for a city that never stopped loving its food.