5 top upcoming London restaurant openings - make January gourmet not glum

The year always takes a while to get going. We don’t see the best gigs listed in January, half your friends will probably refuse to come out due to money-saving or dry January. And the weather’s guaranteed to be miserable to boot.

There’s plenty to look forward to on the culinary side, though.

A heap of restaurants and bars are set to open throughout London in the following weeks. There’s fancy sushi, Pho, a deluxe bakery and more.

As ever, getting in early can save you a reservations headache further down the line. And some of these upcoming picks are also offering online reservations already.

Song Que Pho Bar

Set to open on January 2nd, Song Que Pho Bar is a sister restaurant to the long-standing Song Que Cafe in Hoxton, on Kingsland Road. This new Vietnamese noodle soup specialist lives on Commercial Road, in Shoreditch. It’s only a little over a mile from the original, but this after all a densely packed part of London. We don’t have the full menu just yet, but at Song Que Cafe you can expect to pay around £15-16 for one of the core noodle dishes.

99 Sushi

While we haven’t heard too much on fresh updates from 99 Sushi since September, back then the plan was to open in Mayfair in January 2026. It joins existing locations in some of the most luxe-leaning places in the world, including Monaco, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Menu items include classic sushi rolls, temaki, sashimi, tempura and more. It will be part of the London Hilton hotel on Park Lane.

Ma/Na

Incoming Mayfair restaurant Ma/Na is not related to the Michelin-starred Mana restaurant in Manchester. But it does sound special regardless. Ma/Na is a Japanese restaurant that also puts a big focus on drinks. Think elegant cocktails and some seriously quaffable sakes. “The menu will introduce guests to classic Japanese culinary traditions explored through a contemporary lens,” reads the sell-in from the Thesleff Group, which is behind the launch. Full menu is still TBC, as is Ma/Na’s opening date.

DakaDaka

Due to open on January 17th, DakaDaka lives on Heddon Street nearby Piccadilly Circus and will serve Georgian-inspired dishes. “Modern food tales of ancient Georgia” is its tagline. That means stews, skewers and flatbreads in what is a pretty meaty menu. We’ve only seen a sample menu so far, which suggests a pretty wide variance of priced based on the dish you pick. We’re talking under £20 for humbler mains, like the bean stew, rising to £110 for the aged beef rib.

Claridge's Bakery

Mayfair’s Claridge’s hotel is getting yet another dining option. And it’s a much more casual one, although not without its own culinary cred. Claridge’s Bakery is headed up by star baker and sourdough proponent Richard Hart. It’s set to open on January 21st, and will offer a “distinctly British menu” that includes items like custard tarts and iced fingers (elevated ones, we assume) alongside bread. And, yes, there will of course be sourdough.

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