Bistro-style dining is proving evergreen again this month as our selection of the best new restaurants to visit features multiple spots in both London and New York offering various interpretations of the concept. In Shoreditch, Tavern delivers decor in keeping with its name while serving modern British bistro dishes, while a new restaurant from Sally Abé a little further east in the capital is a much more classical take. Over the Atlantic, there are two new exciting venues in New York focusing on casual but refined dishes representing the best of the bistro ethos. And, if you fancy something completely different, London welcomes an Indian restaurant that may prove to be a rival to the legendary Gymkhana.
Read on to discover the most exciting new restaurants to visit this May.
The best new restaurants to visit in May 2026
Tavern
London, UK
Tavern replaces Nest on Old Street in Shoreditch and is a reimagining of the space from the same team, one which also runs the Michelin-starred Restaurant St Barts near Smithfield market. The concept combines pub-inspired design touches with a British bistro menu, including devilled pig skin with smoked cod’s roe, a ‘Chunion puff’ (pictured) that’s like a savoury profiterole, baked scallop with cobnut XO, tandoori quail, pork and cuttlefish sausage, and saddleback pork with black apple and pickles. The striking dessert of black koji custard tart with milk ice cream is not to be missed. The beautifully lit dining room is complemented by counter seating that wraps around an open kitchen and the wine list focuses on low-intervention styles with a decent range of bottles on by the glass.
Open now, tavernlondon.co.uk
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Dean’s
New York, US
The team behind King in New York’s Soho has opened a restaurant ‘inspired by the British pub’ serving simple, seasonal dishes from the UK, including plenty of seafood. There’s a crab crumpet, oysters, scallops and salmon cured in gin but also a Barnsley chop with courgettes; bubble & squeak; boiled ham with with mash, broad beans and parsley sauce; and roast beef with pickled walnut and dandelion for those preferring something meatier. The wine list focuses heavily on France, Italy and Spain but there are several English sparklers to choose from before moving on to the still wines. Seven signature cocktails are served alongside bar snacks such as a quail scotch egg and pork scratchings, and there is, of course, Guinness on draught.
Open now, deans.nyc
Teal
London, UK
The site was formerly home of Sesta and Michelin-starred Pidgin but is now reborn as Teal with Sally Abé as chef-patron. Expect classic techniques employed to deliver modern interpretations of traditional dishes and flavour combinations that are ‘sharper, lighter and more considered’. The menu is encouragingly brief, featuring five snacks, four starters, four mains and four desserts. Eye-catching dishes on one of the first menus include baked bone marrow, snails, garlic, parsley and malt; English asparagus, ricotta dumplings, hazlenut and lemon; beef sirloin, short rib and wild garlic; and a marmalade ice cream sandwich. The wine list is relatively short (reflecting the small size of the restaurant) and, despite proximity to Hackney Central, is full of classic names and styles rather than ‘natural’ styles. A section headed ‘Special Bottles’ allows guests to trade up to the likes of top Burgundy and fine Champagne if the mood takes them. Teal is likely to turn the heads of Michelin inspectors, so worth booking sooner rather than later, before it gets even busier.
Open now, tealbysallyabe.com
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Arthur
New York, US
A new bistro for Brooklyn’s Greenpoint, Arthur is on the site of what was previously Fulgurances Laundromat, a restaurant hosting chef residencies that closed at the end of 2025. One of those chefs was Kevin Finch and he has now taken on the premises as his own with his partner Alexa, serving a bistro menu of casual dishes carefully prepared. Examples include tuna crudo, snail skewers; beef tartare; scallops in dashi; and spring beans with ham and Gouda. Signature cocktails are served alongside a wine list of around 100 bottles that focuses on smaller producers making organic wine and using indigenous grape varieties.
Open now, eatwitharthur.com
Oudh 1722
London, UK
Oudh 1722 is the first restaurant in the capital from chef Aktar Islam, owner of two Michelin-starred Opheem in Birmingham. Islam brings the flavours of Awadh, an historical region in northern India, to Borough Market via a menu that moves from naashta, street-style snacks, to kebabs, slow-cooked ‘dum’ dishes and sharing platters of rich curries. A set menu of the signature dishes is on offer to complement the a la carte choices. The kebabs include finely minced lamb shoulder with chilli and rose; king prawn with garlic and raw mango; and paneer enriched with cultured cream and fenugreek, while the dum dishes include smoked Wiltshire lamb shoulder baked in a lamb-fat crust; oxtail biryani and a whole turbot slow-cooked in spiced ghee with brown shrimp and saalan. Tandoori poussin with smoked tomato and cream, and Aylesbury duck with beetroot curry (pictured) are among the list of curries. The wine list features around 300 bottles, balancing classic and under-the-radar regions.
Open now, oudh1722.com
