This month’s crop of must-visit restaurants sees diners head from boats and bridges to skyscrapers and beyond. Up in the sky – or on the 30th Floor of 28 Stanley building in Central Hong Kong – you’ll find the Italian-American inspired ORO slinging theatrical Abruzzian dishes with a touch of Manhattan glamour. Move from tower block to bridge and you’ll find a 20-seat table tucked away in a look-out spot in Sydney’s Harbour Bridge (where you’ll be rewarded with a glass of Champagne for your journey to the top).
Back down on earth, there’s a different kind of harbour-side dining at Oranje, a seafood restaurant located on a boat in Copenhagen’s colourful Nyhavn. If you prefer to keep your dinner away from large bodies of water, there’s a very special Parisian pop-up this month from Ruinart, as well as a trendy opening from a social-media chef in London’s Notting Hill. Keep reading below for more exciting new restaurants to book a table at this month.
New restaurants to visit around the world in November 2022
Elis
London, UK
Taking over the old Corner Room site in London’s Cambridge Heath is the second restaurant from chef Rafael Cagali of the Two-Michelin-Starred Da Terra. Elis is a tribute to Cagali’s mother – whose first restaurant in São Paulo was named after the Brazilian singer, Elis Regina – and it’s a more casual affair than the chef’s other east London restaurant, with only an a la carte menu on offer. Dishes are inspired by Cagali’s Italian and Brazilian heritage: we’re talking Pao de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread), veal tartare, smoked marrow and straw potatoes, and guava crème caramel.
Open now; restaurantelis.co.uk
Lonely Oyster
Los Angeles, USA
Say ‘ahoy!’ to seafood towers, salmon crudo and baked clam brunches at Lonely Oyster, Echo Park’s newest opening. The restaurant has been designed to feel like a maritime clubhouse, and sports a raw bar hosted by a sleuth of seafood experts to educate diners as they chow down on local catches. Chef Carlos Lopez, previously of Kokotxa in San Sebastián, will serve dishes ranging from scallop carpaccio and Peruvian ceviche to Louisiana-style lobster rolls on brioche buns. The wine list embraces Californian– and European-produced wines, and cocktails are designed to pair with the spoils of the sea.
Open now; lonelyoyster.com
Luke’s Table
Sydney, Australia
Not one for the faint-hearted, Luke’s Table is just that: one long table located in the Pylon Lookout inside Sydney’s Harbour Bridge. The 20-seat table is only accessible by scaling 200 steps, and costs $AUD 295 per diner. Once appetites have been suitably whetted by the journey up, guests can expect ex-Glass Brasserie chef Luke Mangan to be serving oysters, sashimi, and seared beef fillet alongside Champagne and Penfold wines – and impressive views of both the bridge and harbour. Bookings are expected to fill up fast, so you’ll need to be on the ball to get a seat at the table.
Open now; lukemangan.com/lukestable
Maison 1729
Paris, France
Open between 17 and 29 November (as in 1729, the year the lauded Champagne house was founded), Ruinart is bringing together a plethora of guest chefs to create brunch, lunch and dinner menus to pair with the maison’s cuvées. Among the line-up is Céline Pham, who specialises in French-Vietnamese cuisine, and Alexandre Gauthier of the Two-Michelin-Starred La Grenouillère. There will also be a cheese and Champagne master class led by artisan fromagerie Taka & Vermo, a tasting of the R de Ruinart cuvée in different formats (bottle, magnum and jeroboam) and a temporary exhibition of works by David Shrigley as part of the Champagne house’s ongoing ‘Carte Blanche’ partnership with the artist.
Opens 17 November; ruinart.com/fr-e
Naro
New York, USA
Since whisperings of its opening at the beginning of this year, Naro has been one of New York’s most anticipated restaurants of 2022. The second site from co-founders Junghyun ‘JP’ and Jeongeun ‘Ellia’ Park (who rose to fame thanks to their original and refined approach to Korean fare at Atomix, just off Park Avenue) comes as part of the rebrand of the Rockefeller Center, which is aiming to become a place for destination dining. Naro promises a fresh perspective on Korean food – gone is barbecue and gochujang, and in its place are seafood and vegetable dishes inspired by both home cooking and the royal-court cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty. Cocktails are on theme, with Korean liquor soju and fellow fermented beverages taking centre stage.
Open now; naronyc.com
Oranje
Copenhagen, Denmark
Aiming to shake up Nyhavn’s notorious tourist-trap dining scene is new restaurant Oranje. The seafood spot isn’t just harbourside, it’s actually in the Copenhagen harbour. Located on an historic boat (complete with masts and sails), Oranje will be serving small plates like canned seafood from gourmet Danish company Fangst with butter-fried bread and lemon mayo, with a chef’s choice set menu on offer below deck. Drinks seem to cater for all, with a menu ranging from Champagne to micro-brewed beer.
Open now; oranjenyhavn.dk
ORO
Hong Kong
Skyscrapers are just one thing Manhattan and Hong Kong have in common – and at the top of one in the latter city lies new restaurant ORO. But you’d be forgiven for mistaking your surroundings: ORO and its sister rooftop bar may take up the 30th and 31st Floor of 28 Stanley Street (boasting dizzying harbour views), but the look is inspired by Manhattan and its glamorous Rat Pack-era Italian restaurants. The show is run by hospitality veteran Gian Franco Razzani, whose menu is influenced by memories of his nonna and relatives who moved from Italy to America in the early 20th Century. Diners can expect theatre: pasta presented in a Parmesan wheel, a baked Alaska set alight at the table, and an extensive Italian wine list to boot.
Open now; oro-toptown.com
Strakers
London, UK
Thomas Straker’s ASMR-worthy recipe videos were a hit during the pandemic, and after a successful guest-chef slot at Carousel (London’s buzzy restaurant where chef residencies are in rotation), now he’s opening his own spot in west London. His tagline is ‘the food you want to eat’, and his menu certainly follows in this vein, with sharing plates like whole grilled seabass with white peach, green beans and almonds, and gnocco fritto with guanciale. Wines come from The Modest Wine Merchant and err heavily on the low-intervention side. Cocktails take the form of riffs on classics, including a clarified Margarita.
Open now; strakers.london
