There’s plenty of restaurant openings to be excited about this month, with stand-out offerings in cities from New York to Sydney. Down Under, Chef’s Table star Lennox Hastie brings San Sebastián to Surry Hills with his latest venture, Gildas – expect pintxos and sherry galore. If you like your dinner inspiration to be a little more tropical, there’s new Haitian restaurant Kann in Portland, boasting traditional dishes from the island with a cheffy flair. Or, if you prefer to sink into the autumnal spirit of September, Melun is Oslo’s new dairy-focused restaurant and wine bar housed inside a 17th Century manor house – a sumptuous setting within which to chow down on cheese.
Whatever your September dining-out mood, take a look at our curated selection of new restaurants around the world worth a visit this month.
New restaurants around the world to visit in September 2022
Bantof
London, UK
A restaurant, cocktail bar and art space: Bantof covers a lot of bases for a Soho evening out. The menu, created by ex-Pied a Terre chef Asimakis Chaniotis, features a selection of tasting plates designed to work alongside the cocktail list as well as a rotating art exhibition. It’s an all-day affair here, with the menu running from Greek Koulouri (a sesame bread) with yoghurt and egg in the morning to black truffle pizza in the evening. The cocktail list is called ‘Soho Stories’ and each drink will be named after a different Soho landmark or personality.
Soft launch from 1 September, bantof.com
Forza Win
London, UK
The Peckham favourite has found a new home on Camberwell Church Street after a two-year hiatus, much to the appreciation of south Londoners. The crowd-pleasing concept – which began its life as a supperclub – largely stays the same, with a traditional Italian five-course menu in the brand-new venue, alongside a large selection of Italian wines. Menu highlights include wonderful-sounding parmesan chunks, and Forza Win’s own creation of Custardo, a cult menu item made with custard and espresso.
Opens 5 September, forzawin.com
Gildas
Sydney, Australia
Lennox Hastie (of Chef’s Table fame) is bringing the culinary spoils of San Sebastián to Surry Hills with his new restaurant and wine bar, Gildas. Inspired by his time living and working in the area, the menu will feature classic Basque pintxos and sharing plates, including the namesake gildas – green olive, pickled chilli and anchovy on a stick. Drinks will match the food in influence, with the menu leaning heavily on sherry, vermouth and Basque wine.
Opens early September, gildas.com.au
Kann
Portland, USA
TV chef Gregory Gourdet is putting Haitian culture at the forefront of his new restaurant, celebrating the diaspora of the Caribbean island. Haitian flavours permeate the menu, with dishes like crispy taro root fritters, patties filled with salt cod, and Haiti’s national dish, twice-cooked pork griyo (fried pork) on offer. Gourdet is a sober chef advocate, so the non-alcoholic drink selection is strong, incorporating Caribbean fruits and spices – but there’s creative cocktails and Oregonian wine, too.
Open now, kannrestaurant.com
Melun
Oslo, Norway
Melun finds home in the historic Mangelsgården, a 17th Century manor and event space with an intimate feel. The setting is perfect for settling down with a large plate of cheese, and that’s exactly what’s on offer. There’s a focus on small producers both in Norway and abroad, and the restaurant also champions seasonal vegetables. You can order all cheese by the gram, drink a decent selection of wine by the glass, and the dessert menu even takes a dairy direction, featuring the likes of blue cheese ice cream with cassis sorbet.
Open now, melun.no
Meters Above Sea Level
Singapore
Dream team Virgilio Martínez and Pia Léon are bringing high-altitude Peruvian produce to Singapore with their new pop-up, taking tables until 30 October. The pair already worked together at Lima restaurant Central, which recently placed second in the World’s Best Restaurant rankings – and are teaming up again to capture Peru’s mountain biodiversity and bring it to a rooftop in Singapore. Peruvian ingredients are the star of the menu, with dishes like Andean corn studded with purple corn crisps and kiwicha grains and bread made with maca root, served with yacon yoghurt taking pride of place. There’s an optional cocktail pairing, too, for drink fiends. Expect tables to fly for this one – early bookings are advised.
Open now, sevenrooms.com
Rabbit
New York, USA
A raw vegan restaurant might not scream ‘delicious’ to some, but the imaginative 13-course tasting menu at Rabbit says otherwise. The only heat used in this operation is a low temperature dehydrator, which is put to use on foods that star alongside raw seasonal vegetables to create a menu presented in storybook format, complete with poems and illustrations. Diners can expect dishes like watermelon gazpacho served with strawberry and tomato and avocado tartare with tomato and plantains, plus low-ABV cocktails, infused waters and a strong selection of wines from Latinx producers.
Open now, overthrowhospitality.com
