The summer’s hotting up and July sees a plethora of new venues offering shade and sharing plates. The AngloThai team returns to London with an anticipated outdoor dining space at 180 the Strand, the Portrait Gallery opens a new dining room, while in Soho a new venue opens on Beak Street. Chef Jackson Boxer heads to the Cotswolds, while, further afield, a new spa hotel on the shores of Lake Garda promises food with spectacular views. Read on to discover the best new restaurants to visit in July.
NEW RESTAURANTS TO VISIT AROUND THE WORLD IN JULY 2023
Outcrop
London, UK
In the courtyard of 180 The Strand, around a brand new installation, John Chantarasak takes a classic Thai approach to seasonal British ingredients: asparagus satay, coconut-smoked turbot bone broth and skate wing jungle curry. At the bar, Desiree Chanatarsak curates a short, sharp list of low-intervention wines like Le Grappin from Beaujolais, Matt Gregory’s English field blend and Nibiru’s Tradition NV by the glass or carafe. For a quick aperitif, pick from Outcrop’s botanical cocktail menu (Tomato Negroni, anyone?).
Opens 7 July, https://outcrop.social
Claridge’s Restaurant
London, UK
In the heart of Mayfair, Claridge’s is reopening its art deco dining room for a new era. Coalie Finn, formerly of Sketch, ensures luxurious British dishes dominate the menu: grilled lobster, truffle crumpets, and vacherins for dessert. Under the skylights and above the leather banquettes, diners will be seated amongst artwork from Claridge’s private collection. If you want to sneak in for a look, order a spritzer at the bar and people-watch to your heart’s content. Now open for breakfast all week, plus lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday, the restaurant is scheduled to fully open in September.
Open now, claridges.co.uk
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Cowley Manor
Cheltenham, UK
A Grade II-listed hotel and spa near Cheltenham is reopening with a bang this month as Jackson Boxer begins work in the kitchen. Marrying local ingredients with a French approach (a nod to the new hoteliers), guests can expect gougères made with Stinking Bishop, brioche sandwiches and oysters with Elderflower Champagne. The 50-cover dining room sits at the heart of the 17th century manor house and grounds.
Opens 4 July, cowleymanorexperimental.com
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Mountain
London, UK
Fans of Brat should head to Soho’s Beak Street this month as a new Spanish grill and wine bar opens its doors. On the plancha, seafood from Wales and Cornwall: whole bream, lobster caldereta (cooked in a pot), prawns and cockles. Dessert’s given equal billing with almond tarts and ensaimadas (rolled pastries) to follow mains. Martina Larnach, head of wine, and Holly Willcocks, partner at Half Cut Market, curate the wine list.
Opens 11 July, mountainbeakstreet.com
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Osteria la Pergola
Lake Garda, Italy
A new spa hotel on the shores of Lake Garda promises a traditional Italian terrace restaurant with unrivalled views. The menu will be led by seasonal, local north Italian dishes and ingredients, with a wine list to match. With a whole resort outside your hotel room, you might want to explore all your options: the hotel will also open a fine dining venue, Al Tramonto, as well as serving breakfast in a rooftop garden, aperitivi at the lounge bar, picnics in local vineyards or dinner on a lake jetty. Now all you have to do is book enough nights to do it all.
Opens 8 July, slh.com/hotels/cape-of-senses
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The Portrait
London, UK
Up on the fourth floor or the National Portrait Gallery, Richard Corrgian’s latest restaurant focuses on contemporary British and Irish takes on seasonal ingredients. The Portrait is yet another opening for Corrigan in the capital, where he won his first Michelin Star, following the success of Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill and Corrigan’s (and Dickie’s Bar) on Grosvenor Street. As well as set menus and bar snacks, The Portrait will also host High Tea – and with the views it has over Trafalgar Square, it could quickly become one of London’s unmissable destinations.
Opens 5 July, theportraitrestaurant.com
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Ember
Berlin, Germany
A rooftop in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin is the setting for Ember’s summer stint this year. Seasonal food is cooked over open wood fires, with a set four-course menu costing €68 per person. Don’t be put off my the glasshouse – it’s air-conditioned – and there are outdoor platforms for enjoying drinks and views across Berlin. There are dinner services every Thursday, Friday and selected Saturdays. Reservations are essential.
Open now, ember-ofc.com
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GrassFed
London, UK
A new challenge to Hawksmoor’s vice-like grip on London’s steak-restaurant scene, GrassFed is set to open in Hawley Wharf in Camden, offering high-quality cuts of British beef plus the odd piece of seafood cooked over coals. Paul Foster, winner of a Michelin star in 2018 at his restaurant Salt in Stratford-upon-Avon, is head chef – he’s developed a reputation as a beef connoisseur, which bodes well for anyone with an interest in the provenance of their côte de boeuf. Diners should expect some big wines to match the food emerging from the kitchen.
Opens July, grassfedrestaurant.co.uk
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Flor Xakali
Austin, Texas, US
One of Austin’s favourite Mexican restaurants, Nixta Taqueria, has extended its patio for the summer to accommodate Flor Xakali, a new venture serving an eight-course tasting menu in two sittings every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The menu is intended to tell chef Edgar Rico’s family story and guests are given a keepsake ‘zine’ to guide them through the dishes. Each seating accommodates 12 diners, who can secure their spots with prepaid reservations.
Opens 5 July, nixtataqueria.com/flor-xakali
