June’s long days and warm nights provide the perfect conditions for lengthy, relaxed dining. In Monte Carlo, Christopher Cussac has reopened the Ambassadeurs dining room at the Metropole, while at Iniala Harbour House in Valletta, an opening by Simon Rogan adds a new option to Malta’s fine dining scene. In the UK, choices are plentiful: Greek, Punjabi and Thai ventures open in London, and rural Yorkshire has a new pub to shout about. Read on to discover the best new restaurants to visit in June 2023.
NEW RESTAURANTS TO VISIT AROUND THE WORLD IN JUNE 2023
The Abbey Inn
Byland, North Yorkshire, UK
The fruits of Yorkshire are piled high on the table at this scenic pub in the North York Moors: Oldstead beef, Doddington cheese – even the Negroni has a splash of schnapps made with foraged rhubarb. A menu developed by Michelin-starred Tommy Banks (owner of The Black Swan and Roots) is complemented by a wine list full of gems: affordable Crémant is joined by Charles Palmer and vintage Burgundy.
Open now, abbeyinnbyland.co.uk
Empire Empire
London, UK
Harneet Baweja, founder-director of Gunpowder, is on the move again with a new Punjab-led menu in Notting Hill. Kebabs are slowly charred and curries richly sauced before showstoppers like the lobster biryani steal the scene. The decor is inspired by Baweja’s memories of the Indian disco scene that his dad loved, hence the Marshall jukebox at the heart of the restaurant. There are easy-drinking wines by the glass or bottle, some handpicked Indian single malts and even a proper shikanji lemonade for sober drinkers.
Open now, empire-empire.restaurant
Les Ambassadeurs at the Metropole
Monte Carlo, Monaco
Christopher Cussac brings his experience from French fine dining to a new residency at the Metropole’s 1920s dining room. Having joined Joël Robuchon at the hotel in 2004, he’s since supervised the openings of its Odyssey and Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant, Yoshi. Les Ambassadeurs will be a return to Mediterranean dishes for Cussac; expect nods to local seafood and fresh seasonal ingredients.
Open 22 June, metropole.com/en/restaurant-montecarlo/chef-cussac
Cantinetta Antinori
London, UK
A new 25-cover restaurant in Knightsbridge offers traditional Italian food with serious credentials. Cantinetta Antinori is a Florentine restaurant run by winemakers since 1957 and their venue off Sloane Street represents its first opening in the UK. Exclusive Antinori vintages (Italian and Chilean) and handpicked guest wines pair with a menu of classics: vitello tonnato, handmade pasta and gnocchi, lamb, veal, and pistachio tiramisú. For a cool, calm escape from the crowd, this is it.
Open now, cantinetta-antinori.uk
Kima
London, UK
When the Cyclades are too far for lunch, Marylebone’s new seafood grill is the next best thing. Sustainable ingredients get the minimalist treatment, such as the charred fish collar served simply with lemon and early-harvest olive oil, and a clay-pot orzo. Elsewhere, the chef’s imagination runs riot, with taramas topped with crispy roe and an olive tuile, plus Kima’s nori ‘baklava’. The attention to detail runs right down to the Corfu-made tableware.
Opens late June, kimarestaurant.com
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ION Harbour
Valletta, Malta
Simon Rogan’s first Mediterranean restaurant matches sweeping views of Valletta harbour with lunch and tasting menus of seasonal local ingredients. There are flashes of Rogan’s hand in some of the dishes: frozen Tunworth cheese, truffle pudding and ember-grilled salads, for instance. But at this new venue, Maltese seafood shines: grouper and snapper, Rossi prawns and raw bream are interspersed with eel doughnuts and south coast lobster. To complement, the wine list offers gems from Italian and Greek winemakers, as well as Malta’s own Ta’Betta by the bottle or glass.
Open now, ionharbour.com
