New Restaurants
New Nightspots
Coming Soon
Benja
Focusing on traditional dishes rooted in Thailand's regal past, this upscale three-storey newcomer will open this month in Soho (17 Beak St., W1). Its name refers to the five colors of Benjarong (polychrome 18th-century ceramics used by the Thai royal family), and these colors – red, black, green, turquoise and yellow – can be seen throughout the interior created by designer Ou Baholyodhin (Patara and Benares).
Good Deals and Other News
Smoking Ban
It has finally been announced that the smoking ban in restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs will go into effect July 1, 2007. There are no details yet on the type of outdoor areas where smoking will still be permitted.
This Islington mainstay is celebrating its fifth birthday this month with a variety of events including a celebratory menu featuring chef Ian Wood's favourite dishes with matching wines (lunch, two courses for £20, three courses for £22; dinner, two courses for £22, three courses for £27). There will also be a specially produced collection of recipes presented in a small book, as well as prize draws for cookery class vouchers (worth £190 each).
Offers a seafood-and-jazz evening every Saturday where diners select from the freshest fish bought that morning at Billingsgate Fish Market to be cooked to their preference while they enjoy live music (seatings from 6:30–10:30 PM; jazz is played from 7:30–10:30 PM; £45 per person; 020-7510 1999).
New head chef Hiroyuki Saotome, former joint head chef at Nobu London, has introduced two omakase tasting menus featuring a handful of his signature dishes such as aburi toro with green chile and onion ponzu sauce and tempura soba risotto with fried botan prawns and truffle sauce (£55 per person for six-course menu; £75 per person for seven-course menu).
The child-friendly focus of this Marylebone eatery has been an intrinsic part of its recent revamp, and to that end there's a new children's menu created by baby- and children's-food expert Annabel Karmel, with macaroni 'n' cheese and mini-burgers among the choices.