New Restaurants
New Nightspots
| Name |
Address |
City |
Phone |
| Mizu |
25 Sheldon Sq. |
London |
020-3214 3000 |
| Nova |
312-314 King’s Rd. |
London |
020-7351 0101 |
| Rake, The |
14 Winchester Walk |
London |
020-7407 0557 |
| Silver 17 |
Hanover Sq. |
London |
020-7629 2552 |
Coming Soon
Bungalow 8
NYC club queen Amy Sacco will sprinkle some of her celebrity pixie dust in London next year, when an offshoot of her hot boîte opens in the St. Martin's Lane Hotel (45 St. Martin 's Lane, WC2). Sacco is expected to oversee the opening, which is slated for March or April 2007.
Trinity
This month, chef Adam Byatt will open this Modern European in Clapham Old Town, marking his return to the neighbourhood where he launched his first restaurant, Thyme. Taking over the site that was Polygon near Clapham Common (4 The Polygon, SW4), the 60-seat newcomer will feature a relaxed atmosphere and an open kitchen. Byatt will maintain his role as executive chef of Origin
Good Deals and Other News
A Boom In Chef's Books
There are a rash of new cookery books hitting the shelves. Giorgio Locatelli's Made in Italy (Fourth Estate; £27.99) features family stories as well as 200-plus recipes. Meanwhile, Mark Hix, chef director of Caprice Holdings (Le Caprice, The Ivy and J. Sheekey), has published British Regional Food (Quadrille; £25), which features recipes for 130 British dishes both modern and traditional. Soon-to-be 40-year-old Gordon Ramsay's autobiography, Humble Pie (HarperCollins Entertainment; £18.99), should give some insight into what makes the celeb chef tick. Tom Aikens' new book is Tom Aikens Cooking (Ebury Press; £25), with 200 recipes graded according to difficulty and organized by type of food. Lastly, Nobu West (Quadrille; £30) is Nobu Matsuhisa's first book with Mark Edwards, head chef of Nobu London; it showcases recipes of 120-plus Westernized dishes.
Armani Café
This restaurant has reopened now that the refurbishment of the Knightsbridge Emporio Armani store (191 Brompton Rd., SW3; 020-7584 4549) is complete; it now features slick, black decor and a central coffee bar.
The new health-conscious kids' menu at this Harvey Nichols eatery was designed with the help of Annabel Karmel, a U.K. expert on children's nutritional issues. Available at lunch and dinner, the menu features dishes such as plaice goujons with two sauces, a mini-burger made from 100% organic beef and vanilla or chocolate ice cream with hot chocolate or toffee sauce, as well as complimentary juice, milk or mineral water. Harvey Nichols is also conducting a nationwide search for the new face of its chocolate drink. The successful child (between two and five years old) will adorn the new packaging and receive a family trip to the Valrhona Chocolate Factory in France. To enter, submit a photograph of your little darling with chocolate on his or her face by December 15th; visit www.harveynichols.com for full information on how to enter.
A new Chelsea branch boasts a takeaway fish counter (212 Fulham Rd., SW10; 020-7823 3033).
Has introduced a new à la carte breakfast menu including specialities such as two duck eggs with cèpes and foie gras and a buckwheat crêpe filled with bacon, eggs and Emmentaler cheese. Egg dishes, pancakes, waffles and French toast round out the menu, served weekdays from 7–10 AM and Saturday and Sunday from 7–10:30 AM.
This Pan-Asian newcomer is now offering a weekly changing eight-course tasting menu on Monday evenings (£40 per person plus 12.5% service). In addition, the restaurant recently debuted The Babylon Lounge, open nightly till 3 AM, some evenings with live music.
A live jazz trio now performs at Sunday lunch (12:30–2:30 PM). The three-course set menu (£39.50 per person) includes half a bottle of house wine and dishes such as roast rib of beef off the trolley, as well as a selection of brunch-style items.
Recently acquired by Vince Power, this Primrose Hill hangout has just emerged from a refurbishment by designer Shaun Clarkson (Pigalle Club and Cheyne Walk Brasserie). New head chef Bryn Williams (ex Le Gavroche, Orrery and Galvin at Windows) will offer light, modern French and British fare, with a set lunch menu (£18 for two courses; £22 for three) in addition to à la carte choices. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.