The luxury London restaurants reopening this month

From Town & Country

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak recently unveiled the government’s new Eat Out to Help Out scheme designed to “get customers back into restaurants, cafes and pubs, and protect the 1.8 million people who work in them”. Running throughout August, households across the country will be given vouchers offering diners a 50 per cent discount on meals and non-alcoholic beverages.

As with hotels, galleries and museums, the post-Covid restaurant experience has undergone a few drastic changes: diners will be asked to sanitise hands before entering any restaurant space, with many asking guests to wear face masks; linens will be changed after every visit, with restrooms manned, cutlery brought out between courses and, in many spots, socially distanced barriers will separate foodies from one another to ensure their safety.

From Circolo Popolare to glamorous hotel the Connaught, Daphne’s to Core by Clare Smyth and Lina Stores, here are just some of the top-notch restaurants you can reserve a seat in now.

In Knightsbridge, the Berkeley recently unveiled its new outdoor summer restaurant, the Garden at the Berkeley. Best described as an ode to the perks of the Med, it’s a twinkly affair complete with changing menus – featuring everything from giant charred prawns to grilled sardines, octopus and roasted cauliflower – laid out on an ultra-dreamy and Instagrammable outdoor patio, shaded by olive branches. On 14 July, the Connaught will reopen its famed two-Michelin-starred restaurant Hélène Darroze at the Connaught. In time for Bastille Day celebrations, the luxe eatery opens its freshly refurbished doors with a new ‘Taste of Summer’ menu, designed to celebrate the provenance of British ingredients and to help support local suppliers. Expect Hélène’s iconic hand-dived scallops, Ajo blanco velouté of fresh almonds and garlic, served with Cornish mackerel and a Highland Wagyu beef, barbequed and served with a jus infused with salted anchovies.

Hotel neighbour Jean-Georges at the Connaught has also returned to fire up the truffle pizza ovens courtesy of the executive head chef Anshu Anghotra, and the pastry master Nicolas Rouzaud has whisked up a collection of delectable new desserts to tempt your sweet tooth. As part of both hotels’ Covid-19 safety precautions, enhanced cleaning measures are now in place along with socially distanced tables, electronic menus (single-use paper menus are available on request) and contactless payments will be in force. All teams will undergo daily temperature readings and as they return to work, will undergo “comprehensive” and “regular” Covid-related training.

Elsewhere, in Mayfair, Ollie Dabbous’ Hide has already reopened with enhanced safety measures in place. Tables will include draws stocked with hand sanitiser, cutlery will be brought out with meals to “avoid exposure”, single-use menus will be printed daily (minus covers) and guests will be asked on arrival if they would like “particular changes to make them feel more comfortable”. The chef himself has also made some modifications to his kitchen: “we have purchased masks for all staff, and there is a single, designated team for Hide Above to avoid cross-pollination,” he says. “We have a large kitchen which makes the distancing slightly easier and though we had handwash protocols in place pre-Covid, these have been amplified to meet current government guidelines.”

Caprice Holdings, the foodie giant behind some of the city’s most iconic restaurants and night clubs has reopened the doors of Mayfair’s Scott’s, Sexy Fish and Kensington’s Daphne’s. To keep guests as safe as possible, the group has announced escalated safety measures, including the use of thermal cameras, on-the-spot temperature checks for guests and daily deep-cleaning regimes at all locations. Tracking software has also been installed to log staff’s daily temperature readings along with air filtration units manned by dedicated teams “to ensure that health and safety is at its highest standard on an ongoing basis”.

The French deli Le Deli Robuchon is back for business, serving breakfast, lunch, supper and snacks with eat-in or take-away options. Le Deli will now operate via self-service, though those who wish to dine in can order from the counter and sit inside the now socially distanced restaurant space. On the other side of Mayfair on the Piccadilly, the much-loved luxury breakfast favourite the Wolseley relights its grills, along with neighbourhood haunts Amazonico, 45 Jermyn Street, Brasserie Zedel and Ormer at Flemings Mayfair. The Ritz Hotel has also announced its afternoon tea service will resume on 18 July, swiftly followed by its Michelin-starred restaurant on 27 July. What of Instagram sensation Sketch? You’ll be able to snap the pink-room, AKA the gallery, from 17 July, though the restaurant has said it will at first operating at reduced opening hours.

Kerridge’s Bar and Grill is once again offering lunch and dinner at the Corinthia Hotel London. Tom Kerridge and the head chef Nick Beardshaw are currently masterminding a new, shorter, lighter summer menu alongside Kerridge’s staples. The Garden – the hotel’s semi al fresco lounge – welcomes an open-roof dining concept offering a Mediterranean-inspired menu devised by the executive chef André Garrett – a formidable list of rosés included – and afternoon tea is back on in the stunning Crystal Moon Lounge.

In Covent Garden, the restaurant scene is beginning to pick up and fast. Under new plans recently unveiled by Westminster Council to spring Central London back into action, the bustling estate has extended the pedestrianisation of its streets, so its restaurants can install outdoor eating spaces. The Oystermen, afternoon tea favourites Ladurée and Mariage Freres, Frenchie, Buns & Buns and Insta-favourite Sushisamba are among a handful of Covent Garden eateries that have already taken advantage of the extra space. Local go-to La Gocchia, overseen by Petersham Nurseries, serves British and European-inspired classics in its lemon-tree decorated courtyard. Plus, al fresco dining spaces have been set up in the East Piazza for those that prefer to dine at a greater distance from the expected crowds.

In Knightsbridge, the Tiffany Blue Box Café at Harrods is welcoming diners back for its indulgent afternoon tea – New York-style salt beef pain di mie, summer berry tart, crab muffins and diamond backdrops included. Around the corner in Sloane Square, Han’s Bar & Grill – the brainchild of 11 Cadogan Gardens (sister hotel to Cliveden House) – has extended its al fresco dining space on the flag flanked stretch of Pavilion Road. Seasonally British at heart, the menu celebrates local artisans featuring Brit classics, from posh fry-ups to curated lunch soirées. A maximum of two households of six per table will be allowed to dine in, though the restaurant’s hours have been extended to keep the party going into the small hours.

For those in need of spice, Chutney Mary, Veeraswamyand Amaya restaurants are now open. To welcome back guests, a complimentary glass of Taittinger Champagne will be served at all three until 12 July. Jamavar and Bombay Bustle have also announced their doors are reopening with a stringent set of safety measures in place. Menus will now be issued with QR codes for those who want them, and reservations will be limited to six guests per household. The private dining-room at Jamavar, however, is available to seat up to eight guests from two separate households. Back in Mayfair, Berkeley Square favourite Benares’ lunch and dinner service has fully resumed, offering a mix of fine dining à la carte Indian classics, as well as signature dishes, cocktails and lovely wines. To keep you safe, partition screens have been set up between tables and all areas of the restaurant are regularly cleaned with antiviral chemicals. Dishoom will also reopen its Carnaby, King’s Cross and Shoreditch locations on 10 July, with Kensington set to welcome guests on 24 July.

Belgravia institution La Poule au Pot, sister to the British restaurant Maggie Jones (also now open), welcomes back loyal fans with its namesake dish in celebration of Bastille Day. Wonderfully French, enjoy socially distanced escargots, coq au vin, guinea fowl and tarte tatin inside or on the charming patio. Further west, Holland Park legend Julie’s plans to reopen on 16 July, welcoming guests on its sparkly terrace with a seasonal menu developed by the chef patron Shay Cooper. To keep you at ease, the restaurant is following government post-Covid-19 recommendations with temperature checks for staff and guests, newly installed plastic screens, social distancing, additional outdoor seating, staggered bookings and reduced capacity.

Nearby in Notting Hill, Core by Clare Smyth has resumed taking bookings for foodies eager to try the restaurant’s elegant, multi-award-winning and Michelin-approved dishes. Nearby neighbour 7 Saints is also open now, with added outdoor seating and a delicious new menu boasting smoked eel risotto and chocolate pavé. Gold, Notting Hill’s beloved Italian restaurant is also open, with online reservations available again to guests eager to snap up the restaurant’s coveted seats, Further afield, the Petersham Nurseries Café in Richmond has again started dishing out its signature dishes under its dreamy pergola – perfect after a long walk in Richmond Park.

The Italian sensation Lina Stores has rustled up a new outdoor dining concept. In King’s Cross (open 15 July) a brand-new seasonal menu launches alongside the striped hangout’s Venetian-esque 75-seat terrace. Maltagliati Verdi with spring mushroom ragù, crab linguine and Lina Stores favourites tagliolini with summer truffle, veal ravioli and an indulgent gelato cart are just some of the highlights. To protect diners from temperamental British weather, the terrace is partially covered; and to adhere to current government guidelines, a one-way entry system and QR code menus are now in force. Its Greek Street outpost will reopen on 21 July.

Sticking with the Italian theme, the Big Mamma Group – the people behind Shoreditch hangout Gloria and West End lunch spot Circolo Popolare – are already putting the excitement back into get-togethers and lunch meetings. Menus are still very much the same, from pizza to pasta and pancake breakfast galore, but in light of Covid-19 the group has put together an innovative set of safety measures to make eating out fun, as well as safe. Staff will ask all guests to maintain one-metre distance at all times, issuing face masks and dispensing hand sanitiser at the entrance. Advisories will be on display throughout both restaurants and all linens and tables will be cleaned after each visit. Test and tracing will be in force and because of its sheer size, Circolo Popolare will be operating a one-way system.

In the City of London, Fortnum & Mason at the Royal Exchange has resumed breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner services – here, a shrimp burger, ‘bang bang chicken salad’, English strawberry Eton Mess and summer-themed tipples will tickle your palette. All tables are currently one-metre apart and several hand sanitisation stations will help keep you, as well as the staff safe.

Hicce, a charming British woodfire restaurant in King’s Cross is back after months of closure with a fine antipasti selection. Think sardines with red and green mojo, Iberico pork ribs with honey soused tomatoes and sweetcorn or courgettes with summer beans, chicory, scamorza and miso mustard. Staff will all be equipped with face masks and will be working with the NDiiD app to ensure they keep their distance.

South of the river, Wright Bros Ltd, the renowned seafood specialists, will reopen two branches in Borough Market and Battersea. Dining at Borough Market will be under the art deco market canopy, and in Battersea, bookings are open for the restaurant and outdoor terrace donning riverside views. Seabird, the Hoxton’s sky-high restaurant boasting views over the Thames and city is now open: expect picture-perfect spreads including supersized prawns. The River Café has also reopened its doors with Italian dishes destined to inspire a much-needed post-lockdown summer Tuscan escape.