The new London restaurants to try in August 2025

Address: Permit Room, 186 Portobello Road, London W11 1LA
Price: ££
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One Club Row, Shoreditch

Is there anything cooler than entering a bar or restaurant through a door that only those in the know can recognise? Perhaps when said restaurant is on one of East London’s back streets, and the walls that surround it are covered in a rainbow of artsy graffiti. Inside, up the rickety wooden staircase and behind a velvet curtain, is One Club Row, the intimate new dining space inspired by New York glamour and the city’s old-school approach to hospitality. Seats at the bar are considered the best in the house by some, but our perch on a circular, white clothed table in the far corner of the room would be my go-to every time – where better to people watch and soak up the buzz of a space filled with sociable chatter and the melodic sound of a cocktail shaker chilling a frosty martini?

Since we’re on it, the martinis deserve a special mention. The signature recipe is sweet, sophisticated and dangerously morish. Served alongside oysters, I feel fully immersed in this New York City fantasy I’ve entered. We share small plates of scallops served in the shell, doorstep sourdough with salted butter, and tuna crudo, before moving on to Champagne and a fillet of roasted cod so beautiful I can still taste it now. The menu is varied and tempting, and I mentally confirm an order of lobster tagliatelle when I (inevitably) return, though the table next to us seems wholly delighted with their rib-eye steak for two. To finish, twice-baked chocolate cake with crème fraiche and a wedge of strawberry-topped cheesecake that tastes nostalgic in the best possible way. I want to stay and soak up the atmosphere, and it feels rude not to order a nightcap. A round of Manhattans to stick with the theme. Cheers to a wonderful evening in New York, by way of Shoreditch.

Address: One Club Row, 1 Club Row, London E1 6JX
Price: £££
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Josephine Marylebone

In contrast to the Lyonnaise cuisine served at sister eatery Josephine Bouchon in Chelsea, the menu at this Marylebone little sister is full-on classic Parisienne, with interiors to match: café curtains, antique walled mirrors smothered with Art Nouveau posters and Impressionist prints; ceiling murals of Cancan dancers, and a soundtrack replete with Jeanne Moreau chansons françaises and Serge Gainsbourg’s lascivious vocals. The effect is cosy, immersive and ever so French.

Brasserie classics dominate the starters, like the Camembert soufflé and the knockout French onion soup, its layers beautifully tangy and peppery. Mains include bold-flavoured filet de bœuf and poulet aux Morilles, while potato junkies will love the pommes de terre menu, featuring spuds in all forms, from purée to frites. I paired my gratin Dauphinois with a juicy pork belly main, mushrooms and wholegrain mustard, which hit the spot just as hard as the crispy-skinned brill. Only cooked seafood was available on opening night, but something tells us the menu’s Homard Mayonnaise, langoustines, crevettes roses and freshly shucked oysters at the dedicated oyster kiosk will be worth the wait.