The latest hospitality venues to open their doors across the UK in December 2023
The festive season may be upon us, but that hasn't stopped some tenacious operators from setting up new sites in the UK. The Caterer has complied a list of the best and brightest for you to see what's new.
Fatto a Mano is one of London's newest restaurants, opening officially to the public on 4 December. The pizza restaurant travelled up from Brighton, and has now opened its second London site in Covent Garden. The Caterer had a sneak peek at the new venue, with staff ready to welcome customers, a shiny new pizza oven, and custom ‘Fatto a Mano' tiles out the front.
We asked a waiter what Fatto a Mano means (‘made by hand' as it turns out) – "I haven't quite memorised that bit from the handbook yet," he replies. It's the newness of site and staff that make for an excellent opening with palpable excitement. Not to mention the pizza selection is one to behold, with traditional Italian ingredients mixed and matched with ease – for example with the ‘lasagne' pizza, topped with beef ragu and bechamel, or the pesto, courgette and buffalo bocconcini.
As for the rest of the country, in Cardiff the team behind the Priory hotel in Caerlon have opened a wine bar, offering Mediterranean small plates cooked in an open kitchen. The menu focuses on each dish's main ingredients, with fire and smoke used liberally to impart extra flavour.
From the best new restaurants to the buzziest new hotels, there are plenty of new openings happening this month.
Scroll down for the latest openings across the UK...
Send info on your new opening to openings@thecaterer.com
The Butcher's Tap & Grill, Chelsea, London
Chef Tom Kerridge has opened the Butcher's Tap & Grill in London's Chelsea, six years after the launch of the Butcher's Tap & Grill in Marlow.
Head chef Ian Lovett and his team are offering a menu dominated by British flavours and meats, such as Hereford 28-day dry aged, grass-fed beef from HG Walter and Dovecote Farm, Blythburgh pork, Longland Farm duck and Suffolk Texel lamb.
The two-storey, 100-cover grill takes over the site of the Queen's Head and has been refurbished with white and oxblood tiles, bespoke chandeliers, aged leather booths and vintage butchery tools.
Upstairs has been designed as a drinking spot with stools and screens. The Hand & Flower's Ale is available alongside six seasonal cocktails curated by Anthony Peart, bar manager at Kerridge's two-Michelin-starred pub.
Opened 5 December
Typical dishes Fried mac 'n' cheese bites; old-fashioned hot dog with American mustard
Address 25-27 Tryon Street, London SW3 3LG
Website www.thebutcherstapandgrill.co.uk
Sandman Signature Glasgow hotel
Canadian hospitality company Sandman Hotel Group has opened its first property in Glasgow's Pegasus House building. The 179-room site is set across 10 floors and showcases nine room styles, from signature to penthouse suites.
Opened 27 November
Starting room rate £95
Address 375 West George Street, Glasgow G2 4LW
Website www.sandmansignature.co.uk/glasgow
Barbican Bar & Grill, London
The Barbican Bar & Grill has opened under the Searcys collection in the brutalist gallery and arts centre. The new menu includes a range of burgers, light bites and salads alongside cocktails by general manager Jonet Espinal.
Opened 4 December
Typical dishes Crispy buttermilk chicken burger with garlic mayo; Hawaiian burger with pineapple and red chilli salsa
Address Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
Website www.barbicanbarandgrill.co.uk
Taylor's of Goodluck Hope, Bermondsey, London
Organic grocer, deli and wine bar Taylor's of Goodluck Hope, which started out in Maltby Street Market in Bermondsey, has opened in East London's island neighbourhood. A selection of small plates and relaxed dishes celebrate the site's ‘farm shop-to-table' ethos.
Opened 6 December
Typical dish Garlic butter Scottish girolles
Address Orchard Dry Dock, Orchard Place, London E14 0JW
Website www.taylorsgrocers.uk
Faber, Hammersmith, London
Executive chef Ollie Bass, who was previously at Quo Vadis in London's Soho and Sessions Arts Club in London's Clerkenwell, has opened shore-to-fork coastal restaurant Faber in Hammersmith in London.
The menu changes regularly based on the catch of the day and features ingredients from an array of British suppliers, including Câr-y-Môr in Pembrokeshire, Wales's first regenerative seaweed and shellfish farm; Portland Shellfish, a sustainable shellfish and crab provider from Dorset; Maldon Oyster Company, based in Goldhanger Creek; and Isle of White tomatoes, which are grown in the Arreton Valley.
Drinks have been chosen to showcase artisan distilleries from the British Isles, such as the Sugar Kelp Old Fashioned (Wrecking Coast rye whiskey, sugar kelp, bitters and sugar) and Monksbeard Martini (Wrecking Coast Scurvy gin, noilly prat, monksbeard, lemon and samphire).
Opened 23 November
Typical dishes Grilled Cornish cod cheek skewer with tartar sauce; Chalk Stream Hampshire trout tartare with soya, keta caviar and nori
Address Welbeck Mansions, 206-208 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7DH
Website www.faberrestaurants.co.uk
The Boxford, Newbury, Berkshire
WSH Restaurants, the team behind the Woodspeen in West Berkshire, has opened all-day diner the Boxford in Newbury, Berkshire. Head chef Mirko Privitera has created a menu showcasing Sicilian-inspired cuisine focusing on sourdough pizzas and fresh pasta.
Opened 22 November
Typical dishes Linguine alle vongole; Parma ham pizza; calamari fritti; panna cotta
Address Lambourn Road, Boxford, RG20 8DD
Website www.theboxford.com
The William, Kensal Rise, London
North London-based Loci Pubs, which was behind the Duke of Hamilton in Hampstead, is set to relaunch the historic William IV pub in Kensal Rise in London with private events spaces, 15 bedrooms, and a new brunch and Sunday roast offering.
Opened 27 November
Typical dishes Buttermilk fried chicken; chicken schnitzel with fried egg
Address 786 Harrow Road, London NW10 5JX
Website www.thewilliamnw10.com
Iceberg Lounge at Park Row, Soho, London
Wonderland Restaurants, the team behind Park Row in London's Soho, has added the Iceberg Lounge to its Gotham City-themed venue. Executive chef Raymond Steplin and chief creative officer James Bulmer have created a modern Japanese menu.
Opened 10 November
Typical dishes Salmon tataki; tuna taco
Address 77 Brewer Street, London W1F 9ZN
Website iceberglounge.co.uk
Rudy's, Shoreditch, London
Rudy's Pizza Napoletana is set to open its second London site, in Shoreditch. The pizzeria will be set across two floors, with the majority of covers in an airy ground-floor dining area.
Opening 4 December
Typical dishes Porchetta (white pizza with fior di latte, roast porchetta, sage roasted potatoes)
Address Montacute Yards, 183-184 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6HU
Website www.rudyspizza.co.uk
Bodega, Cardiff
Sophie Pascoe and Benito Martinez, the team behind the Priory hotel in Caerleon, have opened Bodega wine bar and restaurant in Cardiff. Bodega offers small Mediterranean-style plates cooked over fire.
Opening 1 December
Typical dishes Colchester oyster with pickle and cava granita; sobrasada croquetas
Address Amber Vista, Clear Water Way, Cardiff CF23 6DL
Website www.bodegawine.bar
Sam's Waterside, Brentford, London
Sam Harrison and Fanny Stocker have opened Sam's Waterside in London's Brentford. The restaurant features an open kitchen, blush pink leather seating and a commissioned painting by artist Tomo Campbell.
Opened 21 November
Typical dishes Crispy duck salad with watercress and persimmon; roast Devon chicken with girolles and bread sauce
Address 3 Kingham Avenue, Brentford TW8 8GP
Website www.samswaterside.co.uk
>> New restaurants, hotels and bars opening in November 2023
>> New restaurants, hotels and bars opening in October 2023
>> New restaurants, hotels and bars opening in September 2023
