Dish to order: if it’s in season, the quail
Address: Camille, 2-3 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AA
Price: $$$
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Canteen
Notting Hill, London
“Wait, they’re open for dinner now?” a friend exclaims when I let slip that I’ve bagged a table at the hottest new restaurant in town. It’s December 2024, and until recently, Canteen has only opened its doors for lunch. It’s a recipe that was destined for success: Public House Group (The Pelican in Notting Hill, The Hero in Maida Vale, and The Bull in Charlbury) stepped away from their tried and tested pub formula to create a slick, casual Italian, appointing ex-River Café Jessica Finley at the helm. Her no-nonsense, fuss-free approach is a breath of fresh air in a part of London usually associated with high-end spots.
The design is cool without feeling gimmicky—all steel paneling, marble tabletops, and raw concrete floors, with pops of color from yolk-yellow benches and the bold red “Canteen” logo adorning menus and light fixtures. I sip a very good dirty martini, tuck into salty chunks of focaccia dunked in olive oil, and patiently wait on my mains: a rich, peppery, and comforting pumpkin, sage, and parmesan risotto followed by sobrasada and mascarpone pizza—the tangy dollops of sobrasada perfectly balanced by the creamy, lemony cheese. There’s just enough space for chocolate mousse—spooned onto the plate, slicked with olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt. I’m checking my diary to see when I can get back before I’ve made it out the door. —S.A.
Dish to order: sobrasada and mascarpone pizza
Address: Canteen, 310 Portobello Road, London, United Kingdom W10 5TA
Price: $$
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Fallachan Kitchen
Finnieston, Glasgow
A first of its kind in Glasgow, Fallachan offers communal fine dining from the industrial surroundings of a candlelit railway arch. The 10 courses of staunchly seasonal fare come accompanied by detailed—bordering on nicely nerdy—explanations of ingredients and techniques. With six staff members to a maximum of 12 diners, it feels luxuriously intimate as you watch the food made from the open counter just a foot away.
Chef Craig Grozier demonstrates a keen talent for turning things on their head, presenting culinary surprises like a langoustine cocktail that’s a spicy shellfish drink in a coupe rather than a pale pink 70s starter. As is the nature of such restaurants, the menu changes regularly, but a highlight for us included a soft, sticky pork jowl cut with cucumber, pine, and meadowsweet. With woodruff, dog whelks, pickled magnolia, and rowan shoot ice cream peppered throughout—for example—it’s likely that you’ll be introduced to at least a few new flavors. The convivial setting encourages diners to ask questions and engage with the team and their fellow guests for a truly interactive evening of high-level cookery, smartly matched wines, and interesting conversation. —Rosie Conroy
Dish to order: pork jowl
Address: Fallachan Kitchen, Arch 15, 8 Eastvale Place, Glasgow G3 8QG
Price: $$$
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Fonda
Mayfair, London
Santiago Lastra‘s next move was always going to be hotly anticipated. The young chef from Cuernavaca, Mexico, rocked up in London in 2020 with stints at Mugaritz and heading up René Redzepi‘s Noma Mexico pop-up on his eye-widening CV. Lastra’s first London restaurant, Kol, was awarded a Michelin star within 18 months of opening and, in last year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony, was the highest-placing UK entry at number 17. So when news of a second London restaurant from Lastra surfaced, my—and most foodie Londoners’—ears pricked. At the tail end of last summer, the doors to Fonda, on Mayfair’s Heddon Street, finally opened. As with Kol, the Fonda team have tweaked traditional recipes to use ingredients mostly found in the British Isles. Guacamole-style dips, for example, are made with pistachio or pumpkin seeds instead of avocado. Punchy salsas are brought to the table with recommendations on which is best paired with various starters to complement the flavors. We tried fresh Scottish sea trout ceviche, and I ordered a wheat tortilla with rib-eye and gooey cheese that I refused to share with my sister. Build-your-own mains are a delightfully relaxed way to round out the meal—which suits the space, with its pinky terracotta tiling and eye-catching pink sloth stuffy hanging above the stairs. If Kol is London’s best fine-dining restaurant (with prices to match), Fonda is its unbuttoned little brother—looser, laidback, and a hoot to spend a Friday night with. —Sarah James
