Top 4 New Restaurants of 2023
To kick off our inaugural Epicure Lifestyle newsletter and perfectly round up 2023, we thought to highlight some of our favourite new restaurants of the year!
In no particular order, they are Mountain, Humo, Canton Blue and Counter71.
Why should odd ball number three get all the fun?? Here are our favoured four…
@mountain.restaurant:
It’s somewhat non-controversial that 2 of the named best newcomers share a common narrative: wood fire grilling! There definitely is a theme around London in recent years to this favoured new method of cooking. Tomos Parry of Brat and now Mountain is no newcomer to this. He’s already achieved many accolades for Brat and Brat at Climpson’s Arches, with his inventive take on Basque grilling mastery. He’s singlehandedly fostered the rise of other imitators; disciples from his Brat kitchen opening new spots like the Parakeet. So, whilst Brat seemed more focused on Basque techniques, Mountain brings the same wood fired faithful following but with a more Balearic spin.
Take the Lobster Caldereta; a hearty Menorcan stew made to make you feel cosier and warmer on cold and rainy London nights than even the Menorca sunshine. But if you’re not in a large group and can’t sample everything, you’ll probably end up as we did, focusing on the Friesian beef rib (8yr), wood fired rice, and butter lettuce with anchovy vinaigrette dressing.
Many restaurants have high quality sourced cuts & some even from the very same supplier @mr_txuleta. This however, seemed to pack even more flavour. The price point for quality produce here just hits the spot. Not a surprise then that this group counts Kiln, Brat, Smoking Goat and now Mountain as just another example of their laid-back approach to excellence. Open kitchen, casual setting, central location (Soho), & effortless quality!
It opened early on in 2023 and exemplifies the wood fire grilled cuisine with a Japanese twist. The head chef here trained under Chef Endosan from Endo at the Rotunda so you can expect a high level of attention to detail. From the sourcing of produce to the execution, everything is very high-end and refined.
So too are the prices. We started with some sashimi bites and followed on to earthy cauliflower with black truffles and ‘salsified’ artichokes, then onto the sea with perfectly grilled langoustine and lobster tail bites. From there the meal was topped off with some high-grade Wagyu and lamb chops. Yummy and faultless. Do you prefer your grill influence Japanese or Basque-esque? Hopefully you don’t have to choose and can enjoy both for different occasions.
For a truly indulgent and special occasion try the chefs table below at Abajo, a private dining experience with just 10 seats and only one exclusive seating per evening. The Abajo menu and experience perfectly orchestrates the same finesse, attention to detail, and nuances as the main restaurant above.
@Counter 71:
I’ve almost sworn off multi-course menus, as delectable as they may be, simply because there’s not enough semaglutide inventory to keep this body in check. But with a new ‘Hit list’ on the horizon and with it being situated in East London, my favoured area for dining discovery, I simply couldn’t resist the temptation. @counter71 reminds me of a smaller @behindrestaurant with its emphasis on seafood. Its creative spirit is well orchestrated and served up beautifully by its 3-man strong team in the kitchen.
Set around an open kitchen, this 16-countertop seating or “chefs table” in Shoreditch offers up quite the feast. It starts from the moment you arrive with a staggered timed entry allowing the diner to enjoy a pre-dinner drink – an experience that’s attentive and doesn’t feel rushed. The personal welcome for each reservation upon arrival is quite a luxury in London’s hysteria for a rushed 2 seating turnaround per evening. Not here! Despite the relaxed and cordial friendly welcome, the service is very attentive, exemplary of the exclusive single service seating per night.
The menu itself is very impressive; an inventive seasonal tasting menu cooked to precision right in front of you with effortless charm, and all for 110 GBP, is no easy feat and well worth the food offering. In fact, I’d say it’s well on its way to earning it a one-star Michelin guide designation. Watch this space!
@CantonBlue:
Walking into Canton Blue from the side entrance on Grosvenor Place, I was entranced by the height and scale of grandeur decorating the entrance and the narrow bar on the left. Up the stairs onto the next floor and the dining room is more intimately dimmed, but with the same grand décor lighting up our eyes in exclamation.
There is no doubting the hefty investment here. There are no shortcomings. This is a top-class restaurant where your senses are awakened upon entry just from the aesthetic alone. Fortunately, the food takes over from the design and continues your sensory journey even further. Peking Duck is the same the world over – right? Wrong!
I asked our waiter what makes this duck so special. There had to be a reason why this meat was just so perfect; tender, meaty, juicy and with just the right amount of fat (not too much). The Chef spent a whole year looking for the perfect supplier, ending up finding the best in Ireland. Even as a native of Hong Kong, he admits many HK based clients rave about the superior duck here. It truly is exceptional, and you can most definitely taste the quality.
So, from décor, to food and drink, to service, the execution here is super refined and flawless. A meal for 3 comprised 2 types of dim sum, Peking Duck (served in 2 styles), another main (XO prawns) plus rice, a bottle of Italian white wine and a pre-lunch aperitif – and was quite feasible for the level delivered, at 170GBP pp. Order the wine wisely, and it is quite reasonable and not as exorbitant as what one may fear of the location. Nonetheless, this is a special luncheon type of place. This is where deals get brokered and celebrations begin!
London has waited a long time for a Peninsula, and it certainly looks like it’s been worth the wait!