London’s restaurant scene has never been more restless, more inventive or more willing to tear up the rulebook. July 2026 brings a wave of openings that reflects the city’s extraordinary culinary diversity — from a Chinese-Texas barbecue joint taking over one of east London’s most celebrated zero-waste sites, to a 6,000 square foot Persian all-day restaurant in Marylebone and a Michelin-worthy Mexican menu inspired by Frida Kahlo at Tate Modern.
Here is everything worth booking, queuing for, or simply keeping on your radar as the summer dining season hits its stride.
Hon’s BBQ, Hackney Wick — Opening 17 July
The most anticipated opening of the month takes over the former Silo site in Hackney Wick — the pioneering zero-waste restaurant that closed earlier this year. Chef Man Hon Luk brings his Chinese-Texas BBQ concept to a permanent home after a residency at nearby bar All My Friends that generated considerable buzz among east London’s food community.
Everything will be smoked on-site. The menu centres on short rib with Sichuan peppercorn sauce, Iberico pork ribs in a Texan rub and Taiwanese pork belly, alongside sides including Lap Cheong sausage smoked mac and cheese. It is a collision of culinary traditions that sounds improbable on paper and, by all accounts, extraordinary on the plate. The address is First Floor, Unit 7, The White Building, Queen’s Yard, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN.
Soraya, Marylebone — Opening 15 July
With room for 190 diners across 6,000 square feet, Soraya is the largest and most ambitious project yet from Pachamama Group, the team behind Zēphyr, Bottarga and Nina. The concept is Persian all-day dining on a grand scale, occupying 96 George Street in Marylebone.
Breakfast brings sharing plates of kuku sabzi herb omelette, eggs benedict with saffron hollandaise and khachapuri pide. Later in the day, the menu moves to flatbreads, lamb koobideh, short rib khoresh and ghormeh sabzi stew. It is the kind of restaurant that London’s Persian community has long deserved and that the broader dining public is increasingly ready for.
Kol at Tate Modern — Running Through August
Santiago Lastra of Michelin-starred Kol has created a special three-course Mexican menu to accompany Tate Modern’s new Frida Kahlo exhibition — one of the most talked-about art shows in London this year. Lastra, who hails from Coyoacán, Frida’s hometown, has designed a menu that begins with a tomato ceviche tostada with blue salsa that turns pink when lemon is squeezed onto it. The main course is a short rib tamale with mole — Frida’s favourite food — and the meal closes with ice-cream inspired by the colours of her final painting, Viva La Vida.
The restaurant sits on the sixth floor of Tate Modern, with views across the Thames that are, in themselves, worth the visit. Bookings are available through the Tate Modern website.
Johnny Boy’s, Stoke Newington — Opening 4 July
Julian Denis, founder of Hackney vegan restaurant Facing Heaven and adjacent dive bar Easy 8, is branching out into all-day dining with a concept inspired by the immigrant food cultures of Los Angeles. Johnny Boy’s opens at 3 Northwold Road, Stoke Newington, serving breakfast burritos and chilaquiles at weekends and, from Wednesday to Sunday evenings, crab tostada, patty melts and pastrami dip sandwiches.
Brasserie Olivia, Sloane Square — Opening 9 July
The first international outpost of French restaurant group La Nouvelle Garde arrives at 1 Sloane Square, Chelsea. Classic Parisian fare — cassoulet, steak frites, a dedicated breakfast menu, cheese plates and a seafood bar — in a setting that is, by all accounts, deeply chic. For those who find the current vogue for fusion and experimentation exhausting, this is the antidote.
Miokuru, Soho — Opening 12 July
A handroll sushi bar at 6-8 Warwick Street, Soho, using British seafood to produce Japanese classics. Pressed scallops, chalkstream trout sashimi and 12 signature handrolls — including Cornish white crab with wild garlic mayo, beef tartare with wasabi mustard and crispy Scottish salmon — make this one of the more thoughtful expressions of the Japanese-British crossover that has become one of London’s most productive culinary conversations.
The Broader Picture
July’s openings arrive at a moment of genuine tension for London’s restaurant industry. Costs remain elevated, consumer spending is under pressure and a number of beloved establishments have closed in 2026. Yet the pipeline of new openings shows no sign of slowing, and the quality of concepts coming to market — particularly in east London and the West End — suggests that the city’s appetite for dining out remains as strong as ever.
The Mayor’s Summer Streets scheme, announced this week, will provide additional footfall support for outdoor and street-level hospitality through the summer months, with nearly £500,000 allocated to 15 locations across 11 boroughs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most anticipated London restaurant opening in July 2026?
Hon’s BBQ in Hackney Wick, a Chinese-Texas barbecue concept from chef Man Hon Luk, is widely considered the most anticipated opening of the month.
Where is Soraya restaurant in London?
Soraya opens at 96 George Street, Marylebone, W1U 8AF on 15 July 2026.
How long is the Kol at Tate Modern collaboration running?
The special Frida Kahlo-inspired menu runs through July and August 2026 at the sixth-floor restaurant in Tate Modern, Bankside.
Feature Image by freepik
