What’s cooking in London: latest restaurant & dining highlights in March 2026
March comes with a delicious sense of momentum as London moves into spring in indulgent form. From Japanese brunching at The Aubrey at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park to pie feasting for British Pie Week, plus a flurry of exciting new openings across Soho and Shoreditch, the capital’s appetite shows no sign of slowing. Consider this your curated guide to what’s on, what’s new and where to book now.
Weekend Brunch with a Japanese Twist
This place will elevate your brunch standards. As one would expect from the Mandarin Oriental group brunch at The Aubrey is luxurious and deeply indulgent. The setting is salubrious and staff are trained to treat every customer coming through their doors as the VIPs we all aspire to be. Nothing is too much trouble.
The Japanese brunch menu is filled with perfectly executed dishes - pristine sashimi, blistered shishito peppers and a smoky and indulgent BBQ Tonkatsu Beef Rib to the dreamiest fluffy Japanese pancakes. Add exquisite sake, standout non-alcoholic teas, and interiors that feel like a hidden world beneath the city, we are obsessed!
Click here for our full review of the weekend brunch at The Aubrey.
Location: Mandarin Oriental, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA When: Saturday & Sundays, 12-5pm Website: mandarinoriental.com Instagram: @theaubreylondon
Weekend Brunch at The Aubrey, Mandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge. Image credit @lateef.photography
Tracey Emin exhibition followed by lunch or dinner at the Tate Modern
The highly anticipate exhibition of Tracey Emin: A Second Life, launched this week. Enjoy the opportunity to combine your visit with a two-course meal at the Tate Modern’s Restaurant on the 6th floor, which offers splendid views across the Thames towards St Paul’s Cathedral. This pairing is expected to be very popular, so early booking is advised.
Tracey Emin Exhibition + Lunch: Available on Friday 6 March with 17.30, 18.00 and 18.30 exhibition time slots, followed by dinner.
Tracey Emin After Hours + Dinner: On Friday 6th of March there is the opportunity to attend the exhibition after hours, then settle in for dinner at the Level 6 Restaurant. Take in the London skyline at night and choose two courses from the seasonal à la carte menu.
Location: Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. Price: £59 includes exhibition entry and two courses. Book now
Website: tate.org.uk Instagram: @tate
Tracey Emin, installation view of “Tracey Emin A Second Life” at Tate Modern, 2026. Photo by Yili Liu. © Tate.
What’s happening
British Pie Week 2026
British Pie Week takes place from 2- 8 March, when London transforms into a citywide celebration of flaky pastry, rich fillings and comforting flavours. From buttery shortcrust classics to inventive gourmet creations, bakeries, cafés, pubs and markets across the capital showcase their most irresistible pies.
Click here for our guide to tasty suggestions, from pies on the go, to a lunchtime break in the City or even a pre-theatre pie.
Image courtesy of Libertine London
Pizza Pilgrims half price pizzas (if it snows)
You may not like the cold but this will have you praying for snow. If it snows in the UK between 9 February and 28 March, the ‘La Fonduta’ pizza will be available at HALF-price. ‘La Fonduta’ is Pizza Pilgrims limited-edition pizza created in collaboration with Italy’s legendary Courmayeur ski resort. This hearty pizza is topped with rich, nutty, and beautifully melted Fontina DOP cheese, fior di latte mozzarella, and herby roasted potatoes, finished with a drizzle of rosemary vinaigrette and a sprinkle of fresh chives.
Available until 29 March, ‘La Fonduta’ brings together the worlds of Neapolitan pizza and the iconic Fonduta cheese fondue, a local delicacy of Italy’s Valle d’Aosta. Perfect for the cold season. If you haven’t been able to get away for your annual ski trip perhaps this will be a comforting compensation. A bit of a gamble. But you never know!
Location: Various locations. Date: 9 February – 28 March 2026. Website: pizzapilgrims.co.uk Instagram: @pizzapilgrims
Image courtesy of Pizza Pilgrims
For Margarita cocktail lovers
Margarita Month is running across Mr Fogg’s, Cahoots, Control Room B and Barts, in association with Patron and Ilegal Mezcal. Following on from Margarita Day celebrations (22 February) each bar has four, limited-edition cocktails, including The Perfect Margarita with Patrón Silver tequila, orange liqueur and lime and - one cocktail from the Robert Capon the winner of the Inception Group Cocktail Competition. This cocktail “Lucky Red’s” is a refreshing and indulgent coming together of Patrón Silver tequila, cedro liqueur, figs & cherries liqueur, cola wine and lemon.
Of particular interest is The Lost Recipes of Mexico at Mr Fogg’s Treehouse which imagines forgotten Margarita recipes recorded in weathered notebooks and rediscovered years later. Margarita highlights include A Fine Prickle- a fruity and peppery concoction of Patrón Silver tequila, cactus, pimento & prickly pear, green chilli liqueur, watermelon, coriander and lime as well as the exotic and bittersweet Born of Embers- mixing together Ilegal mezcal, Martini Riserva Speciale Bitter, bergamot liqueur, grapefruit sherbet, passion fruit and lime
Date: 23 February – 22 March 2026. Location: Various venues. Price: All cocktails are £15.50. Instagram: @mrfoggsgb @controlroomb @cahootslondon@bartslondon
Image courtesy of Control Room B
New Openings
Workshop Cafe & Academy
Workshop has opened its new flagship café in the heart of Belgravia. Founded by entrepreneur James Dixon, the brand has earned a stellar reputation for sourcing and supplying some of the finest coffees in the industry, alongside long-standing B2B partnerships with leading five-star hotels, including Claridge’s, The Langham, and Raffles London at The OWO.
Housed in a beautifully renovated corner building in Belgravia, the café features high ceilings and windows that flood the interior with natural light, and sheltered pavement seating. The menu offers an ideal brunch selection, alongside rotating seasonal sandwiches, soups, and salads, with highlights including miso butter eggs on sourdough. MasterChef finalist 2020 Claire Fyfe, wife of James Dixon, will bring her creative influence to the evolving menu over time. Adjacent to the café, the Workshop Academy has been designed to train the next generation of coffee professionals while also offering enthusiasts the chance to deepen their knowledge and learn to make exceptional coffee at home.
The Café & Academy are led by an accomplished team and are definitely worth a visit. Opening hours: Monday–Friday 7 am–5 pm, Saturday–Sunday 9 am–5 pm.
Location: 22 Eccleston Street, SW1W 9LT Website: workshopcoffee.com Instagram: @workshopcoffee
Image courtesy of Workshop Cafe
Le Nusa
Opposite the Gothic grandeur of the Royal Courts of Justice, Le Nua brings refined Indonesian cooking close to one of London’s most historic addresses. While backed by aIndonesian celebrity owners, this is no vanity project: the space is elegant and culturally rich without feeling themed, and the concept of “Indonesian bistronomy” is executed with restraint and confidence.
The cooking is polished, and assured: from crisp vegetable fritters and bright, citrusy prawn starters to beautifully cooked sea bass in smoked coconut milk and duck with fragrant andaliman pepper. Sauces are a standout throughout, sambals are handled with real care, and desserts reinterpret Indonesian classics with subtlety rather than spectacle. Add a smart pre-theatre menu and a prime West End-adjacent location, and Le Nusa lands as a serious, thoughtful addition to London’s dining scene, a restaurant giving Indonesian cuisine the platform it genuinely deserves.
Click here for our review of Le Nusa.
Location: 227-228 Strand, London WC2R 1BE Website: lenusa.co.uk Instagram: @lenusalondon
Image courtesy of Le Nusa
Hoppers Shoreditch
While many mourn the loss of the Michelin starred Lyle’s in the Tea Building, Shoreditch the JKS group as replaced the modern British restaurant for their fourth installation of Hoppers in London. Despite the high ceiling, previously sparse location it is nowThe menu continues with their well-loved Sri Lankan classics as well as delving further and introducing some new South Indian inspired dishes. The crab omelette is a must order!
Location: Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ. Website: hopperslondon.com Instagram: @hopperslondon
Osteria Vibrato
Newly opened this week and already one of the hottest tables in town. Named after the musical term that adds resonance to sound. Vibrato nods to Charlie's early career as an operatic tenor and to Soho's cultural heritage. Charlie Mellor (the man behind The Laughing Heart, Hackney) seems to have got it right yet again with sommelier Cameron Dewar. The intimate 45 seat dining room on Greek Street is decked out with a piano, white tablecloths and candle lit tables.
A £3 coperto brings premium olive oils, aged parmesan, freshly baked bread for scarpetta, scarti di cucina and bespoke mineral water to every table. Must orders are the Risotto Bianco, the mussels on the antipasti plate, and some freshly baked amaretti to finish of a perfect evening.
Location: 6 Greek Street, London W1D 4DE. Website: osteriavibrato.co.uk Instagram: @osteriavibrato
Image courtesy of Osteria Vibrato
Forza Wine opens in Soho
After success in Peckham and the National Theatre, Forza have made a bold move into Soho with an “Italian-ish” menu adding some wonderful new dishes. Additionally, there is a terrace where diners can languish in the summer. But there’s no need wait for warmer weather to tuck into their rhubarb trifle soft serve. The”forza fiver” at £5 for a vermouth over ice is a bargain and the appearance of slushies on the drinks list will set you up for a fun night of drinking and snacking. Or by all means order the whole menu at £145 which feeds three to four people.
From the 2 March it will be open 7 days a week.
Location: Unit 1, Ilona Rose House, Manette Street, London W1D 4AL. Website: forzawine.com Instagram: @forza wine
Image courtesy of Forza Wine
Simpson’s in the Strand
Jeremy King’s revival of the legendary Simpson’s in the Strand has been one of the most anticipated restaurant reopenings in London in years. After five years of closure, the Grade II-listed building at 100 Strand has been restored to its Edwardian glory, with King describing the project as the “apotheosis” of his career.
The sprawling space encompasses five distinct venues. Simpson’s Bar and Nellie’s Tavern will open soon after the Grand Divan’s soft launch, while Romano’s, a more relaxed grand café setting with continental influences, is set to arrive later in March. Nellie’s, named after the opera diva Dame Nellie Melba, has its own discreet entrance and will stay open until 3am, while the Assembly Ballroom caters for private events of up to 135 guests.
The venue has begun a soft opening inviting some lucky guinea pigs to give it a try and it has already made a spectacular debut on London’s social calendar. On 22 February 2026, British Vogue and GQ hosted their annual “Celebrate Fashion & Film” extravaganza at Simpson’s in the Strand to mark Britain’s biggest night in film, with the bold and the beautiful in attendance - guests including Michael B. Jordan, Jessie Buckley, Ethan Hawke, Riz Ahmed, Jack Harlow, Joe Locke, Machine Gun Kelly and Gracie Abrams, among many others. It was a glittering first major event for the newly reopened institution, a fitting signal that Simpson’s is very much set to be back at the centre of London life.
As a side note, linking into pie week, a quick peek at the new menu reveals a daily pie offering. We can’t wait!
Now taking bookings from 30 March 2026.
Location: 100 Strand, London WC2R 0EZ. Website: simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk Instagram: @simpsons1828
Image courtesy of Simpson’s in the Strand
In the news
The New Michelin guide arrived in early February
London’s culinary landscape continues to shine, with the 2026 Michelin Guide announced early February, confirming the city’s status as one of the world’s great gastronomic capitals. The capital now boasts 88 starred restaurants in total, a number that reflects both the ambition of its chefs and the extraordinary diversity of its dining scene. A remarkable 60 new restaurants were added to the London selection this year, and the headline awards brought fresh cause for celebration across the city.
Beyond the star and Bib awards, a total of 60 London restaurants were added to The MICHELIN Guide over the past year, a figure that demonstrates the sheer evolutionary pace of the city’s restaurant scene. Among the notable new entrants are several Italian openings (Dear Jackie, Cicoria, Canteen, Locatelli at The National Gallery), a wave of East and Southeast Asian restaurants, and ambitious newcomers spanning Filipino, Ukrainian, Greek and Basque cuisines.
Click here to discover more on the New Michelin guide.
