New Restaurants in the UK Worth Planning a Gastro Evening For
If you want to do more than just have dinner and feel where British gastronomy is heading, this list from Condé Nast Traveler is a good guide. From Edinburgh to London, it gathers the most interesting restaurant openings of the past year: featuring vibrant flavors from the Caribbean, Vietnam, Sierra Leone, Thailand, and cuisines reimagined through Japan, China, and Mongolia.
London: Caribbean, Shanghai, and New Big Ambitions
In London’s Gurney Hill, pay attention to 2210 by NattyCanCook. The restaurant opened in October 2025, and its creator is on a mission to earn a Michelin star for Caribbean cuisine. This place might appeal to those tired of predictable menus and looking for expressive, spicy flavors.
Another notable debut is Shanghai Me, a restaurant on the top floor of London’s Hilton on Park Lane. Condé Nast Traveler named it the best new hotel restaurant of the year. If you enjoy panoramic locations, modern Chinese cuisine, and a dining experience that feels like an event, this option looks particularly fitting.
At Somerset House, Poon’s has emerged — a new gastronomic project in a landmark London space. Such openings demonstrate well that in the British capital, a restaurant becomes not just a place for food but part of a cultural route.
Not Just the Capital
The authors of the list recommend looking beyond London. In Manchester, in the Northern Quarter, oysters have been combined with a late-night musical atmosphere and DJ sets — a format for those who love when dinner smoothly transitions into nightlife.
In Glasgow, Basque cuisine is becoming increasingly prominent. This is a good reason to choose the city not just for concerts, museums, or architecture, but also for new gastronomic experiences. The text also mentions Leeds, where the restaurant scene is developing its own character and is no longer perceived as secondary compared to London.
Vraic on the coast of Guernsey stands out separately. For a restaurant, this is a particularly strong recommendation: chef Nathan Davis already has a second establishment with a Michelin star. So, this is a place worth visiting not by chance, but as part of a planned sea trip around the island.
Is It Worth Going?
Yes, if you are looking for not just a list of trendy addresses but various ways to experience British cuisine: from Caribbean spice and Basque tradition to Shanghai flavors and a seaside restaurant. The selection includes options for a separate dinner, a gastronomic weekend, or a route through several cities.
It’s best to perceive this list as inspiration for travel rather than a ranking with a single winner. Some establishments attract with their cuisine, others with their atmosphere, view, or the very neighborhood in which they opened. And which of these formats would you choose for your first evening?