Restaurant Magazine

Pete Holt, the pub operator behind the Southampton Arms in Kentish Town, has bought The Old China Hand, a Grade II listed pub in Clerkenwell, London. Located at 8 Tysoe Street, a short distance from Exmouth Market, the property has been owned and operated by Mike Peck and Rowena Smith for approximately 20 years. The sale marks the end of their two-decade tenure as they retire. Dating from around 1856, The Old China Hand occupies a three-storey building that retains much of its period character.

The head of wine at London’s Goodbye Horses on the Ardèche, fellow somm Nathalie Nelles and why he believes calling wines ‘funky’ or ‘farmy’ is disrespectful to the people who make them.

Junk Group confirms opening dates for Covent Garden double header

Hospitality operators have criticised the Budget for offering little relief from rapidly rising costs, with business rates support for smaller venues failing to address wider pressures on the sector.

Al Molo, a new family-run Italian restaurant and low-intervention wine bar, will open in Harbord Square, Canary Wharf, next month. The 30-cover venue, founded by Giuseppe Pollifrone, will serve traditional Italian dishes made with fresh produce from local suppliers, alongside Italian cheese, charcuterie and wines from small producers.

East London pizza restaurant Voodoo Ray’s is entering ‘a new chapter’ under one of its most long-standing team members after its previous operating company entered voluntary liquidation earlier this month.

Polina Sychova and Eugene Korolev, the founders of Notting Hill restaurant SINO, are to open Sit With Us, a new coffee house and bakery in Notting Hill, this November. Sit With Us will combine speciality coffee, an experimental drinks programme and an in-house bakery, alongside a programme of community events.

StreetSmart’s 2026 winter campaign launches on 1 November, with restaurants across the UK inviting diners to make a voluntary £1 donation per table throughout November and December to support projects tackling homelessness. Now in its 29th year, the campaign supports people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, from those sleeping rough to young people at risk of losing their homes. Donations fund frontline projects providing practical support, including meals, emergency accommodation, healthcare, training, housing advice and routes into permanent housing.

The founder of Italian steak restaurant group Macellaio RC is relaunching his original Kensington as a more approachable, osteria-inspired concept focused on regional Italian dishes.

The team behind Hackney restaurant Sune have revealed The Poet, a new British pub and dining room in Smithfield, will open on 30 November, with two further hospitality spaces planned for the site in 2027. Founded by Spencer Large, Honey Spencer and Charlie Sims, The Poet will occupy one of the six ‘Houses’ surrounding London Museum’s new home in the General Market. The project will comprise a pub on the ground floor and a dining room above, with an intimate chef’s table restaurant and standalone cocktail bar set to follow next year. The two additional spaces will open in the first half of 2027. Envoi, located on the mezzanine, will be a 10-seat chef’s table restaurant led by Executive Chef Charlie Tayler, offering a 14-course tasting menu in a gallery-style setting. Meanwhile, Shambles will occupy the attic as a standalone cocktail bar, taking its name from a Middle English term associated with butchers’ stalls.