Top London restaurants to visit in January 2026 January 19, 2026 Despite record restaurant closures in the capital, brave souls continue to open new ones. But as tempting as it is to visit the latest hotspot or search for new trends you should never ignore the iconic restaurants in our city. Some classic London favourites I have visited recently include The Maine, Bob Bob Ricard City, [...]
Why The Ivy is a bastion of hope and quality during a bleak month January 19, 2026 The start of the year is an especially tough time for hospitality as people watch the pounds when it comes to both their wallets and weight. This kind of abstinence is even more of a travesty in London, a city packed with the most incredible restaurants, with a rich history of social eating and drinking. [...]
Galvin La Chapelle launches menu to celebrate Toast award January 15, 2026 I have written about restaurants for this newspaper for some 15 years – but my latest visit to City institution Galvin La Chapelle was a first: reviewing a menu designed to celebrate winning a City AM award. Last year we hosted the first Toast the City awards, celebrating the things that make the Square Mile [...]
Farmer J has a rival: meet new London restaurant Honest Greens January 14, 2026 Until very recently one of the top corporate complaints was how impossible it is to get a healthy lunch. Well, how things have changed: now you cannot move through the City without being confronted by a fast-casual outlet touting some sort of swattishly nutritious boxed up lunchstuff. There are now so many options that innovator [...]
Turtle Bay: Founder criticises ‘unhelpful’ Reeves’ tax raid after huge loss January 13, 2026 Caribbean restaurant and bar chain Turtle Bay has hit out at the “unhelpful” Labour government whose tax “raid” contributed to it slumping into the red. The Bristol-headquartered business, which was set up in 2010 by Ajith Jaya-Wickrema and Stephen Entwistle, cited Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ increase in employers’ National Insurance as a reason for it falling to [...]
Calls for hospitality support grow as business rates outcry deepens January 12, 2026 Calls for the government to extend its rumoured support package for pubs to the entire hospitality industry grew on Monday, after a string of data releases laid bare the bleak outlook for UK venues amid fresh polling that reveals enormous public support for the embattled sector. According to the latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll, 70 [...]
Loungers creates 900 jobs as major expansion plans continue January 12, 2026 Cafe-bar and restaurant chain Loungers created more than 900 jobs in the year it quit the London Stock Exchange’s AIM, it has been revealed. The Bristol-headquartered business delisted in February last year after being acquired by Fortress Investment Group for £338m. The Cosy Club and Brightside owner was founded in 2002 by Alex Reilley, David Reid [...]
Hospitality business rates set to nearly double by 2028 despite government tax cut claims December 20, 2025 Hospitality venues across England will see their business rates bill nearly double in the next three years as a result of the government’s controversial overhaul of the commercial property tax. A fresh analysis of government figures found that most pubs, restaurants and hotels will pay over £32,000 more on property tax by 2028, despite ministers [...]
Find new restaurant openings in London with our new website December 18, 2025 London’s restaurant scene is unlike anywhere else in the country, with a constant ebb and flow of business opening and closing. Keeping up with the newest restaurants can feel like a full time job even for those who work in the business. So we at City AM have developed a new website, NewOpenings.London, that aims [...]
Where chefs eat: the best meals we had in 2025 December 17, 2025 Despite economic headwinds so strong you could forgive most chefs for simply packing up their kitchens and going home, 2025 has been another vintage year for London restaurants. But which ones have made the biggest impression? We asked some of the best chefs in the land which meal they enjoyed the most. Stevie Parle, chef-founder [...]