Openings of the week

Vapiano, Paddington

Italian restaurant Vapiano opened its fourth London venue and its first since 2018 at Paddington’s Eastbourne Terrace on 14 December. The 4,500 sq ft, 168-cover site will offer the brand’s signature customisable menu with handmade fresh pasta and pizza cooked to order.

 

Quo Vadis, Soho

Dean Street restaurant and private member’s club Quo Vadis will close its doors on 2 January and relaunch in February following a refurbishment that will double the number of available covers (to 40) and create a more spacious area. The redesign includes a new door with a brass knocker, a new black-and-white striped awning, and red Georgian-style dining sofas and a reclaimed Georgian wood floor in the dining room.

The menu, which changes monthly and serves seasonal, regional British fare, will also be updated for the relaunch.

 

JD Wetherspoon; Soukra; Trapdoor; and Haute Dolci, The O₂

The O₂’s entertainment district has announced four new additions to its F&B line-up. JD Wetherspoon has invested £3m into opening an 8,000 sq ft space named The Stargazer, with a beer garden with views across the Thames and Canary Wharf.

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern concept Soukra will open the brand’s first bricks-and-mortar site next week with a 9,730 sq ft unit and 300 covers, alongside a mezzanine, garden spaces, and a menu featuring dishes such as shakshuka and Andalusian lamb tajine.

American bar and restaurant Trapdoor will also make its debut with a 4,000 sq ft venue, serving a chef menu and cocktail list. The two debuts will be joined by a 3,100 sq ft space occupied by dessert brand Haute Dolci, opening in January 2023.

 

High Yaki, Chinatown London

Japanese barbecue concept High Yaki will debut in Chinatown London early next year. Specialising in yakitori, yakiniku, and dry-aged wagyu, the concept will open a 3,600 sq ft, 150-cover restaurant with a mezzanine level for private dining. The menu focuses on a variety of meat and fish ready for grill, which diners can cook at their own tables.

 

Tabu, Birmingham

Tabu, a new bar, restaurant, and live entertainment venue, will open in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter later this month. Inspired by the speakeasy scene of 1920s New York, Tabu is described as a late night-focused venue with a menu of pan-Asian cuisine.

The 400-capacity venue comprises a bar and dining room along with private booths and will offer live music every Thursday-Sunday night. It will also offer bottomless brunches on weekends.

 

Contigo, Trafalgar Square

Japanese-Peruvian concept Contigo will launch a 150-cover restaurant in Trafalgar Square in spring 2023. The menu will focus on high quality British produce, including sushi and robata-cooked items, as well as a large selection of spirits from Central and South America.

 

Fridays, Durham

Fridays has announced it will open its first site in County Durham today (16 December). The American-inspired cocktail bar and restaurant chain is opening a 6,000 sq ft venue at The Riverwalk in Durham’s city centre, with an offering of Fridays classics such as burgers, fajitas, and cocktails.

 

Chopstix, Livingston

Asian-inspired QSR brand Chopstix opened its second site in Livingston, Scotland, last week, with further Scottish locations in the pipeline to add to the current estate in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. The next opening will be in Glasgow’s Braehead shopping centre.