London: The best new restaurant openings and launches for July 2021

Fancy somewhere that brings together beer, banging Italian food, and the chance to brush up on your brewery knowledge?

Enter the new Camden Beer Hall, whose bar features a mighty 24 different taps serving up Camden fan-favourites plus some limited-edition beer creations you won’t find anywhere else.

Renowned British chef Theo Randall is in charge of the menu, fusing trad beer hall cuisine with classic Italian cooking (think thick slabs of booze-soaking foccacia, hearty papardelle al ragu, and more).

And sign up for the Beer School which includes a brewery tour, a meeting with the expert brewing team, and a tasting. What more could you want?

From food truck in Bermondsey to permanent residency in Clerkenwell, Mexican chef Ramon Ramos has brought his tasty tacos to stylish gastropub, The Gunmakers.

There’s a pescetarian focus, with Baja fish featuring beer-battered catch of the day, and Camarones with grilled prawns, habanero and roasted pineapple salsa, but veggies are catered for too.

Other dishes include proper, good guac, quesadillos and ceviches, and for the brave – or really hungry – you can order a whole roasted octopus to share. Come down on a Tuesday, when tacos are only £3 each.

Drinks-wise, there’s a Tequila and Tonic menu, many mezcals, and Mexican beers.

After the success of their sister site in Paddington, this new, airy space perched on the top floor of one of Canary Wharf’s less sky-scraper-y sites still offers fabulous views across the water.

The food menu’s full of classic crowd-pleasers, such as crispy crackling squid, truffle and pecorino popcorn, blackened chicken, a bearnaise burger and rump steak.

The innovative cocktail list is divided into Land, Earth and Sea, offering drinks from the Cracked Mojito, with Duppy Spiced rum, charred pineapple, chilli and Fever-Tree ginger beer, to the Salted Cucumber Spritz, with Ketel One Botanicals Cucumbera and Mint, cucumber, apple, sea salt, lemon and mint.

You’ve still got time to catch the collaboration between the Chop House’s chef and naan master, Kundan Singh, and resident chef Tom Cenci (formerly from Duck and Waffle).

Until the end of August, Tom is taking to the tandoor to produce a special, mouth-watering naan stuffed with confit duck leg served with spring onion, chives and green chill, finished with peanut brittle, pink peppercorns and a miso caramel.

£1 from each one sold will be donated to Tom’s chosen charity, Beder, which works to raise awareness around mental health and suicide prevention.

Apothecary is a new izakaya (Japanese style pub) in Shoreditch dedicated to drinking, music, and small plates. Dishes from the robata grill and kitchen dishes will include grilled skewers, sushi, and steamed buns, but here the drinks take centre stage.

The cocktail list has been curated by drinks specialist Hamish Denny (of Spiritland and Hawksmooer), and combines classics with Asian influences. Highlights include the Whisky Highball (made using Toki whisky, soda, and Genmaicha tea); the Sweet Pea (made with tequila, lemon, sweet pea, soda, and absinthe) and the Rhubarb Sbagliato (containinggGin, rhubarb, rose, fizz, and umami). 

Sakes (both hot and cold) will also be offered in small ‘taster size’ to encourage those less familiar to sample the delights of this Japanese rice wine, alongside a range of beers, both local and Japanese, and an extensive wine list.

This warehouse brasserie and wine bar is the project of several very talented people, including Anthony Lyon (of Lyon’s seafood & wine bar), esteemed sommelier and Kikisake-Shi Master of Sake, Kelvin McCabe, and musician Pete Denton (involved in the curation of the music and artwork).

Head chef Dominic Auger used to work at HIDE in Mayfair. It all adds up to a set of very impressive credentials, and the menu is no less ambitious: the food is seasonally driven with minimal-waste in mind, and is not attached to a specific cuisine.

Instead, flavours rule, with pickling, curing, and smoking all playing an important part.

Dishes include salmon tartare with jasmine pickled soy and peanut; cured pork belly with kisaichi pickled watermelon and smoked tofu; and burnt apple filo tart with hazenut and koji crumble.

You’ll also find a wide range of biodynamic and organic wines and sakes.

You’ve got until the end of the month – which is National Picnic Month, if you didn’t already know – to head down to Elephant Park, one of London’s most exciting new eating and drinking destinations.

Basically, you pack a tote bag with a selection of treats from a range of their street food stalls, which are each offering a dish at a discounted price.

Try Sugo’s arancini balls or focaccia, Tasty Jerk’s salf fish fritters, Koi Ramen’s gyoza, or a delicious cinnamon bun and a coffee from Hej Coffee. Then retire to the nearest picnic blanket and enjoy!