Sophie Weir

🍹 Anise, located in Devonshire Square near Liverpool Street, reopened in September 2025 after a full renovation. Bar Manager Piyush Gouchwal collaborated with mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana on an innovative cocktail menu, blending Indian spices with local botanicals. The bar offers both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, including the City of Colour and Keralan Sunset. Chef Vivek Singh's menu includes Indian-inspired bar bites like Mumbai chilli cheese toastie. The bar operates Monday to Saturday, 3 pm to midnight.

🏨 AMANO Group, a German boutique hotel brand, acquired Waterman House at 41 Kingsway, London, on September 29. Formerly an office, this property will become a 70-room hotel, revitalizing a vacant 25,000 sq ft building. Located near Hotel AMANO Covent Garden, this £20m acquisition brings AMANO’s London investments to £150m. The group aims to replicate its Covent Garden success, which boasts over 90% occupancy. Waterman House redevelopment expects streamlined operations with existing hotels.

🍕 Ria’s Soho, a Detroit-style pizza and wine bar, launches on 1st November 2025 in London’s Soho, offering 50% off food from 1st to 3rd November. The new site, designed with Nothing is Not Nothing, continues the legacy of Notting Hill with a 38-cover space over two floors, featuring an open kitchen and wine cave. Co-founders Ria and David Morgan-Ratcliffe expand their brand with their signature pizza and a curated list of natural wines.

🍳 Gordon Ramsay Restaurants Global, in partnership with The Clermont Hotel Group, will open the UK's first Hell's Kitchen at The Cumberland Hotel, London, in Spring 2026. Located at Marble Arch, this site will join eight existing locations, having served over one million Beef Wellingtons globally since 2018. The restaurant will feature an open kitchen and a contemporary bar, offering signature dishes and innovative cocktails, all within a hotel boasting 900 bedrooms and extensive event spaces.

🍴 Opened in February 2025, ZIMA Notting Hill, located near Portobello Road, is the second ZIMA venue in London, offering 45 seats. Directed by Lukas Rackauskas, it features modern Eastern European dining with Russian influences. A notable event in June 2025 included a six-course menu by Michelin-starred chef Evgeny Vikentev. The restaurant integrates heritage with art, showcasing works from Russian and Eastern European artists, and offers signature vodka infusions and seasonal collaborations.