This is peak summer, and while most restaurateurs shy away from launching mid-season (fair enough – most of London is currently living its best Ibiza life), a handful of restaurants and bars have decided to go all in with an August opening instead. Honestly, we’re here for it.
This month’s list includes Vagabond’s new Canary Wharf outpost (yes, this wine bar is unstoppable 0 it only just opened in Soho too), a new bagel shop, and a Caribbean restaurant with live music. What more could you want? Here are all our favourite upcoming launches. Check back as we keep the list updated.
Vagabond – 3 August
Vagabond is bringing its self-pour wine bar concept to Canary Wharf this August, opening in Wood Wharf with over 100 wines by the glass. A chunk of the list is made just one tube stop away at the brand’s own Urban Winery in Canada Water – the UK’s largest urban winery – so a fair amount of what’s on tap has barely travelled to reach your glass.
The new site spans two floors with a heated waterside terrace, and pairs the wine list with a menu of modern European small plates built for grazing: think burrata di Puglia PDO, pil pil prawns, Iberico croquetas and hanger steak tagliata. The self-pour machines let you work through different wines by the taste or glass so you don’t want to commit to a full bottle for the get-go (or ever).
It’s Vagabond’s 14th UK site since launching in Fulham in 2010, and its first in Canary Wharf specifically – part of a steady expansion that’s continued since Majestic Wine acquired the brand in 2024.
Where: 12 Park Drive, Canary Wharf Estate, London E14 9ZW
When: Opens Monday 3 August; walk-ins welcome, booking recommended
More info: @vagabondwines
It’s Bagels – 8 August
It’s Bagels, the New York-style bagel shop and all-day café from founder Dan Martensen, is opening its fourth London site on Hampstead High Street this August – following Primrose Hill, Notting Hill and Soho. Expect the same hand-rolled, slow-fermented bagels that have built the brand’s reputation since its first permanent shop opened in 2023, available both grab-and-go and filled with regulars like The Works (cream cheese, lox, capers, onion, lemon, seasonal tomato) and the BEC (bacon, egg, cheese).
Martensen says Hampstead was a deliberate pick: “We’ve always preferred neighbourhoods over locations that simply look good on a spreadsheet… the goal is for people to feel like we’ve always been here.” The space, designed with Superfutures, sticks to the brand’s usual no-fuss approach – a straightforward room that’s all about good bagels.
To mark the opening, It’s Bagels is throwing a Back-to-School party for local families, with a free bagel for every child, branded school supplies for sale, and entertainment to keep kids occupied in the queue.
Where: 60 Hampstead High St, London NW3 1QH
When: Opens 8 August 2026; Sun–Thu 8am–6pm, Fri–Sat 8am–7pm
More info: @its__bagels
Marrone – 8 August
Marrone is bringing Soho a cafe devoted entirely to tiramisu, courtesy of second-generation Italian Giancarlo Fanigliulo, who’s betting there’s enough appetite for the dessert to sustain a whole menu built around it. It’s arriving in the same wave of London’s dessert-specific openings as Basque cheesecake spot La Maritxu and honey butter toast favourite Arome, joining Soho’s growing list of single-dish destinations.
The launch menu covers three versions: an Original made with Estate Dairy cream and dark roast espresso, a DOP pistachio version using Sicilian Bronte pistachios from Mount Etna, and a Valrhona dark chocolate and Maldon sea salt option — each available boozy or alcohol-free. The space itself, taking over the old Old Spike Coffee unit on Sherwood Street, is built around a specific feeling: Fanigliulo says he wants people to walk in feeling like they’ve known the owners for years, more restaurant regular than café customer.
Where: 15 Sherwood St, London W1B 5AP
When: Opens 8 August 2026
More info: @studiomarrone
The Waterhouse – 13 August
After The Water House Project closed in May when its lease ended, chef Gabriel Waterhouse and his wife Patricia Wakaimba have already found their next site — a Victorian warehouse not far from the old location, this time simply called Waterhouse, restaurant and wine bar.
The restaurant seats just 24, taking over what was originally a potter’s studio with an open kitchen, while a separate bar is set to open properly in September. The setup suggests something of a promenade experience — expect meals to kick off in the bar before moving through to the restaurant, with the bar also open on its own for wine and snacks. As with the Water House Project, the menu will change regularly, built initially around Northumbrian produce from Waterhouse’s home region: Lindisfarne oysters, hand-dived scallops, creel-caught lobster and Lake District Herdwick hogget among them. Dishes already revealed include a caramelised cream parfait with pear and pine, and smoked haddock and mussel porridge. There’s also a sizeable garden planned, partly for growing herbs and produce for the kitchen, partly for outdoor seating.
If you missed the original Water House Project, this is the perfect second chance.
Where: 7A Ezra Street, London E2 7RH
When: Opens 13 August 2026
More info: @restaurant.waterhouse
Soraya – Marylebone (August – date TBC)
The Pachamama Group opens Soraya at the Loxton Walk development on Baker Street this July – their largest London site to date, with room for close to 200 diners. The Persian restaurant originally launched in Abu Dhabi, and joins the group’s existing portfolio, which includes Zephyr, Lagana and Nina. Despite the scale, the space is split into interconnected areas, including an open kitchen, bar and two private dining rooms.
Breakfast includes Persian omelettes, eggs Benedict with saffron hollandaise and warm khachapuri pide. The main menu features flatbreads, smoked aubergine kashk bademjan and short rib khoresh with sour grape, alongside kebabs — lamb koobideh, chicken joujeh — and larger dishes like butterflied sea bass finished with herbs and lemon. Dessert runs on a rotating series of cheesecakes.
When: 15 July
Where: 96 George Street, London W1U 8AF
More info: @sorayamarylebone
Soul Mama – August (TBC)
YolanDa Brown is bringing Soul Mama to a second London site, this time on Westfield’s The Street, following the runaway success of the original in Stratford. That first venue, based at The Gantry hotel, became a Guinness World Record holder for the largest Kickstarter-funded restaurant globally after raising close to £250,000 — no small feat for a concept built around fusing African, Caribbean and South American food with a live music programme.
MOBO-winning saxophonist and broadcaster YolanDa Brown OBE launched the original alongside music manager Adetokunbo “T” Oyelola, with Executive Chef Aleandro Brown running the kitchen (the Ritz, Sketch and Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants).
Westfield keeps the same dual identity – part restaurant, part music venue – but expands the food offering with slow-cooked Caribbean curries, one-pots with rice and peas, and sharing dishes like Soul Arepas and the Jerk Wings Pit, with wing flavours spanning rum BBQ to scotch bonnet and mango.
Where: The Street, Westfield, Stratford
When: Opens August 2026
More info: soulmama.co.uk | @soulmamalondon
SushiDog – 8 August
SushiDog is bringing its grab-and-go sushi concept to Boxpark Camden this August, opening its 16th UK location on Saturday 8 August. The Camden site seats 42 and sticks to the brand’s bold, playful design language, with the same fully customisable menu- premium proteins, vegetables and house-made sauces built around fresh, made-to-order sushi.
Founded in 2018 by Greg Ilsen and Nick Goldstein, the brand built its concept around making decent sushi as quick to grab as a coffee, and has expanded steadily across London and Birmingham since, with more UK openings already planned. Co-founder Greg Ilsen called Camden “one of London’s most exciting food destinations” for the launch, positioning it as a natural next step for the brand’s growth.
Opening weekend comes with an incentive: the first 100 customers through the door from midday on 8 August get a free Signature SushiDog, Sushi Bowl or Sushi Salad, and everyone after that gets 50% off one main plus sides and drinks until Sunday 9 August. Reduced hours (12pm–5:30pm) apply for that opening weekend.
Where: Boxpark Camden
When: Opens Saturday 8 August 2026, 12pm; opening offers run until Sunday 9 August
More info: @sushidoguk
Read more
July in food: London’s best new restaurants & bars to try this month
June in food: the must-know restaurants and bars launching in London this month
May in food: The best London restaurants launching this month