Make your reservations now for the new hotspots to dine (and be seen at) next year.

For many, the year’s end is for winding down and switching the rat race for Mr Richard Curtis repeats. Yet there are others who, this year, will instead be hard at work finessing menus, hassling suppliers and applying the finishing touches to London’s latest restaurant launches. Across the capital, the new year is set to welcome a diverse array of new ventures from emerging and established restaurateurs sure to push new boundaries. We’ve picked seven openings slated for early 2019 that – spanning both cuisines and compass points – are worth making a note of now.

“Tower Bridge is perhaps London’s most exciting cultural postcode and being so close to the river is undeniably special,” says Mr Clive Watson, who heads up the soon-to-open Provisioners restaurant at The Dixon – a boutique hotel set in a striking former magistrates’ court. Mr Watson – whose successes include Blixen and Lorne – will serve a European-inspired menu, with duck pie, lamb shoulder and Sardinian dumplings among its highlights.

Mr Henry Harris has a string of high-end boozers to his name and now brings his knack for pub restoration to Chiswick High Road. Opening in January, The Crown will see Sicilian-born chef Mr Daniele Zaffora putting a Mediterranean spin on high-end British produce, with Sunday roasts a major focus, too. “Our food is honest, simple and seasonal, led by the ingredients,” says Mr Harris. “Living nearby, I’ve always recognised that Chiswick has an exciting choice of places to eat and drink, as it’s driven by locals who love going out.”

Dalston’s Evolutionary Arts Hackney has revitalised London’s live-music scene since opening this year, hosting avant-garde artists in a rejuvenated Art Deco music hall. This January it gets the restaurant it deserves with the launch of the light-filled EartH Kitchen, helmed by chef Mr Chris Gillard. “I’ve cooked everywhere from St John to muddy festival fields and EartH Kitchen will draw on those elements, with traditional hospitality, food made in-house and a willingness to experiment,” he says of a menu that – featuring duck rillettes, grilled ox heart and a standout bacon sandwich – is shaping up to be a headline act in its own right.

“I’ve always dreamed about bringing a bit of the Maremma to Brixton,” says Mr Dickie Bielenberg on the southern Tuscan region that inspired him and chef Ms Alice Staple to launch their debut restaurant this coming February. “After countless visits, Alice and I have a shared love for this part of Italy and were won over by its fine produce, fine wine and charm.” Set on the corner of Brixton’s Water Lane, Maremma will see fresh pasta and antipasti served alongside Tuscan classics including la bistecca alla Fiorentina (steak) and wild boar prosciutto, all of which meet their match with wine from the region’s finest small-scale producers.

After co-founding Shoreditch’s sophisticated St Leonards restaurant this summer, Messrs Jackson Boxer and Andrew Clarke are now setting their sights on west London. With an emphasis on seafood, Orasay in Notting Hill is inspired by Mr Boxer’s love of Scotland’s Western Isles. “Every year I bolt to the Outer Hebrides to stare out at the edge of the world and get some wilderness back into my soul,” he says. “If I wanted Orasay to deliver one thing, it would be the sense of contentment I get from sitting around a driftwood fire eating fish just pulled from the surf after braving the north Atlantic at sunset.”

With a CV that reads like a directory of fine-dining hotspots – The Wolseley, The Delaunay, Colbert and Brasserie Zédel – restaurateurs Messrs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King are now turning their attention to a neighbourhood restaurant in St John’s Wood. Set in an impressive period building, Soutine will serve up sophisticated French cooking and Mr King sees an exciting time ahead for the north-London neighbourhood. “We have always been attracted to the area, which is only now getting the attention it deserves,” he says. “There are great plans for the high street and we’re happy to be part of it.”

Flying the flag for authentic Spanish cuisine in the capital, Barrafina is expanding its empire further with a Balearic-inspired barbecue restaurant. Due in the spring, Parrillan’s major draw is the chance to grill meats, fish and seafood at your table. “I love the relaxed and participatory nature of table-top grill restaurants and am looking forward to showcasing some of the beautiful produce we get in,” says executive chef Mr Angel Zapata Martin, who adds that as well as being “approachable and delicious”, the added bonus at Parrillan is that – unlike Barrafina – you’ll be able to book in advance.

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