Discover the hottest launches around the world from 50 Best chefs, bartenders and beyond as the hospitality world readies itself for renaissance
If 2020 was the year of the pivot – with restaurants and bars converting to delivery, grocery stores and kitchens feeding the hungry – then 2021 is set to be the year of recovery. Restaurateurs and bar owners are reviving plans postponed by the pandemic and actioning the new ideas brought about by having more time to devise creative new concepts.
With the possibility of a return to international travel on the horizon, we bring you a list of all the recently opened and soon-to-launch bars and restaurants from Lisbon to Sydney, Bangkok to Moscow. Whether you’re craving burgers by René Redzepi of Noma or cocktails by bartender Simone Caporale, we’ve got you covered.
JUST OPENED
Dead End Paradise, Beirut
Key cocktail: Burnt Lebanese Sling - burnt ashes gin, burnt Lebanese herbs including sage, rosemary, Lebanese green tea
Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the Beirut explosion last year is Dead End Paradise, from the team behind Electric Bing Sutt, which won The Best Bar in The Middle East and Asia 2019. The original EBS site has been deemed too damaged to reopen, so the same architects have brought the EBS spirit of hedonistic adventure to a dead-end street 500m from the epicentre of the blast. Designed with the feeling of tiki escapism in mind, it majors in Asian / Middle Eastern tiki cocktails, playful Asian street food and comes with the moniker ‘if this is your last day on Earth, you’d want to spend it here’.
Pasteur Road, Beirut
Aksorn, Bangkok
Must-try: Pomelo salad with rose apple blossoms and pork with chilli jam
Almost three years after leaving acclaimed restaurant Nahm, David Thompson is back with a new opening in the Thai capital. On the site of a historic and much-loved bookstore, Aksorn brings to life the recipes of Lady Kleeb, a renowned cook from upper-class Bangkok who focused on Thai, Chinese and Laotian dishes. Like those who frequented the store since 1950, Aksorn trawls through cookbooks and changes its menu according to a particular volume from the 1940s to 1970s, when modern Thailand was emerging.
1266 Charoenkrung Road, Bang Rak, Bangkok, 10500
aksornbkk.com
Baan Tepa, Bangkok
Signature dish: Black sticky rice ‘Kum noi’
Chef Tam Chudaree Debhakam, former sous chef at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York State, has returned to Thailand to open her own restaurant in a historic house that belonged to her grandmother. The 12-course interactive tasting menu begins with a tour of the beautiful garden and takes in a course with the chefs, where guests learn about new local ingredients and the restaurant’s philosophies of sustainability, quality and care for the environment.
561 Ramkhamheang Road, Hua Mak, Bang Kapi, Bangkok 10240
baantepabkk.com
Baan Tepa in the Thai capital of Bangkok
BKK Social Club, Bangkok
Don’t leave without: Grabbing one of Philip Bischoff’s pre-bottled cocktails, available in three sizes
Set in the Thai capital’s ultra-luxe Four Seasons Hotel at Chao Phraya River, BKK Social Club is the latest project for global superstar bar manager, Philip Bischoff. His vision is to capture the essence of Buenos Aires’ legendary party and cocktail scene and infuse it with a distinctly Thai flavour. The new bar has a sprawling semi-outdoor cigar terrace, gilded backbar and chandeliers bedded with plants, to conjure images of verdant Argentina.
Charoen Krung Rd, Khwaeng Yan Nawa, Khet Sathon
fourseasons.com/bangkok/dining/lounges/bkk-social-club/
Philip Bischoff in action in the new Bangkok bar
Two Schmucks Terrace, Barcelona
Signature drink: Bloody Mary Caesar
Self-proclaimed ‘five-star dive bar’ Two Schmucks has moved just 150m down the street from its original location, transforming into a Covid-secure terrace bar that looks to working within in the confines of Spanish hospitality guidance in the immediate future. The original Two Schmucks (No.26 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2020) will reopen with a new concept once curfews are scrapped and people are allowed to sit inside again, but for now Barcelona locals can hang out on the 60-seat terrace for good vibes, no-frills cocktails and dirty, delicious food such as Korean fried chicken and waffles. Head down at the weekend for the excellent brunch offering.
Placa D’emili Vendrell
Instagram.com/two.schmucks
Koan, Copenhagen
Must-try dish: Kristian Baumann’s signature doughnut with salted whipped cream
After the closure of his Restaurant 108 due to the pandemic, Chef Kristian Baumann was quick to open Koan, an exploration of the cuisine of his ancestors' South Korea using Nordic ingredients. Currently operating as a pop-up within Empirical Spirits in Copenhagen, Koan is set to find a permanent home later in 2021 with a dining room inspired by the art, design, history and textures found on Baumann’s trips to Korea.
Koan x Empirical, Refshalevej 175A, 1432 København K
koancph.dk
The archetypally Scandi new dining room at Koan, Copenhagen
Popl, Copenhagen
On the menu: The most-talked about burger of 2020
After the unbridled success of the burger pop-up that Noma created before reopening as a fine dining restaurant last summer, René Redzepi decided to launch a permanent burger restaurant. Located in the space left by the now-closed 108 (see above), Popl serves organic Danish beefburgers and vegetarian and vegan patties made from quinoa in the Noma fermentation lab. The name comes from ‘populus’ and is a reference to the community spirit that strengthened during the pandemic, as well as to poplar wood, a nod to the restaurant’s respect for nature.
Strandgade 108, 1401 Copenhagen K
poplburger.com
The Popl cheeseburger and vegetarian burger
Date by Tate, Hong Kong
What to buy: The Gastronomy Box for a full gourmet menu experience at home
From Vicky Lau, Asia’s Best Female Chef 2015 and chef-owner of Tate Dining Room, comes Date by Tate, a home dining experience and virtual and physical shop. With an East-meets-West concept, Date by Tate sells artisan pastries and cakes as well as take-home fine dining kits.
210 Hollywood Road, Hong Kong
datebytate.com
Sheung Wan Chocolate Brioche from Date by Tate
Penicillin, Hong Kong
Signature tipple: One Penicillin, One Tree – a climate-positive cocktail
Agung Prabowo and Roman Ghale, the bartenders behind The Old Man’s ascent to No.1 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2019, have opened Penicillin, which they claim to be Hong Kong's first truly sustainable bar. Inspired by the burgeoning farm-to-bar movement, it serves a menu of cocktails from locally sourced or upcycled ingredients while cutting down its carbon footprint. For every order of the signature cocktail, a native tree is planted in endangered Borneo rainforest.
If you like this, you’ll love: Dead&, the sister bar run by the same team, located at the ‘dead end’ of Wo On Lane in Lan Kwai Fong.
23 Hollywood Road, Hong Kong
penicillinbar.com
Inside the lab at Hong Kong's Penicillin
Evelyn’s Table and The Mulwray bar, London
Don’t-miss dish: Luke Selby’s squid noodles with mushroom dashi
After several pandemic-related setbacks, a revamped Evelyn’s Table has opened in London’s Soho with brothers Luke, Nathaniel and Theo Selby at the helm. In the basement of the buzzy Blue Posts Pub, the intimate 10-seat counter restaurant serves a five-course tasting menu with Japanese influences and a wine menu curated by Honey Spencer, the former Noma Mexico sommelier. Spencer also runs the upstairs Mulwray, which has transformed from cocktail hotspot to cosy wine bar.
28 Rupert St, London W1D 6DJ
theblueposts.co.uk/evelyns-table/
Venison and squid noodles from Evelyn’s Table
Kol Mezcaleria, London
Must-try cocktail: Lowball with mezcal blend and Ayuuk ‘Pasilla’
After the long-awaited opening of Kol, the London restaurant from former Noma Mexico chef Santiago Lastra, the team has unveiled a downstairs standalone mezcal bar run by Maxim Schulte, the most recent head bartender of the 2017 World’s Best Bar, American Bar at the Savoy. Schulte commands a menu of mezcal-based cocktails and agave spirits alongside Mexican-influenced snacks from Lastra’s kitchen.
9 Seymour St, London, W1H 7JW
kolrestaurant.com/the-mezcaleria
Bad Company 1920, Madrid
Signature cocktail: La Biblia
A Roaring Twenties-style speakeasy just a stone’s throw from Madrid’s iconic Plaza de Callao, Bad Company 1920 is themed around gangsters and criminals, and serves cocktails hidden inside different objects, as well as gourmet hotdogs and American-style snacks. The team is led by Yeray Monforte, former bar manager of Dr. Stravinsky, alongside Román Villa, former director of Café del Mar and co-owner of Lilith and Sons, ice wizard Santi Ortiz and Nicolás Miranda from Deputamadre in Montevideo.
Calle de Tudescos, 4, Madrid
Madrid's new Bad Company 1920
Gero, Rio de Janeiro
Must-try dish: Risotto with prawns and pumpkin
After many years housing Fasano al Mare, one of Rio’s favourite Italian restaurants, Brazil’s top boutique hotel Fasano has renovated its flagship restaurant and replaced it with Gero, focused on classic Italian cuisine. Already located in one of the most beautiful spots on Earth, the restaurant now has an outdoor terrace where diners can eat with a view of the iconic Ipanema beach. Just down the road, the site of the previous incarnation of Gero has become Gero Panini, a more casual spot serving pizzas and sandwiches.
Avenida Vieira Souto, 80, Rio de Janeiro
fasano.com.br/gastronomia/gero-rio
Streetside dining at Gero in Rio de Janeiro
Dondoh, Santiago
Must-order: The Black Burger, an Angus patty in a steamed black bun
After the success of the first Dondoh in Lima, Peru, Osso chef Renzo Garibaldi has now opened Dondoh in the Chilean capital. Centred around a Japanese robata grill with a whisky bar and set to a blues and rock and roll soundtrack, Dondoh specialises in grilled meat and fish and Japanese small bites such as maki crab rolls and salmon tiraditos. Garibaldi has dedicated the restaurant to his good friend Ciro Watanabe, who passed away in 2020.
Av. Nueva Costanera 3969, Vitacura, Santiago
dondoh.com
The cavernous interior at Dondoh in Chile
COMING SOON
Sips, Barcelona
Estimated opening: January
Try this: Classic Caipirinha made using a masticator machine to eliminate bitterness
After helping to lead London’s Artesian to The World’s Best Bar status four times from 2012 to 2015 and co-founding the P(our) symposium, renowned bartender Simone Caporale launches a new project in Barcelona with Marc Alvarez, former head of mixology at Albert and Ferran Adrià’s ElBarri group. Sips is a disruptive cocktail experience that applies the Spanish ‘tapas’ concept to the world of liquids, with small portions at accessible prices and equal importance given to wine, beer, spirits and cocktails.
Calle Muntaner 108, Barcelona
sips.barcelona
Two new drinks from Sips' launch menu: Golden Hands and Mosaic
The Old Pharmacy, Bruton
Estimated opening: Early 2021
Must try: English Osip cider
Merlin Labron-Johnson – the magical chef who launched 50 Best Discovery restaurant Portland in London – is ready to open The Old Pharmacy in Bruton, Somerset, southwest England. The all-day restaurant, wine bar and épicerie will focus on the chef’s homegrown produce and will feature local ingredients such as Tamworth pig charcuterie, farmhouse cheeses, pickles and preserves.
3A High Street, Bruton, BA10 0AB
instagram.com/oldpharmacybruton
Local Somerset, UK, classics by The Old Pharmacy (image: Ed Schofield)
Mr Ji, London
Estimated opening: Early 2021
Iconic dish: The Ji Sando – a pineapple bap with deep-fried chicken thigh and cucumber
Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng, the team behind Tata Eatery, which was located within London bar Tayēr + Elementary until March 2020, are now opening Mr Ji, a Taiwanese-inspired restaurant in the heart of bustling Soho. With a Taiwanese canteen vibe by day and a buzzy late-night bar feel in the evenings, Mr Ji will serve quirky, refined dishes such as Prawn in toast, a toasted brioche filled with prawns and velvety sauce.
72 Old Compton St, London W1D 4UN
mrji.co.uk
Dishes from the new menu at Mr Ji, London
MuuMami, Santiago
Estimated opening: January
On the menu: The signature MuuMami burger with grass-fed beef and artisanal cheese
Boragó chef Rodolfo Guzmán’s MuuMami pop-up was so successful that he decided to turn it into a permanent venture. Serving organic hamburgers and ice creams alongside natural wine and craft beer, MuuMami has an open-air bar with stunning views of Santiago’s mountains. After almost a year of closure due to the pandemic, fine dining restaurant Boragó also finally reopens in January.
Av San Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer 5970, Vitacura, Santiago
muumami.cl
The signature burgers from MuuMami, Santiago
Evv.Ita, São Paulo
Estimated opening: January
What to order: Oriundi pizza with pickled beetroot, beetroot sauce, basil and Marajó cheese
Evv.Ita was always part of chef Luiz Filipe Souza’s plan for early 2020, but when the pandemic temporarily shut down his fine dining restaurant Evvai, the pizza delivery business took on new meaning in a locked-down São Paulo. After operating for delivery only, Evv.Ita now has its own address and permanent space in upmarket Jardins, where it will serve sourdough pizzas, bread products and sandwiches.
Rua Joaquim Antunes, 201, São Paulo
Luiz Filipe Souza and a pizza from his new menu (images: Tadeu Brunelli)
NoMad London, London
Estimated opening: Early 2021
To drink: Legendary NoMad cocktails
Chef Abram Bissell is in charge of the food and beverage spaces at the long-awaited London outpost of the NoMad boutique hotel. There are several drinking and dining spaces, including the classic NoMad Restaurant & Bar set in the glass-ceilinged atrium, and Side Hustle, which serves Mexico City-inspired sharing plates, reflecting chef Ian Coogan’s heritage. Later in the spring will see the opening of Common Decency, a craft cocktail bar with an East-meets-West theme. The drinks programme at NoMad will be overseen by VP of Food and Beverage at Sydell Group, Leo Robitschek, alongside bar director for NoMad London, Pietro Collina. Robitschek is the mastermind behind New York’s NoMad Bar, which sits at No.13 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2020 list.
28 Bow St, London WC2E 7AW
thenomadhotel.com/london
The atrium at NoMad London (image: Roman and Williams)
Sammy Junior, Sydney
Estimated opening: February
On the menu: Cheeky miniature cocktails from an award-winning team
The trio of co-owners behind Maybe Sammy, the cocktail bar known for its outstanding hospitality and guest experience, are opening Sammy Junior, the ‘suave café sibling’ of Maybe Sammy and Maybe Frank. In the mornings, Sammy Junior will operate as an espresso coffee bar with classic breakfast bites from chef Rob Lechowicz, while the afternoons will see it transform into a cosy cocktail destination with mini cocktails, beer and wines. With an afternoon business meeting vibe, the bar will shut at 6pm, when punters should proceed to its nocturnal big sibling, Maybe Sammy.
66 King Street, Sydney
maybesammy.com
Small-serve cocktails will be a mainstay at Sammy Junior, Sydney
Deans on 22 (name TBC), Sydney
Estimated opening: Early 2021
Room service please: Order a bottle of The Dean, The Frank or The Sammy
In addition to Sammy Junior, the co-owners of Maybe Sammy have also partnered with TFE Hotels to manage the food and beverage offering at a new hotel set to open in Sydney’s CBD district. Vince Lombardo, Stefano Catino, Andrea Gualdi and Martin Hudak will manage the bar, restaurant and in-room dining and drinking experiences, which will include their signature bottled cocktails.
The corner of George and Hunter St, Sydney
Andrea Gualdi, Stefano Catino, Vince Lombardo and Martin Hudak, the team behind the new hotel bar in Sydney's CBD
The bar with shapes for a name, London
Estimated opening: Early 2021
On the menu: Vodka, banana and amontillado
With no actual name other than a yellow triangle, a red square and a blue circle, this bar in East London is inspired by the School of Bauhaus art movement. Co-founders Remy Savage and Paul Lougrat, who worked together at Artesian, will create an experience without borders that explores creativity through limitation. The bar will only stock 20 lines; every cocktail recipe will be shared on Instagram and the team, which also includes Maria Kontorravdis, will employ people from anywhere in the world for three months at a time as part of its exchange student programme.
232 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8AX
instagram.com/club_bauhaus_
The Bauhaus-inspired bar's team and a selection of its colour-coded cocktails
Red Frog, Lisbon
Estimated opening: March
Signature tipple: Drama – dark rum, orange wine and blue oolong tea
Lisbon’s Red Frog is relocating and transforming itself into a new bar hidden inside Monkey Mash, bartender Emanuel Minez’s modern tropical cocktail bar that opened in 2019. While Red Frog was previously a speakeasy-themed bar, it is now an actual speakeasy, hidden in a small room inside Monkey Mash. The reinvented bar will launch a ‘best of’ menu featuring cocktails from the last six years, with new creations made in Monkey Mash’s high-tech laboratory.
Praça da Alegria 66A, 1250-001 Lisbon
monkeymash.pt
The new-look Red Frog in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon
Oncore by Clare Smyth, Sydney
Estimated opening: April
What to expect: Humble Aussie ingredients transformed into showstoppers
Former World’s Best Female Chef Clare Smyth of Core by Clare Smyth is optimistic about 2021, when she plans to open her second restaurant, Oncore by Clare Smyth, at the iconic Crown Hotel in Sydney. Oncore will support Australian farmers and producers, showcasing the richness of the landscape while providing the outstanding hospitality that is characteristic of all of Smyth’s endeavours.
160-162 Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW 2000
crownsydney.com.au/indulge/clare-smyth
Clare Smyth, who will be opening her first restaurant outside the UK this year
Maz, Tokyo
Estimated opening: April
Look out for: Creative tableware, colourful plates and unusual ingredients
Virgilio and Malena Martínez and the team behind Central, Kjolle and Mil in Lima have big plans for global expansion this year, starting with a new restaurant in Tokyo’s financial district. Serving the ecosystem-based cuisine characteristic of Central and Mil, chef Santiago Fernández will explore Japanese ingredients and culture, applying learnings from the group’s Mater Iniciativa research arm. Maz will be open for dinner only.
Tokyo Garden Terrace, 102-0094 Kioicho 1-2, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
maztokyo.jp
Virgilio Martinez and Santiago Fernandez, the chefs devising Maz in Tokyo
Olluco, Moscow
Estimated opening: Spring
Prepare to discover: Seldom-tasted native Russian produce
In an ambitious project, Virgilio Martínez and the team behind Central, Kjolle and Mil in Lima are now set to explore Russian biodiversity with their first Moscow restaurant and experimentation centre, based in the city centre. Olluco will work with Mater Iniciativa, the research arm run by Malena Martínez, to connect with local producers and promote Russian ingredients in new and unique ways. At the helm is Nicanor Vieyra, head chef of Central for the past five years. Olluco is the name of a colourful Andean tuber.
olluco.ru
The team behind Moscow's new Olluco restaurant
Schofield’s Bar, Manchester
Estimated opening: Spring
Look out for: The Schofields’ cocktails featuring house-made tinctures and infusions, inspired by their global travels
Legendary bartending brothers Joe and Daniel Schofield are set to open a new bar
in their hometown of Manchester, northwest England, this spring. After years in the works, the brothers have finally settled on a site – the historic art deco Sunlight House – which they believe best reflects their style of hospitality. Joe won the inaugural Altos Bartenders’ Bartender title in 2018 and has travelled the world collecting ideas for the bar that will become the siblings’ magnum opus.
Little Quay St, Manchester
instagram.com/schofields.bar/
Joe and Daniel Schofield outside Sunlight House, in Manchester's Deansgate
Sapiens, Lima
Estimated opening: May
On the menu: Grilled courgette, aubergine and carrot with smoked yoghurt vinaigrette
Mayta chef Jaime Pesaque is expanding his restaurant group with Sapiens, a new concept based around a series of wood- and charcoal-fired grills. The grills are divided up for meat, seafood, rice dishes such as paella, and vegetables – the biggest section. The back-to-basics format focuses on the best quality ingredients and the addition of fire. The restaurant will produce its own cured meats such as alpaca salami, which are also available to go.
Av. Pardo y Aliaga 697, San Isidro, Lima
https://jaimepesaque.com/
Three dishes from the new menu at Sapiens, Lima
Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi (name TBC), Tokyo
Estimated opening: June
Don’t miss: Chef’s signature sourdough bread
Daniel Calvert, formerly of Belon in Hong Kong, has relocated to Tokyo to run a 12-table, intimate fine dining restaurant in the boutique downtown Four Seasons Tokyo at Marunouchi – the smallest hotel in the global group. Expect refined cuisine using French techniques and Japanese ingredients, as well as luxury tableware and attention to detail.
1-11-1 Pacific Century Place, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 100-6277
fourseasons.com/tokyo
Twins Farm, Moscow
Estimated opening: Summer
Look out for: The chicken bus, a repurposed bus now home to hens
With plans in the works for several years, the chef brothers behind innovative Moscow restaurant Twins Garden are finally opening their farm to the public. Guests will be able to visit the extensive farm outside Moscow and stay for the weekend in charming cottage accommodation. A small restaurant will serve dishes based on Ivan and Sergey Berezutskiy’s farm ingredients, and visitors will also be able to buy vegetables, fruits and cheeses from the onsite store.
Okhotino village, Yaroslavskaya oblast
twinsgarden.ru
Ivan and Sergey Berezutskiy’s farm near Moscow
Two restaurants from the Alinea Group (names TBC), Chicago
Estimated opening: Late 2021
The group behind longstanding 50 Bester Alinea is set to open two new restaurants within the St. Regis Chicago skyscraper. Alinea’s owners, Nick Kokonas and chef Grant Achatz, haven’t yet confirmed any details on the openings, but diners can expect stunning views and creative cuisine.
thealineagroup.com
This article will be updated as more new openings come to the 50 Best team’s attention. Please contact mark.sansom@wrbm.com with news of any 50 Best-related bar and restaurant launches.
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