The newbies - Spring/Summer 2019

Gloria 

Victor Lugger, Tigrane Seydoux, and the team behind La Felicitá and Pink Mamma in Paris recently opened Gloria on Great Eastern Street in their first London venture. The menu features Italian classics such as Lasagne and Neapolitan pizza, alongside stuffed ravioli with rabbit ragu and t-bone steak. Open for breakfast, lunch & dinner – and brunch at the weekend. Joyful and lush by day, the place gets funky at night, with a house made playlists and a late night pizza & cocktail menu until 2am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

54-56 Great Eastern St, EC2A 3QR

bigmammagroup.com/en/trattorias/gloria

Tonight Josephine, Shoreditch 

Following the success of the original bar in Waterloo, renowned for its Instagrammable features, Tonight Joesphine has recently opened a new venue in Hoxton Square, Shoreditch. The bar is named after Napoleon’s first wife Josephine de Beauharnais who was renowned for throwing parties and taking a string of famous lovers. Napoleon apparently rejected Josephine on one occasion when she came to visit him at battle, with the infamous words ‘Not tonight Josephine’! This inspired the name of the bar and its slogan ‘Well behaved women don’t make history’. Happy hour runs from 5-7pm daily with two for one on selected cocktails, Peroni and Prosecco.

39A Hoxton Square, N1 6NN

tonightjosephine.co.uk 

F!lth 

Following the success of their first chapter at Tate Modern, celebrity chef Gizzi Erskine and nutritionist Rose Ferguson are all set to give this city’s booming vegan scene some healthy competition. And the patty promises to be healthy too, packed with protein (apparently the same amount as a chicken burger) and nothing but sustainably sourced ingredients. The signature F!LTH Burger features black beans, black quinoa, non-GMO soy mince and a mix of unami paste, which is then topped with crispy fried onions and two different sauces (beetroot ketchup and roasted garlic aioli) before it’s sandwiched between a beetroot-infused bun.

13 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA4

instagram.com/filthfoods/

Juno Rooms 

Juno Rooms is the latest venture from the Urban Pubs & Bars group who recently bought up Salt Yard and are also responsible for places like Well Street Pizza in Hackney. They've taken over the old Carmona Tapas Bar on Watling Street with two floors of casual dining and cocktails. The menu is varied and ranges from pub food classics such as burgers, wraps and steaks through to healthier options such as the broccoli and rice noodle salad and crab linguine. The menu also features several vegetarian and vegan options and the cocktail menu is extensive.

 67-69 Watling St, EC4M 9DD

junorooms.com

Cutter and Squidge

Promoted as London’s only 100% natural bakery, Cutter and Squidge has opened its second store in the Royal Exchange in the heart of the City. All cakes and biscuits are made from scratch with free-range eggs, British butter and all other ingredients are sourced from British producers. Alongside cakes (whole and sliced), macaroons, marshmallows and other delectable delights, they also sell hampers and wedding cakes and serve afternoon team in store.

23 The Royal Exchange, Threadneedle St, EC3V 3LP

cutterandsquidge.com

Rotate 

Rotate, located off Rivington Street in Shoreditch, is a new coffee shop, co-working space and cycling shop by day, transforming into a cocktail bar with DJ sessions by night! Alongside this there will be a rotating selection of street food and drink vendors - the clue is in the name.

1 Bath Place, Rivington Street EC2A 3DA

rotateshoreditch.com/

'The newbies' is feature from the Cityscene magazine. The current issue and previous issues can be viewed and downloaded here.

Image: Forentina cut, Gloria - Joakim Blockstrom