In London, September is when restaurants stop coasting and start competing again. The holidays are over, the locals are back, and suddenly the best new places in town feel impossible to book. Unless you get a little help from me first, that is.

While London has no shortage of restaurant openings, few that you can actually get a table at cut through the noise. These five do: they’re places that feel worth your money, your time, and your Tube journey across town (arguably the hardest box to tick of all). This month’s standouts take you from a hi-fi listening bar with Singapore-by-Lebanon small plates in Shoreditch to a Japanese heavyweight lighting fires in Stratford, plus a Michelin-starred Athenian cameo, Claridge’s new kitchen supper club, and a Scandi sequel in Victoria.

Whether you’re after the next cult favorite, a special-occasion dinner, or just a perfect open-faced sandwich for lunch, here’s where to go now.

1. Mad Cats, Shoreditch

Tucked into Redchurch Street behind a bronze jaguar handle (‘cos, you know, why not), Mad Cats is the kind of place that feels like a discovery even when you’ve been time and time again. The menu threads Singaporean and Lebanese influences through small plates – lamb dumplings in yoghurt, crab brioche with gochujang aioli, short rib glazed in house mole – while the bar turns out za’atar martinis and rare olive-fermented sake poured into hand-blown glassware (made from shards salvaged after the Beirut explosion. By the time the DJs take over, the room shifts into a vinyl-fuelled cocktail bar powered by 22 custom speakers. It’s Shoreditch at its best: undeniably cool, layered, and obsessive about the details.

107 Redchurch St, London E2 7DL

2. Kokin, Stratford

Chef Daisuke Shimoyama has swapped Hannah’s kaiseki intimacy for a sprawling 140-seat stage at The Stratford, with woodfire at the centre of everything. Apple wood and Binchotan charcoal shape Kokin’s menu: tuna collar lacquered with smoke, Iberico pork brushed with miso, wagyu paired with wild mushrooms and onsen egg, et al. Sushi comes on smoked rice – a London first – while the starter sampler (oyster, one-bite tofu, tuna skewer, saba sushi and chawanmushi) takes indulgence, quite literally, to new heights. And in a city already packed with omakase, Kokin’s whole bluefin deconstructions give it a point of difference: theatrical, yes, but underpinned by real craft. Quite simply, I haven’t had better Japanese food in months.

The Stratford, 20 International Wy, London E20 1FD

3. Makris Athens at Carousel, Fitzrovia

For a few days only, Carousel will play home to Athens’ Makris, the Acropolis-neighbored restaurant that landed a Michelin star within months of opening. From tomorrow, guest chef Petros Dimas will bring a five-night tasting menu (over 2–6 September) to the venue, weaving Greek heritage with London seasonality: olive oil from his family’s farm near Ancient Corinth, seafood sourced here, and technique sharpened at some of Europe’s best kitchens. It’s storytelling cookery with Athens’ soul stitched throughout.

19-23 Charlotte St., London W1T 1RW

_{4. Claridge’s Kitchen Supper Series, Mayfair}

Forget the afternoon tea and perfect-for-people-watching dining rooms, the best table at Claridge’s right now is in the kitchen itself. Their new Supper Series, in partnership with the Good Food Guide, seats just 14 people in L’Epicerie overlooking the marble pass. Each night a different chef takes over: Hrishikesh Desai has already brought his Cedar Tree finesse (so well, in fact, I’m now trying to find time to visit the Cumbrian OG), and on 29 September, Merlin Labron-Johnson will carry Osip’s hyper-seasonal Somerset cooking to Mayfair. Five courses, thoughtful wine pairings, and the rare chance to watch Claridge’s kitchen run in real time.

Claridge’s, Brook St, London W1K 4HR

5. ScandiKitchen, Victoria

After 18 years in Fitzrovia, ScandiKitchen finally has a second home – this time, offering a rare gem in Victoria. Brontë and Jonas Aurell’s new café keeps the same formula: smørrebrød piled with herring or smoked salmon, plates of meatballs with beetroot salad, cinnamon buns still warm from the oven, and shelves stacked with over 1,000 Scandi products, but i’s less a concept than a continuation of brilliant breakfasts and lunches. A place for anyone chasing Nordic comfort food without fanfare, but with consistency you can set your watch by.

42 Buckingham Palace Rd, London SW1W 0RE