Intimate, candle-lit
Forza Wine, Andrew Wong, best casual Notting Hill restaurants, Roots, St Enodoc, MORE
RESTAURANTS & BARS • First Word
Picky bits
The Skinny: In early March, Forza Wine debuted its third location, this one in Soho. With an expansive heated terrace and a yet-to-open basement bar, the sizable space looks nothing like its maximalist predecessor, Daroco.
The Vibe: Like its sister locations in Peckham and at the National Theatre, Forza Wine Soho is laid-back and extremely busy, and you can pop in for a drink and a bite or a full meal. Tables are crammed a bit too close together (I was inches away from two drunken city bros), but it’s buzzy and the patio is packed.
The Food: Forza describes its approach to food as ‘Italian-ish’. Essentially elevated picky bits, the 12-dish offering veers from bar snacks like olives and parmesan chunks to more hefty plates of cauliflower fritti and ox cheek ragu. Radicchio salad, laced with orange, is bright and punchy, and burrata, accompanied by leeks and anchovies, is satisfyingly original. The selection of pane carasau, gorgonzola, finocchiona and pickles is a great accompaniment to cocktails. Forza’s signature custardo, a combination of espresso and custard, is always available, as is soft serve, with rotating flavours including malted milk.
The Drink: There are two frozen drinks and a strong selection of classic and original cocktails, including very good non-alcoholic versions (the No-groni is the best I’ve had in London). Wine is primarily European, with a lot of off-kilter choices, including chilled reds and orange varieties. Beware the chilli mezcal martini, which packs a punch in more ways than one.
The Verdict: Although the seating layout could use some reimagining, Forza Wine is fast becoming one of Soho’s favourite drinking spots, especially now the warm weather is here. –Emily Zemler
→ Forza Wine (Soho) • Manette St • Daily 12p-12a • Book.
RESTAURANTS & BARS • Intel
PUBLIC NOODLE HOUSE: After opening The Forbidden City Bar below his flagship A.Wong at the end of last year, restaurateur Andrew Wong is now teaming up with Dishoom co-founder Amar Radia on a Chinese pub. On the site of the old Water Poet pub in Shoreditch, Kong will serve ‘dumplings at dawn, noodles at lunch and grills with a cold pint at dusk,’ and is set to open in late 2026. Sign up for news.
G’DAY LONDON: Oli Man and Greg Weaver, the friends behind These Days Bar & Kitchen in Bermondsey, are opening an Australian-style all-day neighbourhood café, sandwich shop, deli and wine bar in Parsons Green. Stubby’s will serve creative sandwiches like koji chicken thigh or mutton adobo, as well as Australian wine and the titular stubbies, including Victoria Bitter and Carlton Draught. Opens 17/07; follow.
LONDON RESTAURANT LINKS: Highbury’s N5 Kitchen opening Clerkenwell branch • Lita restaurant group set to debut multi-floor Italian restaurant Salone off Regent St • Orasay alumni take over pub kitchen at North Nineteen • Is the age gap widening in London restaurants? • Serving biscuits at AA meetings.
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Casual, Notting Hill
FOUND’s 9 favourite restaurants in the neighbourhood. Paid subscribers have access to the complete Nines archive.
Akub (Uxbridge St), Palestinian flavours and hospitality, also serving brunch, book