Notable new openings
- London and New York supplied the clearest notable openings this month: Impala began serving in Soho, Simpson’s in the Strand returned in March, and Dahla opened in the West Village from the Soothr team. - Impala is Meedu Saad’s first solo restaurant, a 90-seat charcoal-grill project backed by Super 8, while Simpson’s says its revival now spans the Grand Divan, Romano’s, bars, and a ballroom. - The cluster joins Los Angeles debut Lielle, Marcus Jernmark’s 42-seat Nordic-leaning prix-fixe restaurant, as operators push fresh formats into legacy rooms and new neighborhoods. (eater.com)
A handful of closely watched restaurant openings landed across London, Los Angeles, and New York this spring, led by Impala in Soho and the return of Simpson’s in the Strand. (standard.co.uk) (simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk) Impala is chef Meedu Saad’s debut solo restaurant on Dean Street in Soho, opening under the Super 8 group behind Brat, Mountain, Kiln, and Smoking Goat. The restaurant takes its name from a cherry-red 1964 Chevrolet Impala Saad drove during summers in Egypt. (standard.co.uk) (broadsheet.com) Saad’s menu centers on an open-fire grill and draws on Egyptian and wider North African references, with dishes including spit-roast mutton, baked river fish, grilled sea bass, and dry-aged duck with black lime and Aswan chilies. The Standard reported that the project had been in the works for five years. (standard.co.uk) Simpson’s in the Strand, one of London’s best-known old dining rooms, says it returned in March 2026 after closing in 2020. The restaurant first opened in 1828 and has stood at 100 Strand since 1904. (simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk) (thecaterer.com) The revived Simpson’s is being run by Jeremy King Restaurants and now includes the traditional Grand Divan, a second restaurant called Romano’s, Simpson’s Bar, Nellie’s Tavern, and a ballroom for private events. Earlier trade reporting said King had targeted a soft opening at the end of February with bookings for mid-March. (simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk) (thecaterer.com) In Los Angeles, Swedish chef Marcus Jernmark opened Lielle in Pico-Robertson on February 12, according to local coverage. Eater described it as a California-centric restaurant in the former Bicyclette space, while other reporting pegged the dining room at 42 seats. (la.eater.com) (eatscv.com) Lielle is not a full tasting-menu room in the old Nordic mold. Eater and Observer both reported that Jernmark built the restaurant around a shorter prix-fixe format, with Observer saying he was applying Michelin-level technique in a less theatrical setting. (la.eater.com) (observer.com) New York’s entry is Dahla, a West Village Thai fine-dining restaurant from the team behind Soothr. Hospitality Design reported that co-owners Leighton Vignola and Jom Vasupol debuted the restaurant in early April. (hospitalitydesign.com) Dahla’s dining room leans into a European-inspired look rather than familiar regional Thai design cues, with dark oak paneling, antique moldings, emerald banquettes, and a 12-seat private room. That makes the opening notable not only for the food but for how Thai fine dining is being staged in Manhattan right now. (hospitalitydesign.com) Taken together, the openings split between revival and reinvention: a 198-year-old roast-house address on the Strand, a grill-heavy Egyptian-influenced Soho debut, a Nordic-leaning prix-fixe room in Los Angeles, and a new Thai fine-dining address in the West Village. (simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk) (standard.co.uk) (la.eater.com) (hospitalitydesign.com)
