London is embracing all things American this summer with a surge of new eateries inspired from across the Pond. Got a craving for comfort food? Then head to cool retro bar and diner Profile Soho (profilesoho.com) on Wardour Street. Its OTT bright-yellow interiors, leather booths and fluorescent pink lighting are a funky take on the classic diner. Expect buttermilk pancakes, meatloaf and Mexican chilli dogs — not forgetting alcoholic milkshake blends.
The quirky Guerilla Burgers (guerillaburgers.com) on James Street is the perfect antidote to faceless fast food chains with its 'Buns Not Guns' slogans and Pop Art wall murals. Check out the burgers with Bloody Mary Ketchup and chilli-cheese smothered fries. Serious carnivores will appreciate Park Lane stalwart, The Grosvenor House Hotel's new JW Steakhouse (jwsteakhouse.co.uk), which has a dedicated bourbon bar and outdoor terrace overlooking Hyde Park.
The Russian-owned American steakhouse Goodman (goodmanrestaurants.com), meanwhile, is launching a second branch in Old Jewry Street proving the Cold War is well and truly over. USDA Prime and UK Angus rib-eye are dry aged in-house for 28 days — in a glass ageing room so guests can track the progress of next month's dinner.
At the other extreme, Shoreditch's brilliant vegan restaurant Saf (safrestaurant.co.uk), which brought us the Californian raw food phenomenon, has just launched a west London outpost in Whole Foods Market complete with signature US-style botanical cocktail bar.
Summerhouse (summerhousebythewaterway.co.uk) is a fabulous six-month pop-up in Little Venice. Modelled on a Hamptons beach house, it's all whitewashed walls, blue and white stripes and even has its own dedicated mooring station. Specialising in seafood, its popcorn shrimp with sweet chilli is sure to warm the cockles of your heart.
The sweet toothed will love MyChelle's Baketique (baketique.com). The brainchild of a former personal shopper at Barney's NY, trademark creations include cupcake cones and shot glasses of frosting. And the stateside craze for whoopie pies has crossed the Atlantic, too. The pies, consisting of two round cake pieces filled with a creamy fondant, have now got their own stand in Harrods' Food Hall (harrods.co.uk). A must is the Red Velvet.
Finally, Londoners are anticipating the relaunch of The Savoy (the-savoy.com), with the return of its world-famous American Bar. It's expected to open by the end of the year. Well, some things are worth the wait.
