D&D London has confirmed it has signed a lease on a new rooftop site in the City of London with unobstructed views across St Paul's Cathedral and the Thames, targeting a July 2026 opening that would make it one of the most prominent new restaurant launches of the year.
The site, on the upper floors of a recently completed commercial development in Ludgate Hill, will span approximately 8,000 square feet and include an all-weather terrace that D&D says will operate year-round. The group has not yet confirmed the restaurant's name or the format of the food offering, though sources familiar with the project describe it as a contemporary British menu with "a strong ingredient-led approach."
A returning confidence in City dining
The move represents a significant statement of intent in the City of London dining market, which has been slower to recover from post-pandemic hybrid working patterns than the West End. D&D's chief executive, Des Gunewardena, has previously spoken about the resilience of destination dining in the Square Mile, and the group's existing City venues — including the long-running Coq d'Argent — have performed strongly in recent quarters.
"There's a narrative that City dining is under pressure, and it's simply not borne out by what we see at our restaurants," Gunewardena said in a statement provided to The Mise. "The demand for genuinely good food in a genuinely impressive setting has not diminished. If anything, people are more discerning than ever about where they choose to spend when they do go out."
The new site will seat approximately 200 covers across the indoor restaurant and terrace, making it one of D&D's larger London operations.
Design and team
D&D has commissioned the architectural practice behind its Edinburgh venue — Queensberry House, which opened in 2024 — to design the new City site. The practice is known for interiors that work with the structural character of a building rather than overlaying a generic restaurant aesthetic, and the brief for the Ludgate Hill site reportedly emphasises the views and natural light as the primary design feature.
The executive chef appointment has not yet been announced, though the group has indicated it is in advanced discussions with a candidate who has previously led a single-Michelin-starred kitchen.
What to expect
D&D has operated profitably through a period in which many London restaurant groups have faced sustained pressure on margins, and it attributes this in part to a deliberate focus on venues that offer something difficult to replicate elsewhere — a view, a building, a history. The St Paul's site fits squarely within that strategy.
Full details on the restaurant name, menu concept, booking arrangements and pricing are expected in May.