The figure is the second highest in the guide’s 36-year history of tracking openings, behind the peak of 200 recorded in 2016, and up from 146 in the previous 12-month period.
But closures also reached near-record levels at 118, leaving net growth of 77 restaurants.
Harden’s data only cover independent restaurants and locations of small groups with three or fewer sites, explaining the relatively low number of openings recorded.
The guide says the high number of closures raises questions about the long-term sustainability of the growth.
However, Harden’s co-founder and guide editor Peter Harden argues that the rate of openings suggests restaurateurs and investors still see opportunities to make money in London, despite rising operating costs and squeezed margins.
“A theme continues to recur in headlines across the hospitality industry that the sector is being ‘decimated’ but, if conditions were truly as unviable as some trade bodies claim, operators wouldn’t be rushing to launch 195 new sites in a single year,” he says.
“No sooner does one business give up on a space than another operator snaps it right up. Investors and operators clearly scent profit in London, driving cut-throat competition – which is actually positive news for the capital’s diners.”
Harden’s also points to investment in high-end restaurants across central London.
Examples include Jeremy King’s restoration of Simpson’s on the Strand, Lilibet’s in Mayfair, Martino’s on Sloane Square and Brasserie Constance in Fulham.
The guide also highlights a number of Eastern Mediterranean openings, including Nammos London, Fenix and Chargal.
“Opening a high-end restaurant in Mayfair, Chelsea, or the Strand isn’t something you do on a whim — it requires massive financial backing and long-term investor conviction,” Harden says.
He argues that the investment signals continued confidence in London’s luxury dining market, even as operators elsewhere face pressure from rising costs.
The findings accompany the publication of Harden’s London Restaurants 2027.