Fundamental Hospitality’s debut London venue, Shanghai Me, has been named Best New Hotel Restaurant of 2025 at Condé Nast Traveller’s UK Top New Restaurant Awards. It is the latest recognition for a restaurant that has rapidly become one of the capital’s most talked-about luxury dining destinations since opening last year.
The award, now in its third annual edition, was presented at a ceremony in London hosted by Condé Nast Traveller’s global editorial director Divia Thani, with judges drawn from across the food and culture landscape.
A high-profile London debut
Shanghai Me occupies the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane, taking over from Galvin at Windows, Mayfair’s most recognisable high-rise restaurant for nearly two decades. The transition was more than a change of tenancy; it signalled a shift in the kind of dining experience the iconic Park Lane address now offers.
Created by Evgeny Kuzin and the Fundamental Hospitality group, the restaurant draws on the glamour of 1930s Shanghai, with lacquered woods, geometric motifs and golden accents defining the interior. The aesthetic is deliberate: a cinematic backdrop that sets expectations before a dish arrives.
The menu blends Chinese culinary traditions with Japanese techniques, positioning the concept as a celebration of cultural diversity through food. From Cantonese-style roast duck to yellowtail carpaccio with black truffle and wagyu dim sum, the kitchen bridges culinary heritage with a contemporary sensibility aimed squarely at London’s luxury dining market.
Middle East origins, European ambitions
Shanghai Me first established itself in Dubai before expanding to Doha, making London the brand’s European debut. The move is part of a broader push by Fundamental Hospitality, which operates more than 25 restaurants and nightlife venues across the Middle East and Europe, to build an international portfolio of destination dining concepts.
At the time of opening, Evgeny Kuzin described the London Hilton on Park Lane as the city’s hospitality calling card since 1963, and positioned the Shanghai Me launch as joining the hotel in a new chapter: pairing new ideas with classic comfort in luxury and experience.
The hotel itself has been undergoing a significant transformation. A multimillion-pound refurbishment has reshaped its food and beverage identity, with Shanghai Me as the centrepiece.
A competitive awards landscape
The Condé Nast Traveller UK Top New Restaurant Awards have established themselves as a leading recognition of culinary excellence in Britain. This year’s judging panel included food writer Jimi Famurewa, critic Hannah Crosbie and pastry chef Claire Ptak.
Thani noted that a new generation of restaurants across the UK is redefining how people eat out, driven by creativity, confidence and a bold sense of identity, and that the F&B sector is a significant driver of both tourism and revenue for the country.
For Shanghai Me, the recognition carries commercial as well as reputational weight. Guests choose where to stay partly based on where they will eat, and an award-backed dining offer strengthens the Hilton Park Lane’s positioning among London’s luxury properties.
What the win means for hospitality operators
For senior hospitality leaders, the Shanghai Me story offers a useful case study in concept migration. A brand built in the Gulf, where luxury experiential dining has long commanded premium positioning, has translated its identity successfully into a European market with distinct consumer expectations.
The choice of a proven hotel location, a design narrative with international appeal, and a menu that is adventurous without being inaccessible all contributed to a fast track to credibility. The Condé Nast Traveller recognition, coming in the restaurant’s first full year of operation, suggests the brand’s entry strategy was well-calibrated.
With the awards drawing increasing attention to the breadth and diversity of Britain’s dining scene, a win in the hotel restaurant category places Shanghai Me in distinguished company and sets a benchmark for what incoming international concepts must achieve to compete in London’s premium market.
