Slow and steady, as promised. Ten months after Hare & Tortoise closed and a Screwfix moved into its old Putney home, the pan-Asian favourite has crossed its own finishing line at last, reopening just a few doors down in the former shell of Papa John’s, now busy again with delivery riders at the door.
The restaurant is open and trading at 286 Upper Richmond Road, smaller than before and takeaway only. It is the return we reported in May, now confirmed. A sign behind the counter reads: “Putney, we are back and ready to serve!!” On the first day back, delivery riders were already coming and going.
The original Hare & Tortoise closed in August 2025 at 296-298 Upper Richmond Road, and its old home is now a Screwfix. The plan, even then, was always to come back nearby in a leaner, takeaway-only form. That is exactly what has happened.
The comeback runs against the grain of a parade lately defined by departures and the construction of a metal box on the High Street. When the closure was announced, readers mourned it in our comments, calling the old restaurant one of the best in Putney. Ten months on, they have it back.
Run by Bronzemarch Trading Ltd, the new unit keeps the chain’s pan-Asian menu: the sushi, ramen, noodles and laksa it has served in London since 1996. The kitchen is registered with the food hygiene scheme and awaiting its first inspection.
There is a big difference: it is takeaway and delivery only. The truth is that the only sit-down restaurant was not great (one reader called it a ‘barn’) so it was always the food rather than the atmosphere that had you coming back. You will find it on the parade beside Dim Sum Kitchen.
True to its name, it took its time. But it got there in the end, and it is ready to serve.
