It was reported this week that Gordon Ramsay is to close his restaurant in the Connaught because he does not want his restaurant providing room service to the hotel.
The Michelin-starred Angela Hartnett at the Connaught has a great reputation and quite rightly he doesn't want to spoil it by sending up plates of food that are lukewarm and soggy by the time the hotel guest gets them.
I say Gordon and Angela are being very sensible!
I was asked by The Evening Standard to comment on the recent Zagat finding that London is the most expensive city in the world to dine out in.
The letter was published in this evening's paper (!)
Here is the transcript:
London is the most expensive city in the world for eating out? Nonsense. Restaurant prices in the capital have gone up over the years but not significantly so. If you are lucky enough to get a table at The Ivy for example, you'll find plenty of dishes priced under £15. And Chez Bruce, recently voted number one restaurant in Zagat, offers a three course lunch menu for well under £30. That is not expensive for Michelin dining. In many US restaurants, by the time you have added the 20%-25% service charge, the bill is often more than an equivalent restaurant in London. The poor exchange rate means our American visitors will moan about the price of everything, not just eating out.
Take the 'Trophy Restaurants' off your list and use the restaurant review websites to help you find somewhere to eat in London that is not only a great dining experience, but is also great value too. Trust me, they are out there. Value for money is just one of ten different attributes that we and our website visitors rate when judging a restaurant (well, loo cleanliness is important too)! Don’t be put off visiting London because of Zagat. There are hundreds of great value restaurants in our wonderful City – just do your own homework!
Piers Heaton-Armstrong, Owner
The London Restaurant Review
www.thelondonrestaurantreview.co.uk
Zagat just announced the results of their latest survey and reckon that London restaurants are the most expensive in the world. That is rubbish and probably down to the fact that so many Americans participated in the survey and are getting stung by the poor exchange rate.
Anyway, here are the findings:
Top 10 food rankings, with last year in parentheses:
1. Chez Bruce (9)
2. Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road (1)
3. Hunan (-)
4. Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (4)
5. The Square (8)
6. Petrus (10)
7. Pied a Terre (7)
8. La Trompette (-)
9. Le Gavroche (3)
10. River Cafe (-)
Top restaurants by cuisine:
American -- Sophie's Steak
Asian -- Eight Over Eight
British (Modern) -- Chez Bruce
British (Traditional) Ffiona's
Chinese -- Hunan
Chophouses -- Rib Room
Eclectic -- Mosimann's (club)
European (Modern) -- La Trompette
Fish 'n' Chips -- Two Brothers
French (Bistro) Galvin Bistrot
French (Classic) -- Le Gavroche
French (New) -- Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road
Indian -- Rasoi Vineet Bhatia
Italian -- River Cafe
Japanese -- Nobu London
Lebanese -- Ishbilia
Mediterranean -- Moro
Pizza -- Osteria Basilico
Seafood -- J. Sheekey
Spanish -- Cambio de Tercio
Thai -- Nahm
Vegetarian -- Morgan M
Opinionated About, the dining surveyor, has just published its list of the 50 most recommended restaurants in North America and Europe, based on the opinions of 175 diners, all members of the Opinionated About dining forums. There were 5,400 ratings in total, with data collected between January and April 2007.
Locanda Locatelli made it to number 45. That was the only London restaurant that made the list!
The top three were:
Number 3 - Michel Bras, Laguiole in France
Number 2 - L'Arpege, Paris in France
Number 1 - Troisgros, Roanne in France
I will join the panel for the next round of research so maybe I'll be able to help show that more London restaurants deserve to be in the list!
One restaurant that has made it into the top 20 most popular restaurants on The London Restaurant Review is The Lounge, in Balham, SW12.
There are only 5 reviews of it on the website but they all rave about it and I will be along there soon to check it out.
I also noticed that it had a favourable review in The London Paper last week.
Here is the excerpt:
I was planning on trying out Mamounia Lounge tonight but when I went to book it, I realised that there is a £50 minimum charge per person and a £10 cover charge!
I couldn't see from their website that there was any sort of entertainment laid on, so to be honest I am a bit outraged.
If anyone knows any different, or thinks these charges still make it a restaurant to visit then let me know!
I'm going to The Ivy tonight. I haven't been for about a year so it will be interesting to see if anything much has changed.
I didn't book 6 months ago either. I called up at 3pm this afternoon and asked for a table for two this evening.
They offered me a table from 7pm-9pm without any fuss.
Either calling up last minute is a good way to get a table here or The Ivy is not as popular as it used to be!
This was forwarded to me - it is well worth wasting 2 mins on!
YOUR AGE BY EATING OUT
Don't tell me your age; you probably would tell a falsehood anyway-but your waiter may know!
YOUR AGE BY DINER & RESTAURANT MATH
This is pretty neat.
DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!
It takes less than a minute. Work this out as you read .
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to go out to eat.
(more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1757...
If you haven't, add 1756.
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a three digit number.
The first digit of this was your original number. (I.e., How many times you want to go out to restaurants in a week.)
The next two numbers are
YOUR AGE ! ------ (Oh YES, it is!!!)
There is a new TiffinBites now open on Cheapside.
Tiffinbites believe the only true way to eat Indian cuisine is to eat it the correct way – the way it has been prepared and served for centuries. All their dishes are made using traditional and authentic cooking methods and recipes, hence the use of Tandoor ovens in all their kitchens, just so that you can enjoy freshly baked naan bread daily. With this emphasis on traditional methods comes a healthier option. Tiffinbites use less fat and oil than your average Indian restaurant so the generous portions can be wolfed down guilt free. Excellent throughout the day, Tiffinbites is proving a popular central eatery.
Website: www.tiffinbites.com
Locations:
RUSSIA ROW: Now Open!
23 Russia Row
Off Gresham Street, Cheapside
London
EC2V 7PG
020 7600 4899
russiarow@tiffinbites.com
Rhodes launches a new eatery this month. Rhodes W1 Restaurant will open on 18 May. A mix of classic French and modern British dishes will be on the menu. You'll find all the favourites such as foie gras, scallops and langoustines, steamed turbot, and salt-roast squab. The head chef Brian Hughson has worked previously at The Savoy and 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin).
When: Opens 18 May
Where: Great Cumberland Place, W1
