The number of restaurant openings in London and the average cost of a dinner increased over the last year, according to Harden’s London Restaurants 2013 guide.
The new publication found that restaurant openings in the capital over the last year stood at 134, 25% higher than the previous 12 months, which the guide said put openings in the top half of the “normal” range (120-142) recorded this millennium. Closings were flat at 74, which the guide said was at a level entirely normal by standards seen since 2000.
The average cost of a dinner increased by 3.5% during the period, slightly above inflation, to £46.55, which Harden’s said reflected a “feeling of confidence” from consumers in the capital.
The guide said that many operators, such as Polpo, Hawksmoor and MeatLiquor were now looking towards downtown New York for their inspiration, while after a “slack period”, interest in Japanese/Japanese-fusion styles was on the rise.
It said that the ‘new’ cuisine of the year was Peruvian, represented by openings from Ceviche, Lima and Tierra Peru.
Geographically, it said that the distribution of newcomers had continued on an “easterly drift” which has been apparent for the last two decades.
Richard Harden, co-founder of the guide, said: “Traditionally, dining out was considered a luxury and ‘the first thing to go’ in hard times, so it is very odd that the longest recession anyone can remember is coinciding with this extraordinary flowering in the London restaurant scene, at all levels. It is all ‘through the looking glass’.
“It is probably no coincidence that, as younger Londoners have embraced the sort of excitement that had been thought of as the exclusive province of New Yorkers, New York-style dining has become London’s default style du jour.”
Heston, Anchor & Hope and The Wolseley top rankings
Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner topped the guide’s best meal of the year poll, which is based on some 75,000 reports from over 7,500 restaurant-going "reporters".
The Anchor & Hope, the Charles Wells-owned pub in the Cut, Waterloo, was nominated as having the best bar/pub food, above the Harwood Arms in Fulham, the Bull & Last in Highgate, the Anglesea Arms in Hammersmith, and the Thomas Cubbit in Belgravia.
The Wolseley topped the polls for best breakfast/brunch and best for business, while Clos Maggiore was named best for romance. The Square (Mayfair) and The Don (the City) made up the rest of the best for business top three.
Chez Bruce in Wandsworth Common was the most often-nominated “favourite” restaurant, with J Sheekey the most mentioned in the survey.
The Ledbury was the survey’s best-rated top-end restaurant overall, displacing Le Gavroche into second place, while Dabbous in Fitzrovia was rated “London’s best newcomer in years”.
The Oxo Tower restaurant was rated top in the most disappointing cooking and most overpriced restaurant categories, with Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s also appearing in both lists.
For the first time, Jamie’s Italian, the casual dining chain spearheaded by Jamie Oliver, was awarded the guide’s bottom “disappointing” rating for its food, which it described as often “of airline quality”.
