LONDON DINERS GO 'BACK TO BASICS'

The capital's diners are turning back to more traditional restaurant styles, according to the 16th edition of Harden's London Restaurants, to be published later this month.

Richard Harden, co-editor of the guide, says:

"Restaurant-going seems to be returning to its roots, with diners now showing renewed interest in traditional styles of eating out - especially French - as opposed to the oriental/novelty styles which have seemed predominant in recent years."

This return to tradition has been accompanied by a slight cooling off in the London restaurant scene, with 136 openings recorded this year, compared with 142 in the previous year. It is the first time since 2002 that openings recorded have appreciably fallen year-on-year.

Restaurant price-inflation has also cooled, most notably at the top end.

As Richard Harden notes:

"These signs of cooling off - a somewhat reduced rate of openings, and moderating price inflation and, perhaps, the 'back to basics' trend - all appear to be consistent with a market activity cycle we have identified. This cycle suggests that market conditions are - from the restaurateurs' point of view, at least - set to get worse before they get better."

BACK TO BASICS

Harden's observes that, as recently as two years ago, Asian cuisines were noted in the guide as being almost de rigueur for fashionable openings, but the past 12 months have seen very few fashionable oriental newcomers.

The same non-oriental tendency is notable among the five newcomers on the Top-40 Most Mentioned list from this year's survey of some 8,000 restaurant-goers, on which Harden's is based. The newcomers - maze, Galvin Bistrot de Luxe, The Ledbury, Cipriani and Bentley's - are all European, and, with the exception of Gordon Ramsay's maze, traditional in style.

The same 'back to basics' tendency is particularly evident in the restaurants at the very peak of consumer interest: the Top-10 Most Mentioned. Celeb-haven Nobu has crashed out (from 7th last year), leaving Hakkasan - Alan Yau's hip Chinese - as the sole representative of the Orient. In contrast, the two newcomers to the Top-10 Most Mentioned list - La Poule au Pot (est 1962) and Andrew Edmunds (est 1987) - are almost parodies of traditional charm. They join Bleeding Heart (established in 1983, and as traditional a Gallic operation as can be found) which retains its Number 6 position in the Most Mentioned ranking.

The Top-10 Most Mentioned list is set out in the Schedule.

PRICES

Restaurant prices have risen on average by 3.0 per cent in the past 12 months.

This is in line with retail prices generally (and not, as usual in recent years, outpacing them). Top-end (£50+) prices were only up 3.2 per cent. This is the first time in seven years that top-end prices have not notably pulled away from those in more humble establishments.

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For further information, contact Richard or Peter Harden on 020 7839 4763.

Notes for Editors

1. The 16th edition of Harden's London Restaurants will be published on 29 August.

2 The guide is based on the annual Harden's survey of regular restaurant-goers. This year some 8,000 people participated, contributing nearly 90,000 individual reports.

3. Harden's London Restaurants is published by brothers Richard and Peter Harden, who run the only UK business which specialises in the publication of independent restaurant ratings and reviews.

4. Harden's also publishes Harden's UK Restaurants, in association with Rémy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac.

Schedule

Top-10 Most Mentioned

These are the top 10 establishment's London's regular restaurant-goers talk about most. (Year of establishment in brackets.)

• 1. J Sheekey (1896)
• 2. Hakkasan (2001)
• 3. Gordon Ramsay (1998)
• 4. Chez Bruce (1995)
• 5. The Wolseley (2003)
• 6. Bleeding Heart (1983)
• 7. The Ivy (1917)
• 8. Gordon Ramsay at Claridges (1898/2001)
• 9. La Poule au Pot (1962)
• 10. Andrew Edmunds (1983)