Harden’s has today released the final shortlist for this year’s definitive London Restaurant Awards, which takes place on 10 September in the ballroom of The Langham, London.

Nominations for the awards are derived statistically from Harden’s 28-year-old annual survey of UK restaurant-goers.  This year 8,500 people contributed 50,000 nominations within the categories specified by Harden’s. The awards shortlist reflects the number of nominations within each category, with two places in each category reserved for up-and-coming names that have opened in the last 2-3 years.

The Langham, London – Venue for the ceremony

Vying for the Gusbourne award for Top Gastronomic Experience are Brett Graham’s renowned Notting Hill restaurant The Ledbury, together with Michel Roux’s celebrated Le Gavroche, the clandestine Aulis in Soho (they don’t reveal the exact location till you book), and the solo debut of ex-Gordon Ramsay chef, Clare Smyth at Core. 

Meanwhile Shoreditch’s Brat, Russian-backed Hide, London sibling to Delhi’s Indian Accent, and Beck in Mayfair are all in the running to become London’s Top Newcomer. 

With £20m of backing, Hide (backed by Mayfair’s Hedonism Wines and with Ollie Dabbous at the stoves); Noizé (set up by Mathieu Germond, former co-owner and manager of culinary leading light, Pied à Terre); and Boxcar Butcher & Grill (from Barry Hirst’s Cubitt House Group) are the only restaurants to be nominated in two separate categories. Hide and Boxcar highlight the wide spectrum of restaurants covered by the awards, with Boxcar offering main dishes from £10, and Hide offering its flagship tasting menu for just under £100.

Peter Harden, co-founder of Harden’s and host of the awards, commented:

“The London Restaurant Awards will celebrate the incredible robustness of London’s restaurant industry in 2018, during which some of the most exciting-ever debuts in the capital have occurred despite extremely challenging conditions in the restaurant trade. Street-food vendors will rub shoulders with London’s most famous chefs, restaurateurs and food journalists and influencers, as we recognise all types of restaurant – from the budget rising stars to veteran celebrity kitchens – all of which make London the world’s best restaurant city.”

The awards ceremony, presented by the BBC’s Nigel Barden, will take place for the first time amidst the luxurious surroundings of The Langham, London on 10 September 2018, starting at noon.

In addition to the awards based on the survey, a special Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by The Langham, London, will be presented to an industry figure whose ventures have performed exceptionally well in the Harden’s survey over many years. Last year this prestigious honour went to Christopher Corbin & Jeremy King, owners of that “marvellous metropolitan meeting point”, The Wolseley.

The Shortlist in Full

TOP GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE

Sponsor: Gusbourne English sparkling wine

Aulis

Core

Le Gavroche

The Ledbury

TOP NEWCOMER Beck at Browns Brat Hide Indian Accent

TOP CHEAP EAT Boxcar  Butcher & Grill Brasserie Zédel Chick ’n’ Sours Padella

BEST FOR BUSINESS Sponsor: Exmoor Caviar La Dame de Pic The Delaunay Lutyens Grill Scott’s

BEST STEAKS & GRILLS Blacklock City Boxcar  Butcher & Grill Flat Iron WC2 Knife

BEST STREET FOOD The Duck Truck Schmaltz Truck Sub Cult Yum Bun

WINE LIST OF THE YEAR Sponsor: Gusbourne Hide Noizé Lorne Tate Britain

TOP BAR OR PUB Sponsor: Duvel Anglesea Arms W6 The Coach EC1R Wells Tavern The Wigmore

BEST FOR ROMANCE Sponsor: Rock Rose Gin Andrew Edmunds Bleeding Heart Noizé The Petersham

BEST FOR BREAKFAST OR BRUNCH Caravan Bankside Regency Café St John Bread & Wine Timmy Green

TOP COFFEE HOUSE Bean & Wheat Flat White Kaffeine, Great Tichfield Street Prufrock Coffee

BEST AFTERNOON TEA Diamond Tea Rooms, Fortnum & Mason Jean-Georges at the Connaught Mirror Room, Rosewood The Ritz

BEST FOR FISH & SEAFOOD Sponsor: Exmoor Caviar J Sheekey The Oystermen Parsons Wright Brothers

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Sponsor: The Langham, London The ceremony will conclude with the recognition of exceptional achievement in the London restaurant scene, as judged by performance in the Harden’s survey over many years.

 

About the Awards

The Harden’s London Restaurant Awards comprises a total of 13 categories – with nominees taken from those who performed best in the annual Harden’s restaurant survey. This year, more than 8,500 foodies contributed 50,000 reviews.

Each category consists of four nominees, two selected purely on the strength of diners’ votes, and a further two selected on a similar basis, but solely from newer restaurant openings of the last 2-3 years. From the four candidates, the Harden’s editors pick the final winner, with a bias to recognising rising talent that possesses the potential to emerge as some of London’s very best in any given category.

The awards ceremony, presented by the BBC’s Nigel Barden, will take place at The Langham Hotel in London’s West End on 10 September 2018.

For any press enquiries please contact editorial@hardens.com.