The biggest news this week is that, according to a report released by Harden's, London restaurants are currently defying the recession as restaurant closures are at their lowest rate since 2000. This is obviously good news, but we can't help notice other reports suggesting thst new restaurants are still having diffulculty getting investors while existing ones are advised to tighten their purse strings. Hmm - we seem to be getting mixed messages there...
In other news:
- Von Essen hotels bring Michelin starred dining to Harvey Nichols
- The Visit London awards are announced with a rather suspicious shortlist for "best gastronomic experience". Vinopolis? And the St Paul's restaurant which has only just opened. Really?
- Philip Howard of The Square is to open Kitchen W8 in Kensington, while Hix is coming to Soho and Aubergine's William Drabble is joining the St James Hotel's Seven Park Place. We'll be watching all these restaurants in our Coming Soon section.
- The Guardian asks who should be more responsible for sustainable dining - the restaurants or the diners?
- And Olly Smith in the Mail thinks that top chefs really know their wine
Every week, at least one paper has a list of the "best restaurants". This week, we've had:
- The Standard's guide to the best of Portobello Road.
- The Times looking at the best pies available on the terraces.
- Soon-to-be-late thelondonpaper's opinion on the best beer gardens.
- City AM's best of King's Cross.
And finally, we learn that popcorn is good for you, after all. At least until the next report inevitably comes out telling us that, actually, it isn't...
