London may have 47 restaurants worth of a Michelin star or three, but according to the latest copy of the Good Food Guide it merits just 14 spots in the Top 50 restaurants in the UK, with just one - Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road - squeezing into the Top 5.
Elizabeth Carter, Consultant Editor to The Good Food Guide 2011, commented on the list saying: 'Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay continue to delight us with their stuff of genius, world class style and truly memorable dining experiences. But we’ve seen significant changes in the UK restaurant scene over the last year. A crop of talent has sprung up all over the country, pushing London restaurants out of the top spots with their culinary delights.'
The guide which, like Michelin, is compiled by a team of anonymous inspectors, accords marks to each restaurant based on 'food quality, not service or atmosphere'. The main difference to Michelin being that the longer list of restaurants it considers for inclusion each year is drawn up based on the comments, reports and recommendations it receives from Which? readers.
London restaurants in the Good Food Guide 2011 Top 50
2. Gordon Ramsay, Royal Hospital Road, London
7. Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, London
9. Pied-à-Terre, London
10. The Square, London
11. Hibiscus, London
12. Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, London
15. Le Gavroche, London
16. Tom Aikens, London
21. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, London
22. Murano, London
29. The Ledbury, London
40. The Greenhouse, London
45. Club Gascon, London
50. Galvin at Windows, London
For our money, we're surprised there's no mention of The River Cafe, Harwood Arms, Corrigan's Mayfair, Texture or any of London's ethnic restaurants. What else do you think should have been on this list?
