Zagat London Survey

Zagat's 1998 London Restaurant Survey

Dine Online - the UK Restaurant guide

Londoners - Can't Cook, Won't Cook?

The results of the 1998 Zagat Restaurant Survey have just been announced and it appears that those living in London are relying on restaurants more and more. An amazing 51% of meals eaten are either consumed in a restaurant or bought as take-away.

An increase in cost of dining in the Capital does not seem to matter, even though an average meal in London costs over ś7.00 more than its equivalent in New York and over ś11.00 more than in Los Angeles. And it seems that the cost of eating out is on the increase, with on average going up 3.6%, year on year, from ś25.50 to ś26.41.

The strength and vitality of the London restaurant industry is evident - nearly 60% of Londoners eating out more than they did three years ago and with the average person eating out three times a week!

Better service please!

Tim Zagat, originator, with his wife Nina, of the Zagat Surveys, commented, "Even though people are eating out more, there are still complaints about the different aspects of dining. 33% of diners would like to see some improvement in the quality of the service, 22% would like lower prices, 19% better food, 10% no smoking areas and 80% would like to see improved parking facilities. When we asked New York City diners the same questions, they had far less to complain about with only 3% wanting more smoke free dining, 7% wanting improved food and 1% wanting better parking facilities. But in both cities, we have discovered that the weak link does seem to be service."

Unsurprisingly, Modern British and Classic French are the favourite choices amongst London's diners, a fact which is reflected in the Top 10 Food Rankings and the Top 10 Favourite Restaurants, featured in the

1998 Zagat Restaurant Survey reveals new British trends

London does, however, redeem itself by offering a wide choice of best value restaurants as well a huge diversity of ethnic cuisines. Coffee bars and coffee houses, offering speciality brews and light fare, are making serious inroads to the British penchant for tea. Four of the Survey's top five 'Best Buys' prominently feature a caffeinated menu. Sushi and other Japanese cuisine, viewed with scepticisim not so long ago, have been attracting a substantial following with clean-cut noodle bars and conveyor-belt sushi joints both making an impact.

With the increase in dining out, Londoners may find it more difficult to get a table without pre-booking, particularly in all the top-quality restaurants. Once seated, it is becoming increasingly more common for diners to be warned that the table may be required later in the evening. Some London restaurants will not hesitate to 'invite' you to finish up in the lounge if the deadline arrives and space is scarce.

London's Favourite Five

This year the respondents voted Aubergine the Most Popular restaurant in London, knocking The Ivy off top spot into second. La Tante Claire, Bibendum and Le Caprice were awarded third, fourth and fifth respectively. Aubergine, the modern French restaurant based in 5W10, was last year's No.2 and has been described as "sublime", "a bench mark" and "inspirational". One surveyor went so far as to ask, "who needs sex with food as good as this"! However you will need to be patient, as getting a reservation "is like trying to see the Pope".

Zagat's London editor, Sholto Douglas-Home commented, "Interestingly, although Aubergine was voted the Most Popular London Restaurant, La Tante Claire in SWS just pipped them to the post to win Top Food Quality."

Best Newcomers

Of the recent crop of new additions to the London restaurant scene, Nobu based in the Metropolitan Hotel in W1 was ranked as the top Newcomer. Nobu, which offers a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines, has already become extremely popular with locals and celebrities. Other top newcomers, in order of their food ratings are: Assaggi, Quo Vadis, Bank and The Oxo Tower. Too new to be rated, but honorably mentioned were Bluebird, Momo, Novelli EC1, Putney Bridge and Spighetta.

Best of British

Susan Kessler, Zagat Survey Co-ordinator, commented, "British traditional fare is perenially popular in London, with visitors and inhabitants alike. If it's "first-rate fish" at "reasonable prices" that you want, visit Two Brothers Fish in N3 for the Best Fish 'n' Chips - but they don't take bookings, so get there early!" The Connaught Grill Room scooped the top Traditional British rating and The Capital was voted the Best Modern British restaurant. The Capital was praised particularly for its "impeccable", unobtrusive service, whilst the Connaught Grill Room, with less than a dozen tables, offers many "first rate", "not to be missed" traditional English favourites.

Best Service

"Good service is one of the most vital things that a restaurant can offer, yet time and time again the surveyors made reference to bad service and unhelpful staff, particularly in some of the newer, 'trendier' restaurants." Mr Douglas-Home commented, "And whilst we have seen the opening of a number of cavernous restaurants, it seems that many diners would like to see a return to the smaller, more intimate restaurants." Best for the Buck When collating the results of the survey, Susan Kessler has noticed a swing towards a more American way of living, "It appears that the English penchant for tea-drinking may be on the wane since the relatively new addition to the cafe scene, Seattle Coffee Co was ranked the Best Buy in London - with the Coffee Republic hot on its heels."

How does the Zagat Survey work?

Zagat received completed surveys from nearly 2,300 Londoners, rating and reviewing over 1,000 of the Capital's restaurants. The new Survey, edited by restaurant writer Sholto Douglas-Home and co-ordinated by Susan Kessler, a cookbook author and freelance writer, is a fully comprehensive and easy to use guide to the restaurants on offer in London and some of its surrounding areas. Zagat surveyors, are the general restaurant-going public who give a written commentary on each restaurant they've visited, estimate an average cost per meal (including drinks, tax and service) and score them, on a 0-to-30 scale, for Food, Decor and Service.

The Zagat London Restaurant Survey is available from all good bookshops, priced Stg 6.99.

If you can't find the guide in your local bookshop, contact ZAGAT, at 61 Cadogan Square, London SW1X 0HZ Tel: 020 7235 9307 Fax: 020 7235 7785

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Views or opinions expressed by authors are not necessarily those of the publishers, Clifton Media Associates. While every care is taken in compiling this publication, the publishers cannot assume responsibility for any effects arising therefrom.