Diners defying recession

Has the UK economy rebounded or are Britain’s most highly-rated restaurants too good to turn down even when times are tight? Almost 80% of the UK’s leading outlets were fully booked last Friday night when the drinks business tried to take a table.

However, The Capital hotel, which has just lost both its Michelin stars following the departure of head chef Eric Chavot, could accommodate four for dinner at eight.

Curious to find out how hard economic stagnation is hitting the restaurant trade in January, the drinks business rang Britain’s top restaurants at lunchtime on Friday 8 January to book a table for four people at 8pm the same day.

As many as 11 of the 14 restaurants contacted were fully booked with no room on their waiting lists.

Oxfordshire’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons had no table for 8pm but availability for 7pm while The Capital hotel and The Dining Room at Whatley Manor both had space for four people at 8pm.

Britain’s on-trade has had a tough start to the year with freezing conditions and heavy snowfall keeping customers indoors. Nevertheless, it seems that even in the depths of January, the current economic climate is not affecting the following two-Michelin-starred (at the time of calling) restaurants, all of which were fully booked last Friday evening:

Le Gavroche – Mayfair, London
Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley – Knightsbridge, London
Pied å Terre – Bloomsbury, London
The Square – Mayfair, London
Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester – Mayfair, London
Hibiscus – Mayfair, London
L’Atelier de Joél Robuchon – Covent Garden, London
Le Champignon Sauvage – Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Gidleigh Park – Chagford, Devon
Midsummer House – Cambridge
The Vineyard at Stockcross – Newbury, Berkshire

Patrick Schmitt, 19.01.2010