London Restaurant Festival
Edinburgh may have its comedy, and Glastonbury its mud and unnecessary juggling, and now the capital can boast a festival that everyone has a vested interest in.
Whether you’re a gourmet diner or a burger aficionado, the newly launched city-wide celebration of good eating is set to become a firm favourite for anyone who enjoys dining out.
The six-day programme has its heart in Covent Garden, with the Piazza hosting the visitors’ centre where intrepid diners can find out more about what’s on offer and book tickets for London Restaurant Festival events. These include a roast lunch for 500 people, a ‘pop-up’ restaurant on the Selfridges rooftop, food-based film screening at Covent Garden’s luxe Charlotte Street Hotel and a gastro tour of three top restaurants, eating one course in each and using an old Routemaster bus as your ‘limo’ for the gourmet odyssey.
Over 600 restaurants will be providing signature ‘Festival Menus’. These menus will deliver the essence of what each establishment is about, with a fixed price making even the swankiest spots more accessible to first-time visitors. For this, the inaugural London Restaurant Festival, Covent Garden’s Real Food Market will also extend its opening from 8th-11th October. Four of the market’s food stalls will be curated by guest restaurants – watch this space for further details.
London Mayor Boris Johnson has called on restaurants to step up to the challenge of showcasing the best that their kitchens have to offer at an affordable price, with £10, £15 and £20 deals for lunch and £15, £25 and £40 at dinner.
“London’s restaurant scene is world class, boasting a massive 6,000 eateries. Their importance to the capital cannot be underestimated,” he said.
The celebration of capital dining starts here.
London Restaurant Festival
8th – 13th October
For more information visit:
www.visitlondon.com
