Top 5: Events at London Restaurant FestivalBy Angelica Malin
London Restaurant Festival is amazing. A week long celebration of food in the capital, filled with special events, menus and much more. The festival comprises of two main elements: Events and Festival Menus. There will also be a section of Side Orders – where individual restaurants will be encouraged and supported in devising activities with direct appeal to their own market. It can be a little overwhelming, though, so make sure to check out these 10 brilliant events:
1. For the Special Menus: Use Your AMEX
What: London Restaurant Festival has partnered up with AMEX – if you spend over £10 on any of the special LRF menus, then you get £5 cash back on your card. Win! You’ll need to register your AMEX here first. There are an incredible amount of special menus throughout the week, which are a bargain and much cheaper than you would normally pay – you can see them all here. Our top picks are:
– OXO Tower Brasserie – £30 for three courses and a glass of Prosecco. This includes cream of white onion and chicken soup, roasted cod with butter bean and cuttlefish stew and flourless chocolate and walnut cake. Delicious.
– Roux at The Landau – 3 courses with half a bottle of wine, coffee & petits fours for £45 per person. This includes Boudin blanc ham with beer pickled onions, seared salmon ragout of leeks, mussels & crème fraiche and pineapple tarte tatin with rum ice cream, plus coffee & petits fours to finish.
– Quaglino’s – amuse bouche, 3 courses and a glass of Laurent Perrier Champagne £40 per person. This includes celeriac velouté, curried apple & sorrel salad, Dombes duck breast, celeriac fondant, chilli & almond tossed kale and plum & ginger cheesecake.
2. For Restaurant Hopping: The Gourmet Odyssey
What: The Gourmet Odyssey sponsored by Laurent-Perrier offers you the chance to enjoy a three-course meal in three different top restaurants in London. A starter in one restaurant, followed by a main in the second and dessert in the third. There are three to choose from:
– The Discover North Gourmet Odyssey brings a diverse selection of North London’s most exciting restaurants including The Quality Chop House, Trullo and Grain Store on the 10th October.
– The Discover West Gourmet Odyssey guarantees fine dining at Marylebone’s Trishna, Koffmann’s and Theo Randall at the InterContinental on the 17th October.
– The Discover East Gourmet Odyssey promises visits to the East End’s finest including Bistrotheque and Hoi Polloi on the 24th October.
3. For Food & Film: EAT FILM at BAFTA
What: One of LRF’s most popular events, EAT FILM, returns to BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, offering diners the chance to enjoy a three course dinner and film at the iconic headquarters of the famous awards. This event, hosted by specially selected talent from the film industry, represents a unique marriage between two of London’s cultural pillars: food and film. Guests will enjoy a three-course dinner with wine prepared by BAFTA 195 Piccadilly’s head chef, Anton Manganaro. This year it takes place on the 1st October and is hosted by Mark Kermode – book your tickets here.
4. For an Exclusive: Inspired by London
What: Inspired by London are events exclusive to American Express Cardmembers and will see really famous chefs including Phil Howard, Marcus Wareing, Jeremy Lee, Mark Hix, Tomos Parry and Nathan Outlaw prepare a special menu inspired by the produce, sights and landmarks of London. Here’s what we recommend:
– Pierre Koffmann – Pierre Koffmann has been at the heart of fine cuisine in Britain for over 35 years. His previous restaurant La Tante Claire set new standards for cooking in Britain while serving as an academy for many of today’s culinary superstars. Between them his various protégés now boast over 20 Michelin stars in their own right. Pierre Koffmann has returned to The Berkeley with a more relaxed, informal style and classic provincial French cooking – tickets are here.
5. For a Food Tour: Restaurant Hopping Tours
What: This is LRF’s signature series: visit six top restaurants, with a delicious tasting plate and drink in each. Choose from: Chinatown, including new restaurant Leicester House, Carnaby Village, which includes Antidote and Pitt Cue Co., Tapas Tours, including Copita and Jose, Japanese Journeys, Seven Dials and Victoria.
You’ll be sent a ‘Passport’ together with your ticket, and a map which will guide you around the restaurants. Holders will be able to visit six restaurants in one day at their leisure, or six restaurants over a weekend for Tapas Tour and Japanese Journey. Experience six restaurants on each tour from 12-6pm, with a delicious small plate and a drink in each. Here’s more information:
Tapas Tour, Oct 3 & 4, 17 & 18, 24 & 25
– Restaurants include: Camino, Copita, Iberica, Tapas Revolution, Jose, Salvador & Amanda
Chinatown, various Oct 10, 11, 17
– Restaurants include: Rasa Sayang, Plum Valley, Orient London, Dumpling Legends, Nusa Dua, Leicester House
Seven Dials, various Oct 18
– Restaurants include: Polpo, Tredwell’s, Vico, Mon Plaisir, The Bowler and Rossopomodoro
Carnaby Village, various Oct 3, 4, 10
– Restaurants include: Senor Ceviche, Rosa’s, Shoryu, Pizza Pilgrims. Pitt Cue co, Antidote
Victoria Tour, various Oct 7 (evening), 10,11
– Restaurants include: : Tozi, Iberica, Caxton Grill, Mango Tree, Pont St, Daylesford
Japanese Journey, Oct 10 & 11, 17 & 18, 24 & 25
– Restaurants include: Bo Drake, Tonkotsu East, Shoryu, Chisou, Kurobuta, Yashin Ocean House
What: Side Orders at London Restaurant Festival are the festival’s ‘fringe’. Be it a talk, tasting, wine-paring or demonstrations, Side Orders are the way for restaurants to tailor their involvement in the festival. A whole range of new and exciting events will be announced in the autumn – keep an eye out here for the details.
For more information, see their website here.