Launched by The Evening Standard’s food critic Fay Maschler in 2009, to raise the profile of the 800 restaurants involved -from high-profile Michelin-starred establishments to neighbourhood bistrots-, London Restaurant Festival 2012 is back this year between the 1st and 15th of October. Good news for the gourmets, who will be able to sample some attractively priced menus and to participate in unusual events involving not only gourmet food but also cinema, theatre or pub games. Here is a small selection of some appetising activities.
The Gourmet Odyssey For one evening, participants are taken on a gastronomic tour of some London’s hippest hangouts, enjoying each course in a different place. The three odysseys this year include a trendy tour of the East End, the classic masters of the gastronomy scene and the newer restaurants (such as Novikov and Brasserie Zedel) shaking up the capital.
Graze With this new concept, people are offered a restaurant-hopping experience in some of the most vibrant food streets in London, such as Charlotte Street, Bermondsey Street or Marylebone High Street, where they can sample signature dishes from each of the restaurants involved.
Street ThEATre This one-off event on 6th October aims to showcase the diversity of cuisines now present in the UK and how the pathways to London are often forged by cuisine and their associated cultures. In partnership with eat.st and the Old Vic Tunnels, it will be creating the largest street food market that London has ever seen along with an original theatrical experience.
Kitchen Influentials This series of exclusive events brings together some of the country’s most renowned chefs -such as Michel Roux Jr, Bruno Loubet, Rowley Leigh, Valentine Warner and Mark Hix- with their protégés, family or friends -and the participating public- for a one-off lunch. Note that those are reserved for American Express cardholders.
Eat Film Organised in collaboration with Firmdale Hotels, this events are hosted by famous foodies, such as as Tom Parker-Bowles, screening a film that has inspired them before hosting a dinner.
Prices start at £10 www.londonrestaurantfestival.com
