Posts Tagged ‘restaurant’

Doing It Doggy-Style

Restaurant campaigns: what are they for? There, we’ve said it. An organisation somewhere, usually highly ethically minded, begins a website and endeavours to sign restaurants up to it, sending them window stickers in return, promising the proprietors this is what will increase custom. If you can give them sustainable sea snails, beef from the cow next door, knowledge that your leftover cooking oil is powering the pizza-delivery vans across the street, they will throng through your doors. And do we? Do we ever, ever pay any attention to these campaigns? Do we heck. Read full post

Simply The Best?

This time of year heralds many fine noises: jingling bells, carol singers, the slightly panicky gobble of turkeys and the distinct sound of knives being sharpened as the awards season grinds into gear. Up and down the land, sales and PR bods wear their fingerpads to the bone conference-calling favoured and not-so-favoured clients, wooing them with promises of shiny gold statues – or perhaps carrots – to display in reception, testament to their excellence in toilet hygiene or decor aesthetics. But, frankly, does it make a difference to you? Read full post

Foodie Trends (Part II)

Last time we made our predictions for the new trends in food for 2011. This time, we’re gazing into our crystal soup bowl to see if we can spy what’s going to be hot hot hot in Restaurant Land this year. It’s no good for those whose partying days are far behind them, but if you’re still in the flush of youth – or can just stay up past 10.30pm – then this new trend is all yours. All-night dining is set to take the country by storm: whether you’re clubbing in The Blue Bar in Liverpool, fine dining at The Brompton Club or looking for a post-theatre pick-me-up at Fergus Henderson’s new joint, The St John Hotel, there’s something more on offer than a dirty burger past lights out. And we say, thank God, quite frankly – it’s been a long time coming. . . Read full post

Past Perfect?

We’ve ranted before about the ‘Ramsayfication’ of London’s top hotels and restaurants — that disturbing process of homogenisation that has led to there being very few unique, doing-it-their-way establishment where you could be sure of a martini made just the way you like it in a place thick with the glamorous ghosts of riotous times past. However, The Savoy has relaunched the Savoy Grill under Ramsay’s direction – after Marcus Wareing jumped ship – to great fanfare and a curiously empathetic, well-judged nod to the past, retaining the much-loved meat trolley, dishes such as Omelette Arnold Bennett and lobster Thermidor and going loco on proper British meat such as mutton, steak, venison and veal. It seems that, here at least, Gordo’s back on form. Read full post

The Restaurant Rules

In the Sunday Times recently food critic AA Gill positioned himself as Moses on the Mount and laid out his Ten Commandments for ‘profitable dining’ aimed at restaurateurs. To name but a few:

1. Do not open a restaurant because you love feeding people and want to welcome them to your place. It’s a business, not a party.
2. A restaurant is a factory – dishes must be repeated to perfection ad nauseam.
3. Every facet of a restaurant that can go wrong will go wrong – it’s an expensive business.
4. It’s a delusional business – no chef eats his own three-course menu and no manager eats in his own dining room.
5. Restaurant PR is a waste of time and money.
6. Location means nothing. If it’s good they will come. If it’s bad, they won’t.
7. Restaurant success is a complete unknown – there is no formula, no rules – it either goes right – or it doesn’t. Read full post

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