Call it dining on the hoof: a starter of char-grilled chilli and fennel langoustines in buzzing restaurant Dishoom (whose decor is based on an old-style Bombay cafe), a main of grilled wild sea bass, clams and scallops in elegant French restaurant Gauthier (set in a four-storey Georgian town house a short stroll away), and a sumptuous pear clafoutis with salted caramel ice cream in the Michelin-star Arbutus. Three courses, three venues, three different atmospheres but in the same London neighbourhood - in this case, Soho. This is just one of the 'gourmet odysseys' offered during the London Restaurant Festival, which runs until October 17. Visitors and locals can dine at some of the best restaurants in Mayfair, Piccadilly, Covent Garden and Clerkenwell, where each venue is accessible by foot or by traditional Routemaster double-decker bus. The London Restaurant Festival was founded three years ago by food and travel journalist Simon Davis and renowned restaurant critic Fay Maschler. Their aim was to create 'a festival with a wide-ranging schedule of original and inspiring events that throws the spotlight on London's extraordinary restaurant scene, which has gone from a laughing stock to one of the world's most diverse and exhilarating platforms,' Davis says. 'We wanted to reflect that.' Also high on their agenda, says Davis, was a desire to drive customers into establishments that they may not usually go to. 'We want thousands of people getting involved, and the festival menus allow this,' says Davis. This year, the two- or three-course menus cost GBP10 (HK$120) to ?25 and are available at 800 restaurants - twice as many as the first year. One of the restaurants is a pop-up from German caterers Kofler & Kompanie, in collaboration with Lazarides Galleries. The Minotaur, open October 11 to 25, will serve Michelin-quality food in the Old Vic Tunnels. The underground caverns will be converted into a labyrinthine gallery of street art for the occasion. Other highlights include: Pop-Up in the Sky, a gourmet dinner by three top chefs in one of the London Eye capsules; Eat Film, a three-course meal during a screening of a food-themed film; and the Fortnum & Mason Culinary Carnival, lunch or dinner by Michelin chefs at the famous department store. Other offerings include a tapas tour, debate, quiz and suppliers' markets on the concourses of some of London's biggest railway stations. 'This will showcase the fantastic small food-producers who supply the wonderful ingredients that are the lifeblood of London's restaurant scene,' Davis says. Each year, more restaurants have come on board, providing an unofficial programme that organisers call Side Order events. This year, there are dozens of events such as chocolate tours, seafood workshops (which include sourcing fish from traditional fish markets) and a Cockney dinner in one of the East End's traditional pubs, or 'boozers' (not as familiar a sight as they once were). What would Davis say to tourists who still believe food in London and Britain is bland? 'There was a time when I would rather have eaten my own hair than gone to eat out in London. But that has changed beyond measure,' he says. 'Now, on the one hand, all the world's best chefs want to work in London, which makes us rivals to Paris and Tokyo; and on the other, we have the vibrant underground foodie scene of supper clubs and pop-ups to rival New York.' As diverse as its people, London's restaurants offer more than 150 types of cuisine. There has been a shift in trend towards 'small plate' dining, such as tapas, and traditional English dishes, Davis says. 'Korean is hot right now, as are places that have very few covers and are laid back. It's not just about big-name chefs and starchy service,' he says. 'The other trend is for supper clubs: young talented cooks opening up their homes to host very small, temporary restaurants.' His recommendations include the vibrant area of Charlotte Street and Soho, which offers variety from tapas to Sichuan and food for all budgets. Mayfair has the big names, and Marylebone High Street is increasingly alluring for foodies. If he had to recommend three places people should try at the moment, what would they be? 'Very tricky to narrow down, but I would go for Brawn on Columbia Road, Les Deux Salons on William IV Street and Spuntino in Soho. But tomorrow my list might change.' The London Restaurant Festival runs until October 17. For more information, visit www.londonrestaurantfestival.com
