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The
Gordon Ramsay group restaurant Murano - presided over by Angela
Hartnett - is London's best new restaurant. That is the conclusion of
the survey of over 8,000 restaurant-goers conducted for the new
edition of Harden's London Restaurants, which is published today in
association with Rémy Martin. Murano accordingly receives the
Rémy Martin VSOP Award for London's Best Newcomer of the year.
The award provides a ray of light
in an otherwise grey year for Gordon Ramsay, which has seen his
Chelsea flagship - until just two years ago unchallenged as London's
best top-end restaurant for nearly a decade - experience an
"unprecedented slide" in survey reporters' approval.
Criticism of his pubs has also intensified.
Guide co-editor Peter Harden
notes: "Angela Hartnett is to be congratulated, and Murano's
success shows the Ramsay group still 'has what it takes'. The year's
survey results, though, confirm there are some very deep-seated
problems in the group, and we have to hope that Murano's success
marks a real 'turning point'. All eyes will now turn to Pétrus
- Ramsay's forthcoming fine dining restaurant shortly to be reborn in
Belgravia. An undoubted success there would really confirm that the
green shoots of a true Ramsay recovery were starting to show through."
Ramsay's former
protégé Marcus Wareing's restaurant at the Berkeley
Hotel has maintained its position as London's undoubted best top
restaurant (first gained last year). As such, Marcus Wareing at the
Berkeley receives the Rémy Martin XO Excellence Award.
OTHER
SURVEY RESULTS
o For the 5th consecutive year,
Bruce Poole's Wandsworth restaurant Chez Bruce was voted Londoners'
favourite restaurant
o For the 7th consecutive year, J
Sheekey was the restaurant which attracted Most survey commentary.
The big 'riser' was Mayfair celebrity-magnet Scott's - now third
most-mentioned, up from 7th last year. Rag trade
millionaire-turned-restaurateur Richard Caring is now, therefore,
patron of two of the three most talked-about restaurants in town.
Among recently-opened restaurants, those which most caught survey
reporters' attention were Corrigan's Mayfair (35th), Bocca Di Lupo
(36th) and Murano (40th)
o The Wolseley was again the top
survey nomination as Best for business, with City duo the Bleeding
Heart and The Don again taking second and third places
o To no one's surprise, La Poule
au Pot, in Pimlico, was voted London's Most romantic
restaurant&ldots;for the 14th consecutive year
o Gordon Ramsay group restaurants
were particularly represented in nominations for Most disappointing
cooking (accounting for four of the top ten positions) and Most
overpriced restaurant (accounting three out of the ten, including
number one position for the flagship Chelsea restaurant). Oxo Tower
maintained its traditional market-leading position as top nomination
in the Most disappointing cooking category.
REMY
MARTIN AWARD-WINNERS (AND RUNNERS-UP)
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Rémy
Martin XO Award for best all-round restaurant
Winner
1. Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley
Runners -up
2. Chez Bruce
3. Le Gavroche
4. The Ledbury
5. La Trompette
6. The Landau
7. L'Aventure
8. Clos Maggiore
9. J Sheekey
10. Barrafina
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Remy
Martin VSOP Award for best-rated newcomer
Winner
1. Murano
Runners-up
2. Min Jiang
3. Soseki
4. Bull & Last
5. Trishna
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Rémy
Martin Coeur de Cognac award for Best Dessert
Winner
1. Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley
(custard tart)
Runners-up
2. The Ivy (Iced berries with hot
white chocolate sauce)
3. Chez Bruce (Cheeseboard)
4. The Wolseley (Victoria sandwich)
5. L'Atelier de Joe Robuchon (Le
chocolat tendance)
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Survey rankings by number of
reporters' nominations
(Last year's ranking in brackets) |
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Best
meal of the year
1. Marcus Wareing/Berkeley (3)
2. Chez Bruce (2)
3. Le Gavroche (4)
4. Gordon Ramsay (1)
5. La Trompette (5)
6. maze (9)
7. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (7)
8. The Ledbury (-)
9. The Square (-)
10. Murano (recent opening) |
Favourite
1. Chez Bruce (1)
2. Le Caprice (2)
3. J Sheekey (3)
4=. The Wolseley (5)
4=. The Ivy (6)
6. La Trompette (4)
7. Galvin Bistrot de Luxe (9)
8. Scott's (-)
9. Moro (7)
10. St John (-) |
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Best for
business
1. The Wolseley (1)
2. Bleeding Heart (3)
3. The Don (2)
4. Coq d'Argent (6)
5. The Square (4)
6. L'Anima (recent opening) (9)
7. 1 Lombard Street (5)
8. Scott's (-)
9. Galvin Bistrot de Luxe (9)
10. St Alban (-) |
Best for romance
1. La Poule au Pot (1)
2. Andrew Edmunds (2)
3. Clos Maggiore (5)
4. Bleeding Heart (3)
5. Chez Bruce (4)
6. Le Caprice (6)
7. J Sheekey (10)
8. Marcus Wareing/Berkeley (8)
9. Galvin at Windows (-)
10. Le Gavroche (-) |
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Best breakfast/brunch
1. The Wolseley (1)
2. Smiths (Ground Floor) (2)
3. Roast (3)
4. Cecconi's (5)
5. Simpsons-in-the-Strand (7)
6. Electric Brasserie (4)
7. High Road Brasserie (6)
8. Tom's Kitchen (-)
9. Providores (Tapa Room) (8)
10. Automat (-) |
Best
bar/pub food
1. The Anchor & Hope (1)
2. Churchill Arms (9)
3. The Gun (2)
4=. The Eagle (6)
4=. The Thomas Cubitt (7)
6. The Narrow (3)
7. Harwood Arms (recent opening)
8. The Engineer (5)
9=. The Anglesea Arms (4)
9=. Bull & Last (recent opening) |
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Most
disappointing cooking
1. Oxo Tower (1)
2. The Ivy (2)
3. Gordon Ramsay/Claridge's (3)
4. Gordon Ramsay (7)
5. The Wolseley (4)
6. Corrigan's Mayfair (rec. opening)
7. Cipriani (9)
8. Le Café Anglais (5)
9. The Warrington (-)
10. maze (-) |
Most
overpriced restaurant
1. Gordon Ramsay (3)
2. Oxo Tower (1)
3. Gordon Ramsay/Claridge's (4)
4. Cipriani (2)
5. The River Café (5)
6. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (8)
7. Hakkasan (6)
8. The Ivy (7)
9. Sketch (Lecture Room) (9)
10. maze (-) |
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