Huge Support for London Restaurant Festival
London's leading chefs and restaurateurs were overwhelmingly positive about London Restaurant Festival 2009.
Andrew Turner
The Landau
"Having worked in the capital for over 20 years I really appreciate this endeavour to bring London's culinary world together. A festival that promotes all that is good about cooking, culture and one that showcases the fabulous ingredients that are available to us from Great Britain can only be a good thing." www.thelandau.com
Rowley Leigh
Le Café Anglais
"I'm delighted to support the London Restaurant Festival. We strangely don't take restaurants seriously enough. They are a vital part of the economy and an essential social forum. Besides, it should be great fun." www.lecafeanglais.co.uk
John Nugent
Green & Fortune
"To celebrate all things to do with London restaurants, and the richness they add to our everyday life, is to be applauded. This festival will unlock all the hidden treasures that exist in this city, that sometimes go unnoticed. It will be a time to explore what is on our doorstep, try the unknown and a damn good reason to enjoy the company of our friends in life's simplest of pleasures." www.kingsplace.co.uk
Jacob Kenedy
Bocca di Lupo
"I am incredibly excited about the London Restaurant Festival – it promises a whole new perspective on the food of our magnificent city. The activities and events are imaginative, fun and intelligent – I am particularly looking forwards to Eat Film.
"The festival may well provide a forum for restaurateurs to showcase and discuss their offerings, but will more importantly give customers a great way to get involved in our thriving foodie scene. We Brits spend more than enough time bemoaning the worse aspects of cuisine in this country – here at last is a chance for us to celebrate the highlights instead." www.boccadilupo.com
Sally Clarke
Clarke’s
"Having worked as a restaurateur and chef in London for 25 years, I have witnessed many food trends come and go. However, what always remains is London's ability to stay at the forefront of diverse and eclectic cuisine; from dim sum to steak and chips, this really is a city which offers something for all appetites and all budgets." www.sallyclarke.com
Marcus Wareing
Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley
"I am proud to be part of the London restaurant scene. We offer some of the best cuisine in the world from the most diverse range of restaurants. In this current climate what a great idea – a celebration of our existing restaurants and a reminder to us all of how unique London really is. Food is fun, and for five days in October everyone can see just how much!" www.the-berkeley.co.uk
Nick Jones
Soho House
"There's no doubt about it that London continues to thrive on the restaurant front, and our international food reputation has improved dramatically over the last decade. The mix of cuisines and styles of operation is phenomenal here, and The London Restaurant Festival will celebrate all of that." www.sohohouse.com
Tom Aikens
Tom Aikens
"We sometimes take London restaurants for granted and only go to our favourite local haunts for work or pleasure, so it's great to be reminded of the variety London has to offer – little Vietnamese places, a great gastropub in the next borough or a top place for a special treat. The London Restaurant Festival will hopefully open our eyes to loads of new eating opportunities in London." www.tomaikens.co.uk
Thomasina Miers
Wahaca
"London is the epicentre of some of the most exciting food in the world, whether it's high-end Michelin-star cooking, street food from all corners of the world or pop-up restaurants appearing and disappearing across the capital. People are finally beginning to get how exciting and inspirational food can be, not just at home but also in our capital's myriad enticing restaurants. We are proud to be a part of a festival celebrating our London's good eating." www.wahaca.co.uk
Mourad Mazouz
Sketch / Momo
"I get very excited about food in London... we're out-stripping Paris and New York these days, and that makes me very proud. So an event like The London Restaurant Festival will remind everyone just how good our restaurant business is!" www.momoresto.com, www.sketch.uk.com
Tristan Welch
Launceston Place
"The great thing about London when you are dining out is that it is like you are some place completely different! The food and restaurant scene is so diverse and authentic, it feels like you could be in Paris , Mumbai, Stockholm, Athens, Thailand, morocco and on and on." www.launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk
Theo Randall
Theo Randall at the InterContinental
"The London Restaurant Festival is set to highlight how far London has come in the last 10 years as a culinary city and I am really excited to be part of it." www.theorandall.com
Sam and Eddie Hart
Fino / Barrafina / Quo Vadis
"We are delighted to support The London Restaurant Festival and celebrate the brilliance and diversity of London restaurants."
www.finorestaurant.com, www.barrafina.co.uk, www.quovadissoho.co.uk
Jason Atherton
Maze
"I am absolutely thrilled to be taking part in the London Restaurant Festival. The London restaurant scene is extremely diverse, vibrant and exciting right now and I'm incredibly proud to be a part of it." www.gordonramsay.com/maze
Francesco Mazzei
L'ANIMA
"I am extremely pleased to be involved in what I consider will be one of the best food festivals ever! It is an honour for me and for L’ANIMA to be part of this great food “palcoscenico”. I am proud to be cooking in a city amongst so many great chefs, where people get excited about restaurants and are becoming more and more knowledgeable about food." www.lanima.co.uk
Tim Hughes
Caprice Holdings
“The London Restaurant Festival will present a great opportunity for restaurant goers to celebrate the standard and quality of food now available in restaurants all over the city. Great ingredients, great innovation, great dishes… that’s what the customer wants and that’s what we all aim to provide.” www.caprice-holdings.co.uk
Henry Dimbleby
Leon Restaurants
“London’s restaurant scene has never been more exciting, I'm thrilled to be involved in such a positive and fun event and hope Londoners will rally together to celebrate our city and its amazing food.” www.leonrestaurants.co.uk
Hélène Darroze
Hélène Darroze at the Connaught
"I have the great fortune to live in both London and Paris. But I can truly say that if I want to find the best Italian, Japanese, Chinese or Indian restaurant, I will find it in London. London is an incredible city offering amazing restaurants from all over the world. And I am proud and happy now to be part of that. Many thanks to The London Restaurant Festival for its celebration of our restaurants.” www.the-connaught.co.uk
Richard Caring
Caprice Holdings
"London restaurants are a big part of making London the premier city in the world. The London Restaurant Festival is perfectly placed to celebrate that fact through the events it has organised which are clever, creative and fun at the same time as being extremely professional. We are getting our restaurants involved and would encourage all others to do the same. Each year this event could be the crowning glory for London tourism and help to make our city the host for the Olympics of Food!" www.caprice-holdings.co.uk
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