London sees dramatic rise in Asian-style restaurants

There has been a dramatic rise in the number of Asian-style restaurants in London over the past 10 years, according to research from online directory Yell.

Survey Capital Cuisine found that there were 40 times more Thai restaurants in London over the past decade, while there were 20 times more Japanese.

Indian and Balti restaurants remain popular and have increased by 15 times since 1995.

Covent Garden was the capital's eating hotspot, due to the diversity and number of restaurants in the area.

Islington was best for pizzerias, Chelsea had the most French restaurants, and Camden the most vegetarian eateries.

But this growth appears to have been at the expense of the traditional fish and chip shop, which declined by 30%.

Nick Scade, chairman of the Restaurant Association, said: "This goes to show that the whole restaurant scene has transformed itself. People are approaching restaurants as a business, not just a speculative venture, and they're prepared to try new things."

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