Wagamama tops most popular restaurant list

08 September 2005
Wagamama tops most popular restaurant list

Noodle-bar chain Wagamama has ended celebrity-haunt Nobu's three-year reign as London's most popular restaurant, according to the new Zagat Survey.

The survey, which accompanies the 10th edition of Zagat's 2006 London Restaurants guide, found that Londoners were changing their eating habits and favouring communal tables and small, tapas-style dishes.

The guide's authors said that Wagamama's increase in popularity had been due to the rising costs of eating out in London, which had seen consumers switching to cheaper, more informal destinations.

Wagamama and Middle Eastern newcomer Ottolenghi are prime examples of the shared-table syndrome.

Value-for-money ethnic restaurants were also benefiting from the concern about costs, including the Mexican Crazy Homies, Korean Wizzy and Asian-Pacific Grocer.

Meals on average rose by 4.2% compared with the year before to an average £36.79 in London, double the US average of £18.12 and surpassed only by Tokyo's £39.47.

On the fine dining front, Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road scooped the Top Food award for the sixth consecutive year.

Most Popular Restaurants
Wagamama
Nobu
The Ivy
Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's
J Sheekey

Top Food Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road
Chez Bruce
Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons
Fat Duck
Le Gavroche

Top Service Gordond Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road
Lanes
Le Gavroche
Waterside Inn
Rasoi Vineet Bhatia

Top Newcomers Amaya
Ottolenghi
Roka
Sardo Canale
Cocoon

Top Décor The Ritz
Hakkasan
Home House
Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons
Lanesborough

Best Bangs for the Buck (cheap eats) Food for Thought
Books for Cooks
Pepper Tree
Churchill Arms
North Sea

Buy this week's Caterer magazine for more industry news and analysis

The Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email

Start the working day with The Caterer’s free breakfast briefing email

Sign Up and manage your preferences below

Check mark icon
Thank you

You have successfully signed up for the Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email and will hear from us soon!

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.

close

Ad Blocker detected

We have noticed you are using an adblocker and – although we support freedom of choice – we would like to ask you to enable ads on our site. They are an important revenue source which supports free access of our website's content, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

trade tracker pixel tracking