Fine Dining Casual

FINE DINING CASUAL... 2012

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“If Charles Darwin was a scientist of food and drink, he’d probably agree that food and drink need to evolve,

just like everything else...”

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“If we didn’t evolve and change what we make and serve, we’d be left behindwhile people’s taste change and evolve. A few decades ago, there were

combinations that we all embraced – lamb and rosemary, fish with white wine, red wine with red meat, stilton and port, foie gras and Sauternes, melon and Serrano ham, asparagus and hollandaise, champagne and caviar, or bear and

hot dogs. It’s not that these combinations aren’t tasty. They’re all classics for the simple reasons that they work. But our little taste buds always want to

experience more...”

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During a spell at Per Se in New York, you were taught to provide guests with an experience – to create memories and not just a good meal, encouraged to expand our minds and provide guests with food, wine and service like they’d never experienced before. When it came to

food and wine matching, we were encouraged to think outside of the box – beyond the classics. We found that caviar also goes well with ice cold Sake and that Stilton also goes

well with a late harvest Riesling. And after all, everyone remembers their first time.

“It reminded me of what another friend of mine from Spain always tells me about a magical little Cava bar in San Sebastián that serves nothing but Serrano ham sandwiches

and Cava poured in paper cups.” What a perfect place...

“Love is food: keep eating!”

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BUBBLEDOGS

BUBBLEDOGS, A CHAMPAGNE BAR THAT DOES NOT SERVE CAVIAR.INSTEAD, SOME GOURMET HOT DOGS AND QUENCH YOUR THIRST WITH SOME OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST GROWER CHAMPAGNES.

Whether gourmet or home-made, now is the time for hotdogs with a twist. Launched by husband and wife James Knappet and Sandia Chang (formerly of Copenhagen’s “World’s Best Restaurant” Noma), Bubbledogs on London’s Charlotte Street features a menu of 13 high-end hot dogs, eg: the BLT Dog – a hot dog wrapped in bacon with truffle mayonnaise, all served with champagne.

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& THE KITCHEN TABLE

& THE KITCHEN TABLE, TUCKED AWAY BEHIND BUBBLEDOGS. SETTLE IN TO THE KITCHEN TABLE AT THIS INTIMATE 19 SEAT SPACE FOR A UNIQUE DINING EXPERIENCE FEATURING THE CUISINE OF JAMES KNAPPETT AND HIS TEAM.

Head downstairs to the Kitchen Table, where Knappet will talk diners through the ever-evolving tasting menu as he cooks.

When people eat at Kitchen Table, “we want to feel like we're cooking for them at home.” Designed so that everyone can be seated around the table, watch the cooking process, and talk to the chefs about what they are preparing. It means that the chefs making the food get to serve it directly to the people eating it. Everyone can learn more about what's gone

into their meal, and the chefs get to learn what the guests like - so the chefs can make sure they get more of it the next time on their return visit. “We can't wait to welcome you to our Kitchen Table.”

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& THE KITCHEN TABLE

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&THE KITCHEN TABLE

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Shrimp bodies, dill, frozen horseradish

Chicken skin, rosemary cream, bacon jam

Shrimp (crispy heads with a dipping sauce including lobster coral)

Scallop

&THE KITCHEN TABLE12

Truffle pasta

Venison rack and fillet, chestnut, sprout leaves, wild mushrooms

Duck hearts, turnip

Shaving truffle

&THE KITCHEN TABLE13

Apple cake

Roasted figs

Burrata, shallots

Tiny blackberry cake covered in chocolate

Roasted figs

&THE KITCHEN TABLE

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&THE KITCHEN TABLE

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BEARD TO TAIL

The team behind the Shoreditch cocktail institution, Callooh Callay, previewed this restaurant with a sell out pop-up which gave the idea of what the real thing will deliver, in part, to the recent trend of one-ingredient restaurants being the capital’s destination. Beard to Tail leaves you in no doubt that its focus is purely carnivorous, even the décor manages to sit comfortably somewhere between industrial minimalism and a poshed-up shed. With only room for 35 diners, this is a dining experience of the most intimate kind.

Independent “Beard to Tail will be filled by east London trendsetters for months to come. The food is relentlessly beef and pork, but with the new trend for chicken-only or steak-only establishments, that won't hurt."

British 77 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3BSTel: 0207 729 2966

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BEARD TO TAIL Beard to Tail's drinks list is extensive and, Time Out quotes one of the best in London - there's a huge range of US whiskies and ryes, and the cocktails are fantastic. The updated diner classics coming from the kitchen look appealing on both the page and the plate. The menu has been created by Dan Thrippleton, formerly of Hix restaurant in Soho.

The trend towards meaty menus is in full feeding frenzy here. There's nothing for vegetarians, unless you count the side dishes: battered and fried potatoes, beans, double-fried chips. “There's a stuffed pig's trotter, baked bone marrow, ribs, burger, black pudding and faggots. And although it wasn't apparent why a prawn cocktail had to be 'deconstructed', it was delicious nonetheless. As were tender pork cheeks with ginger, and pulled beef with hollandaise”. Time Out.

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BEARD TO TAIL

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BEARD TO TAIL

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BEARD TO TAIL

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Seafood Shack21A Foley Street London W1W 6DSBonnie Gull Seafood Shackwww.bonniegull.com

Pop-up goes permanent with this seafood restaurant in FitzroviaThey've already run a number of pop-up projects around London, now the people behind Bonnie Gull (Seafood Shack, Bonnie & Wild and Bonnie-on-sky) have opened their first permanent restaurant. As per their previous projects, the Seafood Shack will be featuring only responsibly sourced and 100% British produce.

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http://www.bonniegull.com

http://www.bonniegull.com

Seafood Shack

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Seafood Shack

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New D&D Restaurants at The Old Bengal Warehouse

D&D London has launched four new eating and drinking venues at The Old Bengal Warehouse: Fish Market,serving fish and shellfish sourced from the British Isles; New Street Grill, a modern British meat restaurant and grill; The Old Bengal Bar where you can enjoy classic cocktails; and New Street Wine Shop, which stocks quality, rare and fine wines and serves a menu of light bites.

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“Meat is most definitely having a moment. Meat-centred restaurants are popping up all over the capital, with this burgeoning trend showing no sign of

slowing down...”

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New Street Grill, the latest steak house to hit the city. D&D Restaurants

Meat is most definitely having a moment. Meat-centred restaurants are popping up all over the capital, with this burgeoning trend showing no sign of slowing down.

New Street Grill is a new venture from the famous D&D restaurant group, owners of other noted London restaurants New Street Grill is tucked away on a quiet side street just moments away from the central hub of Liverpool street. As the name suggests, it’s a modern take on the British grill, offering quality food and superb wines.

The venue is sleekly designed, with an urban edge. Think low lighting and exposed lightbulbs mixed with linen tablecloths and leather banquettes; the perfect mix of city slick with an industrial undertone. Staff welcomed us in the most charming manner and service remained friendly, attentive and polite throughout our entire evening.

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New Street Grill

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New Street Grill

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New Street Grill

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New Street Grill

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New Street Grill

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FISH MARKETA relaxed venue offering all-day dining, Fish Market offers diners the best from the seas and rivers of the British Isles. One of the oldest surviving East India warehouses in the City, Fish Market’s striking black, white and turquoise colour scheme, brings the building back to life.

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Head chef Barry Macmillan will offer dishes representing the best of the British seaside, launched in September 2012 the classic, seaside dishes on the menu include the likes of Cornish fish soup or winkles & whelks. He describes the great Auguste Escoffier as a strong influence

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D&D RestaurantsKensington Place is a modern and vibrant fish restaurant in West London. A great spot for locals, couples, families and tourists alike. Recently refurbished, Kensington Place is a buzzy, atmospheric fish restaurant. The eclectic mix of modern furniture, bold tiles, and a large, colourful mural give it a very arty and relaxed feel. Situated at the top of Kensington Church Street just off Notting Hill Gate, it has successfully combined the artistic feel of Notting Hill with the up-market chic of Kensington.

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Whilst there are meat options available on the menu the reason to visit KP is for their vast array of fresh fish. With a menu that changes daily according to the fish available you will be spoilt for choice. Regulars on the menu include oysters, king prawns (some of the most flavoursome and succulent we have ever tried), battered fish and chips, moules frites and fish pie.

However, the favourite of choice has to be the selection market fish which changes daily. The fish comes served with fries, salad and a choice of sauces that includes vierge, hollandaise or garlic and herb butter.

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http://www.stylenest.co.uk/food/to-the-door/loch-fyne-oysters/

http://www.stylenest.co.uk/food/to-the-door/loch-fyne-oysters/

The Fish Shop at Kensington Place an extension of or iconic restaurant. Stock is of an extremely high standard and is used by our head chef, Daniel Loftin, in the main restaurant.

Most orders placed by 10.30am can be delivered on the same day (Tue-Sat) and there is free local delivery on orders over £15, otherwise there is a £5 delivery charge.

The Fish Shop opening hours

Tue-Fri, 9am-7pmSat, 9am-4pmSun and Mon, closed

D&D Restaurants

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“If two trends characterise eating out in London over the past couple of years they are the re-appropriation of “junk” foods and the practice of not taking bookings.Neither bodes well for the diner seeking a comfortable evening” FT

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HAWKSMOORSpitalfields, Seven Dials, Guildhall and Hawksmoor Air Street

Hawksmoor latest opening (1 November 2012), Air Street, Piccadilly, Seafood and Steak Restaurant. This will be owners, Will and Huw's fourthHawksmoor, which opened its doors at Spitalfields in 2006, with head chef Richard Turner overseeing the kitchen, Air Street being their largest venue todate.

Will and Huw's travelled the world in search of the perfect steak, but have found that beef from well-loved native cattle breeds reared right here in Britain has more flavour than anything they tried on their travels.

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“My rib-eye steak was simply fantastic, a thick, 600g succulent edifice of rare, seared meat, its juices subtly leaking through fibers that have comprehensively broken down after being hung for 35 days. It needed no accompaniment except its own juices." The Independent

"Five Stars – tremendous steaks, excellent cocktails and note perfect staff. A terrific operation." Time Out

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HAWKSMOOR AIR STREETSEAFOOD AND STEAKHawksmoor latest opening (1 November 2012), Air Street, Piccadilly, Seafood and Steak Restaurant. This will be owners Will and Huw's biggest venture - the former L'Odeon/Cocoon site has 235 covers in the restaurant and 50 more in the bar. The big news is that they're teaming up with Devon chef - Michelin-starred Mitch Tonks - to help them create a new menu that gives equal billing to meat and seafood.

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HAWKSMOOR AIR STREETSEAFOOD AND STEAK

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HAWKSMOOR AIR STREET

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The Restaurants craze sweeping the capital is a far cry from nouvelle cuisine, a thousand miles away from the menus that come with footnotes and indexes – it’s about simplicity, doing one thing (or two) and doing it well . . .

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HIXMark Hix has opened seven successful restaurants in four years at the height of a recession. The former head chef of the Caprice group opened his first restaurant in 2008. East End Hix is a well-known chef, cookbook author and regular food columnist for The Independent and Esquire magazine.Hix Oyster & Chop HouseHix Oyster & Fish HouseHIXHIX MAYFAIRHIX BELGRAVIATRAMSHEDMark’s Bar

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Tramshed being his latest venture. it's a dramatic, high-ceilinged, open space, with a bar to one side and a gallery up above at the far end. Dominating it are two works by Damien Hirst: a vitrine of a cow with a chicken on its back at the front of the restaurant, and a painting of a cartoon cow and chicken at the back. They look expensive.

“At Mark Hix’s joint TRAMSHED in Shoreditch there’s next to no choice but nonetheless everything you could possibly want”Tramshed serves chicken and steak, straightforwardly cooked but absolutely superlative in quality, and not much else”

HIX

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HIXOUR CHICKENSExclusively, for Tramshed, Woolley Park Farm has produced a ‘barn-ranged’ type of chicken which has the benefits of both indoor and outdoor life. After the chicks are hatched out on the farm they are reared in big barns with plenty of space to scratch around and nestle down in the straw. Once they no longer need the heat of the barn, they let the birds outside into the field during the day to reap the benefits of ranging the grassland.

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HIXOur Beef Mighty Marbled' beef is a brand created by Hannan Meats. It is from traditional breed cattle including Hereford, Angus, and Shorthorn.It is hand-selected entirely on a quality basis, for texture and flavour and has to be well marbled. The beef is aged for a minimum of 5 weeks and dry aged in the Himalayan Salt Chamber.

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“The city has seen an array of specialist, two item-menu eateries open this summer. Whether it's steak and chicken at Hix’s Tramshed or burgers and lobster at the Burger & Lobster, Londoners know what they’re getting before they even take a glance at the menu”

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Soho House was founded in London, in 1995, as a private members’ club for those in film, media and creative industries. They have since expanded to include Houses across Europe and North America, as well as restaurants, cinemas, spas and hotels

More recently Soho House global members club have set up a trio in Kentish Town – Pizza East (after Shoreditch and Portobellow Road) Chicken Shop and Dirty Burgers, who seem impressively quick to convert current food trends into cash cows. And, rather like they did with Pizza East, the company's tactic seems to be to open restaurants that do one thing, and do it with as much well-researched authenticity as it possibly can.

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Pizza East Kentish Town

As with their other restaurants in Portobello and Shoreditch, Pizza East Kentish Town serves rustic pizzas made from traditional, seasonal ingredients. All of our pizzas are made with a ciabatta-style, slow-proved dough which is hand-made in-house every day.

It’s a raw, stripped-back space with steel beams, wooden floors, huge windows, brickwork and bare concrete. Diners are seated on vintage chairs while the open kitchen uses wood-fired ovens.

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Chicken Shop, in the basement underneath the recently opened third branch of Pizza East, more or less opposite, is the latest opening from Soho House— and it is a marvel. No-choice or small-choice menus are all the rage this year — but not many take the principle quite as beautifully far as Chicken Shop. It makes Mark Hix’s chicken and steak joint Tramshed look overcomplicated.

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The deal here is that you buy a whole (£14.50), half (£8), or quarter (£4) chicken — a free-range bird from Banham Poultry of Attleborough in Norfolk — that has been marinated overnight and steam-cooked, before being finished on a rotisserie grill over a charcoal and wood fire. This gives crisp skin and juicy meat so appealingly flavoured with those aromas that it seems wholly unnecessary to perk it up with either of the sauces on the table.

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Then you have a choice of four sides: crinkle-cut fries (more crispy bits per mouthful, excellent), corn on the cob (finished on the grill with a lush garlic and herb butter), and coleslaw (fresh-tasting cabbage, not too thickly dressed), all just £3 each, plus a generously sized butter-lettuce and avocado salad at £4. And that’s it — that’s your lot. A no-bookings, wipe-clean tables, menu-on-the-wall environment.

To follow, there’s apple pie, lemon cheesecake or a chocolate brownie, with cream or ice-cream, for just £4 each. The waitress brought the fantastic homey-looking apple pie over in its dish and asked how big a slice we would like — an amazing attitude to portion control at these prices.

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What makes Chicken Shop even more rewarding, is its great atmosphere. It feels immediately like a good place to be. There’s a rough wooden ceiling and a red and white chequered floor, shadowy industrial-style lighting and quite a heavy music soundtrack.

Formica-topped tables are scattered around but the best place to eat is a huge communal table, in front of the open grill. Here there’s a constant thumping as the chickens are chopped up with a heavy cleaver (unlike Tramshed, where the bird is officiously presented whole, upside down, claws included).

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Dirty Burger was a mobile concept that had been wandering around London for a while and has put down roots in Kentish Town and its fans were waiting: there’s been a queue from the very beginning and pretty soon they were shifting 600 burgers a day.

Occupying a small corrugated iron shack in Kentish Town round the back of Pizza East and Chicken Shop, Dirty Burger only serves one burger, the Dirty Burger...

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The Dirty Burger consists of an aged beef patty, cheese, a thin slice of tomato, some iceberg lettuce, with a splat of American mustard in a glazed bun. To accompany it you can choose between either Onion fries or Crinkle Cut fries both £2.50 (You order from a counter: a couple of burgers (£5.50 apiece), and a vanilla milkshake (£4). They give you a bill with a number on it, and when your number comes up you go and grab your food.

Dirty Burger is also set up to cater for early-morning, hangover-curing meat cravings: it will be serving up its Dirty Breakfast offerings from as early as 7am (9am at the weekend) which take Maccy Dee's sausage and egg and bacon and egg McMuffins as their inspiration.

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BONE DADDIES

Ramen has been one of many trends to hit London this year and the latest play to offer it up to Londoners is Bone Daddies in Soho. Australian chef Ross Shonhan, former Head Chef of Zuma London and Nobu Dallas, is at the helm of this new opening.

The venue, in the heart of Soho, is on the site of the former ‘Malaysian and Indonesian’ “Melati”. It is built in the style of a Japanese Izakaya (think ‘bar with food’/'Japanese Gastropub’) and will serve 10 different type of noodles.

Ross decided to call the ramen bar ‘Bone Daddies’ as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the wizardry that happens with a handful of bones, he says, referring to the process of making ramen broth. “Also, I didn’t want to use a traditional name, because that’s not what we’re about – I’m not a traditional Japanese chef.”

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BONE DADDIES

Bone Daddies will be different to anything else that Shonhan has encountered on his travels in a few ways. Firstly, they will make more than one base stock. Offering Chicken, Pork and Fish but might just open with two. Then we will add others later for specials. Most Ramen-ya only have one stock and make several flavours from that.

Bone Daddies will offer creative ramen in addition to more common varieties seen in Japan. This is on a par with what is happening around the world, where even ramen chefs in Japan are mixing western ingredients with with ramen. It seems to be accepted that ramen can be played with because it is relatively new to Japan and there are already so many different varieties.

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BONE DADDIES

For the restaurant itself; raised counter/bar style seating through the whole restaurant and with the rock and roll music. Add this to their slightly later licence than most other Soho restaurants, “I hope we can get people in at 11-12:30 after the pubs close for a bowl of great noodles and another drink before heading home” Shonham says.

Offering a different drink selection to most doing cocktails as well as "backyard style" infused sakes and Shochu. This is along with being the first restaurant outside of Japan to serve Asahi's "super creamy head" beer.

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BONE DADDIES

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Honest BurgersA branch of Honest Burger — meat from The Ginger Pig and chips sprinkled with rosemary salt — which first opened in Brixton Village is now at 4A Meard Street in Soho. (Brixton Village, they don't have concepts. They have open kitchens and menus and nice young people bringing you nice stuff to eat. A bunch of them, being unlicensed, will feed you for under a tenner). Honest Burgers (Unit 12), part of a recent revolution in London burger quality, is one of them. The offering here is a serious rival for the title of best reasonably priced burger in London.It was set up by two chefs who met at the Brighton fish restaurant Riddle and Finns. Inside it's all bare wooden tables and bare light bulbs. What matters are the patties, made from 35-day aged beef from the Ginger Pig, seasoned only top and bottom, and served on a slightly sweet, glazed brioche-like bun.

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Honest BurgersIts second location in Soho. On one of the very few quiet streets of Soho, Mearde Street.

This is a Soho branch with the same simple flow-chart menu and bills presented in old tobacco tins. It’s no reservations, but a helpful doorwoman will politely take a name and number or give you advice about the best times on other days to try again. No reservations if it’s executed with charm, is acceptable…

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Honest BurgersThe patty succulent and served perfectly medium, the brioche bun was salty sweet and cake-ish. The bacon was ever-so smoky chargrilled and smothered in an amazing caramelized onion marmalade and Cheddar cheese. You’re presented with full bottles of Heinz ketchup and Hellmann’s mayo to Jackson Pollock your fries (cooked in fresh rosemary and served with a side of delicious coleslaw tangy with dill).

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Burnt EnzBurnt Enz is a grill restaurant that pops up at the uniquely laid back Climpson & Sons Roastery, and it has, by now, won raves from London’s food enthusiasts and prompted wicked collaborations with UK’s best young talents (i.e. Junya Yamasaki of Koya, James Knappett of Bubbledogs& and Ben Spalding formerly of Roganic). The project itself is manned by Dave Pynt, who comes from Australia, via the internationally acclaimed kitchen of Asdor Extebarri, off San Sebastian (Spain), and has been instrumental in the setup of Nuno Mendes’s The Loft Project.

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At Burnt Enz, Dave does nothing but grill. You may expect very little grilled things (say, scallops) to very massive grilled things (say, a whole turbot or a suckling pig). And Dave’s philosophy is to stay true to Spanish “asador” spirit, where the grill is done over charcoal fire and the flame is masterly adjusted according to the ingredients.

Burnt Enz

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Burnt Enz operates an a la carte menu at weekends and/or pre-paid “Thirty Thursday Feast” dinners. The dishes on offer change regularly, on the basis of best available British produce; fresh oysters and lime, a platter of charred fennel bulb served alongside torn burrata and orange-infused oil. The aroma from the applewood char and the fennel’s very mild aniseed-y taste married with the citric orange essence, huge stack of bone marrow with watercress salad and lightly toasted bread. Testament to Dave’s highly commendable grilling skills.

Burnt Enz

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Sea breams perfectly grilled to divinity, boasting the crispy skin that separated and the meat that flaked beautifully. The salsa verde provided herbal acidity that elevated the breams’s natural juicy sweetness and side of courgettes – also grilled. The parade of savoury dishes concluded with lamb shoulder, robust and moist, finishing touches in a comfortingly good mint sauce, lamb jus and broan beans.

Burnt Enz

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Burnt Enz may be finishing its pop-‐up period at The Climpsons’ Roastery very soon. But Dave and his flame will sLll be the ONE to watch. . .

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Fine Dining into Fine Casual DiningBrand Trend . . .

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Fine dining used to be strongly anchored to traditional French dining, however, it is increasingly applied to a varied range of cuisine types. High-end ethnic venues such as Hakkasan are now a strong feature in this segment of the eating out market, marking distinct progression in the market compared to a decade ago. More recently, modern European cuisine has been growing in stature at this end of the market with the critically acclaimed openings of venues such as 1 Lombard Street and 5 Pollen Street.

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The expansion of fine dining restaurants into the fine casual segment can benefit them in many ways, tapping into the Extend my Brand trend, identified on Mintel Inspire. For example, The Cinnamon Club’s more casual sister sites, Cinnamon Kitchen, make the Cinnamon brand more accessible to consumers, and provide an additional revenue stream for the business. They also have potential to drive trade back to the flagship fine dining venue by driving familiarity of the venue’s name.

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Consumer Attitudes towards Fine Dining. . .

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Like the rest of the eating out market, fine dining venues have to evolve in response to changing market conditions. Whilst some of the more notable new openings (Dinner by Heston and Viajante) have focused on innovative new approaches to menu design, there is still a place in the market for traditional formal venues: the point is that the venue’s positioning needs to be clear and stand out from the crowd.

This is particularly important due to the emerging casual fine dining market which not only acts as competition to traditional fine dining venues but also blurs the lines between the two categories. Developing brand personality is also crucial in this market as venues have to work harder to justify their price positioning as well as operate in a highly competitive marketplace. This includes a more proactive approach when it comes to marketing as well as a focus on demonstrating the venue’s added value.

Angela Hartnett’s Murano showcases this forward-thinking approach: its website has food stories, using video clips covering a number of factors involved in the highlight dishes such as how it is cooked/prepared, provenance issues, wine pairing and how it is presented.

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Although a place remains for formal silver service dining, the majority of the eating out market has made a subtle shift towards more casual dining, thanks to factors such as time-poor consumers pushing the trend towards snacking and all-day dining, and long-term societal trends such as the decline in formal dining etiquette.

The expansion of the market into sectors such as ‘fast casual’ (hybrid of fast food service and sit-down/casual outlets that is generally regarded as more upscale than fast food venues) and ‘fine casual’ dining is further evidence of the casual dining trend.

The emergence of the ‘fine casual’ sector (predominantly a London-centric trend at present) has been driven by the fact that consumers are now more educated about food generally and that dining concepts are being made more available.

A number of fine dining venues have a less formal bar/brasserie as a separate dining area in order to cater to wider range of consumers or meal occasions.

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The economic turbulence of recent years, coupled with mounting food and other bottom line costs, has had a significant impact on the eating out market in recent years leading to a contraction in value terms. However, the industry has proved more resilient than during previous recessions partly due to increased demand from consumers.

The focus for the eating out market is to tap into the 46% of diners who tend to eat out for a regular treat with a view to increasing the frequency of their visits: this is particularly true for the fine dining market, where casual dining trends are being incorporated into the offer so that visits are no longer limited to just once or twice a year.

Emphasising the ‘experience’ of dining out is increasingly important as consumers continue to value experiences over commodities when it comes to their consumer spending priorities. Fine dining venues are well placed to tap into this demand and can effectively offer a tiered structure: eg high level customer service as a basic experience, short cocktail classes as a mid-priced event and chefs tables and/or all day cooking masterclasses for those looking for something really special.

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Fine dining restaurants can build on the fact that nearly half of consumers enjoy splashing out on a meal by focusing on developing their brand personality eg a distinct ethos towards food/drink. This also helps to build consumers’ interest in and excitement about eating out.

Consumers are placing greater emphasis on restaurant guides, reviews and awards as the economic downturn has driven them to scrutinise purchases more closely: around a fifth of consumers now say that they tend to be influenced by comments/review posted online by other internet users.

Fine dining restaurants can tap into the 50% of diners that are interested in house specialities: it is a key industry trend at present which helps to demonstrate brand personality, added value and food enthusiasm.

The modern approach to keep fine dining menu descriptions short, concise and with minimal cooking descriptions should appeal to nearly four in ten diners who are put off certain dishes due to descriptions they don’t understand.

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Closer to home, British cuisine remains popular in this era of comfort food, although there is an increasing trend to provide it with a twist in order to make the menu more experiential. For example, Heston Blumenthal has been very vocal in this attempt to ensure that Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is not seen as just another Fat Duck.

Instead of taking its lead from molecular gastronomy made famous by El Bulli, Heston’s new London venue takes inspiration from historical British dishes such as the acclaimed ‘meat fruit’ dish made famous through his TV series Feasts. Dinner opened 2011 and voted Best New Restaurant in the BMW Square Meal Awards, awarded The World’s Best Restaurant 2012 - 9th position and has one michelin star.

Without being gimmicky, there is a trend in high-end restaurants to more distinctly market their USP. Whilst venues such as Dinner by Heston do this through an innovative take on historical dishes, others such as Alain Ducasse’s recently created ‘cookpot’ acts as an emblematic dish to help set his venues apart and become more memorable than other high-end venues. In effect these restaurants are providing shortcuts for identifying them for diners who are deciding on which fine dining establishment to visit.

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Consumer research shows that whilst 51% of regular diners have eaten in a restaurant for a special occasion/celebration (eg birthday, anniversary), the casualisation of eating out also means that they eat out for less remarkable occasions eg 23% do so for a chance to get out of the house.

The growth of ‘brasserie’ concepts in recent years testifies operators’ efforts to ensure that their venues are seen as acceptable and suitable for a wide range of out-of-home meal occasions.

There is also the potential for shorter, less committed, more impromptu, informal experiences eg using multiservice formats to allow time-pressed diners to drop in just for a coffee and dessert at different times of the day and night.

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As well as remaining flexible for varying meal occasions, this approach would also help alleviate the chances of menu fatigue by encouraging diners to use sections of the menu which they may otherwise avoid eg consumer research for Mintel’s Menu Flavours – UK, June 2012 shows that half of regular diners rarely eat three courses because they find it too filling. The report also shows considerable consumer use and interest in concepts such as sharing boards/antipasti and mini desserts/dessert platters which could be used to tap into these more flexible, all-day dining demands.

Operators could also go a step further to breaking down barriers and act as a ‘third space’ between work and home; mixing all the comforts of home-style lounges with useful, service-driven spaces eg conveniently providing a sit-down meal whilst chefs simultaneously prepare food/drink to order for dining at home for another day (essentially selling a ready-to-cook/ready meal service as well).

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Long-term societal trends towards Fine Dining. . .

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Long-term societal trends such as the decline in familiarity with formal dining etiquette have contributed to a shift towards more casual dining formats in the eating out market as a whole. Other factors which have also played a role in this include time-poor consumers, fuelling the need for all-day dining and alternative/shorter meal occasions. Restaurants are now striving to find a balance between a quality dining experience and one that doesn’t alienate the less formal consumer.

Casual versus formal dining trends are more complicated when looking at the fine dining market more specifically. The trend in more casual dining in the wider eating out market has pushed some high-end venues towards a less formal approach themselves. However, others continue to pursue, or indeed are returning to, a more formal atmosphere in order to stand out in the special-occasion dining market.

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The World’s Best Restaurant Award 2012 - 9th position Heston Blumenthal’s latest restaurant excursion and the first serious development away from his home territory of Bray. It is about as far removed from his beacon restaurant as it is possible to be, yet it's just as remarkable in its way as the Fat Duck, and in some senses more so.Dinner occupies a large chunk of the ground floor of the Mandarin Hotel on Hyde Park.

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Behind the glass-walled kitchen where the 20 or so chefs, led by Ashley Palmer-Watts, Blumenthal's long time culinary co-conspirator, dance around in a steamy choreography preparing the food.

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The menu provides a tour of this country's culinary past. Each dish is dated approximate to its origins. So there's meat fruit (c1500), savoury porridge (c1660), spiced pigeon (c1780), cod in cider (c1940) and taffety tart (1830). But they are not slavish, painstaking recreations of past glories. Using contemporary techniques and technology, each has been re-engineered for the 21st century.

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And then there's the question of price. Unless you opt for the set lunch menu at £28 - Dinner is not cheap. The cheapest first course is £12.50, and the most expensive £16.00; and the main courses range from £20 for the braised celery to £72 for a wing rib to share. The puddings, which run from £8 to £10 look like bargains by comparison. So it's impossible to get away for under £42 a head.

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THE CROWN, Heston

The Crown is Heston’s latest culinary destination in the village of Bray. Whilst Bray may be more commonly associated with the award winning Fat Duck and The Hind’s Head the quaint village is also home to another culinary treasure, The Crown at Bray is a traditional British pub complete with a hearty and wholesome menu, friendly staff who make you feel like a local and a warm and cosy atmosphere that is so inviting you don’t want to leave.

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The Crown was bought by Heston Blumenthal. However there are nogimmicks here. Heston wanted to maintain the cosy and intimate feel of this classic pub. Whilst the menu is simpler than his other restaurants it does not disappoint and has become just as much of a culinary destination as his other restaurants. The menu is made up of hearty pub classics and British favourites including potted duck with cornichons, pork pie, a classic cheeseburger and chicken pie. Whilst there isn’t a specific children’s menu, families are warmly welcomed and the menu can be adaptedfor little ones.

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Heston has developed the summer's most desirable al fresco menu for his Berkshire pub The Crown At Bray. From tea smoked salmon and to coronation chicken, you won't find better wicker-based Picnic dining. . .

For those wishing to stay over in Bray and make more of their visit, The Crown have several Grade II listed coRages. All are located within the heart of this famous culinary village and just steps away from the Fat Duck and Waterside inn. Each coRage is stylishly furnished and has their own individual personality.

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Fine Dining Casual

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