There is no denying that there is a justifiable mood of worry, even despair, among many restauranteurs in London at the moment. And with ludicrous taxes crippling the industry, diners feeling the pinch in difficult times and our our old friend Brexit continuing to mess up up recruitment of the talented staff the industry desperately needs, I get why.
But it is not all bad news – as an old bugger like me who remembers the state restaurants in London in the 90s can attest, and so it is timely that a restaurant like Ikoyi should be named Best Global Restaurant in one of the major awards. These awards are compiled from recommendations from their worldwide network of chefs, travel experts and wine professionals, with the recommendations then vetted and assessed by Food & WIne’s own writers.
That they should choose Ikoyi, the amazing restaurant created by previously unheralded Chinese-Canadian chef Jeremy Chan and co-founder Iré Hassan-Odukale, blew everyone away when it first opened in the old Economist building in St.James’s and has subsequently moved to grander premises at 180 The Strand. Ikoyi continues to push the boundaries of what we are used to by using West African ingredients in unexpected and sometimes astonishing ways. It cannot be put in a box as a West African restaurant and is simply sui generis. Like many other fine dining restaurants it has moved away from a la carte to served only tasting menus. They are not cheap – £380 for dinner, and £170 for a shorter version at lunch, but Ikoyi is a destination restaurant in every sense of the phrase, and I you must try it. If, that is, you can get a booking…..
And then to London a whole, which deservedly gets such high praise from Food & Wine, and I can do no better than quote their own words “Since its days as a global naval and colonial force, London’s cuisine has become a medley of influences from India, the far East, the Carribean, and so much more. Today, this metropolis is experiencing a second food renaissance that has transformed it into a world-class food destination.
Just like its high street and haute couture fashion, London ranks second on our list because of its seamless mix of high and low. It boasts more five-star restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor than any other European city, according to The Times. British cuisine got a new lease on life in recent years, with innovative chefs that are finally giving local flavors and ingredients their due respect. Borough Market remains an iconic destination for fresh produce and street food, and neighborhoods like Shoreditch and Soho offer cutting-edge restaurants and traditional pubs.
Besides all that, the city’s myriad immigrant cultures, from Indian and Chinese, to Middle Eastern, Caribbean, and Italian, redefine what international cuisine looks like. Here, you’ll be just as likely to eat an elevated bowl of curry as you are to find a street vendor selling remarkable shish taouk, with each offering something completely unique.”
So, punters be told. We have an amazing dining scene in this great city of ours. But it is use it or lose it, so get out there and get eating!