L'Autre Pied continues to impress

L'Autre Pied has won the title of Best New Restaurant at last night's Time Out Eating and Drinking Awards 2008.

The Modern European restaurant was one of ten venues to be rewarded in the annual shortlist of the capital's best bars, cafés and restaurants.

Now in their 19th year, 2008's awards saw the addition of four new categories to reflect the ever-changing food and drink scene in the capital.

Highlighting the fast pace at which the restaurant scene develops, with new establishments opening and closing daily, was the closure of Tom's Place at the end of August. However it didn't stop Tom's Kitchen, Tom Aiken's other casual restaurant, from scooping the top award in one of the new categories, London's Best Breakfast. 

Taking the top spot in the new Best Sustainable Restaurant category was the Clerkenwell Kitchen in Farringdon. Judged by both Time Out and independent environmental auditors, this award recognises the importance of getting the right balance between good food and good ethics.

Guy Dimond, Time Out's Food & Drink Editor said: "There is no shortage of restaurants doing sterling work towards sustainability – we had difficulty narrowing the shortlist down to five. Our eventual top five shortlisted restaurants were not guilty of 'greenwashing' either – we had their green credentials thoroughly checked using environmental audits conducted by London Food Link and we are really pleased to announce the Clerkenwell Kitchen as the deserving winner."

Another category to be introduced this year was the Best Local Food Market, with Alexandra Palace's Farmers Market rewarded.

Dimond added: "Finding new talent is something we pride ourselves in at Time Out. Outstanding newcomers are rewarded and encouraged, from the Best Gastropub to have opened in the last year (the Princess Victoria in Shepherd's Bush, which has a stunning wine list, welcoming ambience and good food) to the new Best Cheap Eats winner (Franco Manca, a tiny pizzeria in Brixton).We're also pleased to draw attention to other facets of excellent food and drink culture, for example London's Best Tea Room, and not just reward expensive West End restaurants."

Other wins were Alan Yau, who scooped Best Restaurant Design for Sake no hana, while Croydon's Le Cassoulet was awarded the Best Local Restaurant.
Gordon Ramsay's The Warrington gastropub was pipped to the post by the Princess Victoria, Shepherd's Bush.

All establishments were visited anonymously by Time Out's judges. 

The winners list is as follows:

Best Bar
The Loft, 67 Clapham High Street, SW4

Best Breakfast (new category)
The Botanist, 7 Sloane Square, SW1

Best Cheap Eats
Franco Manca, 4 Market Row, Brixton Market, SW9

Best Design
Sake no hana, 23 St James' Street, SW1

Best Gastropub
Princess Victoria, 217 Uxbridge Road, W12

Best Local Food Market (new category)
Alexandra Palace Farrners' Market, entrance Hornsey Gate, off Muswell Hill, N22

Best Local Restaurant
Le Cassoulet, 18 Selsdon Road, Croydon, CR2

Best New Restaurant
L'Autre Pied, 5-7 Blandford Street, W1

Best Sustainable Restaurant (new category)
Clerkenwell Kitchen, The Clerkenwell Workshops, 27–31 Clerkenwell Close, EC1

Best Tea Room (new category)
Orange Pekoe, 3 White Hart Lane, SW13

Words: Clare Riley

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