Pétrus takes top food slot as Ramsay slides

Pétrus at Knightsbridge’s Berkeley Hotel, whose head chef is Marcus Wareing, has finally overtaken Chelsea’s Restaurant Gordon Ramsay (RGR) to offer the best food of any top-end restaurant in London, according to the latest annual survey conducted for Harden’s London Restaurants.

Analysis of the survey shows that Pétrus now has a lead, by an appreciable margin, over all other top-end restaurants in town.

Until 12 months ago – when RGR narrowly lost its overall superiority to Pétrus, but maintained a slight edge in overall Food and Service ratings – Ramsay's flagship eatery had not been seriously challenged during the current millennium as the best top-end establishment in London.

Now, however, Pétrus has emerged for the first time as both best for Food and best for Service, as well as retaining the 'Best Overall' title it usurped last year.
Pétrus is also rated second best for Ambience.

For the next few weeks, RGR and Pétrus will remain part of the Gordon Ramsay empire. However, following the very public split between Marcus Wareing and his former mentor, Wareing will, from 15 September, take over Pétrus in his own right. At that point the restaurant will be renamed – it has now been confirmed – "Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley".

Co-editor Peter Harden explained the results: "Marcus Wareing is emerging from Ramsay's 'shadow' as the proprietor of what is now clearly the best restaurant in London, and he and his team should be congratulated. Marcus would now appear to be well on the way to his stated intention of equalling the three Michelin star rating Ramsay currently holds at RGR.

RGR has had a very good innings – eight years at the top – and still maintains very high standards. In the end, though, it is hardly surprising than an impassioned individual concentrating on one establishment – such as Marcus Wareing – has overtaken the flagship of an ever more celebrity-driven empire where the 'name' chef is rarely present."

Other key survey results

• For the 4th consecutive year, Bruce Poole's restaurant Chez Bruce was voted Londoners' Favourite Restaurant

• For the 6th consecutive year, J Sheekey was the restaurant most often mentioned in the survey (ahead of Chez Bruce, The Wolseley, Hakkasan and RGR)

• Scotts's, now 7th most-mentioned (up from 24th last year), is the restaurant in which the interest of survey reporters is increasing most rapidly

• Among recently-opened restaurants, those that have caught survey reporters' attention most are Wild Honey (23rd most-mentioned) and Le Café Anglais (29th)

• The Wolseley was again number one in votes as 'Best for Business' (and also Best for Breakfast). City duo The Don and Bleeding Heart took second and third places

• La Poule au Pot was voted London's Most Romantic Restaurant for the 13th consecutive year

• Despite attracting diminished interest from reporters overall (14th most-mentioned restaurant, as opposed to 8th last year), the Oxo Tower tenaciously hung on to its top-of-the-nominations position for both Most Overpriced Restaurant and Most Disappointing Restaurant.

Every year, editors Richard and Peter Harden identify the top ten most notable openings of the past 12 months. This year, their selection is as follows:

1. Aaya
2. L'Anima
3. Le Café Anglais
4. Cha Cha Moon
5. Dehesa
6. Hélène Darroze at The Connaught
7. Hix Oyster & Chop House
8. The Landau at The Langham
9. Maze Grill
10. Texture

Words: Clare Riley

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