Eating out is no longer considered as a special occasion, with more casual lunches and mid-week evening bookings taking off. According to research, 60% of customers are opting for daytime lunches rather than evening reservations. Heavy long lunches are also becoming a thing of the past, as restaurants offer more competitively priced and well balanced menus served in less than an hour. Lastminute.com has also found a 46% price increase in weekday bookings, revealing that restaurants are no longer for special weekend occasions. Britons enjoy eating out more and more and no longer wait for the weekend to come round to dine out. Mark Bower, lifestyle sales director at lastminute.com, explained: "With great deals to be had in many top eateries in the capital, people are rushing to make their bookings, whether at lunchtime or dinner time during the week." This research was completed in conjunction with London Restaurant Week, which kicked off yesterday. Weblink: www.lastminute.com