A Guide to London Restaurant Festival in October
Every October, London's culinary scene bursts open with the London Restaurant Festival. Across the month, the capital's endlessly diverse and engaging collection of restaurants, cafes and fast food venues play host to a variety of events, tours and tastings to beguile even the pickiest of eaters.
There are few places whose restaurant sector can rival London's. Michelin Star pilgrims, street food enthusiasts and culinary connoisseurs can all find something to whet their appetites during October, and we've come up with a handy list of events which are taking place throughout the festival:
Festival Menus
Naturally, food plays a central role in London Restaurant Week and as such, the tasting menus designed specifically for the festival take centre stage. Chefs across the city conjure up an eclectic selection of tasting menus, inspired by cuisine from around the world. Not to be missed are events at the two Michelin-starred Greenhouse, Ollie Dabbous' menu at the Michelin-starred Hide and an organic dinner at Natural Kitchen.
Restaurant hopping tours
One of the best ways to get a brief, yet tasty overview of London's restaurants is on one of the restaurant festival's food tours, each one catered to a specific restaurant style. There's a tour for legendary London venues, a tour for tapas joints and a selection of borough-based excursions. These options offer up a superb opportunity to enjoy an introduction to London's international gastronomy at its best.
Gourmet Odyssey
There's far more to the restaurant experience than just the food, and the gourmet odysseys which take place across the Restaurant Festival emphasise this. Set across the city, these gastronomic adventures combine world-class, three-course meals with tailored, London-based experiences for an excellent evening out. Each course is held at a different venue, often with contrasting culinary styles and each with its own wine pairing and a champagne reception. The experiences include travelling by Routemaster bus and dining in the Battersea Power Station.
One-Night conceptual food events
Key fixtures in the London Restaurant Festival are the one-night events that are hosted by selected restaurants across the city. These events often feature a tailormade menu for the festival and are held in iconic settings such as on the prow of a sailing barge in St Katherine's Dock or at the top of the iconic Gherkin skyscraper. Selected nights also have celebrity guests with notable figures in 2019 including travel writer Bill Bryson.
Film Club
Departing slightly from the foodie's world, London Restaurant Festival puts on its very own film club as part of the month's celebrations. Taking place in a characterful Masonic Temple in the Andaz London Liverpool Street hotel, every film screening takes place following on from a sumptuous meal at the hotel's Lady Abercorn's restaurant. The handpicked films all celebrate British film culture, and with gourmet popcorn and a Rémy Martin cocktail included, this is a film club with a delectable twist.
The London Restaurant Festival is just one not-to-be-missed event that makes up the fabric of London's event calendar. From the Notting Hill carnival to Wimbledon, the English capital is full of things to do, all year round, making it an engaging and appealing place to live for all kinds of prospective residents. If you're interested in buying property in London, take a look at our own range.