How to get a table.
There’s something in the air.
Maybe it is the first shoots of sunlight bursting through the clouds - OK, briefly but it was sunshine nonetheless - or perhaps we have concluded the long trudge back to liquidity, following the traditional double whammy of Christmas and half-term holidays. Either way, a colleague just came up to my desk and asked, apropos of nothing, “Where is a really great place I can eat, without a reservation?”
To which I replied, “Why would you want to go somewhere that doesn’t even merit a reservations book?”
There is a burgeoning number of restaurants that eschew reservations entirely but I still believe, a degree of difficulty in securing a table is a mark of quality in the restaurant world, if only as an indicator of ongoing demand.
Still, the presence of a dedicated reservations number should never put off the committed casual diner and securing a table, particularly at the last minute, is one of the secrets of eating well in London. There are, however, a few pointers worth bearing in mind, when deciding where and when to trade up come mealtime...
Says Kevin Lansdown, Maitre d’, Scott’s (www.scotts-restaurant.com): “Try coming for a late lunch, say around 3.30pm - 4pm or an early supper at around 5.30pm”. Helpfully, Scott’s is open all day and serves an A La Carte menu, meaning you won’t be out of step with the service and you may even bump into the sort of ‘A+ lister’ who doesn’t want to dine in the full glare of a full dining room (trust me, these people do exist).
And Gabriele Esposito, General Manager, Daphne’s (www.daphnes-restaurant.co.uk) concurs: “Just walk in around 6.30pm and you might be surprised to find that Daphne’s can often still fit you in for dinner, before the rush”.
And if you didn’t think early dining is your scene, just think of it as another stop on a storied social night out. “We do a brilliant pre- and post-theatre menu at Le Caprice 7 days a week, so you can dine for £15.75 (for 2 courses) and £19.75 (for 3) up until 6.45pm and then from 10pm onwards,” says Jesus Adorno, Director, Le Caprice (www.le-caprice.co.uk). Even if you are not headed to the theatre, it is a good way of avoiding the crush of diners who demand that 8 o’clock slot. Phone ahead but even if there is no table available, there is something inherently sexy about sitting up at the bar at Le Caprice, before slipping out in time for curtain up.
Another theatreland legend, J Sheekey’s new Oyster Bar (www.jsheekeyoysterbar.co.uk) is the perfect spot to pop into without a reservation. “. . . and next door”, according to J Sheekey’s Maitre d’, John Andrews, “weekend lunch at the restaurant, is a great time to get a booking with just a few days’ notice” - the set menu at £25.50 is terrific value too.
(www.j-sheekey.co.uk)
But what if all else fails and you’ve done nothing about that dinner reservation? Do what I did once when a friend and I, tired of the crush of a London members’ bar in thrall to an England friendly and phone The Ivy. It was 8.45pm on a Wednesday night but mercifully, the combination of the football and a last-minute cancellation had, just that very moment, released a table. “The Ivy is once again the perfect restaurant to dress up for” confirms Fernando Peire, Director, The Ivy (www.the-ivy.co.uk). “Turn up around 9pm, smile at the Maitre d' and wait for a table whilst enjoying a wonderful Martini in the bar...”
Bill Prince, Deputy Editor of British GQ.
There’s something in the air.
Maybe it is the first shoots of sunlight bursting through the clouds - OK, briefly but it was sunshine nonetheless - or perhaps we have concluded the long trudge back to liquidity, following the traditional double whammy of Christmas and half-term holidays. Either way, a colleague just came up to my desk and asked, apropos of nothing, “Where is a really great place I can eat, without a reservation?”
To which I replied, “Why would you want to go somewhere that doesn’t even merit a reservations book?”
There is a burgeoning number of restaurants that eschew reservations entirely but I still believe, a degree of difficulty in securing a table is a mark of quality in the restaurant world, if only as an indicator of ongoing demand.
Still, the presence of a dedicated reservations number should never put off the committed casual diner and securing a table, particularly at the last minute, is one of the secrets of eating well in London. There are, however, a few pointers worth bearing in mind, when deciding where and when to trade up come mealtime...
Says Kevin Lansdown, Maitre d’, Scott’s (www.scotts-restaurant.com): “Try coming for a late lunch, say around 3.30pm - 4pm or an early supper at around 5.30pm”. Helpfully, Scott’s is open all day and serves an A La Carte menu, meaning you won’t be out of step with the service and you may even bump into the sort of ‘A+ lister’ who doesn’t want to dine in the full glare of a full dining room (trust me, these people do exist).
And Gabriele Esposito, General Manager, Daphne’s (www.daphnes-restaurant.co.uk) concurs: “Just walk in around 6.30pm and you might be surprised to find that Daphne’s can often still fit you in for dinner, before the rush”.
And if you didn’t think early dining is your scene, just think of it as another stop on a storied social night out. “We do a brilliant pre- and post-theatre menu at Le Caprice 7 days a week, so you can dine for £15.75 (for 2 courses) and £19.75 (for 3) up until 6.45pm and then from 10pm onwards,” says Jesus Adorno, Director, Le Caprice (www.le-caprice.co.uk). Even if you are not headed to the theatre, it is a good way of avoiding the crush of diners who demand that 8 o’clock slot. Phone ahead but even if there is no table available, there is something inherently sexy about sitting up at the bar at Le Caprice, before slipping out in time for curtain up.
Another theatreland legend, J Sheekey’s new Oyster Bar (www.jsheekeyoysterbar.co.uk) is the perfect spot to pop into without a reservation. “. . . and next door”, according to J Sheekey’s Maitre d’, John Andrews, “weekend lunch at the restaurant, is a great time to get a booking with just a few days’ notice” - the set menu at £25.50 is terrific value too.
(www.j-sheekey.co.uk)
But what if all else fails and you’ve done nothing about that dinner reservation? Do what I did once when a friend and I, tired of the crush of a London members’ bar in thrall to an England friendly and phone The Ivy. It was 8.45pm on a Wednesday night but mercifully, the combination of the football and a last-minute cancellation had, just that very moment, released a table. “The Ivy is once again the perfect restaurant to dress up for” confirms Fernando Peire, Director, The Ivy (www.the-ivy.co.uk). “Turn up around 9pm, smile at the Maitre d' and wait for a table whilst enjoying a wonderful Martini in the bar...”
Bill Prince, Deputy Editor of British GQ.
Scott's - terrace (above)
J Sheekey Oyster Bar (Home page)