The Food Oscars

Is there no end to the masochism of the great British dining public? The average cost of eating out in London rose 3.3 per cent between 2005 and 2006, making the capital second only to Tokyo in the list of the most expensive cities in which to dine. According to a Zagat survey, the average cost of a meal here is £38, nearly twice as much as New York or Los Angeles. Nevertheless, we like nothing more than going out to dine. Zagat reports that 77 per cent of diners surveyed say they are eating out as much, or more, than they were two years ago.

Behind these seemingly contradictory statements, and perhaps explaining them, is an on-going movement by top-flight chefs and restaurateurs that can only be described as Slumming It. Just as Stella McCartney did a capsule collection for H&M and Roland Mouret has stooped to do the same for Gap, the past year has seen some of the industry's biggest names moving downmarket instead of up. So Parisian three-star legend Joel Robuchon now carves Iberian ham and serves up steak tartare at his counter-service, global chain L'Atelier, newly installed in West Street.

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Former Putney Bridge chef Anthony Demetre has swapped all the trappings of Michelin stardom for a simple, value-for-money Soho bistro in Arbutus, and London diners are the richer for it. Give this man a sow's ear and he'll give you back a silk purse, every single time. Meanwhile, Tobias Jilsmark of the chic La Trompette is now serving up squid and pig's cheek casserole at The Ambassador in Exmouth Market; Harvey Nichols' Dominic Ford has opened a family steak house (The Butcher and Grill) in Battersea; Matt Hermer of paparazzi-favourites Boujis and Cocoon has installed a rustic all-day brasserie on the ground floor of Notting Hill's Bumpkin; and the critic's darling Tom Aikens has just opened Tom's Kitchen, a casual modern British bistro, complete with games room and pool table.

It's not just a London trend. Up north, the extremely talented Jeff Baker swapped the Michelin-starred kitchens of the distinguished Pool Court in Leeds for a breezy shop-front diner in York. J Baker's Bistro Moderne is now packing them in. And Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White and Jean-Christophe Novelli are all putting their money into country pubs.

And the end result is that everybody wins. The big names do, because the middle market is where the big money is. And we do, because we get top-flight cheffery for less, without all those frills that we didn't want anyway.

This would also explain the trend towards big, gutsy, French brasserie cooking, in restaurants such as La Brasserie Ma Cuisine Bourgeoise in Twickenham, Soren Jessen's Papillon, Nick Jones's High Road Brasserie, the Room Group's Hoxton Grille and the just-opened Chelsea Brasserie.

At the same time - and perhaps to balance out scoffing all those frites - more and more sleek, shiny-surfaced, glamorous, designer Japanese restaurants and sushi bars have hit town, with their high-fashion, low-kilojoule mixture of raw edamame, paper-thin sashimi, and barely there seaweed salads. Ozu, Yakitoria, Kobe Jones, So, Saki, Eat Tokyo and Haiku are all catering for the Size Zero crowd, turning flash-in-the-pan-Asian cuisine into a legitimate dining genre that looks set to stay. Certainly those behind Gilgamesh, having invested £12m in the 800-seat Babylonian pan-Asian in Camden Town, will be buggered if it isn't. It may not fit the zeitgeist of serious food at affordable prices, but the small portions and high prices of this new dining genre give the masochists among us plenty of thrills.

So, without further ado, turn over to find out the best and worst of 2006.

British chef of the year: Shaun Rankin, Bohemia

He has no television show, no sponsorship deals, no syndicated magazine column, and no new cookbook. Yet for my money, Shaun Rankin is one of the most gifted, highly polished chefs in the British Isles. I ate my best meal of the year at his Jersey restaurant in July. It had a lot to do with the island's fantastic produce, but also with Rankin's respect for that produce, his dazzling skill, his seductively seasonal approach, and his sixth sense for combining flavours that are seriously made for each other.

London chef of the year: Anthony Demetre, Arbutus

You don't have to be a genius to turn Dover sole, wild salmon, lobster, foie gras, and Wagyu beef into delicious and desirable dishes. You do have to work harder, however, to turn mutton tripe, sheep's trotters, rabbit and pollack into something that the pampered modern diner might enjoy. Demetre does it effortlessly, sending out wonderful mains for under £15, with plenty of seriously good wine options under £30.

While 2006 seemed to have more than its share of high-profile, high-priced openings, this smart, mid-range Soho bistro wins hands down for its seasonally adjusted, seriously crafted and modestly priced dining. If dreams come true, this will be the trend for British dining in 2007.

Best gastropub: The Horseshoe

What was a Wetherspoon pub in north London has been given a new lease of life by Australian Jasper Cuppaidge. Would that all Wetherspoons be reclaimed by Australians. He has even installed a microbrewery in the basement in honour of his grandfather, a well-known Queensland brewer. Places like The Horseshoe remind us why gastropubs were such a good idea in the first place. It's all about good produce, clean tastes, careful sourcing, making beer, and keeping the food simple but interesting. Servings are big, prices are decent and everything is visible, uncluttered and good-natured.

Best new restaurant: L'Atelier de Joel Robouchon

It may be just another link in the world's sexiest restaurant chain, but when L'Atelier opened in September, food groupies practically fell over one another to bag a prize stool at the counter of Joel Robuchon's glammed-up tapas- and sushi-inspired French eatery. Any thought that it was just a cynical marketing exercise was dispelled by the meticulous precision of the cooking. Robuchon has successfully merged food of style and finesse with a liberal and liberating modern dining experience. While more reserved types dislike the forced conviviality of the counter, others treat it like a ringside seat at the best show in town.

Best seat in the house: Saki

Getting bums on seats takes on new meaning, thanks to the state-of-the-art, paperless toilet system at West Smithfield's futuristic modern Japanese, Saki. The super-loo has touch controls for a bottom-washer, hot-air dryer, and even temperature-controlled seating. It's fun, but the food is so good it doesn't need the gimmick.

For services to the planet: Bordeaux Quay

The latest must-have for a new restaurant is a mission statement, and Barny Haughton - the chef behind Bristol's long-established Quartier Vert - has a strong one for his newest West Country venture, Bordeaux Quay. The restaurant/brasserie/bar/deli/cookery school was refitted to strict ecological standards, and Haughton is committed to responsible energy consumption, zero waste and produce that is both locally sourced and organic. Early reviews have been mixed, so let's hope -for the planet's sake - that Haughton can get it together.

In a similar vein is the remit of Acorn House, opening imminently near King's Cross in London. Built from organic and recycled materials, this new eco-friendly training restaurant will purify its own water on-site, offering seasonal menus in a variety of portion sizes to minimise wastage.

Unforgettable dishes of 2006

1 The deeply seductive Royal Bay Oysters with saffron linguine and sevruga caviar at Bohemia in Jersey (below).

2 Richly seasoned, hand-chopped onglet steak tartare with hand-cut corkscrew fries at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon.

3 Transluscent, butter-poached monkfish cleverly sauced with crab juices at J Baker's Bistro Moderne in York.

4 Bjorn van der Horst's superbly rendered 'poule au pot' of tender, poached chicken in glistening, chickeny jelly at La Noisette.

5 Foie gras with coffee and mango puree (I can't quite believe I am saying this) at Pintxo People in Brighton.

Serial restaurateur of the year: Oliver Peyton

Over the past year, Peyton has been on a mission to bring good food to public spaces. He kicked off with The National Dining Rooms in the National Gallery, then followed up with Meals at Heal's, the Peyton & Byrne Bakery (also in Heals), and the ever-so-French Wallace Restaurant in the Wallace Collection (reviewed last week). His latest, the National Café in the National Gallery looks the best of its bunch, with its grand Viennese café feel and easy-to-please pan-Euro menu.

Best value: Rochelle Canteen

Caterers Margot Henderson and Melanie Arnold originally set up the Canteen to feed the not-so-starving artists and photographers working in the redeveloped Rochelle School in Shoreditch. As word got out, they opened the doors to the public and now it's London dining's worst-kept secret. Margot is married to Fergus Henderson, and one of her chefs comes from St John Bread & Wine, which means the food shares St John's passion for seasonality, simplicity, and rustic, hearty flavours. Seriously good food at casual prices (starters £6, mains £9, cash only, BYO wine) is starting to sound like a cultural shift, not a gimmick.

The special service award: Clive Greenhalgh, The Ambassador

Good service is not necessarily formal. Just as highly trained chefs are turning their hands to mid-priced, casual dining, restaurant service is shedding many of its old affectations. These days, what we need are highly trained professionals who have chosen to get real; to be that personal connection between Us (the table) and Them (the kitchen). Enter Clive Greenhalgh - tousle-haired, loose-limbed and casually dressed, Greenhalgh first made his mark at the iconic Brackenbury in Chiswick. These days, his people-skills and deep wine knowledge are winning friends and influencing people at his new, equally relaxed, Exmouth Market diner.

Forgettable dishes of 2006

1 The eel from hell - roasted with sake, steamed with konbu and glazed with foie gras at Beauberry House.

2 Bar Shu's pickled vegetables with chicken feet, chicken wings, pig's trotter and tail that came without the wings, trotter or tail.

3 A thin, watery, bitter chocolate soup with a heavy "floating island" at Astor Bar and Grill.

4 Hoxton Grille's leaden grilled lamb leg steak drowned in a dark, gloopy "provençale jus".

5 Macadamia-crusted red snapper with dyed black olives, plaited snake beans and olive potato galette swimming in garlic cream sauce at Hammersmith's Queen's Arms.

Best wine list: Tamarai

Putting together a wine list to complement the spicy, complex cuisines of Chettinad, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and China is a tricky business, made even more so by the, um, creative presentation of the food at Covent Garden's Tamarai. Yet MW Tim Atkin has risen to the challenge with one of the liveliest and most relevant lists I have laid eyes on, with little- known, good-value gems such as Garry Crittenden's Pinocchio Rosato from Victoria's Mornington Peninsula .

Most anticipated openings: St Alban

A new restaurant from Chris Corbin and Jeremy King (The Ivy, J Sheekey, Le Caprice and The Wolseley) is always cause for jubilation and celebration. Their latest effort, in Lower Regent Street, is tipped to be a contemporary European affair. With luck, it should open later this month.

Also on the verge of opening is Theo Randall (right) at the InterContinental, a new venture showcasing the Italianate talents of the behind-the-scenes chef of the River Café.

To come in the new year: watch out for Sam and Eddie Hart's new Soho tapas bar, Barrafina; Mocoto, a modern South American opening on the old Isola site; ChaCha no Hana, Alan Yau's new Japanese in the old Shumi location; and Bincho, yet another new Japanese, this time from The Butcher's Dominic Ford.

Food trend of the year: Walk the plank

Planks are the new plates. At the High Road Brasserie, butterflied sardines on toast come on a wooden board; and at Bedford & Strand, it's the salmon three ways. The Hoxton Hotel's Hoxton Grille planks its grilled steaks, while Shoreditch lounge Sosho serves up "sharing blocks" of Moorish mezze and Spanish charcuterie on blocks of solid oak. Chairman of the board, however is Hampstead's Horseshoe, sending out everything from marinated grey mullet to rib of beef on handsome carving boards, made from the old wooden bar.

Slowest opening of 2006: Scotts

The long-awaited second coming of Scotts in Mayfair, now owned by the Caprice Holdings Group, would have to be the slowest opening in the history of British dining. Two years in the making, the completely renovated and reinvented restaurant is due to open later this month... we hope.

The saddest goodbye: Manzi's

After nearly 80 years of service to London dining, the iconic Soho fish restaurant finally gave way to the march of progress earlier this year. Her best years may have been long behind her, but it was still sad to see the old girl - and her tribe of dour waiters - depart.

Addresses and phone numbers

Acorn House, 69 Swinton Street, London WC1

The Ambassador, 55 Exmouth Market, London EC1, tel: 020 7837 0009

Arbutus, 63-64 Frith Street, London W1, tel: 020 7734 4545

Astor Bar & Grill, 20 Glasshouse Street, London W1, tel: 020 7734 4888

Atami, 37 Monck Street, London SW1, tel: 020 7222 2218

Bar Shu, 28 Frith Street, London W1, tel: 020 7287 6688

Barrafina, 54 Frith Street, London W1

Beauberry House, Gallery Road, London SE21, tel: 020 8299 9788

Bedford & Strand, 1a Bedford Street, London WC2, tel: 020 7836 3033

Bohemia, The Club Hotel & Spa, Green Street, St Helier, Jersey, tel: 01534 880 588

Bordeaux Quay, Canons Way, Harbourside, Bristol, tel: 0117 943 1200

Bumpkin, 209 Westbourne Park Road, London W11, tel: 020 7243 9818

Butcher and Grill, 39-41 Parkgate Road, London SW11, tel: 020 7924 3999

ChaCha no Hana, 23 St James's Street, London SW1

Chelsea Brasserie, The Sloane Square Hotel, 7-12 Sloane Square, London SW1, tel: 020 7896 9988

Eat Tokyo, 14 North End Road, London NW11, tel: 020 8209 0079

Gilgamesh, The Stables, Camden Market, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1, tel: 020 7482 5757

Haiku, 15 Burlington Place, London W1, tel: 020 7494 4777,

High Road Brasserie, 162-164 Chiswick High Road, London W4, tel: 020 8742 7474

The Horseshoe, 28 Heath Street, London NW3, tel: 020 7431 7206

The Hoxton Grille, The Hoxton Hotel, 81 Great Eastern Street, London EC2, tel: 020 7739 9111

J Baker's Bistro Moderne, 7 Fossgate, York, tel: 01904 622688

Kobe Jones, St Giles Hotel, 112 Great Russell Street, WC1, tel: 020 7300 3250

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, 13-15 West Street, London WC2, tel: 020 7010 8600

La Brasserie Ma Cuisine Bourgeoise, 2 Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, tel: 020 8744 9598

La Noisette, 164 Sloane Street, London SW1, tel: 020 7750 5000

Meals, The Heal's Building, 196 Tottenham Court Road, London W1, tel: 020 7580 2522

Mocoto, 145 Knightsbridge, London SW1, tel: 020 7225 2300

The National Café, The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2, tel: 020 7747 5945

The National Dining Rooms, Sainsbury Wing, The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2, tel: 020 7747 2525

Ozu, The Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1, tel: 020 7928 7766

Papillon, 96 Draycott Avenue, London SW3, tel: 020 7225 2555

Peyton & Byrne Bakery, Ground Floor, Heal's, 196 Tottenham Court Road, London W1, tel: 020 7580 2522

Pinxto People, 95-99 Western Road, Brighton, tel: 01273 732 323

Queen's Arms, 171 Greyhound Road, London W6, tel: 020 7386 5078

Rochelle Canteen, Rochelle School, Arnold Circus, London E2, tel: 020 7729 5677

Saki, 4 West Smithfield, London EC1, tel: 020 7489 7033

Scotts, 20 Mount Street, London W1, tel: 020 7495 7309

So, 3-4 Warwick Street, London W1, tel: 020 7292 0767

Sosho, 2 Tabernacle St, London EC2, tel: 020 7920 0701

St Alban, 4-12 Lower Regent Street, London SW1

Tamarai, 167 Drury Lane, London WC2, tel: 020 7831 9399

Theo Randall at the InterContinental, 1 Hamilton Place, London W1, tel: 020 7409 3131

Tom's Kitchen, 27 Cale Street, London SW3, tel: 020 7349 0202

The Wallace Restaurant, The Wallace Collection, Manchester Square, London W1, tel: 020 7563 9505

Yakitoria, 25 Sheldon Square, London W2, tel: 020 7214 3000