Nobu ousts the Ivy as premier restaurant

The celebrity eaterie the Ivy has been ousted from its position as London's leading restaurant by the ultra-trendy Nobu, after four years.

The celebrity eaterie the Ivy has been ousted from its position as London's leading restaurant by the ultra-trendy Nobu, after four years.

While the Ivy has a long waiting list and hordes of luminaries among its regulars, it takes second place in this year's Zagat guide, which is based on 5,489 reviews by critics who ate 685,000 meals.

This year's reviewers of the Ivy, which had held first place since 1998, said: "The good food is foiled by the starstruck staff."

The guide describes Nobu, in the Metropolitan Hotel, Park Lane, as a place to "watch the beautiful people" and enjoy the "amazing atmosphere".

A Nobu meal, a fusion of Japanese and South American influences, costs about £56 a head including service, compared with £45 at the Ivy.

Nobu ranked only fifth for its food while the Ivy did not register in the top 10. According to Zagat, the best meal in the capital is to be found at Gordon Ramsay's flagship restaurant in Chelsea where dinner, a drink and service costs about £70. The Ramsay restaurants Petrus and his new venture at Claridge's hotel scored sixth and seventh.

Tim Zagat, co-publisher of the guide, said: "Our newest survey is designed to help locals and tourists alike appreciate the quantity, quality and diversity that truly reflects London's dining scene."