Scott

Simon, I have never encountered anything other than an engaged tone at Locanda - what's your secret?

Petrus Capital Fat Duck

Needed authorisation my arse... it is not compulsory to pay a service charge in britain, many would like you to believe it is. he is trying to shift the focus so that you feel he has done you a favour, the manager has no right not to waive said charge.

Meades ate, and I snoozed... at least after the first 5 minutes

Does anyone know of a venue in london that has entertainment as well as food. Have guests who absolutely want this sort of thing for tomorrow night. they suggested Stringfellows - I am ashamed. was think Dover st wine bar. somewhere quite flash, with a littl energy about it. any help appreciated Scott

The hemingway burger & the cork n bottle in leicester square is very good. GBK leave's me a little cold.

I know it's not fashionable to say so, but I quite like Starbucks. the coffee is now worse than the other high street chains, better than some, and it is usually served at a good temperature. Most chains serve the stuff so bloody hot, I need a pizza fresh out the oven to cool my mouth down!!

I'm sure New Tayyab is just fine, but as Jules offers great food, at less than a tenner a head, I think NT has it's work cut out.

I'm sure New Tayyab is just fine, but as Jules offers great food, at less than a tenner a head, I think NT has it's work cut out.

'Fraid not. That's to be found at New Tayyab, Fieldgate St. Whitechapel. And there's NO corkage. Tony, it all depends on how good the food is...

Couldn't remember the name of this place in order to recommend to a friend -- thanks for the help, Scott! Mmmm. Chicken and potatoes from Rotisserie Jules! mmm indeed... perhaps best cheap eats in all of London town ???

Steve, I quite agree, a BYO'er will bring more bottles and will often order digestif's etc. if I buy off list I am quite frugal, but will bring great wine and share it with the staff. Also, I think the only reason a London restaurant doesn't allow BYO is that haven't adjusted to changing times. Many still don't like the fact that their list now consists of branded wines, available on the high street making their margins transparent. They seem to pine for the days of unbranded, generic 'St Joseph' on the list - when they made real £'s without anyone knowing.

Rotisserie Jules on Bute st, off Old Brompton rd. 50 yds from South ken tube. Best roast chicken in London. allow BYO at £1.50 per bottle, very friendly service. I eat there approx 50 times a year and have done so for 4+ years. May need tofight the local wine merchants in the area for a table!

Faulty/corked bottles are re-imbursed from the wholesaler. Breakages - no more common than in a retailer. You would break more bottles during stock counting than dinner service. PS. Tony, I do have to apologise, on 1 important level. This is my soap box topic, and I can get carried away!

Tony, you are certainly right that £25 is not profit. 3 items spring to mind: 1. Vat - a £15 bottle has VAT remove thus costing £12, and the restaurants selling price is £34 + 17.5% leaving £22 to distribute to its various cost elements. 2. Overdraft & Bank charges on suppliers accounts 3. storage the last 2 are regularly cited as major costs for the restauranteur - today many, many wholesalers will supply on sale or return. The market is that tight right now. But for me, far more importantly a retailer incurs these charges also, precisely the same way. yet the restauranteur (i hate typing that word ) often uses these costs as way of distinguishing their commercial situation from that of the retailer - when in fact they are, in many instances, identical. If said Restauranteur believes he can only stay afloat with a 67% GP on beverage, he is running his business very badly - imo.

I have never understood why this issue gives such contrasting views. To be fair it is argued in UK, USA, Britain and occasionally in France. I have always beleived that a restaurant that undercharges food, and over charges beverage is running a risk. What if your cutsomers only drank House or worse water - they are entitled to. The high GP contingent seems to think it is an obligation on the customer to pay whatever price is charged, again that the customer is a cash rich 'lemming'. This is not the case, and perhaps should be described as "the way things were". At least if the current economic climate continues. my 2 cents

thanks Vanessa.

BYO should cost no more than a bottle of house wine. A customer has no obligation to pump a restaurant's beverage GP just because they can't price their food properly and need the money. Oh, but they can cost their restaurant accordingly! That's why the wine is pricey and helps to subside the food costs. DOn't forget that it's a very competitive business and the 'average' diner (whoever he/she may be!) looks at the cost of the food principally - they may complain about the wine costs but it is the actual cost of the food they compare to other places. You may not but a business is not run based on 8 people but based on the overall revenue produced. Sorry, but you have to look at the situation "as is" not how you or others think it should be. It is, after all, a business not some kind of charity organization. Yes and you equally know, that the UK is unique in the skewed view of this. The same peculiar pricing mix doesn't really exist anywhere else, except here. perhaps it's a cultural cringe thing, where people don't want to accept the cost of their food. But referencing this anomaly is hardly 'telling it like it is'. especially given the struggles of the fine dining sector in London at the moment

True. But your are not going to drink the wine from the bottle. Or bring your own glass and waiter to serve this for you. I think the restaurant has to make some profit as a way to compensate the service offered. Also, considering that restaurants price structure for drinks is selling them by multiplying the cost of the bottle by 3 or four times, if there was a wine that for example was paid, let’s say, £ 30, this will be sold at around £ 100 in the restaurant. So in this case they are loosing around £ 40-50 compared to what they would gain with £ 25 corkage Lucrezia, this example has no basis in reality. BYO should cost no more than a bottle of house wine. A customer has no obligation to pump a restaurant's beverage GP just because they can't price their food properly and need the money. Some places seem to think average spend per head is a totally flexible, dynamic equation - ergo that customers are lemmings with cash.

I have heard they BYO - does anyone know if this is true?

Financially La Tante Claire had been performing badly, very badly. Koffmann began shaving the salaries of his existing staff to cut costs, but to no avail - he just wasn't profitable enough and got the boot. Chef's ego was not best pleased.