Harpers & Moet Restaurant Awards

[Andy Lynes]

I went along to the Harpers & Moet awards last night which were held in the ballroom at Claridges Hotel. They were formerly known as the Premier Crew awards and were created to reward front of house staff. The remit has now been expaned to cover restaurants in general. The winners and highly commended are :

Best Restaurant in London

Winner: Club Gascon

Highly Commended:

Angela Hartnett at the Connaught

Chez Bruce

Racine

The Ivy

Best Restaurant Outside London

Winner: Gidleigh Park

Highly Commended:

The Vineyard at Stockcross

The West House (Biddenden in Kent)

Hambleton Hall

The Greyhound (Stockbridge in Hants)

Best Newcomer

Winner: Tom Aikens

Highly Commended:

Cru

Fino

L'Etranger

Rivington Bar and Grill

Chef Of The Year

Winner: Marcus Wareing

Highly Commended:

David Thompson

Richard Corrigan

Rainer Becker (Zuma)

Pascal Proyart (One-O-One)

Sommelier Of The Year

Winner: Ronan Sayburn (Gordon Ramsay)

Highly Commended:

James Payne (The Square)

Geroid Devaney (Tom Aikens)

Loic Mallet (Aurora)

Emmanuel Hardonniere (The Glasshouse)

Premier Crew Award for Best Font-Of-House Team

Winner: Racine

Best Scene

Winner: E&O

Highly Commended:

Zuma

Sketch

Les Trios Garcons

Hakkasan

[horton]

Interesting to see no mention of Jamie Oliver / Fifteen but local rival Cru is in there. Has any one been to Cru since chef Gianni Vatteroni left about 6 months ago? He was ex Lighthouse (critically acclaimed) but now in La Contenta.

[Scott]

I went along to the Harpers & Moet awards last night which were held in the ballroom at Claridges Hotel. They were formerly known as the Premier Crew  awards and were created to reward front of house staff. The remit has now been expaned to cover restaurants in general. The winners and highly commended are :

Best Restaurant in London

Winner: Club Gascon

Highly Commended:

Angela Hartnett at the Connaught

Chez Bruce

Racine

The Ivy

they are insane.

[Andy Lynes]

Its an unusual list isn't it?

[Scott]

well for one club gascon has been spiralling downhill for the last year imo, on an ice luge I'd say.

[Suzi Edwards]

maybe i am being picky here....but how can you win best restaurant and not have the best chef? especially when you don't win best front of house or best "scene"?

who won most fanciable male?

[Andy Lynes]

I know what you mean, but it's like the Oscars, best picture doesn't necessarily have the best director or actors. It was a short ceremony, just the 7 awards and I think they wanted to cover as many restaurants as possible. It would have been rather boring for Wareing and Petrus to hoover up the lot.

[Paul Bell]

There having a laugh right?

Sounds like another pointless exercise in self publicity and glorification.

[Andy Lynes]

I think you could say that about the vast majority of awards ceremonies, unless there for bravery or something of that ilk.

[MobyP]

Has anyone been yet to (the honourably mentioned) L'Etranger? It's on Gloucester Road in Kensington. I keep hearing good things about it, but have yet to throw my wallet and evil intentions in their direction.

[circeplum]

Has anyone been yet to (the honourably mentioned) L'Etranger? It's on Gloucester Road in Kensington. I keep hearing good things about it, but have yet to throw my wallet and evil intentions in their direction.

i thought it overpriced and underwhelming. ordinary dishes like steak au poivre served in a pointlessly pseudo-japanese way.

m

[MobyP]

Bad L'Etranger. Bad, bad L'Etranger!

Thanks Circeplum.