London Restaurant Festival 2017: what not to miss

Kicking things off is one of London’s most popular upcoming chefs and restaurateurs, Robin Gill. His five-course tasting menu has been specially created to celebrate botanical flavours, perfectly representing his simple approach to British cuisine with a Nordic-inspired twist that made his restaurants The Dairy, The Manor and Paradise Garage so successful. Taking place in the Design Cube in the towering and beautiful Wardian building, it’s set to be a very, very special dinner.

Adam Simmonds is our second chef, inviting diners to his new year-long pop-up The Test Kitchen in Soho to taste his incredible food. The six-course menu is full of innovative flavour combinations, beautiful plates of food and the very best of British produce. Expect an experimental, avant garde dinner that’s full of tasty surprises.

Chantelle Nicholson is the chef-patron of Tredwells, which she opened with Marcus Wareing, and has quickly become known as one of the best places to eat in the capital. Showcasing the best in seasonal British produce, her four-course menu will prove just how far British food has come in the past decade.

Finally, Peter Gordon will be creating some very special fusion dishes that show off his skill of combining ingredients, flavours and techniques from all over the world to create perfectly balanced, delicious plates of food. The menu will feature ingredients you’d never think of putting together, but under the masterful skill of Peter they sit together beautifully and create taste sensations like nothing else.

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As well as our own tasting menus, there’s lots more to sink your teeth into during the festival. One that we’re looking particularly forward to is the Ultimate Gastronomic Weekend, which certainly lives up to its name. There’s one with Michel Roux Jr (14–15 October) and one with Atul Kochhar (28–29 October), both of which are set to be unforgettable foodie experiences. Those attending Atul’s weekend will be treated to four glasses of Champagne with three courses across four restaurants (Andaz London, Noble Rot, Yauatcha and Quality Chop House) for lunch on the Saturday and a wine tasting in the evening. On Sunday, kick the day off with breakfast at The Andaz Hotel before heading to Atul’s restaurant Benares for lunch, which will consist of a one-off four-course menu.

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If you just want to spend a day experiencing the best London has to offer, then book yourself onto one of London Restaurant Festival’s restaurant hopping tours. For just £45, you can visit five restaurants in one day and get a little taster of the food they serve. Our top picks are the Broadgate tour, featuring José Pizzaro’s acclaimed tapas bar, and the Devonshire Square tour which stops off at Vivek Singh’s Cinnamon Kitchen.

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American Express Cardmembers have got access to some incredible dinners during the festival. Desert Island Dishes sees eleven of London’s top chefs (including Theo Randall, Chris Galvin, Mark Hix, Phil Howard and Francesco Mazzei) cook up a four-course meal for £79. Certainly not to be missed.

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Finally, those looking to get a bit more hands-on during London Restaurant Festival have the chance to learn from the very best. Steve Groves, the head chef at Roux at Parliament Square, is hosting three cookery classes which see you recreate a three-course seasonal menu under his expert guidance, followed by dinner at the restaurant.

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It’s not just one-off events that make London Restaurant Festival great. The main attractions are the special festival menus being served at over 250 restaurants across the city every day in October. With something for every palate and budget, you can splurge at one of the many Michelin-starred establishments in the capital or just try something new at the fantastic neighbourhood restaurants that form the backbone of London’s food scene.

The full list will be revealed in September, but last year saw the likes of Hawksmoor, Roast, M Victoria Street and Ametsa with Arzak Instruction getting on board.