Background guide to London's restaurant scene

London has always been an important trading route as well as a major world city and, as such, it has traditionally been home to a large number of restaurants. Traders, sailors, businessmen, travelling show people and artisans all needed places where they could buy a meal and a drink and restaurants were there to cater to their requirements.

As restaurants became more commonplace in London, they also began to differentiate themselves. There was a greater choice on restaurant menus and there were specialist restaurants, as well as those catering to differing budgets. So, working class factory workers might treat themselves to pie and mash at M. Manze on a Saturday lunchtime, while the gentry would take a table at Rules to sample the best that the new hunting season had to offer. London is set apart from other cities because of the sheer diversity and number of restaurants that it is home to. Every area of the city, no matter how small or tucked away, has its own much-loved restaurants with loyal regulars. Restaurants demarcate an area but they also help to unite the city. Word soon spreads when a good restaurant opens its doors and people will come flocking from all over the capital to dine there.

Restaurants help to unify and define London, from the smallest café to the grandest hotel restaurant with international acclaim. It has always been a melting pot of different cultures and nationalities and restaurants have been at the forefront of reflecting this diversity. A restaurant often has the dual purpose of providing sustenance as well as a dose of nostalgia: an authentic taste of home for those living or travelling in London. Today, it is possible to dine out on food from virtually every corner of the globe somewhere in London and the restaurant scene continues to reflect the wonderfully diverse nature of the city.

London has built up a worldwide reputation for the quality of its restaurants over the years and this spans all cuisines and all calibre of establishment. With literally thousands of eateries in the capital, it is no mean feat to be considered a classic London restaurant. So many criteria must be fulfilled in order to be considered worthy of an entry in the 'classic' list that few establishments are eligible. However, this book attempts to bring together some of the oldest, best-loved, most enduring and relevant eateries in London. You will find five-star hotel restaurants nestling up next to venerable coffee shops and long-established French bistros. Price, location and awards are irrelevant here: what matters is the restaurant's ability to serve extraordinary food in convivial settings.

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