Wagamama dethrones Nobu

Wagamama: Top of the eating tree

A chain of budget noodle bars has beaten the aristocracy of London's restaurant scene in a major survey. Wagamama, which has 21 branches in London, knocked fashionable Japanese restaurant Nobu off the top spot, which it has occupied in the previous three guides to eating out.

And it beat illustrious names such as The Ivy (3rd), Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's (4th) and Le Gavroche (10th).

The chain, founded in 1992 by legendary Michelin-starred restaurateur Alan Yau, won the accolade in the 2006 edition of the Zagat guide to London restaurants.

Zagat guide editor Sholto Douglas-Home said: "Wagamama's ascendancy is all the more surprising given that it doesn't take reservations and seats diners at communal tables - hardly the traditional hallmarks of a high-scoring restaurant, yet typical of Londoners' growing desire to dine informally."

He said the popularity of Wagamama comes at a time when spending on ostentatious dining is sliding out of fashion. By contrast, the inexpensive Wagamama offers super-efficient service and minimalist interiors as well as "comforting Japanese fare".

Fans include TV presenter Jonathan Ross, Chris Martin of Coldplay and his wife Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Little Britain comedian Matt Lucas.

Ian Neill, chief executive of Wagamama, said: "It's cool to get value for money.

"It's the same phenomenon as women who buy a pair of Chloe jeans but will also go to Topshop.

People will still want to go to Nobu but they can't go all the time and they will get good food if they come to Wagamama."

The chain has been steadily climbing the rankings since the first Zagat guide appeared in 1997, when its restaurants were only ranked 35th best in London. By last year it had reached third spot. This year's guide, based on reports from nearly 5,000 diners, found that the average Londoner eats out an average of 2.4 times a week.

This is less than in Paris or Los Angeles - perhaps because of the capital's higher prices.

The average cost per head of a meal in London rose five per cent last year, from £35.14 to £36.79 compared with £21.32 in New York and £18.12 in America as a whole.

Nina Zagat, one of the cofounders of the guide, said: "Wagamama is a wonderful restaurant that provides many of the things that people are looking for. It's casual, the food is good, it's a fun place and (it's) very reasonably priced."

THE TOP RESTAURANTS BY CUISINE

BRITISH (Modern)

Chez Bruce, SW17
Clarke's, W8
Richard Corrigan, W1
St John, EC1
Gravetye Manor, East Grinstead, W Sussex, RH19

BRITISH (Traditional)

Grill Room, W1
Rhodes 24, EC2
Wilton's, SW1
Mark's Club, W1
Guinea Grill, W1

CHINESE

Hunan, SW1
Hakkasan, W1
Kai Mayfair, W1
Mandarin Kitchen, W2
Yauatcha, W1

FRENCH (Classic)

Le Gavroche, W1
Waterside Inn, Bray, Berks
Oslo Court, NW8
Ritz, W1
French Horn, Sonning-on-Thames, Berks

FRENCH (New)

Gordon Ramsay at 68 Royal Hospital Road, SW3
Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons, Oxon
Club Gascon, EC1
Pétrus, SW1
Square, W1

ITALIAN

River Café, W6
Zafferano, SW1
Tentazioni, SE1
Assaggi, W2
Quirinale, SW1

JAPANESE

Nobu, W1
Jin Kichi, NW3
Defune, W1
Ubon, E14
Zuma, SW7

MODERN EUROPEAN

Fat Duck, Bray, Berks
Foliage, SW1
Le Caprice, SW1
Angela Hartnett's Menu, W1
Notting Hill Brasserie, W11

SEA FOOD

J Sheekey, WC2
Fish Hoek, W4
Bibendum Oyster, SW3
One-O-One, SW1
Wilton's, SW1

10 MOST POPULAR

Wagamama, branches
Nobu, W1
The Ivy, WC2
Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, W1
J Sheekey, WC2
Gordon Ramsay at 68 Royal Hospital Road, SW3
Zuma, SW7
Hakkasan, W1
Square, W1
Le Gavroche, W1

10 BEST VALUE

Food for Thought, WC2
Books for Cooks, W11
Pepper Tree, SW4
Churchill Arms, W8
North Sea, WC1
Gourmet Burger, branches
Little Bay, branches
Wagamama, branches
Battersea Grill, SW11
Ed's Easy Diner, branches

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in