How London surpassed Paris as Europe’s dining capital

Hospitality News: London - Nov 04: Interior of pub, for drinking and socializing, focal point of the community, on Nov 04, 2010, London, UK. Pub business, now about 53,500 pubs in the UK, has been declining every year — London - Nov 04: Interior of pub, for drinking and socializing, focal point of the community, on Nov 04, 2010, London, UK. Pub business, now about 53,500 pubs in the UK, has been declining every year

If you visited a restaurant in London in the mid-1980s, you were unlikely to be in for a culinarytour de force. A regular three-course set menu was likely to comprise a “prawn cocktail,” an offal-filled pie and a nondescript gelatinous dessert; along with a wine list that boasted “red or white.” Yet today, London is commonly considered to be the culinary capital of Europe ? even surpassing its cross-channel rival Paris.

So how exactly has the British capital’s dining scene transformed itself from the butt of French jokes to the king of continental cuisine in a mere 30 years? It is a tale of immigration, inclination and inspiration.

International influence

Modern-day London is an extraordinarily multicultural city. Between 1981 and 2011, the population of London grew from 6.6 million to 8.2 million; and much of this is attributed to immigration. More than a third of the city’s current residents were born outside the UK, and large swathes of the rest are of non-British descent. There are now more than 300 languages spoken within the city. Naturally, this influx of people from across the world has had a significant impact on the depth and diversity of the local cuisine.

Londoners today are spoilt for culinary choice, as the city is awash with exceptional international diners. There are Michelin-starred French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Peruvian restaurants in the city, as well as eateries specializing in cuisine from countless other countries. Whether you are hankering for some Hungarian goulash, Ghanaian?waakye, Indonesian?nasi goreng, Jamaican jerk chicken or Bolivian?salte?as, there are a wealth of well-received restaurants that can sate your appetite.

Renowned French chef Jo?l Robuchon, named “Chef of the Century” by restaurant guide Gault Millau, believes its this great diversity of cultural influences that has allowed London to leapfrog Paris as “the gastronomic capital of the world.” In 2011 he declared: “The tables have turned. It’s in London that you find the best Japanese, Indian and French restaurants. [The city has] every conceivable style of cooking.”

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Source:?Joseph Reaney (2014). How London surpassed Paris as Europe’s dining capital, USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/experience/food-and-wine/news-festivals-events/how-london-surpassed-paris-as-europes-dining-capital/6652057/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomTravel-TopStories+%28USATODAY+-+Travel+Top+Stories%29 published Mar 24, 2014. Viewed Mar 25, 2014.