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London Restaurants 2004
Edited by Richard and Peter Harden
279 pages
Harden's
£9.99
Good Cheap Eats in London
Edited by Richard and Peter Harden
160 pages
Harden's
£6.99
Dateline: 31st August, 2004
While reviewing their Theatregoers' Handbook,
it seemed appropriate to have a brief look at the two main staples of
the Harden's publishing empire. They may sometimes have to rush meals,
but even theatre critics have to eat and, for the average theatregoer,
the pre-or post performance meal is an integral part of the experience.
These two guides are both excellent, as they cut through all the foodie
pretentiousness and get down to the nitty-gritty or with eight or ten
lines of pithy comment and different measurement systems. In the full-scale
book, marks are awarded for food, service and ambience, while in the
cheap version, stars are given to selected restaurants.
The reason why these are books are real winners is that they have numerous
lists splitting restaurants into different categories, far beyond the
basic geographical. The one of most obvious interest to this audience
is the pre-and post theatre meals list that features in each book.
However, how can one resist an assortment of lists that include "most
disappointing cooking" as well as places to go for Sunday lunch
or Alsatian food?
Whether it is it cheap or expensive, it is also useful to have a price
next to every restaurant, which should represent the cost of a typical
meal. In the case of Good Cheap Eats in London, this will never
exceed £20.
The judgment of these hardened gastronomes is also pretty accurate
judging by a small cross section. This may not be too surprising as
the methodology by which these books are compiled is to survey thousands
of ordinary restaurant goers about their eating-out experiences.
Bon Appetit!
Philip Fisher
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