The Festival (1 – 15 October) has announced that festival menus are open for bookings. Hundreds of restaurants are already signed up to offer Festival Menus across the capital during the two-week citywide celebration of food and drink.
The Gourmet Odyssey
Festival favourite The Gourmet Odyssey returns with a fresh new spin for 2012. Themed to the style of restaurants this year – the festival will launch with the ‘East End’ tour (29 September). Gourmet Odyssey-goers will be taken on a gastronomic tour of some London’s hippest hangouts. The Old Bengal Bar will host a Laurent-Perrier champagne reception followed by a starter, main and dessert in either the recently-opened Tramshed by Mark Hix, or the Hawksmoor in Spitalfields as well as Brawn on Columbia Road. Where you enjoy each course will remain a surprise until the day itself.
Two further Odysseys will run across the course of the festival with tours of the Classic Masters of London’s restaurants, and a tour of the newer restaurants that are shaking up the Capital.
Graze: restaurant hopping
The festival has also launched a new event concept called Graze (2 – 14 October): a restaurant hopping experience along some of London’s most vibrant and iconic food streets. From Marylebone High Street to Brixton Village, Graze aims to showcase signature dishes from each of the restaurants involved including Morito, Caravan, Ducksoup, Honest Burger, Coco Momo and Bubbledogs.
Street ThEATre
One-off event Street ThEATre (6 October) celebrates global gastronomy showcasing the diversity of cuisines that are now present in the UK and how the pathways to London are often forged by cuisine and their associated cultures. In partnership with eat.st and the Old Vic Tunnels, the festival will be creating the largest street food market that London has ever seen along with an exciting theatrical experience – set to be the perfect day out for families and food lovers alike.
Kitchen Influentials
Kitchen Influentials, an exclusive event for American Express Cardmembers, brings together some of the country’s most renowned chefs with their protégés, family or friends for a one off lunch. Chefs include Michel Roux Jnr, Bruno Loubet, Rowley Leigh, Valentine Warner and Mark Hix.
And more…
LRF 2012 will also see the return of many festival favourites including The Tapas Tour that gives ticket holders the chance to experience traditional tapas crawls across the city. Eat Film is back at Firmdale Hotels with chefs and foodies screening a film that has inspired them before hosting a dinner. Tom Parker-Bowles and Michaela Chiappa are hosting one night each.
A GastroPub Quiz, involving 100 pubs simultaneously, will take place across the Capital and the annual culinary discussion The Big Debate will be held at the The Tabernacle in Notting Hill where the motion asks if THE MORE WE LOOK, THE LESS WE COOK – and whether TV and celebrity chefs are killing cooking.
LRF 2012 will also be serving up a host of Side Orders (Fringe Events) and will announce these exciting events soon.
For more information and to purchase tickets (prices start at £10) click here
To make your booking now click here