London dining out 'still popular'

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Restaurant-goers in London are eating out as much if not more than they were two years ago despite the increasing cost of meals, a survey has found.

The average cost of a meal out in London has gone up 3.7% since 2007 to Â£40.55, Zagat restaurant guide found.

But 82% of the 5,300 London diners questioned said they ate out as much if not more than they did two years ago.

Survey respondents named Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea, west London, the best venue for food.

Double price

A Zagat spokesman said: "Thanks to an influx of less expensive eateries, 43% say they are going out more and only 18% say less."

He added: "In addition, the decline of the pound makes London more appealing to tourists."

The Zagat London Restaurants Guide found that the average London meal out cost approximately double the average meal in Los Angeles or New York.

The average cost of a meal for one at London's 20 most expensive restaurants was Â£91.71, a rise of 4.3% on last year, the guide found.

But it remained cheaper than the most expensive restaurants in Tokyo and Paris, where meals cost on average Â£123.37 and Â£131.50 respectively.

Survey respondents named poor service as the biggest problem on London's restaurant scene.