This October, Gizzi Erskine, Jonathan Ross, Jason Atherton, Angela Hartnett and Theo Randall are all working with London Restaurant Festival

 

London Restaurant Festival in partnership with American Express, now in its fifth year, comprises two elements: FESTIVAL MENUS and EVENTS, which take place in restaurants over a two-week period in October: this is the capital's annual citywide celebration of eating out. New for 2013, London Restaurant Festival is proud to announce that chef, food writer and journalist Gizzi Erskine and television presenter Jonathan Ross will be on board; Gizzi joins as the new Chairperson, and Jonathan will be hosting a special film event in partnership with BAFTA 195 Piccadilly.

 

Some 350 restaurants will take part in the capital's biggest restaurant festival, where great value FESTIVAL MENUS are created by chefs to give food-lovers the chance to try new restaurants. The Festival Menu programme is run in partnership with Europe's fastest growing online restaurant booking website, Bookatable.com, and VOSS is the official water of London Restaurant Festival..

 

London Restaurant Festival pioneered, and is now synonymous with, the concept of restaurant-hopping. To the sell-out TAPAS TOURS, in partnership with Estrella Damm, that have operated since 2011, LRF has added CICCHETTI TRAILS in partnership with Peroni Nastro Azzurro and JAPANESE JOURNEYS, that take place over the weekends of the festival. This allows festival-goers to experience not just the best Spanish food in the capital, but also the most exciting Italian and Japanese places too. For each of the tours, a passport will be used to redeem a dish and a drink in each of six participating venues.

Some of the restaurants involved include: Amesta, Copita, Fernandez & Wells; Polpo, Massimo, Theo Randall at the Intercontinental; Inamo, Tonkotsu and Sake No Hana.

 

A favourite since 2009, the LRF GOURMET ODYSSEY - London's most original gastronomic road trip in partnership with Champagne Laurent-Perrier - returns with three tours where guests have a course in different restaurants, including a first for the much-talked-about Shard restaurants: Aqua Shard and Hutong. Here guests can at once enjoy spectacular food and unrivalled views of the city. The Masters Gourmet Odyssey includes Benares, Wild Honey and Gauthier Soho. On the Discovery Gourmet Odyssey guests will eat at Social Eating House, Gymkhana and Picture.

 

In partnership with LivingSocial, GRAZE lets food-lovers enjoy all the best restaurants in one area. The Graze passport is valid for the whole festival period. Taking place separately in the West End, In the City and Up North, the passport gives a complimentary drink when you visit each of the 10 or 12 participating restaurants for a small plate (from the Graze Menu).

Some of the restaurants involved: Providores, Arbutus, Dishoom, Cotidie and Rotary.

 

This year EAT FILM returns with a twist. In partnership with BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, LRF has invited Jonathan Ross to curate a three-course dinner inspired by the 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film, Spirited Away, in the stunning cinema and restaurant at BAFTA headquarters, 195 Piccadilly. The ticket price includes a cocktail reception, the screening and a three-course dinner with wine..

 

New to LRF 2013 is SUNDAY BEST, an exclusive event for American Express Cardmembers, where guests will have the opportunity to dine at some of the most celebrated restaurants in town, in the company of the chefs. SUNDAY BEST will see renowned chefs including Jason Atherton, Theo Randall, Angela Hartnett, Mark Sergeant and Marianne Lumb all cook one-off Sunday lunches, followed by a meet and greet with guests.

 

Chairperson Gizzi Erskine says "I am absolutely delighted to be the new chairperson of London Restaurant Festival. This is a festival that continues to thrill Londoners with its gastronomic delights, creating unforgettable events. Like many other food lovers, I am most excited about sampling the very best food London has to offer and discovering some wonderful new restaurants".

 

LRF Founder Simon Davis comments "LRF is about getting out and discovering as many restaurants as you can in a fun way and for all budgets. There's an insatiable appetite in London for eating out and sharing that experience and LRF feeds it."

 

For more information regarding the festival visit www.londonrestaurantfestival.com.

 

Tickets for the festival are available to the general public from TicketMaster www.ticketmaster.co.uk, LivingSocial www.livingsocial.com or Live Bookings http://www.bookatable.com/uk from 17th August 2013.

 

American Express Card members can purchase tickets from 14th August 2013 via http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/americanexpress.

 

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For press enquiries, photo requests or more information regarding LRF please contact Catherine at Dundas Communications: Catherine@dundascommunications.com / 020 7233 6425

 

Notes to Editors:

About LRF:

London Restaurant Festival was founded in 2009 by Simon Davis and is a city-wide celebration of London's restaurants and chefs. With over 400 participating restaurants, the London Restaurant Festival is your passport to the capital's thriving dining scene. Tickets and reservations can be bought or made via Livingsocial.com, TicketMaster.co.uk and LiveBookings.co.uk, or visit www.londonrestaurantfestival.com for more information.

 

Sponsors:

About American Express

American Express is a diversified worldwide travel, financial and network services company founded in 1850. It is a leader in charge and credit cards, Travellers Cheques, travel and insurance products.

As part of the premium service American Express provides, Cardmembers have access to enriched experiences at some of the UK's most sought after entertainment events, including best seats, exclusive offers and early-on-sale tickets.

The company has multi - year partnerships with a range of entertainment institutions including AEG, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Somerset House, The British Film Institute and National Theatre.

For more detail on the enriched service American Express offers its Cardmembers, please visit www.amex.co.uk/potential or connect with AmericanExpressUK on Facebook or Twitter @AmexUK

 

About Laurent-Perrier

Originally founded in 1812, the House of Champagne Laurent-Perrier is recognised as one of the foremost brands in Champagne. Based in the heart of Champagne, in Tours-sur-Marne, this success is the outcome of a deliberate policy to honour traditional values: a respect for nature and wines, a passion for quality, and strong, lasting relationships among the people who drive the company - both inside and outside of the House. The wines crafted by the Champagne House are unique not only because of the philosophy that has inspired them, but also for their style, flavour and consistent quality, from one cuvée to the next. The result is a range of vins de plaisir - a diversified range of wines to be enjoyed at every occasion, each connected by the lightness, freshness and elegance that distinguishes Laurent-Perrier. Laurent-Perrier's success must also be attributed to the energy of the Nonancourt family, headed by Bernard de Nonancourt. Working in a very demanding business environment, Bernard successfully avoided many pitfalls and managed to preserve the independence of his champagne house and its related values. These same principles guide the current management team headed by his two daughters, Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt and Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt.

 

About Voss Water:

VOSS artesian water from Norway is sold in 50 markets worldwide. Founded in 2001, VOSS was created with a clear vision of providing a unique premium experience for the discerning consumer.  VOSS is bottled at the source in pristine Southern Norway, producing naturally pure water with the lowest amount of total dissolved solids. Its' refreshing clean taste is preferred by chefs because it complements a fine meal without compromise. VOSS is available in Still and Sparkling high-grade glass bottles and PET. VOSS is committed to the environment, maintaining 100% carbon neutrality, through a set of comprehensive environmentally friendly measures. VOSS's iconic bottle graces the tables of the world's best restaurants and hotels.

 

About LivingSocial - Graze

LivingSocial is the online marketplace to buy and share the best things to do in your local area. With unique and diverse offerings each day, we inspire members to discover everything from weekend excursions to one-of-a kind events and experiences to exclusive gourmet dinners to family days out and more. We help local businesses grow by introducing them to high-quality new customers and give our partners the tools to make our members their regulars. Originating in Washington, D.C., LivingSocial now has more than 70 million members around the world.

 

Partners:

About Book A Table

Bookatable.com is Europe's fastest growing online restaurant booking website, operating in 9 different languages and across 19 countries. It enables visitors to make free, real-time restaurant reservations - quickly and easily, 24/7 with instant confirmation.

 

With a popular blog, bursting with the latest restaurant reviews, and their unrivalled Star Deals offering exclusive set menus at the nation's top restaurants, Bookatable.com is the destination site for restaurant news and dining experiences.

 

The consumer restaurant reservations website is powered by Livebookings, a global, web-based restaurant reservations and marketing service, that delivers  up to one and half million diners every month to over 9,000 restaurants.  Table

 

About Estrella Damm

Established in 1876, Estrella Damm is an award-winning, premium pale lager known internationally as the "Beer of Barcelona".  An authentic imported Spanish lager, Estrella Damm is the stylish, trendy, vibrant and passionate beer for those who want to enjoy the taste of Barcelona's nightlife, sunshine, fun, culture and sports.

 

Estrella Damm is brewed with only 100% natural ingredients, including pearl rice, a very Mediterranean ingredient that characterizes Estrella's flavour. Estrella Damm is light and refreshingly drinkable with a perfect balance between fresh grainy malt and subtle fruit, rounded off with a peppery bitterness and a clean finish, designed to complement any Tapas dish.

 

About Peroni Nastro Azzurro

Inspiration to create the first premium Italian beer came under the leadership of  Carlo Peroni through a unique combination of the triumph of the SS Rex, which won the 'Nastro Azzurro' (Blue Riband) in 1933, the cultural richness of living in Rome, and the feeling of optimism and creativity that epitomised the 1960s.  These moments of inspiration have defined what Peroni Nastro Azzurro stands for today.

 

Peroni Nastro Azzurro has been brewed in Italy since 1963. Created by blending a proprietary variety of Italian maize 'Nostrano Peroni' grown near Bergamo in northern Italy, with 2-row spring barley and delicate hops, to create the unmistakably crisp, refreshing taste of Peroni Nastro Azzurro that we still enjoy today.