Seeking good food at low prices

10 April 2012

This article was published in January 2002

Good food at moderate prices; that is what we want. The Red Guide to Great Britain and Ireland, better known as The Michelin (Michelin Travel Publications, £14.49), tends to make ripples in the media with its awards of stars - this year one for the Thai food at Nahm (how satisfying) one for Club Gascon (they certainly deserve it) no second one for Petrus (that must be disappointing) and so on

But less reported is the list of places honoured by a "Bib Gourmand". This oddly named decoration is given in recognition of "good food at moderate prices", a description that sounds more glamorous in French, repas soignés à prix modérés, and crisper in Italian, pasti accurati a prezzi contenuti. If only I understood the German, Sorgfaltig zubereitete preiswerte Mahlzeiten, maybe I would be able better to comprehend the London list of Bibs Gourmands for 2002.

It strikes me as a completely arbitrary selection of 17 establishments with only a possible geographical rationale to explain why this one and not that. Maybe a trip to two of the nominated restaurants - and one establishment which did not make the list - would provide enlightenment...

Click on links below to read Fay's reviews

BRITISH: The Vale
INDIAN: The Parsee
FRENCH: L'Auberge