London's eateries face tough times. The best are those whose welcome makes us come back for more. Plus: what I've been drinking this week at the Paris wine fair
I speak to restaurant owners and they don’t know how they’re going to get through the year. Even with higher sales prices they’re just breaking even, or running at a loss.
That "100£ for a bottle of wine and a few shared plates" will be less in Barcelona and Madrid but not that much less.
Meals for two in decent places with no wine are running about 70-80€ these days. Even the 'menú del dia' spots are 20-25€ a person and I'm usually still hungry.
This "Spain is so cheap" I hear from British colleagues when in Spain only applies to a few spots now. Wine is definitely cheaper though as it's produced here with far lower taxes. But keep in mind that Spanish salaries are about 1/2 to 1/3 of those in the UK so this is even more expensive than it seems if one is local.
Brilliant article – so many things making life difficult for restaurants to survive – but particular honours go to Brexit and the absurd business rates system we have in Britain. I remember talking to an Italian greengrocer in a small tuscan town who was lamenting the fact that she had to pay €1,000 ... a year.
I speak to restaurant owners and they don’t know how they’re going to get through the year. Even with higher sales prices they’re just breaking even, or running at a loss.
That "100£ for a bottle of wine and a few shared plates" will be less in Barcelona and Madrid but not that much less.
Meals for two in decent places with no wine are running about 70-80€ these days. Even the 'menú del dia' spots are 20-25€ a person and I'm usually still hungry.
This "Spain is so cheap" I hear from British colleagues when in Spain only applies to a few spots now. Wine is definitely cheaper though as it's produced here with far lower taxes. But keep in mind that Spanish salaries are about 1/2 to 1/3 of those in the UK so this is even more expensive than it seems if one is local.
So very sad about Ibérica. Was once so reliable and a supplier of Roscon!
Brilliant article – so many things making life difficult for restaurants to survive – but particular honours go to Brexit and the absurd business rates system we have in Britain. I remember talking to an Italian greengrocer in a small tuscan town who was lamenting the fact that she had to pay €1,000 ... a year.
Thanks! Business rates are crazy - I didn’t have time/space to get into the subject as much as I’d have liked
Was very good to have such a comprehensive overview!
Great piece Andy
Thanks!