Golden age for London diners as new restaurant openings soar

More restaurants opened in London in the past year than ever before marking a golden age for dining out in the capital, according to the latest edition of the Harden's restaurant guide.

Harden's London Restaurants recorded 158 openings in the capital in the past 12 months to August, marking an increase of more than 10% compared with the previous year, which saw 136 openings.

This beats the previous openings record of 142 in 2005.

However, the number of restaurants closing in London has also increased dramatically from 65 closures in 2006 to 89 closures in the 12 months to August this year.

Peter Harden, co-editor of the guide said: "London's restaurant scene continues to evolve faster than ever and we are now seeing new openings annually at about three times the rate of 15 years ago."

Harden warned that the current increase in restaurant failures would probably continue with a number of eateries likely to be forced into closing their doors permanently in the coming months.

Harden's London Restaurants is published on 28 August.

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By Kerstin Kühn

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