Recently in Time Out Category

Chinese restaurant Manchurian Legends, the first in London to specialise in the Dongbei cuisine of the North-east of the country, divided the critics this weekend.

While Matthew Norman of the Daily Telegraph claims the restaurant is a hot candidate for the Chinatown crown scoring it four out of five stars, the Sunday Times' AA Gill has a "spectacularly, triumphantly awful" meal there, giving it just one star.

Meanwhile the incredible price tags of the two restaurants at the Corinthia Hotel in London shock both the Metro's Marina O'Loughlin and the Independent's Tracey MacLeod, who dine at the Northall and at Massimo's respectively.

The Observer's Jay Rayner reviews his first restaurant in the capital of Northern Ireland and finds there's lots to like at Made in Belfast until the food arrives.

Writing in the Independent on Sunday, Lisa Markwell finds an inviting interior, imaginative but comforting food and delightful staff at the Balcon, the new restaurant at the Sofitel St James, while the Guardian's John Lanchester hates the noise but loves the food at Bread Street Kitchen, the latest restaurant from Gordon Ramsay Holdings.

Zoe Williams of the Sunday Telegraph has an embarrassing tussle over the bill at Ducksoup, the first venture from a former Hix Restaurants team, but says that aside the Soho restaurant is really rather good.

Finally, Time Out's food and drink editor Guy Dimond can recommend everything on the menu at the new Hawksmoor Guildhall, the third outlet by the successful steak restaurant group.

Jason Atherton's first solo venture, Pollen Street Social, has been named London's best new fine dining restaurant in the Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards 2011.

The restaurant in Mayfair was praised for its great innovation and brilliant execution as well as its flexible approach to dining.

Pollen Street Social beat stiff competition to win the award, including Heston Blumenthal's Dinner, Hedone in Chiswick, and Medlar on King's Road, the first restaurant from former Chez Bruce chef and manager Joe Mercer Nairne and David O'Connor.

Meanwhile Will Beckett and Huw Gott's steak restaurant Hawksmoor Seven Dials won Time Out's best new restaurant award. The Covent Garden restaurant is the second Hawksmoor after the original in Farringdon located in the former Watney Combe brewery.

Time Out's food and drink editor Guy Dimond said despite the tough economic climate 2011 had been one of the best years for new restaurant launches in London.

"With all the doom and gloom you'd think that this would have been a bad year for restaurant openings but I don't remember such a strong year in more than a decade," he said.

""The trend towards no bookings and small, sharing plates has continued and this is a reflection of the economic climate. Operators are able to get more people through the doors and small plates are a much simpler way to manage margins."  

Other winners were Massimo's Restaurant and Oyster Bar at the Corinthia Hotel, which won the best new design award for its David Collins Studio designed interiors.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards 2011 results:
 
Best New Bar
Worship Street Whistling Shop 
Nominees
Booking Office
Experimental Cocktail Club
Zetter Townhouse 
 
Best New Cheap Eats
Manchurian Legends
Nominees
Ariana II 
KaoSarn 

Meza  

Best New Design 
Massimo
Nominees
Nopi
Riding House Café
Spuntino
 
Best New Fine Dining
Pollen Street Social
Nominees
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
Hedone
Medlar

Best New Local Restaurant
Malina
Nominees
Brawn
Corner Room 
Kateh

Best New Restaurant
Hawksmoor Seven Dials 
Nominees
Kopapa
Morito
Spuntino

Best Park Café
Lido Café
Nominees
Fulham Palace Café
Pavilion Café 

Best Sushi Bar
Yashin
Nominees
Atari-ya
Dinings
Sushi of Shiori