How to sneak in under the bar

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Service on tapas: Hilary Armstrong, third from left, and friends get ready to tuck into some bar food at Barrafina

The easiest way to get into a Gordon Ramsay restaurant is to rock up to the bar at Maze

Le Burger and steak tartare are just two of the classics available at Atelier de Joel Robuchon

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How do you know where and when you're going to eat in three months' time? Answer: you don't. Which is what makes the business of dining out in London's most popular and award-winning restaurants so frustrating.

What not everybody knows is you can often have just as good a time eating in a restaurant's bar, where punters can eat if they don't mind perching on a stool. It's a great spot for rubbernecking, as you get a vantage point across the whole restaurant.

Thanks to new hotspots like L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (which is next door to The Ivy in Covent Garden, and despite opening less than six months ago has just picked up its first Michelin star) and now Barrafina in Soho, dining at the bar is back in vogue.

There are a few rules to stick to when counter dining. Your chances of being fed increase if you walk in before the evening rush and if you look the part, but be careful not to overdo it. Try a jacket and open-necked shirt for him, sexy jeans and top for her.

We're not saying you'll get a place, but counter dining is the best chance that most of us have of eating in the smartest places.

Barrafina
This no-reservations tapas bar in Soho has Londoners queuing like they haven't done in years. Here, nobody queue-jumps.

Owners Sam and Eddie Hart have an efficient system up and running to manage demand. "You wait at the ledge opposite the bar, with the first in line at the top. You then all shuffle along as spaces free up.

"If after half an hour you're still at the back, then tonight's not the night," explains Sam. His hint: try 5pm when the bar reopens after lunch to be sure of a seat.
54 Frith Street W1 (020 7813 8016, barrafina.co.uk)

Le Caprice
Although this St James's evergreen turned 25 last year, it continues to set the standard. Its devoted regulars clamour for the 14 seats at the buzzy bar, and wresting one from their grasp is not impossible.

General manager Nick Roderick says it's often possible to reserve a day or two before and it's always worth swinging by on the off-chance.

In the event of a cancellation, those with bar reservations are often offered a table. Try Caprice classics like salmon fishcake with sorrel sauce (£14.25) or the chopped steak Americaine (£13.25).
Arlington House, Arlington Street SW1 (020 7629 2239, le-caprice.co.uk)

Maze
The easiest way into a Gordon Ramsay restaurant is to rock up to the bar at Maze. Chef Jason Atherton's Asian-influenced French cuisine is available in tasting portions (so just have a couple of those with a glass of champers if that's all you fancy).

The bar is bookable, but early and late slots are usually available to walk-ins. Cured salmon micuit, chopped duck egg and watercress (£7.50) or roasted quail with Landes foie gras and spiced pear chutney (£7) are among the top choices from the extensive menu.
10-13 Grosvenor Square W1 (020 7107 0000, gordonramsay.com/maze)

Moro
Exmouth Market stalwart Moro is 10 years old this year and as busy as ever. The bar, however, sometimes has an opening.

Tapas is served there all day, but the restaurant menu is usually available too (if the kitchen's not too slammed).

"We don't take reservations for the bar," says bar manager Ian Campbell, "but you can leave a number to put a hat down and we'll call when there's space."

Luckily, there are loads of good places to have a drink along the market cobbles while you wait. Pop in for some tapas and a glass of fino, or tuck into a hearty dish of wood-roasted cod with Seville orange sauce, lentils and spinach (£17.50).
34-36 Exmouth Market EC1, (020 7833 8336, moro.co.uk)

Arbutus
Every time chef Antony Demetre and manager Will Smith win a gong for their Frith Street newcomer, Arbutus, it becomes harder to get a table.

So now they've just added a Michelin star to the trophy cabinet, should we be booking for a table in 2010? Not a bit of it. The bar is rarely fully booked, so it's still possible to show up on the off-chance. Thus you get a taste of Demetre's refined cooking but in an extra-relaxed atmosphere.
63-64 Frith Street W1 (020 7734 4545, arbutusrestaurant.co.uk)

Scott's
Since this classic Mayfair fish restaurant was given a swish refurb in December, it has been a major draw for the A-list crowd.

But what about us lesser mortals? "There's always a chance something will be available as the bar's open all day," maintains general manager Matthew Hobbs.

"We take reservations, but keep some seats free for people who want to drop in. For a dead cert come earlier." Fruits de mer from the three-metre long crustacea display (£26.50 per person) come highly recommended.
20 Mount Street W1 (020 7495 7309, scotts-restaurant.com)

Atelier de Joël Robuchon
The Byzantine reservation system at the London outpost of French culinary maestro Joël Robuchon had us all foxed for a while.

But it is now possible to make reservations at any time, and there's often a high likelihood of walk-in availability, particularly at the counter.

Le Burger (£15), a beef and foie gras burger, or steak tartare (£18) are just two of Robuchon's classics. But definitely don't leave the place without trying the famous pommes purées.
13-15 West Street WC2, (020 7010 8600, robuchon.com)

 

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