Harden’s has published the latest edition of its guide to the best, and worst, that London restaurants have to offer.

Often described as a ‘diners’ bible’, Harden’s London Restaurants 2004 has been based upon 6,500 people contributing over 80,000 reviews.

In the 2004 edition, The Ivy in Covent Garden tops Londoners favourite restaurant list for the eighth successive year while Gordon Ramsay’s self-titled restaurant in Chelsea was named top gastronomic experience.

According to Harden’s, Italian is the most popular cuisine with the latest ethnic flavours being Eastern Mediterranean and North African.

The average price of dinner for one at establishments listed in the guide is £34.79. Prices rose on average by 1.9 per cent this year, which have fallen behind the rise in retail prices generally.

Harden’s also noted that Nobu, a favoured celebrity haunt, has suffered from a growing feeling of disenchantment with the restaurant and a surge in complaints about absurd prices and arrogant service.

Meanwhile, Sketch in Mayfair won Harden’s dubious honour of being the most over-priced restaurant, with dinner averaging £160 per head and was described as both “fussy” and “extortionately overpriced”.

However, at the Hotel and Restaurant awards, which took place the on the evening following Harden’s announcement, Sketch was voted the restaurateurs’ restaurant of the year.

Despite Sketch winning the Restaurateurs’ Choice award, co-editor Richard Harden remains convinced that the Harden’s survey is a far better indication of the expensive restaurant’s true worth.

He said: “Trade awards have nothing to do with customer satisfaction, but everything to do with ‘profile’ and PR. There’s no conflict between the conclusions of our survey, and those of a trade panel – in fact, you could say that the fact that restaurateurs have made the award they have rather tends to validate the conclusions of our survey!” Details: www.hardens.com