Wolseley rules the roost

It is, without a doubt, the new restaurant of choice for London's celebrity diners.

Kate Moss, Sir Elton John, Nigella Lawson, Neil Tennant, Sam Taylor-Wood and Sir Michael Caine have all been spotted there recently - and Michael Winner is there practically all the time.

Now The Wolseley, housed in what was once a Piccadilly car showroom, has been named London's best new restaurant. The Time Out Restaurant Awards, out today, rival the Evening Standard's own awards as the key arbiter of what's hot - and what's overcooked - in the capital's restaurant, pub and bar scene.

The Wolseley - conceived as a Viennese cafcumrestaurant was created by Jeremy King and Chris Corbin, the team behind The Ivy. Time Out hails the restaurant for its imposing decor and its unsnooty staff, but most of all for the quality of its food.

"Whether it's a simple omelette aux herbes fine with frites, half a dozen oysters, marinated herring with potato salad, Wiener schnitzel or fillet steak au poivre - it's all immaculately executed and delivered with panache," it concluded.

Restaurant expert Eliot Sandiford of PR firm Brower Lewis Pelham said: "They have made the right decision.

"It's a brilliant restaurant, with great service and good food. And although it is packed with celebs it's not too expensive.

"Some tables are even held back for walk-in diners which means you don't get the legendary waiting times that we see at the owners' previous ventures."