Restaurant with a calorie-controlled menu

A Soho restaurant has become the first Michelin-starred establishment in Britain to add calorie counts to its menus.

Gauthier, where celebrities Hugh Grant, Kate Moss and Lily Allen have dined, now publishes the number of calories next to each dish.

The move has split the "foodie" world. Owner Alexis Gauthier was inspired to publish calorie counts after a trip to the United States. He said: "People want to know the impact of what they are eating." The Angus beef cooked with Italian lard is the most calorific option at 565 calories, while a starter of scallops and garlic with parsley purée is the lightest choice at 225 calories.

Asked if calorie counts could lessen the pleasure of fine dining, Gauthier said: "Not at all, because you are totally in control." Simon Davis, director of the London Restaurant Festival, said adding calorie counts to menus would "dilute" the Michelin experience.

Fay Maschler said: "Calorie counts are counter-intuitive for a special occasion meal and would not be the basis on which most people would make their choices. There is something nannying implicit and, anyway, they can only be a rough guess."