{"product_id":"the-restaurant-9781471179617","title":"The Restaurant","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAS READ ON BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK.\u003cbr\u003e The fascinating story of how we have gone out to eat, from the ancient Romans in Pompeii to the luxurious Michelin-starred restaurants of today.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tracing its earliest incarnations in the city of \u003cb\u003ePompeii,\u003c\/b\u003e where Sitwell is stunned by the sophistication of the dining scene, this is a romp through history as we meet the characters and discover the events that shape the way we eat today. Sitwell, restaurant critic for the \u003ci\u003eDaily\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e and famous for his acerbic criticisms on the hit \u003cb\u003eBBC show \u003ci\u003eMasterChef\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, tackles this enormous subject with his typical wit and precision. He spies influences from an ancient traveller of the Muslim world, revels in the unintended consequences for nascent fine dining of the \u003cb\u003eFrench Revolution\u003c\/b\u003e, reveals in full hideous glory the post-Second World War dining scene in the UK and fathoms the birth of sensitive gastronomy in the US counterculture of the 1960s.\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eFascinating\u003c\/b\u003e and often counterintuitive' -- Michael Hodges * Radio Times *\u003cbr\u003e'William Sitwell has the palate of a great chef, the honesty of a high court judge and he holds the pen of P.G.Wodehouse' -- Marco Pierre White\u003cbr\u003e'A\u003cb\u003e warm-hearted romp\u003c\/b\u003e through the history of eating out... This \u003cb\u003ewide-ranging literary feast \u003c\/b\u003eis particularly apposite at a time when many of us are noticing how much money we’re saving by not eating out.' -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * The Times *\u003cbr\u003e'As tales of saucepan-throwing, cocaine-snorting chefs attest, \u003cb\u003erestaurants revel in drama\u003c\/b\u003e and excitement... \u003cb\u003eAlways well-informed\u003c\/b\u003e, never dull.' -- Andrew Lycett * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003e‘An \u003cb\u003eimmensely engaging\u003c\/b\u003e guide ... Sitwell never takes himself too seriously. As Dr Johnson declared, “There is nothing… by which so much happiness is produced, as by a good tavern or inn,” and it is bittersweet to enjoy it here vicariously.' -- Robert Eustace * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e'Beautifully timed to keep your favourite dishes fresh in your mind and get you planning for how and where you’re going to indulge when the lockdown finally ends... \u003cb\u003eAbout as close as you can get to the fun of eating out right now\u003c\/b\u003e. Sitwell is a \u003cb\u003ewitty \u003c\/b\u003ewriter who understands the need to \u003cb\u003eentertain\u003c\/b\u003e... I found this book more entertaining than many a restaurant meal and it’s something to keep us going until everything reopens.'  -- Richard Vines * Bloomberg *\u003cbr\u003e'\u003ci\u003eThe Restaurant: A History of Eating Ou\u003c\/i\u003et is a story of life. A \u003cb\u003emust read\u003c\/b\u003e for anyone interested in food or history.’ * SLMAG *\u003cbr\u003e'\u003cb\u003eSupremely readable\u003c\/b\u003e' -- Annie Gray * Spectator *\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48867184378199,"sku":"9781471179617","price":17.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781471179617.jpg?v=1722282091","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-restaurant-9781471179617","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}