And some old favourites that have served their last dish

According to restaurant guide Hardens, London on the whole has seen boom in new openings and "possibly an out-and-out record" in the past three months.

Although Hardens don't have historical data to verify this, it would certainly appear from their list of new ventures, which doesn't include the forty or so in Westfield Shopping Centre, that the restaurant industry is going against the grain of the current economic climate.

This trend is evident in Chiswick also, where we have seen more eatery openings than closures, albeit some of 'openings' being little more than a lick of paint and a change of name.

Opened in 2008: Reef, Chakalaka, Patisserie Valerie, Lara, Kitchen and Pantry, Eco Pizza, Makoto, Copper Cow, Canta Napoli, Rice, Gravy (re-opened), The Coffee Station, Blueberry and Al Basha (on former Zagora site in Devonshire Road).

Closed in 2008: Gravy, Shackology, Caffe Delizia, Vino Rosso, Iliada, La Mirage, Brioche, Andy's Kebabs, The Coyote and Zagora.

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December 24, 2008