Guests sit at a horseshoe shaped bar If certain economists are to be believed, inflation poses a far greater threat to the health of the nation than coronavirus. Yet from where I’m sitting – at one of the 18 places at Kitchen Table’s chef counter – I’m not convinced that these Cassandras of apocalypse have called it right. For there is a certain type of restaurant-goer for whom surging prices are not a harbinger of food shortages but a sign of quality dining. Kitchen Table launched in 2012 serving a tasting menu for a modest £68. After reopening with a full refurb last week, it now costs £250. That is a lot of money, but there is a lot of love out there for chef James Knappett and his sommelier wife Sandia Chang, which means you won’t get a reservation at Kitchen Table for love nor money. The one thing there is no shortage of in hospitality right now is ingredient-obsessives with a quarter of a grand to drop on dinner.