When does off-menu cross the line?

"Ordering off-menu is mainly an American habit - egg-white omelettes for fanatical slimmers. Unless it is for someone who has a genuine food intolerance, I should think the chefs are really irritated. Kitchens are places of such high pressure anyway, it's the last thing you need."

Cathy Walker, manager at Joe Allen, Covent Garden:

"We have a Joe Allen burger which quite a lot of people order even though it's not on the menu. They hear about it by word of mouth. We've always had steak on the menu but never set out to do burgers, though the chef will always grind some steak for a customer. There's also a chopped steak, served with a baked potato, which again you'd need to ask for."

Michel Roux Jnr, chef patron, Le Gavroche:

"There has been an increase in customers with food allergies, vegetarians and such like. It has become so prevalent that we don't have a day go by without someone with a food allergy: nuts, shellfish, tomatoes, mushrooms. We also have people ordering egg-white omelettes, mayonnaise without egg yolks. It's fads.

"Who am I to argue? As long as they leave the premises with a big smile on their faces. There are limits, obviously. If someone wanted a bowl of Frosties with chocolate sauce for their main course, I'd have to say no. But at the end of the day you are running a business and you're there to please the customer."