Male Speaker: 70% of the UK's top 100 restaurants are currently trying to fill their tables. That's according to new research from lastminute.com. Now although this is bad news for all but the biggest named restaurants, it's good news for the dinning public.

Mark Bower: Well I think it's been an interesting two years and a lot of people predicted that restaurants were going to suffer quite badly during the recession and in fact, what we found is that more restaurants have been opening in the last 2 years than have been closing and this is a great opportunity for the dinning public to really get out their now and and experience the best that fine dinning restaurants can offer you.

It's an opportunity to try places that you'd never of thought that you could actually get to in the past and the reason for this is simply because restaurants are finding it more difficult to fill those quieter times of the week, so the lunches all the Monday to Thursday evenings. So this presents customers with a real opportunity to get some fine dinning at the best possible prices.

Male Speaker: But the research is also thrown up what annoys diners the most, one of them being restaurants not being able to cater for a specific dietary needs and with two-thirds of restaurants saying they have seen a rise in diners with special requirements, it's important than ever.

Paul Welburn: I think it's very important in the restaurant's case for a quest with a specific dietary needs. There is increase in it now a days. There is health reasons or dietary reasons. I think every quest is an important for you. I think it may once we got a vegetarians, vegans, or people with wheat allergies.

Now we look at everyone in our restaurants, so we'll induct on many to suit. It is a challenge but I think it's one that every chef's got to accept and take on. It's becoming more of an increase so you got to take in and adapt ourselves.

Male Speaker: But what should you do if you want to make absolutely sure you get a great seat in a top restaurants?

Mark Bower: My three bits of advice would be a try avoid the Friday and Saturday evenings which are very busy. Go on a Monday to Thursday evening that's when the best tables are available. Try going for lunch sittings if you can, because you again get much better prices on the meals.

And also look at perhaps combining it with a theater ticket with a night out so get an early sitting on a Friday evening and then go to the theater. You can usually find that you can in some cases you can get the meal for free if you're paying for the theater ticket.

Male Speaker: So then if the country's top restaurants are bending over backwards to get you through the door and you also know how to get the perfect table then check out your cookery books, unplug the microwave you're not going to be using them anymore.