A London restaurant has come up with a novel idea to drum up custom in the economic downturn: letting customers decide how much they want to pay for their meal.

The Little Bay restaurant in Farringdon is offering the all-you-can-eat deal for the rest of this month, to cater for credit crunch hit workers from the nearby City financial district.

“It’s entirely up to each customer whether they give 100 pounds or a penny,” said owner Peter Ilic. “All I’m asking is they pay me what they think the food and service is worth.

Little Bay is a jewel in the concrete jungle of Farringdon.

The theatrical interior is full of character: an enormous golden sculpture of Zeus’s face looms from the wall, turquoise velvet hangs from the ceiling and the lampshades are made from twisted wire, beads and netting.

The menu is European food, of largely meat and fish dishes, which are served with mash and vegetables. Via AFP.