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Good restaurants in London?

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16:43 / 15.10.03

Can anyone recommend some good restaurants in central London? I'm based beside St Paul's but can easily walk into Trafalgar Square kind of area. I've discovered numerous bad ones so far...I am sure you can all recommend some secret, special places.

16:57 / 15.10.03

You don't say what kind of food you like or how much money you want to pay, so here are two - both of which are relatively inexpensive. There is Melati's on the corner of Peter Street and Wardour Street in Soho which is Malaysian cooking I think and then Bella Napoli, which is Italian and is on Dean Street, also in Soho.

If you want full on expense but truly yummy, I've had some truly amazing meals at Terminus, which is in Terence Conran's Great Eastern Hotel, at Liverpool Street.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

17:01 / 15.10.03

De Gustibus (bakery/sandwich bar of amazingness) is near St. Paul's, I think. Then there's Adam Street Members' Club on Adam Street, off the Strand, which is open to the public for lunch.

18:41 / 15.10.03

what sort of money are you looking to spend and what sort of food do you fancy.

Personally - I really like La Perla, round the back of covent Garden/just off the strand - Mexican food that has satisfied american and mexican friends...

19:37 / 15.10.03

Can think of many, Buk, but not in your immediate vicinity. There's a couple of cafés in St Paul's where you can have a cup of tea and a bun as you sit on a tombstone, if you're in gothy mood.

We decided to visit all the restaurants in Chinatown but, after a dozen or so, couldn't remember where we'd been and hadn't. Also realised it would take us the rest of our lives. So we have recently returned several times to the HK Diner in Wardour Street (Leicester Square end), which a Chinese friend recommended. Pukka! (I just said that to annoy Ganesh)

Try their salt and pepper squid (VG tick +++) or their strips of fillet of beef in black bean sauce. Hungry now...

Goodness Gracious Meme

21:41 / 15.10.03

Think there's a Rasa in the West End now. haven't tried it but its Stoke Newington parent is delish(Vegetarian Keralan food.) and would def' say it's worth a go.

If you've money to burn and time to wait, the Ivy(Modern European) is utterly lush (way overpriced, but still lush). There are better places to spend that much money, but i can't remember them right now. damn good tho'

Joe Allen's(exeter street, nr covent garden) is somewhat cheaper, and I remember having some very good food there. I think. it's v.simple steaks/burgers stuff, but has a jazz club, is usually chilled and fun.

On the opposite end of the scale, some of the best falafels I've ever tasted are from a cafe on the Traf. square end of Charing X road. Sorry, can't remember the name, but it's right near to Leicester Sq. tube.

Going north from the city, to Islington, massively recommend the Afghan Kitchen, on Upper Street. Small, simple menu, and inexpensive, but delicious.

Hopeless memory for names, there's an excellent mixed thai/chinese/japanese restaurant/bar in farringdon, will try and remember name...

No star here laces

04:25 / 16.10.03

My personal favourite: Bread and Wine on Commercial street.

Other notables - vietnamese community centre on Englefield Road, hackney.

06:47 / 16.10.03

Another cool thing about rasa is they do lunch boxes for take out...

07:41 / 16.10.03

Andrew Edmunds on Lexington St. in Soho is fantastic. It has a bistro feel, and the food is superb. I would recommend it to anyone.

Scrubb is on a downward spiral

08:15 / 16.10.03

There's a noodle bar called "Soba" on the street leading between Oxford St and Soho Sq which does really huge yummy bowls of noodles/soup, and everything on the menu costs £4 on Sundays.

08:30 / 16.10.03

The cafe that BiP mentions is almost certainly Gabby's on the corner of Charing Cross Road and St. Martin's Court. Does good, proper salt beef too, if that's your thing.
Incidentally, St. Martin's Court is also home to the Ivy's younger, less sluttish sister, J Sheekey. That specialises in fish and I'd also recommend highly.

08:40 / 16.10.03

Best Pommes Frites outside France........

Mon Plaisir

09:58 / 16.10.03

For cheap eats, there's a place called Questo in Romilly Street in Soho (one up from Shaftesbury Avenue or one down from Compton Street, Charing X Road end) where you can eat as much as you like from their buffet, and from the piping hot delicacies served up straight from the kitchen on the dumb waiter, all for £4.50. Food's not prizewinning but it's not at all bad. Other handy thing is there's a fast through-put so I've never had to wait and can always get a seat.

10:39 / 16.10.03

I double recommend Andrew Edmonds- fucking ace- especially for two.

Ten Ten Tei on Brewer Street does brilliant Japanese set meals/ lunches.

Randall and Aubin also on Brewer does superb seafood with superb camp service (sea glitter ball).

J. Sheeky is expensive, but worth it you like Fish- I think it is cheaper at the weekend.

Bodeans on Poland street is brilliant for US style BBQ- perfect for Friday lunchtime.

The Old Coffee House on Beak street does the best and quickest steak and Guinness pies.

Further out, The Landsdowne in Primrose Hill is good for Saturday lounging and drinking.

Tsunami in Clapham is practically as good as Nobu for about a quarter of the price.

.

10:52 / 16.10.03

Oh god, there are *so* many nice places to eat in London... So (after seconding Soba) I'll stick within a theme - three great sushi places.

Itsu - Forget Yo! Sushi, this is the place to go for conveyor sushi. On Wardour Street in soho.

Satsuma - A bit upmarket, but still very affordable, also on Wardour Street. The bento boxes are great, and they also do good noodles.

Fluid - A bit more out the way, on Charterhouse Street in Farringdon, but worth it for unfussy and delicious sushi, plus fantastic tempura and gyoza.

Tryphena Absent

10:58 / 16.10.03

Out of the area by a fair way but I really love Zamoyski in Hampstead. It's a Polish restaurant and the food is really proper, straight up Polish dinner! It's not too expensive considering the general cost for this type of food in London and my god the chocolate vodka is what it says on the bottle (for once).

11:08 / 16.10.03

Do they do Pierogi? I used to go to Poland lots, but unfortunetely don't go any more. Actually miss the food- what is the address please? Thanks.

11:26 / 16.10.03

If you like Polish stuff, there's a great little bar, tucked away in Holborn here. It's mostly a bar but they have an extensive authentic menu too.

Tryphena Absent

11:39 / 16.10.03

The food at The Polish Bar's not that great. The best place to get pierogi is The Polish Club or Ognisko on Exhibition Road in Kensington. I went to a book launch there a while ago and they served them as snacks and they were soooo good! They have a restaurant attached so go there.

Zamoyski don't do pierogi because it's difficult to cook them quickly and authentically and they're very time consuming- they also have a tendency to fall apart if you don't seal them properly. A lot of places fry their pierogi rather than boil them and that's a very outlandish way to cook them IMO and that's why I won't go near the Baltic Restaurant in Battersea even though it does good blini.

Goodness Gracious Meme

13:56 / 16.10.03

Smoothly! Yes! Thank you for filling in the gaps.

If we're going somewhat out of area, you've gotta try the Bhel Poori House, Drummond Street, bang next to Euston Station. Best Dosas in London, bargain prices.

19:10 / 16.10.03

Thanks for all the recs. I shall try some of them and let you know. I have a gift for finding extremely bad/tourist restaurants so far. The worst being one called Salieri on (I think) the Strand). Anyone know it?

08:18 / 17.10.03

Yeah - I quite like Salieri's. The food's okay, it's quite cheap, and the staff are good. It's also quite quick service becasue of all the theatre crowds. There's one nearby to it called the Inferno, or the Paradiso - I can't remember which, and it's similar, only far, far, less garish!!

Also - for the Chinese food lovers amoung you - there's only one place to go on Gerrard St. And that's the Friendly Inn!! - which is on the far end of the street, just out side the gate, on the not Wardour St end.

Scrubb is on a downward spiral

08:29 / 17.10.03

And if we're sliding into Zone 2 - there are a couple of Primose Hill places that come to mind:
- The Lemonia does good (and proper) Greek food, but a bit pricey
- Troika does cheap kickass Russian food, with loads of types of caviar and vodka.

19:34 / 18.10.03

Ooh! Ran on Great Marlborough St, just off Oxford Circus.
Korean food, pretty good prices, and luverly staff who titter a lot and are overly polite, but have good taste in beer.

Unsual food if you haven't had Korean before. And great if you're a meat eater (they have this marinated bbq selection with the gas stove built into the table). Order the kimchi (fermented cabbage) as well, sounds bloody awful but damned tasty if you like hot food.

Get the kim as well and wrap it around some steamed rice.

Dear god... I'm so hungry.

Strange Machine Vs The Virus with Shoes

00:17 / 19.10.03

I would second Xoc about the Hong Kong Diner, it is very good. They must do something with the beef in there because the Beef Satay and Ho Fun Beef are excellent. If you are on a tight budget, but would like a big feed, then the China café on Berwick Street (off Oxford Street) is a good all you can eat type place, far superior to most buffet places.

01:41 / 19.10.03

Thought about your restaurant requirements when I passed the Patîsserie Valerie on Old Compton Street the other night, dear Buk, and gazed lovingly at the confections in the window. Cakes to die for. A Geri Halliwell nightmare. I remember my jealousy when I, who have never been there yet to gorge myself, read about Ma and Pa de Logardière going there and have meant to give it a bash ever since but I may be too working class to do so with any degree of social poise.

However, I did want to recommend two other places on Queer Street: Balans is good for B List celebs and nouvelle cuisine. Their tower of bacon and liver is remarkably good. Pricey tho. Worth it if you like very attentive rent boys serving your food tho. And Dale Winton at the next table. Open 24 hours too, which is fairly unmatched in this supposedly 24 hour city.

And Ed's Diner at the Charing X end of Compton Street is sort of authentically 1950's US diner (though much smaller) and the burgers are great as long as you stick to the "classic" or "original" burger and regular fires (or the "wet fries" with gravy) and abjure anything involving the shit American cheese whizz. You sit up at the counter and it's an ideal place therefore to dine alone, should this be a requirement, and they play greatttt music.

All very central.

Goodness Gracious Meme

02:25 / 19.10.03

ooh, thanks Waxy Dan, i've never had Korean food out before, (a friend used to make delicious kimchi. i miss it.) will have to try that next time i'm in town.

Xoc: the Patisserie Valerie is divine, darling. Go for it.

Runce was telling me about an excellent sushi place near/on Greek Street. will ask him and get back to you...

10:57 / 19.10.03

Does anyone know anywhere that's good for any type of food from either Africa or Latin America? Just occurs to me that I don't think I've ever tried anything from either continent.

And is there anyone in London that does a good tuna steak?

14:55 / 19.10.03

Their is a nice little Ethiopian restaurant just round the corner from Liecester SQ. called Smurgh or something along those lines... but more than that i couldn't say...

14:57 / 19.10.03

I've not tried Fish! in Borough yet but by the quality of some of the Freh tuna I seen sold at Borough Mkt. I'd say its prolly worth a look at (and while you check out the menu and prices you can always go to the Market Porter - an absolutely great pub with many fine ales)

08:03 / 20.10.03

For Latin America, I beleieve the Goucho Grill is very good is you're into Argentinian steak- there are a few around.

11:43 / 20.10.03

I'm a fan of Nicole's which is downstairs in Nicole Farhi in Bond Street. Try there.

21:08 / 20.10.03

sleazenation Cool, which corner?

and Sauron, I'm as into steak as one can be without a visit from the RSPCA, I'll keep any eye out for those, thanks.

00:54 / 21.10.03

Cafe Emm on Frith Street, just off Old Compton Street -- massively huge portions, and pretty damn cheap. They have a variety of stuff, some dishes are good, some aren't. I like the savoury crepes and the fishcakes. The starters are all huge too.

I have mad cravings for the coconut rice and iced tea at the Thai Garden Cafe in Museum Street ever since London.

The place next to the Prince Charles has surprisingly good food for a tourist spot off Leicester Square (forget what it's called).

The New Culture Revolution is great for cheap MSG-free Chinese food. There's one Camden, on Parkway, one in Holborn on Southampton Row, and one in Angel in Duncan Street. I like the seafood Tong Mein, mmmmm...

I'm rather partial to the food at Cubana in Waterloo, though you have to get there early in the evening and it's best early in the week too. They used to have a happy hour where you could get 2-for-1 starters. It's not authentic Cuban (they sell Bacardi rum), but most of the chefs did seem to be Cuban whenever I've been there. (Unfortunately I no longer live staggering distance from it)

Tas in The Cut in Waterloo is great for Middle Eastern food, but gets really busy in the evenings. They have another one near London Bridge though.

More if/when I think of them.

14:04 / 21.10.03

What's the name of that Spanish tapas resturaunt/bar on the Cut? Good food and sangria, and a cheesy but good guitarists up on a podium over the tables?

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