London (UK) Suggestions? [General]
2011 Nov 15
Not sure if you are a fan of Jamie Oliver, but when I was last in London, we ate at his restaurant Fifteen(15) where he trains his chefs. The food was really good.
www.fifteen.net/
Since then he has opened another restaurant called Barbecoa, which is all about meat. I sent my friend there to try it out recently and she said it was really good.
www.jamieoliver.com/barbecoa/
Lastly he also has his Jamie's Italian restaurants. We also ate there at the Brighton location and the food was to die for.
www.jamieoliver.com
This was my husbands slow roasted stuffed porchetta:
www.fifteen.net/
Since then he has opened another restaurant called Barbecoa, which is all about meat. I sent my friend there to try it out recently and she said it was really good.
www.jamieoliver.com/barbecoa/
Lastly he also has his Jamie's Italian restaurants. We also ate there at the Brighton location and the food was to die for.
www.jamieoliver.com
This was my husbands slow roasted stuffed porchetta:
2011 Nov 15
Your chances of getting a table at Fifteen at this notice would be pretty slim. Can't speak for Barbecoa as I haven't been, but in my experience you need to book a couple of months out for his signature restaurants. Agree with you that Fifteen is superb though.
Personally I'd recommend going for an Indian meal, I have yet to find any good Indian restaurant in Ottawa and I desperately miss it. In terms of budget:
£ - anywhere on Brick Lane, I went to Preem last time I was there and it was outstandingly good. Watch your wallet if you go down to Brick Lane though.
££ - Moti Mahal at Covent Garden. Had their tasting menu when I was there and it was great.
£££ - Chutney Mary on the King's Road in Chelsea. You have never had and will never have Indian food like this. Spectacular.
Personally I'd recommend going for an Indian meal, I have yet to find any good Indian restaurant in Ottawa and I desperately miss it. In terms of budget:
£ - anywhere on Brick Lane, I went to Preem last time I was there and it was outstandingly good. Watch your wallet if you go down to Brick Lane though.
££ - Moti Mahal at Covent Garden. Had their tasting menu when I was there and it was great.
£££ - Chutney Mary on the King's Road in Chelsea. You have never had and will never have Indian food like this. Spectacular.
2011 Nov 15
My son is a chef in London and I was just there visiting. Top-notch places cost way less for lunch, so consider this to save $$. These are well worth visiting:
1) The Corner Room - Bethnal Green - not expensive for dinner and top-notch. Viajante - Nuno Mendes 1-star in the same building.
2) St John near Smithfield Market - the Legendary Fergus Henderson nose-to-tail restaurant - again, not too expensive. Michelin 1 star.
3)Roganic - UK version of NOMA.
I'll leave it at those three...I'm sure others will chime in with more and you'll be overwhelmed.
Have fun!
1) The Corner Room - Bethnal Green - not expensive for dinner and top-notch. Viajante - Nuno Mendes 1-star in the same building.
2) St John near Smithfield Market - the Legendary Fergus Henderson nose-to-tail restaurant - again, not too expensive. Michelin 1 star.
3)Roganic - UK version of NOMA.
I'll leave it at those three...I'm sure others will chime in with more and you'll be overwhelmed.
Have fun!
2011 Nov 15
John Torode has a fabulous place called Smiths Of Smithfield; given it's right next to Smithfield's Meat Market it is unsurprisingly a steakhouse.
There's also a small group of Argentinian steakhouses called Gaucho, they are superb and there are several in London. We used to go to the one at Canary Wharf.
There's also a small group of Argentinian steakhouses called Gaucho, they are superb and there are several in London. We used to go to the one at Canary Wharf.
2011 Nov 15
@ Johhny Love Indian, Chutney Mary's looks wonderful. It's definitely on the list.
Also enjoy Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese, (real not the Tex-mex), Spanish. Something with a bit of kick to it. Gastropub type places. Love good wines.
budget - $ - $$ (for something unique and wow - I would go higher)
Fav restaurants in Ottawa are Wellington and Black Cat Bistro. I like food that allows the ingredients to shine with out muddying them up with too much extra stuff. Does that help?
We have plans to see a couple of musicals as well as the ballet at the Royal Opera House, So a recommendation in the West End or Covent Garden would be nice.
KSW - thanks for the reminder about Fifteen, we ate at Jamies Italian last time we were there and had a great meal on the patio. Fingers crossed maybe I can get a table at Fifteen
Also enjoy Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese, (real not the Tex-mex), Spanish. Something with a bit of kick to it. Gastropub type places. Love good wines.
budget - $ - $$ (for something unique and wow - I would go higher)
Fav restaurants in Ottawa are Wellington and Black Cat Bistro. I like food that allows the ingredients to shine with out muddying them up with too much extra stuff. Does that help?
We have plans to see a couple of musicals as well as the ballet at the Royal Opera House, So a recommendation in the West End or Covent Garden would be nice.
KSW - thanks for the reminder about Fifteen, we ate at Jamies Italian last time we were there and had a great meal on the patio. Fingers crossed maybe I can get a table at Fifteen
2011 Nov 15
If you're going to Covent Garden anyway, go to Moti Mahal for your Indian fix. Chutney Mary is amazing but last time I was there we didn't see much change from $400 for three of us. It is remarkable food though.
For Spanish food, Barrafina in Soho does fantastic tapas and isn't stupidly expensive. They don't take bookings, so get there early and/or be prepared to queue. Worth the wait though, and they come down the queue periodically with little dishes like rustic amuses-bouches to keep you keen.
Don't bother with Mexican. You won't find better Mexican in London than you can over here. Likewise, I don't recall ever having a particularly good Vietnamese meal in London - in fact I don't recall ever having one there at all.
For a slightly off the beaten track but very worthwhile gastropub, head out towards Canary Wharf on the DLR. Get out at Limehouse Station, walk down Branch Road, round Horseferry Road and in front of you you will see a pub called The Narrow. (Google "The Narrow" for a map that shows you, it's a very short walk - maybe two minutes from the station.) It's a Gordon Ramsay gastropub on the bank of the Thames which does some absolutely wonderful food at incredibly reasonable prices. I had the best pork belly I have ever eaten in my life there - it also used to be my local before I moved to Canada, and spent many a pleasant Sunday afternoon there with the papers, a few pints and some superb food.
For Spanish food, Barrafina in Soho does fantastic tapas and isn't stupidly expensive. They don't take bookings, so get there early and/or be prepared to queue. Worth the wait though, and they come down the queue periodically with little dishes like rustic amuses-bouches to keep you keen.
Don't bother with Mexican. You won't find better Mexican in London than you can over here. Likewise, I don't recall ever having a particularly good Vietnamese meal in London - in fact I don't recall ever having one there at all.
For a slightly off the beaten track but very worthwhile gastropub, head out towards Canary Wharf on the DLR. Get out at Limehouse Station, walk down Branch Road, round Horseferry Road and in front of you you will see a pub called The Narrow. (Google "The Narrow" for a map that shows you, it's a very short walk - maybe two minutes from the station.) It's a Gordon Ramsay gastropub on the bank of the Thames which does some absolutely wonderful food at incredibly reasonable prices. I had the best pork belly I have ever eaten in my life there - it also used to be my local before I moved to Canada, and spent many a pleasant Sunday afternoon there with the papers, a few pints and some superb food.
2011 Nov 16
Lovetoeat I asked my dd and a fave of hers when she gets down to London is www.taqueria.co.uk/, as she and her dh are quite keen on Mexican foods. She says "Take Circle Line (yellow) from Victoria to Notting Hill Gate, walk
about half a mile north to Westbourne Grove. (Total trip ~23 mins)
That one is definitely worth going to, even if it's not right outside
Victoria Station. It's only 5 stops on the underground plus a short
walk.
Also, Sloane Square is one stop west on the Circle or District Lines
(yellow or green), and I think has lots of restaurants in the area,
though maybe more upscale than Taqueria."
about half a mile north to Westbourne Grove. (Total trip ~23 mins)
That one is definitely worth going to, even if it's not right outside
Victoria Station. It's only 5 stops on the underground plus a short
walk.
Also, Sloane Square is one stop west on the Circle or District Lines
(yellow or green), and I think has lots of restaurants in the area,
though maybe more upscale than Taqueria."
2011 Nov 16
If you're going to see We Will Rock You, there are a ton of great places to eat on Goodge Street and Charlotte Street within an easy walk of the theatre. I was there in September for a week and we loved:
Barrica, proper Spanish tapas on Goodge Street at the Cleveland Street end;
Rasa Samudra on Charlotte Street (pink building), which serves Keralan (Southern Indian) food and also some Hyderabadi dishes like the eggplant in cashew sauce (best thing we ate on the trip);
Koba, Korean BBQ on Charlotte Street - the waitresses grill your meat for you, which was weird, but it's delicious and the bibimbap beat anything I've had here hands-down.
We also loved Yalla Yalla (Lebanese "street food") on Winsley Street just off Oxford Street. Good for post-shopping meals.
We tried The Golden Hind in Marylebone Lane for fish and chips, and the fish was my idea of perfection. I don't care for pale, thick-cut British chips myself, but they were nicely cooked.
If you like cider, try the Green Man Pub on Riding House Street (NOT the one across from Great Portland Street tube) because they have eight varieties on tap and more in bottles. Food was only OK but the cider was awesome.
Finally, we had a truly lovely afternoon tea in the Terrace Bar at Harrods, for much less than one pays at the fancy hotels.
Have fun! It's a great city.
Barrica, proper Spanish tapas on Goodge Street at the Cleveland Street end;
Rasa Samudra on Charlotte Street (pink building), which serves Keralan (Southern Indian) food and also some Hyderabadi dishes like the eggplant in cashew sauce (best thing we ate on the trip);
Koba, Korean BBQ on Charlotte Street - the waitresses grill your meat for you, which was weird, but it's delicious and the bibimbap beat anything I've had here hands-down.
We also loved Yalla Yalla (Lebanese "street food") on Winsley Street just off Oxford Street. Good for post-shopping meals.
We tried The Golden Hind in Marylebone Lane for fish and chips, and the fish was my idea of perfection. I don't care for pale, thick-cut British chips myself, but they were nicely cooked.
If you like cider, try the Green Man Pub on Riding House Street (NOT the one across from Great Portland Street tube) because they have eight varieties on tap and more in bottles. Food was only OK but the cider was awesome.
Finally, we had a truly lovely afternoon tea in the Terrace Bar at Harrods, for much less than one pays at the fancy hotels.
Have fun! It's a great city.
2011 Nov 16
Frankly I'd stay away from Brick Lane if you're interested in good (or even decent) Indian. It's a tourist trap, and BYOB is more of a draw than the food. The ratio of good to rotten Indian restaurants is better in Ottawa than London in my experience. London has more than its share of really horrid Indian restaurants and chances are you'll end up in one, and the good ones are rarely great. Better to stick with the Pakistani places, specifically the world famous Tayyabs (www.tayyabs.co.uk/). Go there earlyish on a weeknight, even with a reservation you'll be standing in the rain for quite awhile on a Friday. Get the mixed grill, the dry meat, and a few peshwari naan if you're with a group.
Another institution, this one in a rather unlikely place, is The Brass Rail in Selfridges. For my money London Salt Beef Sandwiches beat the snot out of Montreal Smoked Meat or New York Pastrami any day of the week.
Get ye to Borough market for lunch. It's out of your way, but it's foodie heaven. While you're there hit up the Market Porter for one of the best cask ale selections in London.
Also on your pub list should be The Harp near Trafalgar Square. (Officially) The best pub in London, get there at 11:30-12 and enjoy one of their cheap and tasty grilled sausages.
For a full pub lunch, go to The Royal Oak in Southwark. Again, a bit out of your way, but it's a real gem.
If you're interested in Head to Tail type stuff you really need to try St. John Bread & Wine ( www.stjohnbreadandwine.com/ ), really interesting stuff there. Small plates stuff place and an offshoot of the famous St. John Restaurant.
Also heard wonderful things about Hawksmoor steakhouse. Supposedly the best steak in London and some of the best burgers. Breakfast sandwiches to boot! (thehawksmoor.co.uk)
FYI, the best meal I've ever had was at Jamie Oliver's Barbecoa, and it was booked last minute for a Sunday night, got a lovely table looking out on St. Paul's. They have online booking, so take a look.
All that said, anything posted about London is already out of date, so check out www.timeout.com/london/ . The city lives by it and they'll let you know what's up.
Anyways, any questions let me know. I only recently got back from studying there and love the place to bits.
Another institution, this one in a rather unlikely place, is The Brass Rail in Selfridges. For my money London Salt Beef Sandwiches beat the snot out of Montreal Smoked Meat or New York Pastrami any day of the week.
Get ye to Borough market for lunch. It's out of your way, but it's foodie heaven. While you're there hit up the Market Porter for one of the best cask ale selections in London.
Also on your pub list should be The Harp near Trafalgar Square. (Officially) The best pub in London, get there at 11:30-12 and enjoy one of their cheap and tasty grilled sausages.
For a full pub lunch, go to The Royal Oak in Southwark. Again, a bit out of your way, but it's a real gem.
If you're interested in Head to Tail type stuff you really need to try St. John Bread & Wine ( www.stjohnbreadandwine.com/ ), really interesting stuff there. Small plates stuff place and an offshoot of the famous St. John Restaurant.
Also heard wonderful things about Hawksmoor steakhouse. Supposedly the best steak in London and some of the best burgers. Breakfast sandwiches to boot! (thehawksmoor.co.uk)
FYI, the best meal I've ever had was at Jamie Oliver's Barbecoa, and it was booked last minute for a Sunday night, got a lovely table looking out on St. Paul's. They have online booking, so take a look.
All that said, anything posted about London is already out of date, so check out www.timeout.com/london/ . The city lives by it and they'll let you know what's up.
Anyways, any questions let me know. I only recently got back from studying there and love the place to bits.
2011 Nov 16
Sorry Brian, I've got to disagree with you. I lived in London for 15 of the last 17 years and have eaten at some excellent restaurants in Brick Lane. If you've eaten crap, you've probably fallen into the tourist trap of negotiating with the hawkers and then choosing whichever one is offering the most free beer and biggest discount off the bill.
I haven't been to Tayyabs and I'm sure it's excellent, but suggesting that to get a good Indian meal you should go to a Pakistani restaurant is not only a bit odd, but it's also plain wrong. The difference in Pakistani and Indian cooking, and indeed the cuisine of different Indian regions, is huge.
If you think that Ottawa has good Indian food, then I'd love to know what you consider to be good in Ottawa. Every single Indian meal I have had here has been poor - in fact, the only good Indian food I have had was at the South Asian Festival, and it was made by a caterer who doesn't have a restaurant. I'd love some restaurant recommendations.
Good suggestion on Borough Market though, it is of course something of a mecca for foodies. I recommend eating at Black and Blue there, although if you stop for lunch be prepared to spend the afternoon working your way through the wine list.
I haven't been to Tayyabs and I'm sure it's excellent, but suggesting that to get a good Indian meal you should go to a Pakistani restaurant is not only a bit odd, but it's also plain wrong. The difference in Pakistani and Indian cooking, and indeed the cuisine of different Indian regions, is huge.
If you think that Ottawa has good Indian food, then I'd love to know what you consider to be good in Ottawa. Every single Indian meal I have had here has been poor - in fact, the only good Indian food I have had was at the South Asian Festival, and it was made by a caterer who doesn't have a restaurant. I'd love some restaurant recommendations.
Good suggestion on Borough Market though, it is of course something of a mecca for foodies. I recommend eating at Black and Blue there, although if you stop for lunch be prepared to spend the afternoon working your way through the wine list.
2011 Nov 16
I'm surprised to hear that. Brick Lane (for a sit-down Indian meal) was generally held to be a waste of time by most Londoners I know, and my experiences were certainly in line with that. I know the "London does Indian right" idea goes deep and I hear it constantly, but after trying dozens of "must-try" Indian restaurants in London I was left less than impressed. Indian food is funny, it seems to be driven so much by nostalgia. Everyone has a different "best Indian restaurant in the world!" and in my experience they're usually massive disappointments. I mentioned Tayyabs because it competes for customers with the Indian restaurants in East London, and is a pretty fantastic London insider experience.
But to each their own. If you say it's the best Indian ever, I'm happy for you, but I'd rather have my little place here in Ottawa than any of the London joints I've been unfortunate enough to eat in.
I'm a serious anglophile but the English make kind of unconvincing Indian food snobs.
But to each their own. If you say it's the best Indian ever, I'm happy for you, but I'd rather have my little place here in Ottawa than any of the London joints I've been unfortunate enough to eat in.
I'm a serious anglophile but the English make kind of unconvincing Indian food snobs.
2011 Nov 16
What little place here in Ottawa? Tell me the name at least, I don't doubt that good Indian food exists in Ottawa but I've yet to find it and I'm jonesing...... oh, and BTW I'm part Indian. Not that necessarily that makes me an expert as I've never been to India, but I did grow up eating an awful lot of Indian food!
2011 Nov 17
I'm siding with Johnny English on the Brick Lane debate: I think I know good Indian food and I've eaten it on Brick Lane... unfortunately I can't remember the name of the place, but I do agree not to blindly follow the hawkers offering the deepest discounts.
Hix Restaurant and Lounge on Regent St: was there a couple of months ago and loved their lower level lounge and small plates offerings. This is the place to go if you like your drink as much as your food: they have stellar cocktails and not one but 2 different bespoke Scotch whisky blends at the bar. (And what a coincidence, I just noticed the Hix cookbook at Collected Works last weekend...)
Beirut Express on Old Brompton Rd in South Kensington: convenient if you're going to be visiting the V&A or the Natural History Museum. I went twice and still think about the place on a regular basis, I had no idea that Lebanese food was so varied or could be so mouthwateringly good!!!
In the same general neighbourhood, Bibendum would be a memorable choice for lunch, if not a bit pricey for dinner, but a gorgeous setting nonetheless.
Lastly, if you like Thai, I can also highly recommend Patara and further urge you to order the black cod ;o) There are 4 locations in London, one in Soho on Greek St and another on Fulham Rd, again in the South Kensington neighbourhood.
Enjoy!
Hix Restaurant and Lounge on Regent St: was there a couple of months ago and loved their lower level lounge and small plates offerings. This is the place to go if you like your drink as much as your food: they have stellar cocktails and not one but 2 different bespoke Scotch whisky blends at the bar. (And what a coincidence, I just noticed the Hix cookbook at Collected Works last weekend...)
Beirut Express on Old Brompton Rd in South Kensington: convenient if you're going to be visiting the V&A or the Natural History Museum. I went twice and still think about the place on a regular basis, I had no idea that Lebanese food was so varied or could be so mouthwateringly good!!!
In the same general neighbourhood, Bibendum would be a memorable choice for lunch, if not a bit pricey for dinner, but a gorgeous setting nonetheless.
Lastly, if you like Thai, I can also highly recommend Patara and further urge you to order the black cod ;o) There are 4 locations in London, one in Soho on Greek St and another on Fulham Rd, again in the South Kensington neighbourhood.
Enjoy!
2011 Nov 19
i've been living in london for a little while now, and while i've been pretty disappointed with a lot of the food, HOLY CRAP you have to eat at Mother Mash: www.mothermash.co.uk/
2011 Nov 20
@Brian Mc: I took your recommendation last night and tried India Palace. It is definitely the best Indian food I've eaten in Ottawa. It's a pretty standard Bengali menu, and the better for that.
Starters were fairly humdrum - the onion salad was covered in oil which prevented it from being mixed with the raita, but the mango pickle was good.
The lamb madras was excellent, the chicken jalfrezi was well cooked (it was nice to see a jalfrezi that wasn't drowning in gravy, it amazes me how many chefs get such a well known dish so wrong) and both were cooked with ghee rather than oil which makes a huge difference.
Of the sides, the pilau was simple and well cooked, garlic nan bread was disappointingly small and dry, and sag aloo was well balanced.
Overall I was pretty pleased with the meal; the chef clearly knows his dishes well and doesn't drown them in oil, a common failing of poor Indian cooks. Most dishes were under-powered in terms of spice with the exception of the really very good madras. The jalfrezi in particular should have whole green chillies, but there were virtually none. Of itself that's not an issue, chefs often cook to a particular palate and as long as they can execute the dishes and you can ask them to take a heavier or lighter hand with the heat.
I'll definitely eat here again and I thank you for the recommendation, but I'm not sure why this would make you think that Ottawa produces Indian food to a higher standard than the UK and particularly London, a city widely acknowledged to be one of the world's leaders in Indian cuisine.
Starters were fairly humdrum - the onion salad was covered in oil which prevented it from being mixed with the raita, but the mango pickle was good.
The lamb madras was excellent, the chicken jalfrezi was well cooked (it was nice to see a jalfrezi that wasn't drowning in gravy, it amazes me how many chefs get such a well known dish so wrong) and both were cooked with ghee rather than oil which makes a huge difference.
Of the sides, the pilau was simple and well cooked, garlic nan bread was disappointingly small and dry, and sag aloo was well balanced.
Overall I was pretty pleased with the meal; the chef clearly knows his dishes well and doesn't drown them in oil, a common failing of poor Indian cooks. Most dishes were under-powered in terms of spice with the exception of the really very good madras. The jalfrezi in particular should have whole green chillies, but there were virtually none. Of itself that's not an issue, chefs often cook to a particular palate and as long as they can execute the dishes and you can ask them to take a heavier or lighter hand with the heat.
I'll definitely eat here again and I thank you for the recommendation, but I'm not sure why this would make you think that Ottawa produces Indian food to a higher standard than the UK and particularly London, a city widely acknowledged to be one of the world's leaders in Indian cuisine.
2011 Nov 20
I would recommend St. John. The food is good but the other customers were horrible. I went on my last night in the UK so I wanted to get rid of my Sterling coins. When I paid the tip in cash, some people at tables around me literally put their hands over their eyes started laughing at me. Stupid English twits!
2011 Nov 30
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. So many restaurants, so little time.
The highlight was
Roka - Japanese - with a robatayki grill in the middle
highlights were the yellowfin tuna sashimi with yuzu dressing, the black cod and the waygu beef
www.rokarestaurant.com
We also ate at Fifteen - very good.
Jamies Italian - b/c we were in Covent Garden and were hungry. Very good food and excellent service
Moti Mahal - I am still dreaming of the Dal Makhani
Kopapa
www.kopapa.co.uk/home.php
And we had afternoon tea at Fortnam and Masons, which was so lovely and I thought reasonable for what we got.
We also had a drink at the Portrait Restaurant which is on the top floor of the National Portrait Gallery and overlooks Trafalgar Sq. Lovely view, but man seriously snooty hostesses.
I printed off the thread and I'm keeping it for my next trip to London
The highlight was
Roka - Japanese - with a robatayki grill in the middle
highlights were the yellowfin tuna sashimi with yuzu dressing, the black cod and the waygu beef
www.rokarestaurant.com
We also ate at Fifteen - very good.
Jamies Italian - b/c we were in Covent Garden and were hungry. Very good food and excellent service
Moti Mahal - I am still dreaming of the Dal Makhani
Kopapa
www.kopapa.co.uk/home.php
And we had afternoon tea at Fortnam and Masons, which was so lovely and I thought reasonable for what we got.
We also had a drink at the Portrait Restaurant which is on the top floor of the National Portrait Gallery and overlooks Trafalgar Sq. Lovely view, but man seriously snooty hostesses.
I printed off the thread and I'm keeping it for my next trip to London
lovetoeat