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Dining Out In London.
Despite the disparaging remarks made about the British cuisine, eating out in London has never been so good, albeit that the menus will be mainly from around the world. Although eating in London can be quite expensive, there are still places to eat that won't break the bank without resorting to burger and pizza chains.
Different dietary needs are catered for but probably not on every street corner. As in all major cities of the world, there are certain areas that have attracted a specific race, country or religion. At the time of writing there is a minor explosion of Polish restaurants and delicatessens that are springing up.
London has been traditionally known for the quality of its Indian and Italian restaurants but with the tremendous range and popularity of celebrity chefs, the cuisine now encompasses all types of cooking which is not just centred on the up-market restaurants as they branch out into cafes, bistros and pub grub.
Indeed the 'gastro-pub' is a great place to eat, once, a typical pub menu would have been scampi in a basket but now you will find all manner of different cooking styles. A good pub is one of the best places to get a traditional British Sunday lunch of Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding.
This list is by no means exhaustive but will give you a range of different menus and prices where everybody could find at least two or three restaurants that will fit their needs. One thing to consider is that some restaurants in the more expensive bracket, may have waiting lists for tables which would be inconvenient for the tourist, however, if you can be flexible, maybe arrive early to see if there are any cancellations, you may just get lucky.
Restaurants with Michelin Stars
Le Gavroche
43 Upper Brook Street, W1K 7QR (020 7408 0881)
Finest French cuisine from the Roux brothers who set the standard for French cooking in London, the head chef is son Michael Roux Jnr.
There is a minimum charge of £60 per person so you know what to expect at the end of the meal. With two Michelin stars it should be worth it.
Gordon Ramsay On Royal Hospital Road
68 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London, SW3 4HP (020 7352 4441)
This 3 Michelin star restaurant has a two month waiting list so you just know the food is going to be sublime. Even though it is consistently listed in the top 5 restaurants of the world, the house wine is only £15 so you will be able to enjoy a glass with your meal. Of course their extensive wine list contains some marvelous offerings at a lot more than that.
The cuisine is a mixture of French and Mediterranean, the lunch time menu is only £40 but the 7 course dinner menu is £110.
Petrus
The Berkeley, Wilton Place, Knightbridge, London, SW1X 7RL (020 7235 1200)
Chef, Marcus Wareing has earned his two Michelin stars by serving up some of the finest French cuisine available and that includes in France. The restaurant, situated in the Berkley Hotel a known haunt of the Queen, is named after one of the finest red wines in the world. You can enjoy a bottle with your meal but with prices starting at over £300 and ending in a wallet busting £12,300, you may wish to try the house red at around £15 per bottle, although this may be an insult to the magnificent food.
Locanda Locatelli
8 Seymour Street, London, W1H 7HT, (020 7935 9088)
Although I have not eaten there yet, I must admit this is my favourite celebrity chef. He always comes across a passionate believer in the quality of his ingredients and the joy of cooking them. I am sure his two Michelin stars are an understatement. Friends who have visited didn't stop talking about it for weeks so I hope to eat there before you will.
The amazing thing is that you can dine here for about £30 each and you will find many good wines at under £20 per bottle.
Nobu
Metropolitan Hotel, 19 Old Park Lane, London, W1 Y4LB (020 7447 4747)
Japanese food has never been cheap so a restaurant with two Michelin stars will not disappoint. Amongst the fine dishes prepared there the tempura should be singled out for a special mention. It may have been this alone that attracts so many film and music stars, certainly they can afford the minimum £60 charge.
Best of the Re
Texture
34 Portman Square, W1H 7BY (020 7224 0028)
The nearest tube is Marble Arch but if you can afford to eat here you will not be travelling by public transport. Dinner for two with wine and service costs around £150. Has a Champagne bar that is worth a visit.
This restaurant is the brainchild of Agnar Sverisson, the Icelandic former head chef at Le Manoir aux Quatre Saisons, (Raymond Blanc's flagship restaurant) and Xavier Rousset who was the Head sommelier there. One can only wonder at the day they both decided to leave!
Amid the cool Icelandic decor, you will be treated to the finest nouvelle cuisine style prepared dishes. Nouvelle is often style over content but the ingredients here are of finest class. Try the taster menu, I do not think you will be disappointed. It can't be long before this restaurant displays a Michelin star or two.
Daphne's
112 Draycott Avenue, SW3 3AE (020 7589 4257)
Price £48.00
Another Italian restaurant that has been favoured by stars, particularly for the lunch time crowd and why not, the food is excellent and the service attentive without being over-bearing. At least it was when I ate there a couple of years ago. It has a novel open space that makes summer dining a real pleasure. Even though they take great pride in sourcing as much of their produce from caring British producers, their risottos and pasta dishes are second to none and are complimented by a fine selection of Italian wines.
Cantina del Ponte
36C Shad Thames, Butler's Wharf, SE1 2YE
Price £25
This is the cheaper version of Sir Terrance Conrans restaurant La Ponte de la Tour right on the river, overlooking Tower Bridge with spectacular views of the river Thames which make it an excellent summer dining establishment. The menu is traditional Italian fare cooked to perfection. I had a pizza which, having come from their wood fired oven was just sublime and the Tiramisu to follow did not disappoint.
Bibendum
Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, SW3 6RD (020 7581 5817)
If seafood is your passion, this is the place for you. Opened by Sir Terrance Conran twenty years ago in the old Michelin Tyre Depot, you will think you are in Paris as you feast on superb fish dishes amid the splendour of the art deco features like the huge stained glass windows. Before you ask, there are also some fine meat dishes that are also cooked to perfection.
Lindsay House
21 Romilly Street, W1D 5AF (020 7439 0450)
If you wish to dine like a Georgian English gentleman with an British menu then you will do no better than Lindsay House where Richard Corrigan, a rising TV star, serves a wonderful menu sourced from the best providers. Pigs trotters or smoked eel salad served in a genteel 18th century drawing room may have you thinking that you will be able to get a sedan chair home. The 21st century will hit you at the end when the espresso is served at nearly £5 per cup which would make even the aristocracy reach for their smelling salts. That said, for those who can afford it, it will remain a unique experience.
Rules
35 Maiden Lane, WC2E 7LB (020 7836 5314)
Price £49.00
Rules has been serving traditional British food for over 200 years and the decor reflects this. To some it is elegant dining, to others it is a bit like an Olde England theme park either way it is a great way to sample some of the finest British cuisine and that includes those glorious English puddings. The only problem is you will need to have the wherewithal of at least a minor member of the aristocracy to pay for the meal.
If you go to the Tate Modern to feed your artistic soul, you will have the choice of two fine restaurants.
Tate Modern Restaurant: Level 7
7th Floor, Tate Modern, Sumner St, SE1 9TG (020 7401 5014 )
Whilst in the Tate Modern, you should take the lift to the 7th floor where, if you can get a window table, you will get some stunning views of the river to accompany your stunning food which luckily is not named after any types of art. The cuisine is modern European and sourced from both Britain and the continent. Views and foods this good do not come cheap so if you are on a modest budget, you might like to try the cafe on the 2nd floor where children are very well catered for.
If you are not too tired then try:-
Northbank
One Paul’s Walk, EC4V 2EH (020 7329 9299)
Just a quick stroll across the bridge and you will find this cathedral to the finest provender the South-west of England can supply, cooked to perfection. It doesn't come cheap but after such a meal you will be more than happy to pay. Summer visitors will enjoy the outdoors tables and if you get there sooner you will still be able to marvel at the 'Glass Gherkin' building. Don't forget to take a closer look at the wall paper, it is a modern toile that reflects the City of London surroundings.
Red Fort
77 Dean Street, W1D 3SH (020 7437 2115)
The authentic cuisine of North India has made the Red Fort a focal point for the Indian food afficionados. It is the exquisite cuisine and stylish surroundings that have attracted the good and the great. A definite must for any visitor but beware, you will never quite enjoy your own local take away again.
Myung Ga
1 Kingly Street, W1B 5PA (020 7734 8220)
This Korean restaurant is a haven for basic Korean food as the number of Koreans, Chinese and Japanese eating there will demonstrate. This bustling restaurant would be a great place for the novice to be introduced to the tastes of Korea.
Wahaca
66 Chandos Place, London, WC2N 4HG
Average Price: £50
This is a real Mexican restaurant that specialises in street food with ingredients that are ethical and traceable. Authentic is the keyword so be prepared to be surprised if you are used to the usual old tex-mex that has been touted around for years. The sample menu is a good place to start, just be careful of the freshly prepared hot sauces.
Easy Eating
Stockpot
18 Old Compton Street, Soho, W1D 4TN
273 Kings Road, London, SW3 5EN
38 Panton Street, London, SW1Y 4EA
This mini chain shows that budget eating doesn't compromise good food quality and given the classy locations it is amazing how they keep doing it. It started in 1958 with a simple British and continental menu and has kept to that format. Having used the Panton Street site as a regular pre-cinema meeting and eating point I can attest to the consistent quality of food and service. If you are looking for a good yet inexpensive meal break whilst sight-seeing, you can do no better than these.
Yo! Sushi
MyHotel, 11-13 Bayley Street, Bedford Square, WC1B 3HD also at Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and many other places.
A fun way to eat sushi that will not break the bank. As you sit, the different sushi goes around on a conveyor belt so you can help yourself from the cooked and raw dishes.
Rootmaster
Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, E1 6QL
If you are looking around the City of London and want something different then this is the place for you, especially if you are a vegetarian and if you are not, then this would be a great introduction to the cuisine. The bonus is that you get to eat on one of what used to be, London landmarks, a big red Routemaster Bus, hence the name pun. Fantastic noodles and falafel made in the shape of burgers make this a truly unique eating experience.
Sticky Fingers' Cafe
1a Phillimore Gardens, Kensington, W8 7EG
Bill Wyman, ex-bass player with the Rolling Stones opened his restaurant a long while ago and the fact that it is still going is a tribute to the quality of the food served there. A selection of burgers and ribs that taste good and won't break the bank in surroundings that have more ambience than the chain restaurants. It is just off Kensington High Street so a good place to refuel after some hectic shopping.
Hard Rock Cafe
150 Old Park La, W1K 1QR, (020 76290382)
The daddy of them all, they set the standard for burgers in London long before any of the chains opened up London. I would tell you when I first went there but I am afraid I might show my age. They have gone global but the ethics are still the same, good food in great surroundings and reasonable prices and you can get the t-shirt.
Pizza Express
This is a chain of restaurants that is franchised so the quality will fluctuate but never so bad that you will not enjoy it, as long as you like the traditional thin crust pizza. Personally I have found some that put too much salt on them but that is the worst I can say. Certain restaurants, like Pizza On The Park at Hyde Park Corner and the Pizza Express just off Soho Square have a regular jazz session in the evenings so you can enjoy some live entertainment at the same time. If you are hungry and you see a Pizza Express then you know a good pizza or pasta dish awaits.
With this list of restaurants you will dine well in the capital no matter what your buget constraints are so even though you are looking at the sights of London, you can be eating around the world. There has never been such a good time to eat out in London so don't delay book your passage today. | 
