Um, I'll be in London for a long weekend with my wife in a few weeks time. Haven't been there since 2001 I think, so I'd appreciate a few tips for nice restaurants. At least one night a Japanese restaurant would be nice, and Italian restaurants are always a sure hit. But I'm actually just after your tips for places you like. Doesn't need to be terribly cheap, or expensive. ;) We'll be staying in the Kensington area.
Thanks for your help in advance!
May I suggest Rowley's in Jermyn Street.
A visit to London is never complete for us without a meal there. Informal. Good steaks (it's not a steak house though) and a wine list that punches well above its weight. The web site does it justice. If you like the photos and the description, you'll like the restaurant. Not cheap, not expensive.
I recommend Toku at the Japan Centre; very good quality, completely authentic and good value for London. The only drawback is that the ambience is perhaps a little more suited to lunch rather than a special occasion. You can also either eat-in or takeaway from the food counter next door - it's where I get my lunch most days when I am working in London. Check their website nearer the date for any special offers.
http://www.toku-restaurant.co.uk/
http://www.japancentre.com/
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
If you are around London bridge at any point Tentanzoni on Mill Sreet SE1 is the best Italian I've had in London.
If in west end The Criterion is a nice couples venue (on pda so dont have the link to cut n paste), good food and you can go inexpensive pre-theatre menu or ala carte which wont break the bank.
Another vote for Rowleys; an old favourite.
My favourite Italian is Locanda Locatelli; not the cheapest, but always very good.
The standards of service haven't changed much since you were last here. :DOriginally Posted by china
Near Knightsbridge tube. go regularly and never dissapointed.
http://www.signorsassi.co.uk/
I like Ramsay's at Claridges. Not cheap but great experience and great food. I am sure you can find cheaper but the experience is worth it IMHO
For the experience (and the food): Hakkasan in Hanway Place http://w3.hakkasan.com/hanway-place (not inexpensive but if you're sensible, it doesn't have to be expensive) - make sure you try the Crispy Duck Salad.
Another very good venue is: http://www.thewolseley.com/ - I haven't eaten hear since it became 'trendy' but it was excellent and I've heard it is still as good.
To find some great cost effective and hidden gems, try using http://www.urbanspoon.com/c/52/London-restaurants.html
We like Tsunami in Charlotte Street, and I can thoroughly recommend their Wasabi Martinis!
http://www.tsunamirestaurant.co.uk/west ... rview.html :D
Laguna 50
50 St Martins Lane (Leicester Square or Covent Garden tube)
Intimate Family run Italian restaurant - magnifico... Rating: 3rd dates and above/potential lucky night :twisted:
Mike 8)
Another vote for 'The Wolseley' - especially for breakfast.
My favourite steakhouse next to Westfield: http://themeatandwineco.com/locations/u ... eld-london. For good value for money wine, it doesn't get much better than the 2009 Amalaya Malbec blend (no. 567 on the wine menu) IMHO.
Potentially a wallet emptier, but the Grill Room at the Savoy is very good indeed.
The refurbishment has been done tastefully and the food is first class. The Omelette Arnold Bennett is a signature dish and one of my favourites. We've only been once since it reopened. Bustling but excellent service. They make it all look so easy to do, but I'm sure it isn't.
You can have a look at the menus here and a sample of the wine list here. You will have to book ahead, even if you're staying in the hotel.
Excellent suggestion. Make sure you book, though.
Personaly I quite like the Nobu's
http://www.noburestaurants.com/
and
Really like Asia de Cuba
http://www.stmartinslane.com/en-us/#/ex ... a-de-cuba/
Nither are at the lowere end but I'd say all offer good vfm Asia de Cuba in especialy so as may of the starters & mains are designed to share....
Gauchos in Swallow Street (opposite the Ritz) for the best steaks anywhere.
Les Amis du Vin in Covent Garden used to be one of the few not serving $hit for tourists!
Gauchos is a good place for steaks and they have several in London...but I had a great experience at Big Easy in Chelsea which do Steaks, lobster tails and BBQ...good ol fashon american styley.
http://www.bigeasy.co.uk/v1/index.aspx
http://foodforthought-london.co.uk/
Food for thought on Neal Street. Great Vegetarian stodge and you're unlikely to spend more than £25 on a meal for two.
:)
I love reading restuarant recommendations. Feeling properly hungry now, although Kensington isn't my area of expertise at all I'm afraid.
I've made a note of that Italian near London Bridge to try at some point, and I can heartily endorse the Locanda Locatelli recommendation - had a fantastic meal there.
Fantastic tips guys, really appreciated! Thanks again! I think I will start making reservations now... ;)
Rowley's booked, thanks chaps!-)Excellent suggestion. Make sure you book, though.
Gauchos is well worth hitting, was there again last friday, fantastic food, nice ambience and atmosphere + the service is exceptional
Gaucho's have a few in town and would recommend, personal favourite is the one at London bridge. Ask for an upstairs table and eat dinner over looking tower bridge very cool.
Asia de Cuba is very nice for an oriental and another great place if you want some thing trendy is Hush just off Bond street great for lunch while looking in swanky watch stores
Roast in borough Market is nice and so is Smiths of Smithfield and of course the Oxo tower
Personal favourite of a nice day is Coq D'Argent
Not Italian, or Japanese but the restaurant in the National Portrait Gallery has a great menu and a cracking night view.
If you like your steaks then I would suggest Santa Maria Del Sur, just a bus ride across the Thames to Battersea, only 15 minutes.
Now they do the best steaks. Simple menu but the emphasis is on quality.
Was just in there for lunch this afternoon funnily enough. Great view indeed.Gaucho's have a few in town and would recommend, personal favourite is the one at London bridge
Gaucho is quite good. Not the absolute best steak joint in London, but several locations and consistently decent.
In addition to the aforementioned views, I've found the one at London/Tower Bridge is a good option at lunch if you're with the kids - plenty of space, often fairly quiet, staff are helpful and friendly.
The Hawksmore on Commercial Street (another branch in Covent Garden, although I haven't been to that one) gets my vote for current favourite steak joint in town.
I recommend the chateaubriand.Rowley's booked, thanks chaps!-)Excellent suggestion. Make sure you book, though.
Go for a chinese down queensway just off bayswater road (loads to choose from) its a lot better than chinatown cheaper too. :)
If you're staying in Kensington, don't miss The Ledbury ( same as 'The Square')
As for a 'country pub' in London The Builders Arms in Chelsea - great place & excellent 'pub grub' !
You will not regret it :wink:
For Japanese food I'd check out Roka in Charlotte Street. Much better value than Nobu (but still expensive) and my favourite restaurant in London by far. If you don't have a reservation you can try and get a seat by the robata grill and watch the chefs in action.
Yeh, Roka's great. There's one at Canary Wharf also.
I like Ten Ten Tei in Brewer St. There are a few more Japanese canteens close by for a bit of choice.
Some great ideas being offered up here.
Lunch for me is always a trip to Quaglino's. Good value and food.
Recent dinner's....... Wild Honey in Mayfair, Bocca Da Lupo in Soho. Both were great.
Enjoy
Thanks again guys, I really appreciate all your input. I've booked three places for the evenings we stay there, and will check some of the others for lunch. I'll let you know the places and my feelings after we get back! The trip is in three weeks, from 23rd to 26th if I remember correctly.
Have a great time and I look forward to hearing of experiences.
Pitch
Surprised to see Zuma not mentioned. Honestly the best meal I have ever eaten. Roka is very good, Hakasan overrated IMHO.
Knightsbridge - http://www.bromptonbarandgrill.com/
Covent Garden - http://www.rules.co.uk/
Bocca Di Lupo is fantastic , you must go just to try the Sanguinaccio , two of my other favorites are Hix Oyster and Chop House and Club Garcon both in Smithfield.
Allright chaps, the holiday is gone and it's time for the recap I promised. Again, many thanks for the tips guys!
On the first night we just ventured out, and found this place: http://www.ilportico.co.uk/ - really great food, and we were lucky to get a table on a wednesday night.
We also visited Rowleys for the stakes, and it was as advertised. Very good. For Italian we went for the Tentazione, as we were out there on that day. We ate the long menu, and really enjoyed the food, as it was not just round the mill Italian style, but many of the courses were a bit "different". On Gauchos I have sort of mixed feelings; the stake was one of the best I've had, yet the surroundings were a bit busy, and the music really loud. We also visited Ten Ten Tei for lunch one day, and had really nice Sushi and Sashimi there.
One more tip of my own, on our day trip to Greenwich, we had a tip for the Gipsy Moth (http://www.thegipsymothgreenwich.co.uk/) and their lunch was excellent.
So, excellent tips and prebooking made our trip a lot easier. I'll sure ask here again when going somewhere. ;)
Rules, Covent Garden - allegedly the oldest restaurant in London.
http://www.rules.co.uk
I ate there about two months ago - fantastic steak, and some good fish choices for the lady !
Bump for this thread with current suggestions please. Staying on Queenborough Terrace in Bayswater for a couple of nights mid week, next month.
Rowley's have some decent offers via Groupon, is it still worth a visit?
Roka, there are a handful... Best Japanese restaurant
Nobu is still good - if pricey
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Social eating house, soho
Elystan Street, Chelsea
Vinotecca, several to choose from.
All have excellent Prix Fixe menus at lunchtime.
Just off Bayswater road ,Churchill pub with a Thai kitchen takes some beating if you like Thai
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The Regency Cafe in Westminster/Victoria. It’s where all the stars and luvvies from nearby C4 go. Layer Cake amongst others filmed there. I’ve been in a number of times as I used to work close by, normally when there was a hangover to cure. Recently went in to have liver, bacon, peas (tinned), chips with gravy as an extra as I’m northern. I don’t get liver or chips with gravy at home because of domestic cultural differences and southern snobbery, so it was a real treat. I was disappointed with the gravy though.
https://youtu.be/KvaWmBo04zo
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Last edited by BillyCasper; 18th October 2017 at 09:51.
Royal China on Queensway (really near where you are staying) is good if you like Chinese food.
Holborn Dining Room at the Rosewood Hotel is excellent and won't need a remortgage either
For steaks I think Goodman's in Mayfair or the Hawksmoor is better than the Gaucho, but I haven't been to Rowley's.
My favourite restaurant in London is still the Tokyo Diner. I was there for lunch at the weekend and it's still the same 20 years after my first visit.
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