SpikeyD

... the venerable Algerian Coffee Shop in Old Compton St has an espresso machine set up in the shop. No frills (and nowhere to sit, of course), but the coffee's at least as good as Bar Italia for much less money, and you can use the saving to buy some coffee/tea/chocolate while you're sipping...

L'Oranger in St James have an arrangement to use the delightful (and very traditional) back room of the vintage cartoon shop next door - it's a lovely room, which opens out onto their courtyard. They set out a large table, which should accommodate your numbers (but worth double checking the restaurant on this - we were 9 if memory serves me). And you get to roam the shop. Should be around your budget if you're careful on the wine front

East Dulwich isn't quite unheralded - Franklins and Palmerston have both been well reviewed by the nationals, and Tandoori Nights has a reputation as one of the best South London Indians not in Norwood or Tooting. The Rosendale is supposedly worth a try, although it looks quite expensive for a suburban gastropub... For meat, you should give Mr Sparkes little van in Northcross Road a try (he's there Friday and Saturday). Best lamb I've ever cooked (tip: but only get the bacon he's cured himself - really delicious - not his bought in stuff). He's a proper butcher so you get well cut/trimmed meat and he also knows where it all comes from. There's an old fashioned wet fishmonger in Nunhead Lane worth exploring as an alternative to Moxon.

Latium is a long term favourite, not least because it is so consistent, and untroubled by fads. Last meal I had there finished with a special dessert of chocolate raviolis stuffed with lightly sweetened, lemon infused ricotta, and served in a just warm bitter orange flavoured sauce. Wonderful!

Had a dinner recently at L'Oranger - first time back for many months. Rather disappointing - over fussy dishes, and not quite as well cooked as they should have been for the money they're charging. My sole was on the verge of being dry, although a fellow diner's rack of lamb, to be fair, was as flavoursome and well cooked as any I've had recently. But it's still one of London's more lovely dining spaces, especially if the weather's kind enough to allow dining in the courtyard.

Had dinner at Wild Honey last night. The space is lovely - the mix of banquette and regular tables works very well given the length of the room, Much less claustrophobic than I remember Drones... And long may the decent table spacing last. The menu was pretty close to those described above - my girlfriend's fish soup was really really excellent - serious depth of flavour, rich without being cloying. My boudin blanc of wild rabbit, whilst delightfully delicate in texture, was a little underseasoned and I didn't get much bunny-ness flavour coming through. The crushed peas and shallots hit the spot, though. Mains were the Elwy lamb (superbly cooked - but, again, the flavour seemed almost a little too fleeting) and three cuts of pork, which tasted fabulous, but was just very slightly on the dry side. Only had room for the Wild Honey ice cream - really wonderful texture and taste - the honeycomb not too sweet and a fabulous counterpoint to the ice cream. Presentation and service was very good, and I'm sure we'll be back - but I didn't leave feeling totally convinced...

Walking would be quite a trek, I think - I have a vague memory that you have to go inland to come back out. Cab would be the thing - probably a few quid, but you could make a day of it. Lunch at the Oysterage and dinner at the Crown and Castle, with the afternoon spent pottering about in the castle ruins and down at the harbour. A lovely day, if the weather was kind to you.

I'd second the Orford recs. Have had excellent meals in both the Oysterage and the Crown and Castle. And it's a nice place for a post prandial wander. Fish and chips in Dunwich are worthwhile if you're in the area.

Thanks for your notes - it's so good to hear that the place continues to fire on all cylinders... haven't been for a good few months, but after your notes, it's got to be back on the "escape from bloody London" agenda... Lunch at the Crown, shopping for smoked eel and mackerel from the smokehouse and then fresh dabs from Aldeburgh - a perfect day out, followed by tea and (bad) cake at the Maltings.

On the Indian theme, there's also Woodlands (one in Marylebone Lane and another in Panton St - both Z1) - tasty thalis and relatively good value... The Tas chain has a good mix of carnivorous and vegetarian dishes - locations in Waterloo and Borough - Turkish/Anatolian style so lots of grilling, but none the worse for that, and certainly in your price range. EV is a Tas spinoff near Waterloo East Station - has a different menu and is a bigger space. They have a lovely shop next door selling very good homemade breads and excellent Turkish Delight

Hopefully not a nerdish response, but my Dad owned a restaurant in the '60s, which for many years was the only place in Manchester, along with the Midland French Room, as it was then called, to be in the Good Food Guide. He claims that they never got a star - at least while he was active up there - but his memory may be less than perfect by now, given he's 85. I can still remember, though, with delight, the look of sheer horror on some diners' faces when they realised that the steak tartare being prepared by Sergio, the head waiter, really wasn't going to be cooked. To be fair, we're talking 1962 or thereabouts, though. I wonder if anyone reading this can work out which restaurant I'm talking about It's a sad reflection, though, that my brother who still lives up in that part of the world claims he still has to journey to London to eat really well.

There is a good Morroccan butcher on Goldbourne Rd , on the left hand side as you walk towards the Trellick Tower. Gethin ← Sorry for the delayed thanks for this tip - I didn't spot your reply before now... I will try and get there this weekend.

... I have heard that he may be looking for a new space. I do hope these whispers about signs of activity are well-founded - London is much the poorer without his cooking and hospitality...

On the gastropub front, try an early lunch at the Anchor & Hope (closed Mondays) before an amble to the Tate Modern (it's round the corner from Southwark tube) - it seems to have been easier to get a table in recent weeks, and you can order from the full menu in the "pub" bit as well as the restaurant bit. Ate an excellent braised hare there a few days ago. If you're missing fish and chips, the Fryers Delight on Theobald's Road is a short walk from your hotel...

hmmmm...i seem to remember there being a deli on Church St that sells them (not too far away from Alfie's Antique emporium - same side of the road but further west). There's one somewhere along the row of food shops that has a butchers counter in the front. I'm pretty sure they sell merguez. Haven't ever bought any myself though, so I can't vouch for their quality - but they looked good! let us know how you get on if you try them. ← Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try - will be good to have an excuse to have a potter around Alfie's.

... for a view on this from the other side of the pond, and with news of a deeply disturbing new reservation trend over there... http://waiterrant.net/

Can anyone help me source authentic merguez? I recently had some in France and had forgotten how most of the stuff sold here is a pale imitation of the real thing. I've tried them from Ginger Pig, Simply Sausages and Lidgates, and somewhat disappointed in all of them. The nearest I have found so far is from Biggles in Marylebone Lane, but the texture and size aren't quite right. Anyone know a Moroccan butcher or merguez importer?

Marmite crabs sounds v. interesting - is it made like crab with black bean sauce, but substituting Marmite? Am so not sure about the roast chicken, though - I'd have thought it would make the cooking juices (and skin) pretty salty? Or does the bacon take up the flavour? Marmite on toast can be tricky 'cos it generally doesn't spread evenly, so you get clumps of flavour and then a bite with nothing... On crumpets, though, you can afford to be more generous with the Marmite, as it melts into the body of the crumpet. Every bite is thus Marmite-y. Heaven.

I've eaten at Rosemary Lane a couple of times (my gf works round the corner, and it's the only decent eaterie in her immediate vicinity). The place is a little dour, but the food is edible, although also pretty unmemorable - I can't actually recall a single thing I've eaten there... I'd second the comment about aggressive pricing, and this, as well as a double debit from my gf's credit card (which the restaurant have denied) hasn't encouraged repeat visits.

Thanks for the tip... Hardens is a really useful resource.

More noodles at Culture Grub on The Cut - both soup and stirfried noodles are excellent and very cheap... Their dumplings aren't bad either, as it goes. Good pasta and pizza from Pizza Paradiso (aka Olivelli's) which have a few branches scattered about central London - they use decent ingredients, which makes a nice change. I think Woodlands in Marylebone and Panton St still do good value thalis. Not quite Turkish are the Taz/EV chain (supposedly Anatolian...). You can still get a filling and tasty meze-based meal there for under a tenner.

I have to say I'm not convinced by William Rose - I had some dodgy lamb from them when they first opened in E. Dulwich. You'll do much much better from the absolutely delightful Mr Sparkes, who runs the mobile butcher on Northcross St (the market street off Lordship Lane) on Saturday. It's an offshoot of their shop in Blackheath. The pork is rare breed, and he has some of the best lamb I've ever had the pleasure to cook and eat. And most importantly, he's a real butcher, with proper cutting and tying skills. I know he can be a bit deaf and a tad slow, but you'll be overall no slower than waiting in the queue of baby tractors outside Rose. And you can get to chat about where the meat comes from. His sausages ain't bad, either - especially recommend the semi-dried Sicilian wild boar. Oh, and he takes cards.