One Week in London

[GordonCooks]

It's likely I will be attending an overseas wedding within the next 12-18 months. This month's "Departures" features Britain in all it's glory. My do's will be Gordon Ramsay and my don'ts will be eating from chippy trucks. I'm thinking about 4 dinners and 4 lunches...I want the Best London has to offer and I also want some iindigenous experiences. Suggestions please ?

Basildog - how far away is your place from London ?

[Tonyfinch]

What the hell are chippy trucks?

[AdamLawrence]

The ones where the driver shakes his fist at you when you cut him up

Adam

[mogsob]

My suggestions:

Dinner: GR/RHR, Hunan, Roussillon, Zaika

Lunch: The Capital, Le Gavroche, Sweetings (weekdays only), The Dorchester (Sunday)

[macrosan]

Gordon, Basildog's place is just shy of 300 miles from London. Four hour drive.

Places like Ramsay RHR, Petrus, Foliage, Capital and La Tante Claire are all on my list in the posh/expensive/top-of-the-range group, and there are many others discussed in threads here.

I would certainly recommend St Johns because it's excellent and unusual, very distinctive. Rules is another which may be worth visiting; it has a very English menu and a long history.

Do get to a couple of pubs. The Wenlock Arms is great, and there are others I haven't tried discussed on this board. Simon Majumdar and Tony Finch appear to be the experts on these. But if you put Wenlock into the search engine, it'll take you to the thread where they're all discussed.

[Spoonful]

Lunch: River Café

I read a review of the River Café (about a year ago) which accused it of laurel-resting. There are minor irritations—the booking policy (two evening sittings – and second-sitters must vacate by 11 pm) and more than a whiff of 'attitude' among the trendier-than-thou waiting staff. That said, to eat outside at the River Café, almost at the water's edge, on a spring or summer day, is still an experience one should enjoy at least once in a lifetime.

Lunch at one of the terrace tables on a fine day by the Thames with the 150-bin all-Italian wine list at your mercy is a blissful experience.

The food is usually delicious, always plentiful, and always exciting (the menu changes twice a day), but the service can slip at weekends. Best time to go is a weekday lunch.

Musts: Chargrilled squid with fresh chili and rocket; chocolate nemesis; fresh seasonal papa pomodoro; porcini and potato soup; chestnut and celeriac soup; pansotti and pumpkin; tagliarini with raw porcini; spaghetti with ginger and tomato; tagliarini with red mullet and bay leaf; new potato and black truffle risotto.

[Beachfan]

I was at Zaika earlier this month and it was an extemely memorable, delicious and unique meal.

Cleary the superior meal of the trio of Zaika, Tamarind and Zefferano's.

[cabrales]

I'd be interested in hearing from members who have eaten at Foliage since Chris Staines took over.

[TCD]

I'd be interested in hearing from members who have eaten at Foliage since Chris Staines took over.  

I lunched at Foliage in August (9th or 10th). Not certain if Chris Staines was in charge at that point. I do know the former one-star chef (who's name escapes me) had left months prior. In any case, I found the menu to be a list of interesting and innovative Med/"European" (their description) cuisine, which was finely executed for the one meal that we had. I thought the service was a little rough however. It was our first meal after flying over, so I'm a little fuzzy on details. Certainly a delight to have as your hotel dining room.

The other restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental, The Park, offers an interesting Asian/fusion menu, which is amazing in its diversity and breadth.

[peterpumkino]

Forget the best food as my American friends always tell me how much better it is the States anyway.

Be a poseur and go to The Ivy (if you can get in tel: 0044 (0207) 836 4751). The food is very good in a British sort of way and it's always a Real Experience plus prices are really not that bad for the most famous restaurant in London.

Peter.

ps Don't let anyone talk you out of this one!

[Charles Smith]

I'd try to do Indian and Middle Eastern as well as the top stuff(GR, etc.)-

Indian- I've had great meals at Tamarind, Star of India and Bombay Brasserie (plenty of others)

Middle Eastern- I loved Noura (thanks to Steve P)- no clue if that's authentic middle eastern but it wa fun and the food was great- I've also had a terrific Lebanese lunch in Notting Hill- also a Steve P recco- The name escapes me right now, but I'll come up with it-

Cheers,

Charles

[cabrales]

I do know the former one-star chef (who's name escapes me) had left months prior.

The former chef was Hywel Jones -- he did a good job.