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London, Petersham Nurseries,


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Hi all,

I'll be in London for a weekend in mid-March. I'll be travelling with a group (about 11 women) who like good food but may not have it as their top priority (as I do). It's been years since I've been in London.. I could use some recommendations!

Location is not really important since I expect we'll be all over the city for various sights/errands etc. But I would love to hear of some cool places that are not too expensive and where you can have a relaxed dinner with a group of 11 women.

I realize that's a hard question, so here's a more specific one.. I'd like to have lunch on my own or maybe with just a couple of my companions, at a place that's really good, new, interesting, different, excellent, talked about. I've been browsing the board here but it's a bit confusing.. haven't found anything that stands out so far.

And an even more specific question: has anyone been to the Petersham Nurseries lately, and what's your opinion? Is it worth the trek from London?

Thanks!

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Great lunches available at Grazing, 19-21 Gt Tower St, right near Tower of London. See www.grazingfood.com and enjoy - you're bound to.

quote=Chufi,Jan 28 2009, 08:02 AM]

Hi all,

I'll be in London for a weekend in mid-March. I'll be travelling with a group (about 11 women) who like good food but may not have it as their top priority (as I do). It's been years since I've been in London.. I could use some recommendations!

Location is not really important since I expect we'll be all over the city for various sights/errands etc. But I would love to hear of some cool places that are not too expensive and where you can have a relaxed dinner with a group of 11 women.

I realize that's a hard question, so here's a more specific one.. I'd like to have lunch on my own or maybe with just a couple of my companions, at a place that's really good, new, interesting, different, excellent, talked about. I've been browsing the board here but it's a bit confusing.. haven't found anything that stands out so far.

And an even more specific question: has anyone been to the Petersham Nurseries lately, and what's your opinion? Is it worth the trek from London?

Thanks!

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And an even more specific question: has anyone been to the Petersham Nurseries lately, and what's your opinion? Is it worth the trek from London?

Thanks!

Petersham Nurseries Cafe has never been one to follow the well beaten path and now with the introduction of a new winter service style it is bucking convention yet again. From Wednesday to Friday until Easter, Petersham Nurseries Cafe will offer a set menu ONLY at £22.50 for 2 courses, £27.50 for 3. Menus and more details can be found on the cafe and teahouse page of the Petersham Nurseries website. www.petershamnurseries.com

i recieved this as an email a week or so ago. I went to Petersham nurseries last year, really enjoyed it - beautiful location and delicious food but a very small menu - i think 4 choices per course and VERY expensive - think river cafe prices. the wine list is also compact and we struggled to find much under £40 a bottle - worth a trip on this set menu deal though

Edited by nikkib (log)

"Experience is something you gain just after you needed it" ....A Wise man

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yes I read about that set menu on their website and it seems like a good deal...

My train arrives at 10:30 at London St Pancras. Is it reasonable to think I can make it to the Cafe for lunch?

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I live right above the hill from petersham nurseries, and it is worth the trek if you are looking for something very different/ charming. also good for those with an interest in gardening. Might be nice to combine with a trip to Kew Gardens.

I am having lunch there tomorrow, and I had tea and cake there yesterday.

Edit: Be sure to visit William Curley as long as you are coming out to Richmond.

It takes about an hour to get to Richmond by tube, then a 15 minute walk or 5 minute bus/cab ride.

Edited by Culinista (log)
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yes I read about that set menu on their website and it seems like a good deal...

My train arrives at 10:30 at London St Pancras. Is it reasonable to think I can make it to the Cafe for lunch?

get a train from waterloo as opposed to the tube then it takes 20 odd minutes as opposed to the hopur on the tube, we cabbed it from richmond about 10mins from there, forget the price though

"Experience is something you gain just after you needed it" ....A Wise man

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Interesting I was having a discussion with a colleague at work about what restaurants I hadn't visited in London and thought were overrated - basically the two categories went together.

Funnily enough that category basically encompassed Petersham Nurseries and the River Cafe. There's something about their price-gouging menus and luvvie-tasting media over-exposure that just turns me off.

Then again as I said I haven't been! Circular argument.

J

PS I get the same problem with Locatelli. Every time I wander past meaning to drop in again and knowing that the food they cook is absolute fantastic. Then I check the menu and realise its going to cost me twenty five quid for a grilled sardine and I pop round the corner to Texture instead.

More Cookbooks than Sense - my new Cookbook blog!
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I think the River Cafe is so worth it.

You get what you pay for: top quality products, simply prepared, well executed and consistently tasty.

Staff are excellent too.

And the grilled sardine, if that's the one with panzanella, is a great dish and worth it as well. lol

Edited by Food Snob (log)

Food Snob

foodsnob@hotmail.co.uk

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I think the River Cafe is so worth it.

You get what you pay for: top quality products, simply prepared, well executed and consistently tasty

Staff are excellent too

The argument against that is that - give or take not having some ridiculously turbo-charged wood fired oven - I can do most of that at home with a bit of judicious shopping in the right places.

Its like I just had a look at petersham nurseries website and noticed they were charging twenty three quid for a bavette with some artichokes. I can nip down to jack o'sheas, get an absolutely honking top notch piece of bavette and DIY? (give or take the nuclear powered wood fired grill).

Yes have had the sardine (if i recall, at the time it was the only alc option i could afford and they don't do a cheap lunch set). Its nice. But then again I can pop up the road to Soho Japan which has an awesome charcoaled grill and get as good a grilled mackeral as you can ask for (and salmon belly - absolutely killer) for a quarter of the price

Edited by Jon Tseng (log)
More Cookbooks than Sense - my new Cookbook blog!
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I think the River Cafe is so worth it.

You get what you pay for: top quality products, simply prepared, well executed and consistently tasty

Staff are excellent too

The argument against that is that - give or take not having some ridiculously turbo-charged wood fired oven - I can do most of that at home with a bit of judicious shopping in the right places.

Its like I just had a look at petersham nurseries website and noticed they were charging twenty three quid for a bavette with some artichokes. I can nip down to jack o'sheas, get an absolutely honking top notch piece of bavette and DIY? (give or take the nuclear powered wood fired grill).

But I really love that oven...

Food Snob

foodsnob@hotmail.co.uk

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I live right above the hill from petersham nurseries,

Any dinner recs. in Richmond or immediate area for the solo diner? I visit the National Archives for a few days on a couple of occasions a year and am always on the look-out.

Recently very impressed with the Bingham and decidedly underwhelmed by Chez Lindsay. And I know I can always get a reasonably good steak at the Gaucho or Kew Grill.

John Hartley

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If you are coming into st Pancras then take a look at Market restaurant in Camden (which you could in theory walk to), good food, relaxed setting and they have a bargain set lunch which I've enjoyed by myself many times.

They also have a private room upstairs which can seat 12

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