Favorite London restaurants

[Doodlebug1980]

Which London restaurants are your favourites, and which are on your 'to try' list?

My current favourites:

Tha Fat Duck (of course)

Sardo (amazing Italian in Fitzrovia)

Leong's Legends (best dim sum in central London)

And one next on my list I've been meanign to visit for ages is Galvin la Chapelle.... their award-winning desert sounds simply devine: http://www.chinchinjobs.com/news/Article/london-restaurant-galvin-la-chapelle-wins-prestigious-trophy-959

[sunbeam]

The Duck isn't really in London. I mean if you got a cab from Kings Cross it would be a bit pricey!

Stick with Galvins Bistro in Baker St, as the man himself told me, Chapelle is just similar food tarted up for the richer punters - chicken tagine becomes pigeon etc

I had a stunning souffle from the new chef at Roux Parliament Square yesterday. Best dessert this year, hands down

[Doodlebug1980]

Ahhh thank you, I'll check out the Bistro instead then, more in my budget anyway!

One thing I'm on the hunt for is a really decent Mexican restaurant in London. The new one on Commercial Street, I can't remeber its name, is also on the 'to do' list....

[rudallrose]

I think one has to search high and low for good Mexican food in London. And Tex-Mex food is not what I'd consider 'real' Mexican food, which is quite different and more sophisticated. The best Tex-Mex I've had is at a street stall near Waterloo Station. The fellow makes terrific food.

[ambra]

There is a pretty good Taco shop in Notting Hill called Taqueria. The service is atrocious (in my opinion only,) but the tacos are very good. The only thing I truly found bad was the housemade Chorizo.

I was once talking to Mexican gal who worked in a restaurant at Borough Market and I asked for a rec and she said there is a great place called 'Red and Green' or something like that. I never went, nor did I even look it up.

Edit: SPELLING!

Edited November 3, 2010 by ambra (log)

[Harters]

Which London restaurants are your favourites,

I dont visit London too often - once a year, perhaps twice - and, when I do, I'm not usually visiting the central area. As such, I don't really have favourites - but I'm looking forward to our next trip to the central area when we're revisiting both Hibiscus & Noura (and probably a lunch at Tayyabs).

As a more general favourite in this part of "down south", I'm rather a fan of the Bingham.

Edited November 3, 2010 by Harters (log)

[PhilD]

Leong's Legends (best dim sum in central London)

I find Pearl Liang far better, and Yauatcha whilst expensive is in a far higher league, more classic Cantonese than Leong's Taiwanese style.

[ambra]

Yauatcha is FANTASTIC for dimsum but the prices are insane. I think we paid 100 quid for 2 people. Including service.

[Doodlebug1980]

Yeah I've eaten at Yauatucha before, but I wouldn't put it down as a favouritebecause it was so incredibly overpriced.

Tayyabs! What a great place, love that one too....

[RedRum]

I like Texture and Roka

[ChrisZ]

Roka is great. I prefer the basement, same food as the ground-floor restaurant but a unique cosy atmosphere. Dinner at Roka was the most expensive meal I've eaten while sitting on a log. Probably the best scallops I've ever had.

If you want an interesting location then the Kensington Roof Gardens have a nice restaurant, and if you want a view then the OXO tower is worth checking out- it has a bistro and a restaurant, both of which are routinely accused of being overpriced but really they're not dreadful at all, and you can easily do worse elsewhere for the same prices and not get the breathtaking scenery.

But it's the curry that I miss from London! The dodgy little Indian takeaway at the end of my Camden Town street made the best Chicken Tikka Masala, easily my favourite London meal and for less than a tenner.

[sandra]

Best Mexican in London = Mestizo on Hampstead Road NW1

most definitely not Tex-Mex, more of a classical high cuisine of Mexico

[Doodlebug1980]

Best Mexican in London = Mestizo on Hampstead Road NW1

most definitely not Tex-Mex, more of a classical high cuisine of Mexico

Sounds great I will definitely be checking that one out!

[ChrisZ]

Forgot to mention Navarro's, Spanish tapas restaurant on Charlotte Street. Consistently good and always packed.

[sandra]

Best Mexican in London = Mestizo on Hampstead Road NW1

most definitely not Tex-Mex, more of a classical high cuisine of Mexico

Sounds great I will definitely be checking that one out!

Good! Ask for Marysol (she's the owner) and tell her Sandra sent you, I taught her chef a lot of the dishes that are now on the menu...

[cachan]

Yauatcha - if you just have some dim sum and a pot of tea then the cost could be more reasonable, although yesterday I walked past and noticed that the prices have been increased.

Another lovely food place is Princi, during quieter periods.

[patrickamory]

Here are a few recommendations; I travel to London every two months and eat out a lot when I'm there, largely on business so be aware that I'm pretty much ignoring price/portion size etc. - I'm mainly concerned with food and atmosphere:

- Sweetings - the best seafood restaurant I've ever visited, period - note, they are only open for weekday lunch

- J Sheekey - another great British fish restaurant - great location, super comfortable and atmospheric

- Dock Kitchen - interestingly situated over a canal, inspired by north African and Mediterranean cuisine but with Indian and Asian influences - not fusion but fully its own thing

- St John (Smithfield location) - no description necessary, I think

- The Painted Heron - an upscale neighborhood Indian place in Chelsea, super-comfy and off the beaten track for most visitors - I think the food is quite good, and not typical curry house fare - e.g. "Lamb neck fillets in Kashmiri roganjosh curry with apricots & sweet pickled red chilli"

- Wiltons - super old-school seafood place in Jermyn St. be aware of what you're getting into - jacket and tie for sure

- Ba Shan - stunning Sichuan, Fuchsia Dunlop is a consultant (to my mind way better than Bar Shu across the street)

- River Cafe - still excellent. I love Ruth Rogers' cooking (and her cookbooks), and it's a lovely setting. A pain to get to however.

Of the big names you hear over and over, I liked Moro fine but wasn't blown away - most likely an off day though, I want to revisit; I have tried twice at Fino but haven't gotten in; I've never been to the Ledbury or Hawskmoor; I like Wolseley quite a bit if you get a nice table, and the late opening hours are a bummer; Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was exciting but in retrospect a bit theatrical and somehow not well-balanced eating; Ottolenghi is on my list because I love his new book; and I found the Connaught appalling - both the food and the dining room (though we ate at the chef's table in the kitchen).

Finally, Yauatcha is quite tasty, and fun in a cocktail lounge type of way, but not a destination restaurant in any sense of the word.

[liuzhou]

The Fat Duck is most definitely not in London.

[patrickamory]

Re-reading what I wrote above, I should have said that the late opening hours at the Wolseley are a bonus, not a bummer!

[iainpb]

Polpo is worth checking out, they do italian style small sharing plates - they've adopted the "we're too cool for reservations" policy so expect a wait at weekends. There's a few dotted around London and you can buy their cookbook too if you like the place.

[ermintrude]

Pollen Street Social is a favourite of mine