London recommendations

[mgaretz]

We’ll be in London for few days on a tour, but lunches and dinners are up to us (except the first night).  We’ll be near Tower Bridge. Where should we try to eat?
 

[liuzhou]

It's almost 30 years since I lived in  London so I can't be much help. 

 

However I do know the area around Tower Bridge is not London's best food site. Apart from the touristy places by the bridge and adjacent Tower, to the east there is little of interest and to the immediate west is London's financial district. Few people actually live there and many pubs, restaurants and lunchtime sandwich shops close early when the bankers and office workers head home. At weekends, it's dead.

 

Further west, around Covent Garden and Soho with neighbouring Chinatown may be your best choice. Easily accessible by the Tube (London Underground).

 

One recommendation nearer to Tower Bridge is on the south side of London Bridge (the next bridge to the west). Borough Market is both London's best food market and also has several good restaurants and street food type places. Check opening times, though.

 

https://boroughmarket.org.uk/visit-us/

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

I agree with @liuzhou that it's a good idea to head over to Borough Market (which is only a 15-min walk away), given that there isn't much interesting around Tower Bridge. Last time I was in the area, I had a nice lunch at Wright Brothers (disclaimer, it's been a few years). The whiskey exchange is not to be missed if you are looking for a "souvenir".

 

I would recommend checking the guides from Eater, they generally have good recommendations, including some by neighborhood including one for Borough market that is fairly recent. They also have this nice guide here. 

 

If I were you I'd hop on the tube and go to St John...

Edited March 25, 2024 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[jameswilliam]

Depends what you're looking for and can't vouch for this presonallly, but if you are looking for something close by this was just reviewed in the Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/apr/05/dream-xian-london-ec3-restaurant-revew-grace-dent

For wider London it's worth having a look through Jay Rayner's reviews also

[Kerala]

It's such a an international metropolis that London is great for non-English food. I'm looking forward to eating again at Hakkasan in June. 

Tayyabs for Punjabi food.

I'm not a Londoner so I hope a lot of people jump in with recommendations.

[Kerala]

This might be helpful

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/apr/13/five-courses-in-55-minute

[mgaretz]

We hit Borough Market right away and was looking forward to a sausage roll from the Ginger Pig, which gets rave reviews. After a fairly tortuous effort to find out if the regular roll had milk in it, I ordered one. Didn’t bite into it until quite a ways down the road and they accidentally gave me one with cheese. Ended up with decent fish and chips at the wife’s request. We had quite a few good meals there. Dinner the first night was Roast (also in Borough Market).  It was part of our tour and I had the signature pork belly. Very good.  Next night was at the Drawn and Quartered pub.  Also good but I can’t remember what I had!  Last night was at Ffionas. Excellent.  Had duck breast. Never did get a sausage roll. 

[Kerala]

Any pictures, by chance?

[mgaretz]

No pictures. We were in London and Paris and I only took one picture the whole trip, and it was of a floor board pattern at Versailles. Primarily because I have pictures from the last trip and things look the same (and the weather was better on that trip).

[Dr. Teeth]

Bumping in hopes of recommendations for places to eat in London.

 

Familiar with Borough Market and Camden Market from last visit with just Mrs Dr Teeth.

 

Particularly interested in recs for Chinese in Chinatown, Indian or similar 

[liuzhou]

Don't go to Chinatown for good eats. It's an overpriced tourist trap. For genuine Sichuan nearby, I recommend Bar Shu.

 

The restaurants know most of the customers are never coming back anyway, so why bother trying to impress. 

Edited 8 hours ago by liuzhou (log)

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, Dr. Teeth said:

Bumping in hopes of recommendations for places to eat in London.

 

Familiar with Borough Market and Camden Market from last visit with just Mrs Dr Teeth.

 

Particularly interested in recs for Chinese in Chinatown, Indian or similar 

 

While I don't have any recs for Chinese/Indian, our two most recent trips (including one less than a year ago) included standout meals at BRAT Shoreditch, Noble Rot (both in Bloomsbury and Mayfair), and St. John (both the flagship and Bread & Wine).

 

We also had quite a fancy meal at Planque.  And fun Sunday roasts at both Hawksmoor and The Harwood Arms.

 

 

[liuzhou]

For more Chinese, Yauatcha Soho is fun. More Cantonese in outlook. Best to sit in the basement.

15 Broadwick Street, Soho.

 

For a blowout, two Michelin starred A.Wong is interesting, if pricy. His three hour tour of China tasting menu was amazing.

70 Wilton Road, Victoria, London.

 

Oh and Bar Shu mentioned above is at 28 Frith Street, Soho. The menu was designed in consultation with writer, Fuchsia Dunlop.

 

 

[Ddanno]

Four Seasons, in Chinatown, is excellent for Cantonese roasted meats 

 

For Indian food you can't go wrong with Dishoom, there are a few of them around.

 

You can try your luck on Brick Lane but that road is almost unrecognisable to me now, the two curry houses I really loved both closed because of Covid and it's gentrifying more every day.

 

If you want a steak then Hawksmoor all the way, accept no substitutes, and as weinoo says, a trip to St John is almost a must.

 

If the sound of a curious (but very enjoyable) mix of a pub with great dim sum appeals then the Duck and Rice in Soho is excellent. Can highly recommend it for a late lunch before it gets a bit rowdy in the evening 

Edited 6 hours ago by Ddanno (log)

[weinoo]

10 minutes ago, Ddanno said:

For Indian food you can't go wrong with Dishoom, there are a few of them around.

 

And, they are opening a Dishoom here. Soon, I believe. (There's already a Hawksmoor, which I like a lot).

 

[Ddanno]

If you're going after August* and want top seafood, get a fruits de mer platter at Wright Bros. or J Sheeky

 

*No shellfish unless there's an 'R' in the month!

Edited 5 hours ago by Ddanno (log)