London Tourista

[Cusina]

Andy very kindly invited me to post an itinerary for our upcoming trip to London. We won't be there until April, so I don't really have a solid list yet, but here are my potentials. They come from a range of sources. We will only be in town for a week, so obviously this needs to be culled through or we won't be able to do anything but eat!

So, have at it, slash away, leave only the best! Anything else you would add? Please pardon the crude spelling, it's directly cut from my organizer.

Fine Dining:

Ivy

The Square

Pied a Terre

Andrew Edmonds, Soho

Atlantic Bar and Grill (lunch) - 20 glasshouse st., soho

Le Tante Claire

Rules

Mid-range

Latium (italian) 21 Berners st.

Assagi (italian)

Locanda Locatelli (italian)

Artiango (italian)

Providores-tapa - 109 marlebone high street

St. John - English cuisine, lunch, aldgate tube stop across from spitalfields market

Chutney Mary (Sunday Brunch, Indian) 535 King's Road

Lemonia - greek

La Poulle au pot, sloane sq tube

Casual Food, Pubs

Black Friar

The Albert

North Sea, (fish and chips)

Seafresh Wilton Road (fish)

The Eagle

Patissierie Valerie, soho

This is a 10th anniversary trip for my Husband and I, so at least one "romantic" evening would be in order.

Thanks in advance for you help!

[Andy Lynes]

Too late for La Tante Claire I'm afraid, but if the rumour turns out to be true, Pierre Koffman may be cooking at the Bleding Heart in the city of London by the time you arrive.

It might be worth your while to have another look at recent reports of Pied a Terre. Although it too early to suggest it as a replacement for The Ivy, Chris Corbin and Jeremy King's Wolseley Cafe and Restaurant next to the Ritz on Picadilly may well be worth a look. As former owners of The Ivy and Le Caprice, they have been hoovering up a lot of London's talent for this venture, including Chris Galvin as exec chef and Claire Clarke as pastry chef amongst others. They have even poached the Ivy's door man for a reported £70k salary.

[tomweir]

Nahm at the Halkin Hotel. David Thompson is a world leader on Thai food...

+44.207.333.1234

Lunch M-F 12:30-2:30

Dinner 7-11

Set meals £23.

Fort in the Guardian gave it 18.5/20

[Cusina]

Thank you both... adjusting my list.

One more question. When should I make fine dining reservations? 6 weeks ahead is the usual in my part of the world... is that standard there as well?

[The Little Blue House]

Andy very kindly invited me to post an itinerary for our upcoming trip to London. We won't be there until April, so I don't really have a solid list yet, but here are my potentials.

Perhaps I should just steal your list and trash mine :). I am going to be in London from December 26-January 3. The last time I was in London was only a day or so in 1996, so I pretty much have no idea of what I should be doing and where I should be eating.

I am going to hang out with my family, who are visiting to celebrate my baby sister's birthday on New Year's Day. My sister has never been to Europe, so wer are pretty excited. This is our plan so far--courtesy of my mother's love of guidebooks. The only firm reservations are at Gordon Ramsey's. There are big, big dining holes. So, I appreciate your list to help fill out mine!

Saturday

Leisurely breakfast somewhere in Kensington/Knightsbridge followed by a few hours at Harrod's and other shops perhaps on Kensington High Street.

Quick late lunch somewhere on the run.....

Victoria and Albert Museum - couple of hours. It's not too far from our hotel.

Back to hotel for a rest, a drinkie pooh

Dinner in Kensington, South Kensington - somewhere close. I'm thinking of La Poule au Pot or Isola which is in Knightsbridge. I'd like to be at the restaurant

by 7:00, - trying to not be out too late.

Sunday

Breakfast at the hotel

I'm in the midst of reserving a car and tour guide for an 8 hour whirlwind "This is London" tour. Felt the privacy of our own car and guide would be the way to go. Dinner - not sure but it should be close to the hotel. Maybe Il Blue. If you come up with anything, let me know.

Monday

Head for the West End for a quick lunch en route to Peter Pan at 2:30PM.

Lovely early dinner - I am thinking of the restaurant at the OXO Tower for the city views - this time after dark!

Tuesday

All day bus tour to Stonehenge, Bath, and Windsor Castle. No idea about how meals will be handled.

Wednesday, New Year's Eve

Maybe tea at the Orangery in Kensington late in the afternoon

6:30PM tickets to Bombay Dreams

Dinner some where at 9:30 to 10:00 PM. I'm thinking Restaurant 1837 at Brown's Hotel. Trafalger Square if we finish dinner before midnight - not likely, not even sure I want to!

Thursday, My sister's birthday

Leisurely late breakfast/brunch.

Parade at noon until 3:00.

Dinner at Nobu if they're open........ (My sister loves Japanese food.)

Friday LAST DAY

6:30 Dinner at Gordon Ramsay at Claridges

Anything to add??

-Emily

[Cusina]

It all sounds good Blue. So much more organized than mine! I'm no help in the suggestions department, but I'm very glad that you will be going ahead of me so that you can give me the full report when you get back.

[Matthew Grant]

Too late to book for the IVY - last time I checkd it had a 15 month waiting list!!!! Not what I would call fine dining either. Your best bet for the Ivy is to just turn up, they hold so many tables back you have a good chance and it is an experience although as person foreign to these shores you may not recognise any of the b and c list celebrities that are taking up virtually every other table. Locanda Locatelli on the other hand is more like a high end restaurant food and price wise. I'd ease off on the Italian restaurants, you may be sorely disappointed in London (Locatelli excepted).

I've heard some bad reports about Nahm recently - so much so that I cancelled my reservation.

Pied A Terre was terrible on my visit a couple of weeks ago - certainly not living up to its billing as a Michelin 2 star.

Atlantic Bar and Grill will be interesting as it is pushing hard again to regain a reputation as a 'cool' place to visit.

I'd recommend Chez Bruce or La Trompette, always dependable Michelin starred food (Lets face it La Trompette deserved a star this year, that decision was worse that the Roy Jones Jnr fight result on Saturday night in Las Vegas).

[MobyP]

The Atlantic would be fine for a dinner fall-back plan - or a drink and/or lunch if you were in the area - but if you only have a week, I'm not sure you should put it on the 'A' list.

I suggest Tom Aikens. Exquisite meal and service, although a couple of people here have had mixed affairs - I'm hoping it was due to its recent opening.

And the Pied a Terre - a few people have had pretty nasty experiences - you should read the threads if you have time.

Chez Bruce, though a bit of a travel, hits the pleasure centers.

And Patiss. Valerie - well - it's a bit standard. If you had an 'A' list place near you, I'm sure it would be fair competition (I'm off to Paris this weekend to track down the Pierre Herme place - then I'll know what I'm talking about!)

If you're really into food, as opposed to just eating, Borough market is a pretty cool destination. Though some of us try to get in and out before others.

Best of luck.

[Scott]

Pied A Terre was terrible on my visit a couple of weeks ago - certainly not living up to its billing as a Michelin 2 star.

Matthew, be fair

there is a clearly a polemic dichotomy between what one group of egulleteers prefer, over another.

witness PDT vs Putney Bridge.

[circeplum]

i'd avoid the seafresh in wilton road - the fish'n'chips ain't bad, but it's a gloomy old dump of a place. geales in notting hill is more fun and a real institution.

also, i'd swap your categories for locanda locatelli and andrew edmunds: edmunds is an informal, smokey media soho hangout; locatelli is drop-dead glam and just about as hard to get into as the ivy - but i reckon the first-class italian cooking repays the effort.

m

[Suzi Edwards]

you might want to think about st john bread and wine over st john. lots of people seem to prefer the newer one, and they team seem to be putting a bit more effort into the new venture at the moment.

i'd personally avoid the ivy (and the point about not recognising the 'slebs there is a good one!) but if you want to go they do run a waiting list and seem pretty good at following up to those people on it.

[Andy Lynes]

Dinner in Kensington, South Kensington - somewhere close. I'm thinking of La Poule au Pot or Isola which is in Knightsbridge. I'd like to be at the restaurant

by 7:00, - trying to not be out too late.

Could consider either Racine (cheap) or Bibendum (expensive).

Monday

Head for the West End for a quick lunch en route to Peter Pan at 2:30PM.

Lovely early dinner - I am thinking of the restaurant at the OXO Tower for the city views

OXO Tower gets terrible reviews, could consider Rhodes Twenty Four on the 24th Floor of the Nat West Tower for probably better food and views.

Dinner some where at 9:30 to 10:00 PM. I'm thinking Restaurant 1837 at Brown's Hotel. Thursday, My sister's birthday

Chef Andrew Turner has left 1837 which has now become more of a standard brasserie. He is now at The Bentley

[Cusina]

This is excellent! Thank you all for your suggestions. Please feel free to keep commenting.

Here is what my revised list looks like.

Fine Dining:

+Tom Aikens

Bleeding Heart

+The Square

Andrew Edmonds, Soho

Atlantic Bar and Grill (lunch) - 20 glasshouse st., soho

Rules

+Woseley Cafe, piccadilly, new

Nahm, thai, ?? research more...

Locanda Locatelli, high end italian

+Chez Bruce

La Trompette

Bibedum

+1880, Bentley hotel

Mid-range

Providores-tapa - 109 marlebone high street

St. John Bread and Wine - English cuisine, lunch, aldgate tube stop across from spitalfields market

Chutney Mary (Sunday Brunch, Indian) 535 King's Road

Lemonia - greek

Racine - knightsbridge

Casual Food, Pubs, Etc...

Black Friar

The Albert

North Sea, (fish and chips)

Geales, notting hill

The Eagle

Patissierie Valerie, soho ??

Borough Market

[The Little Blue House]

Disaster of all disasters: Nobu is closed on my sister's birthday--which happens to be New Year's Day. Does anyone have a suggestion for a restaurant that might be open?

We are also having a lot of problems finding something for New Year's Eve, but I guess that is to be expected.

Thanks,

Emily

PS: Cusina, thanks for letting me co-opt small portions of your thread.... !

[balex]

Delete Rules and replace with either Wilton's or the Dorchester grill.

[tony h]

Fine Dining:

Ivy

Atlantic Bar and Grill (lunch) - 20 glasshouse st., soho

I think someone is having you on - these aren't fine dining places.

[Cusina]

Little blue house: you are very welcome! I'd be very happy to hear a good report of your trip when you return. Good luck with your New Year's search.

Lemon Higgins: I culled this list from a lot of different sources and somewhat haphazardly. I probably just put those two in that category based on the prices in a review and not knowing better. Thanks for correcting me. (I think Ivy is off my list anyhow. Doesn't really appeal after what I've been told of it. And the Atlantic has been demoted to a possible lunch spot if we are in the area rather than an "A list" destination.)

Balex: thanks for the tip about Rules. I was wondering about it. It sounded, from the article I read, like it might be "tourist bait" rather than actual food.

[David Dowell]

Andrew Edmunds is a great place with some of the best wine values around, i.e. very good wines for not much money (for London).

Good food from a short menu of starters & mains that changes frequently.

Small upstairs & downstairs seating in a comfortable setting that shows some age, but with a distinct charm.

Not, however, "fine" dining.

[balex]

Balex: thanks for the tip about Rules. I was wondering about it. It sounded, from the article I read, like it might be "tourist bait" rather than actual food.

Precisely. The other two are where English people (errr me anyway) go for trad English food in antrad setting. Actually, I haven't been to Wilton's since its makeover -- perhaps they have messed it up.

[Foodie_Penguin]

I think Lemonia is overhyped. It is good but I think part of the reason to dine there is to be seen with the "in crowd". I consider it too drafty in the restaurant too.

If you're in that part of London, why not go to Greek Valley in St. John's Wood. It's a more homely (in the British sense) restaurant. Their mezze dinner is superb as is their kleftico.

It's about 10 mins walk from St. John's Wood tube.

Foodie_Penguin

[Cusina]

Thanks all...

I wonder if there are more that I should add to my Pub list? I suppose that is a very subjective thing, but I'd love to hear some of your favorites.

[Cusina]

and to answer my own question... best london pubs thread

Sorry 'bout that.

Feel free to add more though.

[LittleSuperHero]

London has pretty decent Chinese food too! you shouldn't miss it !!

you might want to check out:

Four Seasons for its roast duck (yum yum)

Royal China for its dim sum (no bookings, just go on sunday, call to find out what time they open and get there half an hour before hand)

Mandarin Kitchen for its Lobster Noodles. (divine)

All are located in Bayswater.

All are maybe cheap to mid-range kind of pricing.

Patisserie Valerie - there are a few branches but the Soho one is the original and famousest one. 44 Old Compton Street.

I enjoyed going to SeaShells at Lisbon Grove for fish & chips but it's been a while since and I don't know how good it is now.

[tony h]

And the Atlantic has been demoted to a possible lunch spot if we are in the area rather than an "A list" destination.)

don't bother - its not even worth that

[Andy Lynes]

BLH - have you been since the change of chef?