Help needed for a friend...

[Suzi Edwards]

Hey there,

I'm trying to stop a friend from going to Bertorellis. He's suggesting Cafe Des Amis instead which I recall as being not bad.

He's as tight as you like and a vegetarian so any suggestions for a reasonably priced lunch in Covent Garden?

Cheers my lovlies.

[endless autumn]

Sofra's OK and dirt cheap.

They should be OK for vegetarians given it's Turkish.

[jackal10]

Walk down to Chinatown, and eat Dim Sum at the New World. This was my preferred option when I had an office in Covent Garden.

Rock and Sole Plaice in Endell St for fish and Chips

Wagamama Tavistock St

and you are not that far from The Ivy, Lindsay House and so on.

[curlywurlyfi]

Sofra's OK and dirt cheap.

I second that. their 'healthy lunch' option (either vegetarian or carnivorous) is a tenner for more mezze than you can fit on the table.

even cheaper, but a bit of a walk, is the Buddhist caff up the top end of Soho Square. or the legendary Indian canteen under the YMCA on Tottenham Court Road (details escape me)?

cheapest of all is to buy nosh from M&S and sit on the cobbles to ingest, I suppose...

[Spam]

Incognico should be open after its summer holiday, and their set lunch at £12.50 is undeniably a bargain ...

[Winot]

There's a cafe that's meant to be quite good at the ROH end of Floral St. Looks quite upmarket. Funny name.

[Stigand]

I went to Cafe des Amis a while ago and liked it, especially by Covent Garden standards.

He wouldn't be too far from Gordons by Embankment station, so could pop in and have cheeses there - especially nice on either a very nice day so you can sit outside or a very bleak one where you can skulk Dickensianly in the vaults.

Has anyone tried the Iranian place (called Simurgh I think) opposite Hamburger Union (which would have been my first recommendation had it not been for veggie thing)on Garrick Street?

And (not a lunch option but worth putting in a list of Covent Garden recs) there's the BYO Indian restaurant upstairs in the Strand Palace hotel. Delicious and very cheap - and I'm sure they do veggie stuff.

For cheap Chinese in Chinatown I like Hing Loon, although I've never had the vegetarian stuff there. But this is a bit of a walk from CG.

Edited August 18, 2004 by Stigand (log)

[Suzi Edwards]

thanks everyone for their suggestions. i passed them onto john and will let you know where he ended up. sofra is edging it at the moment.

[Hallie]

Has anyone tried the Iranian place (called Simurgh I think) opposite Hamburger Union (which would have been my first recommendation had it not been for veggie thing)on Garrick Street?

Simurgh is good - though rather hit and miss at times. They do really nice grilled meats and Iranian stews. I particuarly like the rice that accompanies their main courses - orange, cardamon, cumin flavours make them quite unique. Its a good atmosphere and I would recommend a visit if you're in the area.

Generally, I've found Covent Garden quite a difficult place to find somewhere to eat - which is strange, as the location seems ideal for excellent restaurants to flourish.

[origamicrane]

ermmm isn't there a few really nice vegetarian place in neal street ?

"food for thought" and inside neal's yard behind the cheese shop there a south american veggy place that i remeber did this really tasty rice with veg thing.

also belgo has the most delicious mushroom aspargus and cream sauce in a puff pastry case and its huge

[squids]

thanks everyone for their suggestions. i passed them onto john and will let you know where he ended up. sofra is edging it at the moment.

any follow up?

[Suzi Edwards]

he went to cafe des amis and pronounced it "very nice"...sorry i don't have any more detail.