Quick bite near Tate Modern Museum

[Lesley C]

I'm looking for a good restaurant for lunch near the Tate Modern Museum.

Someone recommended the OXO Tower but I hear it's overpriced and not that good. Any recommendations?

[magnolia]

I'm looking for a good restaurant for lunch near the Tate Modern Museum.

Someone recommended the OXO Tower but I hear it's overpriced and not that good. Any recommendations?

If I'm not mixing it up with tate Britain, I believe there is a restaurant *in* the Tate Modern that is meant to be very good, I think I read about it in relation to its wine list, and is supposedly not that expensive. look on their website, it must say something.

[cabrales]

Lesley -- There are no acceptable gastronomic restaurants in the OXO tower, in my assessment. The gastronomic and bistro portions of Richard Neat's restaurant in the OXO tower closed, relativley quickly following its opening. If somebody suggested an OXO tower restaurant that was "overpriced", that was likely Neat.

[Lesley C]

Hmm. Is this a lousy area for restaurants? I don't think the museum restaurant will fit the ticket. Is there really nothing else? I thought the OXO Tower had a Conran restaurant in there somewhere and a brasserie?

[cabrales]

I thought the OXO Tower had a Conran restaurant in there somewhere and a brasserie?

Lesley -- OXO still has the following restaurants:

http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/scripts/restau...t.cgi?rest=1217

http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/scripts/restau...t.cgi?rest=1218

I am uncertain they would "fit the ticket" either. How far are you willing to travel away from the Tate?

[Steve Plotnicki]

Lesley C - It's about a mile and a half walk to Butler's Wharf where on a sunny day there are a number of Conran operated restaurants to go to. Pont de la Tour and the Butler's Wharf Chophouse being two of them. It might be easier to walk across the river on the footbridge but I have no idea where you end up and if it is near any good restaurants.

[Andy Lynes]

A walk across the footbridge brings you out at St Pauls. You are then a hop and a skip from Clerkenwell and the likes of St John, The Clerkenwell, Smiths of Smithfield, Maison Novelli, Club Gascon etc.

[yvonne johnson]

I recommend the restaurant in the Tate Modern. We had a nice, light lunch there. A salad, chicken tarragon, and I remember the wine as very decent . Good brown bread too. We could've gone for heavier dishes if we'd wanted. At the next table I saw some good-looking desserts also. It's a very large room, with lots of windows. If you're visiting the TM--a magnificent building--I can see no reason to go elsewhere.

[Lesley C]

Many thanks to all of you!

Looks like St-John might be the choice. The only problem with the museum restaurant is that you don't get that "restaurant and museum" day trip feeling. It's nice to make the trek to London for at least two very different experiences.

[cabrales]

Lesley -- Apologies if the answer to this question is obvious to everyone except me. However, why would you not be considering restaurants that are further away from the area where the museum is?

[John Whiting]

Over the years I've been very well served at RSJ on Coin Street, corner of Stamford. Set meals are good and offer three courses at under twenty pounds including coffee and service. It's about as close to the Tate Modern as you could ask for.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Lesley C - Does St. John do lunch? A bit heavy anyway. Let me add Moro to Andy's list as a light tapas luch could be in order.

[cabrales]

Steve P -- While Lesley might want to check, St John does lunch (at least some, if not all, weekdays). It's also possible to call the day of to see whether the menu (bar and restaurant areas have different versions) is subjectively appealing. The menu changes very frequently.

[Tonyfinch]

You could walk over the now non-wobbly Millennium Bridge into the City and go to Sweetings,an authentic "Fish Ordinary" out of Victorian times for a slap up fish lunch-not plush or comfortable but tremendously atmospheric.

Or you could try Conran's Le Coq D'Argent, near Bank, or The Don in St. Swithin's Lane where there's both a "Bistrot" and a "Fine Dining Restaurant" or 1, Lombard St., where there's also both.

[Miss J]

Many thanks to all of you!

Looks like St-John might be the choice. The only problem with the museum restaurant is that you don't get that "restaurant and museum" day trip feeling. It's nice to make the trek to London for at least two very different experiences.

In that case, you MUST go for a drink at least in the top floor restaurant. The views are stunning. (And so was the beetroot gravadlax I had, but that's another story...)

Miss J

[horton]

Baltic on Blackfriars Road has a excellent modern Polish food and a very reasonably priced set lunch. Well worth a try!

[Jon Tseng]

ooooh... tell us about baltic

have been meaning to go for ages but never get round to it... miss a bit of that old polish grub...

cheerio

j

[Gavin Jones]

I'd give it another go.

Decent blinis, vodka.

Big lump of pig - reasonably priced. Not a haute cuisine destination but a modern european (eastern section) London restaurant done better than some.

Actually I read your post as Balic.

Help - an eGullet themed restaurant.

What would it serve:

Chicken omelette

Belly Pork

Spleen & eyeball

Cholent

[Miss J]

have been meaning to go for ages but never get round to it... miss a bit of that old polish grub...

I have a few Polish friends who would fall over in astonishment if they heard you say that.

[Winot]

Can I put in a vote for Petit Robert? It's a French bistro in Park Street (the Borough market end) directly opposite Neal's Yard cheese shop. The closest I have found in London to a Parisian bistro; unfortunately at London prices. Good wine list and specialises in aged armagnac.

In fact we ate there the other night before an evening visit to "Matisse Picasso".

Give it a go!

[Miss J]

Has anyone been to Tas, on The Cut near Waterloo? It's supposed to do really good Turkish, but I've failed in three attempts to get a table without a reservation. (Which is a good sign, I suppose.)

[Winot]

Has anyone been to Tas, on The Cut near Waterloo? It's supposed to do really good Turkish, but I've failed in three attempts to get a table without a reservation. (Which is a good sign, I suppose.)

Yes Tas is excellent -- really high quality fresh ingredients and to my mind the best budget place in London. We usually go before a trip to the National Theatre or somesuch and are always told that we can't book -- until that is you tell them you want a table for 6pm to be out by 7pm. I think they've got a branch on Borough High St. also.

W.

[Thomas Secor]

Its not right on point, but if you are feeling parched either before or after the Tate Modern, or just need a little something extra to help you brave the Millenium Bridge, there is a Young's Pub about three hundred yards west of the museum, which is right on the river. The pub itself has nothing to recommend it (other than the Youngs' themselves), but if its a nice day, its a great place to sit outside. In fact, I dont think there is another locale I can think of where you can sit right on the river (all the others seem to be on the side of the promendade away from the river) and have a beer. There are nice big picnic benches and plenty of them.

I would not, however, suggest that you eat there. Although they do somewhat decent sandwiches if you are in a right state and your insulin level is dropping, and you cant make it anywhere else without something in your stomach (which happens to me occassionally).

[sarah w]

I work in this area and can recommend tas after several work meal visits and yes there is another branch on the borough high street

Also along the cut is a great tapas bar, Meson don felipe..lively and good quality tapas..can be booked b4 8pm..

Also if you want a quick taxi ride i would thoroughly recommend the lobster pot in kennington, fish,fish and seafood..Fun place,kitsch..

Finally on the walworth road-elephant and castle there is a good pizza

place called pizzeria castello..far nicer than you would expect for the area

have fun

sarah x

[Simon Majumdar]

I have always been very disappointed with the food at Don Felipe. I hear the ping of a micro wave far too often for my liking.

I like TAS, a decent turkish place on the cut, better for appetizers that mains.

There is a better Tapas place about two mins walk from Baltic called Ma I terra which I can recommend, the only place in london that can make a half decent Sol y Sombre.

I went to RJS the other day for lunch, the food was actively grim, but what a wine list!

Don't foget on the South Bank as well, there is a wine bar called the Archduke which is really rather good if old school. A bit of a walk from the Tate, but worth it.