Invading London

[Akiko]

So we're really coming. This Sunday, my husband and I are moving to London... never mind the fact that we don't have a place to live yet

We'll be spending the week in Marylebone at the Landmark and also large amounts of time in Borough where we'll be searching for a flat!

Does anyone have nearby restaurant recommendations? Last May we ate at both Providores and at Patisserie Valerie in Marylebone... we enjoyed both but would like to get more variety in there as all of our meals that first week will be eaten out!

Thanks,

Akiko

[Tonyfinch]

Well you can fall out of your room into John Burton Race at The Landmark,probably London's most expensive restaurant. Still you'll save on bus fares. Let us know what its like.

[Gavin Jones]

There is a small french restaurant called Le Petit Robert opposite Neal's Yard dairy off Borough Market (& next to the Borough cafe).

If you're flat hunting fill up at the latter before the trek round awful locations and then go & drink well priced wine & armagnac at the former (& get some ok french cooking). Take the cheese home.

Tas down the road towards Elephant & Castle is worth a look (Eastern Med cooking). Have a drink in the George & the Market Porter.

[Kikujiro]

Haven't been to Ibla on Marlybone High St but always wanted to; it comes highly recommended. Providores is also good for brunch.

There's also Villandry on Great Portland St. I'm not sure it's worth the price (ate there recently and was vaguely underwhelmed by my lamb -- very fresh but hardly exciting in flavour -- as opposed to say Alistair Little, great again tonight) but the room is great, and you might run into Ian McEwan buying vegetables ...

You're near-ish to Queensway (Royal China for dim sum; Mandarin Kitchen for seafood); Purple Sage on Wigmore St (allegedly decent if unremarkable chain Italian; never been). And all those Middle Eastern places around Edgware Road.

Borough: food market great, restaurant scene less so. But walk over the millennium bridge and you're not too far from Moro, St John, Smiths, Eyre Bros., Club Gascon, etc. etc.

[edit confession: seems I can't spell millennium]

[Simon Majumdar]

Just off Marylebone High St is a place called Tagine. It is a very simple and cheap place and well worth trying.

Short cab ride from Borough, you can get to Ma I Terra on Gambia St, the most consistent tapas place in town.

You can also try the Honest Cabbage in borough which is a fairly straightforward bistro but very nice for a Sunday lunch ( i have not been for a while, so I don't know if it is as good as it was )

S

[Gavin Convery]

There is the Orrery on Marylebone High St. - Conran's best (michelin-starred) restaurant - depends on whether you hate Conran or not but the food is fine.

Near Borough Market is Vinopolis which is not so good for food but they have lots of wines by the glass and a big Majestic Wine for stocking up at....and there's always Pizza Express under London Bridge.

[magnolia]

Near your hotel: La Galette - cheap and cheerful and good for crèpes and cider, a little taste of faux France...Also has anyone mentioned Maison Blanc or Paul - both head and shoulders above Pâtisserie Valerie for baked goods and pâtisserie.

[kitwilliams]

Further to Magnolia's posting on bread & pastry...you are only a short tube ride to both Baker & Spice (Queen's Park) and Lisboa Patisserie (Westbourne Park and thank you once again, Magnolia, for introducing me to this great little hang out!). Baker & Spice - pricey, Lisboa Patisserie - just the opposite!

[Akiko]

Many thanks for all the suggestions.

Simon, is Tagine the same as Original Tagines? I put it into the search engine on Squaremeal.co.uk to find the address and that is what came up. Although I'm none the wiser as to where dorset street hits marylebone high street...

Gavin, we'll definitely try Tas and Kikujiro, we'll try Ibla and I'll report back to you about the meal.

Kit and Magnolia... can you give me directions? I put Baker & spice as well as Lisboa Patisserie and Maison Blanc and Paul into the squaremeal... and nothing came up.

Thanks again....

Akiko

[Simon Majumdar]

Simon, is Tagine the same as Original Tagines?  I put it into the search engine on Squaremeal.co.uk to find the address and that is what came up.  Although I'm none the wiser as to where dorset street hits marylebone high street...

It is

I can never remember exactly. I just potter up there when pissed

S

[Kikujiro]

Haven't been to Ibla on Marlybone [i.e., Marylebone] High St but always wanted to; it comes highly recommended.

Whoops. Looks like it may be too late now. I walked past Ibla today and looked at the menu. The chef has changed (was Stefano Frigerio, now Nigel Someone) and the menu (set £25) is vastly less interesting than it once was. So now I'll never know what it was once like.

Akiko: if you've already tried it based on my last post -- sorry, not what I thought it was. Matthew Fort got there in time, though as far as I can see neither Maschler nor our own JR did; maybe we should blame the critics for their lack of interest

[Tyke]

You could always try School Dinners at the bottom end of Baker St, not for the food but the scenery is great

Maybe it might be one for your hubby to try on his own (if you know what I mean).

[Akiko]

Kikujiro,

I actually meant to PM you about that and then so much time had elapsed, I couldn't remember the meal well enough to it justice.

I want to thank you even though it wasn't what we expected the meal was excellent.

Ibla, is no longer Italian but it is very good British food. The service is excellent, the details of the decor and place setting (down to the embroidered napkins) were also stylishly set.

Nigel did justice to pea and mint soup, perfect lamb (although out of season, it was some of the most tender spring lamb tasting lamb that I've ever had). My husband had something... that I can no longer recall but we were very happy eating it....

I really should have written you when I could remember the meal in better detail. I would still put it on your "to go" list.

They really should change the logo and name though, somehow Ibla no longer fits.

[Chaz]

As an SE1 resident here are a couple of other suggestions in the Borough area:

Tentazioni in Mill Street, near Shad Thames is an excellent and little known Italian in SE1. I had a superb meal there recently and the place gets good ratings in both the Harden's and Zagat 2003 guides.

Also very well rated in Harden's and Zagat is Champor-Champor in Weston Street close to London Bridge Station. In fact Champor-Champor is rated overall top restaurant in the £30-39 price category in the Harden's 2003.

Baltic, just opposite Southwark tube station on Blackfriars Road, has improved quite a bit since it opened and does decent (Polish) food in a stylish ambience.

So, it seems there are some decent places in the Borough/Bermondsey/Southwark vicinity after all...

[Chaz]

Oh yes, and how could I have forgotten Delfina in Bermondsey Street? Sadly it is only open to the public for lunch.

[Akiko]

Thanks Chaz,

You are the second person to recommend The Baltic to me (Simon Majumdar was the first), so we're going to go for dinner and drinks tomorrow night.

Do you have any recommendations?

[Simon Majumdar]

Great vodkas ( natch ) - try some of their infused ones. They do a great warm plum one which they infuse by placing the bottle in a baby bottle warmer. There is one guy there whose name I don't know, but ask for the Crystal Palace fan! who knows every thing about vodka and if you ask him to suggest, he always comes up trumps.

For food, try and stick to a mix of starters which to my mind are much better than the main courses.

Stick with beer to drink, they have a great selection

S

[tony h]

DO NOT EAT AT JOHN BURTON-RACE

Sorry for the dramatics but it truly is one the most over inflated places on earth. The food is very expensive and, in my opinion, fucking awful.

[Andy Lynes]

A recent bad experience? Details please if you would.

[Tonyfinch]

I see JBR at The Landmark is not included in the new Time Out guide. Serious demotion as this is a widely consulted guide,apparently.

Mind you,their inclusion policy is mysterious. They have never included Petit Robert, or The Don, or Quadrato (an excellent up-scale Italian in the Four Seasons hotel at Canary Wharf-although they do include the same hotel's pretentious Ubon). I couldn't see Angel Mangal either.

[Kikujiro]

DO NOT EAT AT JOHN BURTON-RACE

BLH,

JBR is nominated for a family Christmas meal. Please do elaborate ...

[Gavin Convery]

So, it seems there are some decent places in the Borough/Bermondsey/Southwark vicinity after all...

I would also recommend Arancia which is on Southwark Park Road - there is something very unprepossesing about this place from the outside (and perhaps the inside too) but the food without being at all gourmet has a certain downbeat charm - it's all italian, the wine list is cheap and you can get 3 courses at lunch for £10.50.

[Simon Majumdar]

I am going to take a date to Baltic tonight for a few Vodkas, then afterwards to the rather nice Tapas place Ma Iterra ( sp?) on Gambia St ( er, I think )

I like this place. There is never a "ping" from a microwave, everything is freshly prepped. The wine list is interesting and they know how to make a proper Sol Y Sombre.

After that, I shall no doubt take her to heaven and back. Yeah right, in some bizarro world perhaps.

S

[Winot]

After that, I shall no doubt take her to heaven and back.

The gay night club, yes?

[Simon Majumdar]

of course, of course

If its Thursday, it must be bumless chaps night

S