I continue to indulge my anal retentive need to create lists, specifically lists with twelve things on them.
Thus, I give you (in no particular order) the list of twelve things you should aspire to eat while in London.
English Breakfast (1)
The English Breakfast comes in many forms. The important thing is to find a place that has great respect for the English Breakfast tradition. As has been made clear on this blog, we highly recommend Gino's, just across from the Marylebone train station. But I concede that there are *probably* other places in the city that offer a similar experience.
Afternoon Tea (2)
I don't care if you are a coffee drinker; you shall try a proper afternoon tea. We like the Wolesley for the fancy-schmancy version (at a fraction of the price offered by the Ritz), but you can find quality tea and scones in loads of places. I swear, tea here just tastes better than it does in the States.
I don't care if you are a coffee drinker; you shall try a proper afternoon tea. We like the Wolesley for the fancy-schmancy version (at a fraction of the price offered by the Ritz), but you can find quality tea and scones in loads of places. I swear, tea here just tastes better than it does in the States.
Gastropub Fare (3)
We don't really recommend pub grub in London, mostly because pub grub is just pub grub no matter where you are. But finding a fun gastropub is a whole other experience. We are fans of the Anchor and Hope, but arrive early to get a table.
We don't really recommend pub grub in London, mostly because pub grub is just pub grub no matter where you are. But finding a fun gastropub is a whole other experience. We are fans of the Anchor and Hope, but arrive early to get a table.
I had Indian food a total of one time before moving to London (at a well-reviewed place in DC). At the time, I thought the meal wasn't very good, so Indian food must not be very good, right? Wrong. I've seen the error of my ways, and we've explored Indian cuisine in a few neighborhoods. Honestly, we'd suggest seeking out your local place (we are huge fans of Bombay Spice in Marylebone), rather than traipsing all over London looking for "the best" (of which there are so many). But our other go-to recommendation for guests with theatre tickets is Dishoom, the upscale place for Indian food.
Thai is another cuisine available throughout London. Find it. Eat it. Love it.
Don't know what you want to eat? Saint Christopher's Place has just about everything. Some of it is a little too chain-y for us, but there are loads of options for eating, drinking, AND shopping. You can't go wrong.
Bumpkin (7)
Look at my restraint--I waited until number 7 to mention Bumpkin! We love taking guests to Bumpkin South Kensington, because it undoes all the terrible stereotypes about British food. The menu always offers the classics (various pies, fish and chips, etc.) alongside more inventive items like the smoked salmon with beetroot, celeriac, and apple cole slaw.
Golden Hind (8)
Speaking of classic British food, this is the place for fish and chips. I can't tell you how many times Tom has optimistically ordered the fish and chips at other restaurants, only to complain it isn't like the Golden Hind. Their menu sticks to what they do best, so variety is not an option here. But then, variety is unnecessary when all you need is a plate of haddock, chips, and mushy peas.
Relais de Venise (9)
Across the street from the Golden Hind, Relais de Venise always has a queue out the door and around the corner--but don't worry, the queue moves fast, because diners can't linger here. This place serves three things: a dressed salad, steak, and frites. Your only options for the evening are which wine you'd like and how well done you want your steak, which arrives in two courses (so it is served at the proper temperature, of course).
We've brought a bunch of Italian friends here, and they've all given Caldesi their stamp of approval. We recommend sitting in the downstairs cafe (the restaurant upstairs gets pricey), where you can order genuine Italian pasta to your heart's content.
We only just discovered Cork and Bottle in the last few months, but it's the place to go before a curtain. The wine list is superb with lots of bottles under 25 pounds. The food menu isn't extensive, but they have plenty of options. We like sharing the vegetarian platter.
Gordon’s Wine Bar (12)
Gordon's is just so fun on a nice evening after a long day of touring London. Their patio just off busy Villiers Street is peaceful with plenty of space to share a bottle.
P.S. To my knowledge, none of these places know that this blog exists. Just FYI.
You should try Mr Wu's buffet. Fantastic.
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