London Food-Restaurants

London Food-Restaurants information

English

Rules *** 35 Maiden Lane, WC2. Tube: Covent Garden Tel: +44 (0)20-7836-5314 Established by Thomas Rule in 1798, this is London's oldest restaurant. The food is classic British, and the service, atmosphere and overall experience make for a very memorable meal. Specialities are venison, steak and kidney pie, oysters and puddings. Simpson's-in-the-Strand *** 100 Strand, WC2. Tube: Charing Cross Tel: +44 (0)20-7836-9112 Oak-panelled English excellence - Simpson's serves top-class traditional cuisine in sumptuous surroundings. St John ** 26 St John St, EC1. Tube: Farringdon Tel: +44 (0)20-7251-0848 Trendy and friendly restaurant serving offal, pig's ear and other unlikely delicacies St John has become a favourite with the media types and bright young things of the vibrant Clerkenwell area. Medieval Banquet ** Ivory House, St Katharines Dock, E1. Tube: Tower Bridge Tel: +44 (0)20-7480-5353 As much entertainment as it is a dining experience, the Medieval Banquet transports you to olde worlde England where you dine in medieval surroundings, complete with generous trenchers of food and foaming jugs of ale. The all inclusive banquet includes the floor show entertainment, a real "knight" to remember. Hit the price tag for GBP5 off the standard banquet price.

European

Belgo Centraal ** 50 Earlham St, WC2. Tube: Covent Garden Tel: +44 (0)20-7813-2233. Belgian eating, monastery style. This large and often noisy basement restaurant offers mussels, chips and much more alongside an outstanding selection of beers and schnapps. The Eagle ** 159 Farringdon Rd, EC1. Tube: Farringdon Tel: +44 (0)20-7837-1353. This classic pub has developed quite a reputation for superb European modern cuisine. Le Pont de la Tour *** 36D Shad Thames, Butlers Wharf, SE1. Tube: London Bridge/Tower Hill Tel: +44 (0)20-7403-8403. Excellent cuisine, an extensive wine list and an unsurpassed view of Tower Bridge make the exorbitant prices worthwhile for that special occasion.

American

Planet Hollywood ** Trocadero, 13 Coventry St. Tube: Piccadilly Circus Tel: +44 (0)20-7287-1000 Generous portions from the American-style menu are generally worth the prices. It is a fun atmosphere, with some impressive movie memorabilia, and children are made to feel welcome. Hit the price tag icon for a discount on any meal purchased.

Fish

Livebait ** 43 The Cut, SE1. Tube: Waterloo Tel: +44 (0)20-7928-7211. Slightly trendy place but very tasty fish - with a great selection of baked in-house breads to offset the marvellous flavours. Handily located near the Eurostar terminal at Waterloo, Livebait is ideal for those just arriving in London from the continent or those about to leave. There is also a branch in Covent Garden. (Tel: +44 (0)20-7836-7161). Zilli Fish *** 36-40 Brewer St, W1. Tube: Leicester Square Tel: +44 (0)20-7734-8649. One of the best seafood restaurants in London. The superlative food and attentive service attract a buzzing media crowd to this highly popular restaurant in the heart of gentrified Soho. The house speciality is seafood risotto, while the tiramisu is a sound choice for dessert.

Bangladeshi

Numerous*: Brick Lane Area Tube: Aldgate East/Liverpool St London has a lively and historic Bangladeshi quarter centred on Brick Lane, where a bustling market is held every Saturday from 05h30. The streets are lined with good-value balti restaurants with amiable touts making extraordinary claims to get you in their premises.

Asian

Tokyo Diner * 2 Newport Place, WC2. Tube: Leicester Square Tel: +44 (0)20-7287-8777. Located on the edge of China Town, this simple restaurant caters to an even mix of British regulars and Japanese students, often seen queuing outside on a Friday night. The service is friendly and quick, and the food is above average. A little cramped, very popular and handily located for all the other attractions of the West End. Itsu ** 103 Wardour St, W1. Tube: Oxford Circus / Piccadilly Circus Tel: +44 (0)20-7479-4790. Perfect sushi and innovative dishes are enjoyed in the funky, intimate atmosphere of this essential Soho eatery. Help yourself to warm saké or cold beers; press the red button for efficient attention. Try the excellent meso soup to start, and the wonderful crème brûlée to finish. Yo Sushi! ** 52 Poland St, W1. Tube: Oxford Circus Tel: +44 (0)20-7287-0443. Sushi rotates on conveyor belts in front of you, as you sit on high stools. Plates are colourcoded which means that you simply pluck what you want from the conveyor, and pay according to how many plates you stack up at the end. Eccentric, functional and good fun. This is the original outlet although now you will find Yo Sushi!s of various sizes located throughout the city.

Vegetarian

Mildred's * 45 Lexington St, W1. Tube: Oxford Circus / Piccadilly Circus Tel: +44 (0)20-7494-1634. Long-running, inexpensive and very popular, Mildred's blends good service with a varied menu of well-executed veggie favourites.

Bars

London's bar scene has evolved from the ubiquitous pub toward a more funky, idiosyncratic lifestyle environment, tucked away in side-street venues. Three main central areas for evening drinking are Clerkenwell, the West End, and Soho but you won't be caught short no matter where or when you're seeking liquid sustenance. There is currently a rash of chain pubs all over the city including names such as All Bar One, Hogshead and the Slug and Lettuce. These tend to be rather featureless pubs of bland appearance, and although the food and drink on offer are of a good standard, prices tend to be slightly high for a pub (although low for a "trendy" bar). You shouldn't be fooled into thinking that a visit to one of these represents an English "pub" experience. The same can be said of the other chains in the city such as O'Neill's (Irish), the Walkabout (Australian) and most outlets owned by the ubiquitous JD Wetherspoons (the equivalent of a pub supermarket - great value and reliable but not somewhere you'd particularly choose to spend an evening). Soho and Central From infamously seedy to terminally hip - Soho has been reborn in recent years as a centre for London nightlife and now features many popular and trendy bars. Good evidence of this is the eccentric Garlic & Shots which pioneers Transylvania cool (14 Frith St, W1), while Pop attracts a hip crowd of friendly trendies (14 Soho St, W1). Soho is also home to the majority of London's gay bars. Head for the area around Old Compton Street, and you'll find a whole host of gay and lesbian bars and pubs. Round the corner in Wardour Street is the friendly café/bar Freedom (no. 60), packed and lively Village Soho (no. 81) and the popular Friendly Society (no. 79). To find a more traditional hostelry you should really head out of Soho to more central areas. A Victorian pub with a lot of style is the Salisbury, located just behind Leicester Square tube. Recently subject to a lavish and expensive refurbishment the nouveau light fittings are a treat and the pub looks tremendously authentic (90 St Martins Lane, WC2). Venture to Covent Garden to find the distinctive Lamb & Flag (33, Rose St, WC2) - three centuries old and still dispensing real ale. Although undeniably authentic the basic interior isn't to everyone's taste. Between Covent Garden and the Strand you'll find a selection of bars including the Porterhouse (21 Maiden Lane, WC2) a modern Irish brew-pub that also does excellent food. Other venerable names around here include The Chandos (29 St Martin's Lane, WC2), one-time favourite haunt of the theatre set. West End Within easy walking distance of Piccadilly Circus, On Anon is a multi-levelled bar with eight theme areas (London Pavilion, W1). Nearby Tiger Tiger adopts a similar approach with different areas catering to your moods (29 Haymarket, SW1). A good midweek bet is the ever-popular Jerusalem, with its tiny dance floor and unique atmosphere (33-34 Rathbone Place, W1). Just off Shaftesbury Avenue, Waxy O'Connor's Irish bar (14 Rupert St, W1) is a surprisingly massive place hiding behind a tiny entrance on Rupert Street. Descend through the middle level with a full-sized tree in it to the labyrinthine bars downstairs, full of nooks and crannies, but always crowded. For a traditional English pub, try the Red Lion, 400 years old and holder of London's second oldest beer licence (23 Crown Passage, SW1). Clerkenwell and The City Match, voted 1999 London Bar of the Year, is hip and stylish (45-47 Clerkenwell Rd, EC1). Smiths of Smithfield meanwhile is an innovative multi-level food and drink emporium, converted from a warehouse situated opposite the meat market (67-77 Charterhouse St, EC1). Nearby Fluid is the place for sushi and retro arcade culture (40 Charterhouse St, EC1). Alternatively try Bed for a really laid-back evening in its Moroccan influenced ambience (57 Charterhouse St, EC1). For pool tables, beanbags and an effortlessly hip clientele try out Clerkenw

Recommended Pubs

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Wine Office Court, 145 Fleet Street, EC4. Underground: St. Paul's/Blackfriars, Phone: 020 7353 6170. Frequented by Samuel Johnson and Charles Dickens in their time, this pub, established in 1667, remains the most famous of the City pubs. The Grenadier 18 Wilton Row, SW1. Underground: Hyde Park Corner, Phone: 020 7235 3074. This supposedly haunted pub hosts an interesting tradition of drinking Bloody Marys on Sunday. Nag's Head 10 James St., WC2. Underground: Covent Garden, Phone: 020 7836 4678 One of the most famous Edwardian pubs, the Nag's Head is very popular with young people currently. The Dove 19 Upper Mall. W6. Underground: Hammersmith, Phone: 020 8748 5405. Very scenic and atmospheric riverside pub boasts of famous ex-regulars such as Charles II and Ernest Hemingway. The Cow 89 Westbourne Park Rd., W2. Underground: Westbourne Grove, Phone: 020 7221 0021 Frequented by fashionable Londoners. The King's Head and Eight Bells 50 Cheyne Walk, SW3. Underground: Sloane Square, Phone: 020 7352 1820 Home to a splendid antiques display. Lamb & Flag 33 Rose St., WC2. Underground: Leicester Square, Phone: 020 7497 9504. A venue for bare-knuckle boxing in days of yore. Spaniard's Inn Spaniards Rd., NW3. Underground: Hampstead, Phone: 020 7455 3726. Rich with historical literary associations, this pub was frequented by Shelley, Keats, Byron and is the scene for a famous tea party in Dickens' Pickwick Papers. Black Friar 174 Queen St., EC4. Underground: Blackfriars, Phone: 020 7236 5650. London's only Art Nouveau pub hosts spectacular marble friezes portraying monks in its marble interior. Bunch of Grapes St. Thomas St., SE1. Underground: Covent Garden, Phone: 020 7836 4108. A traditional pub, its has been popular since Victorian times