Where to.. in London

[Bluebell72]

For an evening meal, I like to go to the Mango Room http://www.mangoroom.co.uk/ in Camden Town.

The website makes it look a bit poncy, but I've had some brilliant meals there. The goat curry is their famous thing and I would recommend it. Anything they cook is great, actually.

 

[CharlesF]

Hi guys

A huge thank you to everyone for the inspired suggestions, we would have to stay for months to try them all!

So where ever we are in the evening, we will choose a pub or restaurant from the list that is close to us. A special thanks to AW for the expert list, and I will read your blog. TTcycle, our budget would be £25pp for an evening meal.

 

[Paulus]

Doric Arch - Euston station

A superb pub, with connections to all places.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Another endorsement for Sam Smiths. The Old Brewery Bitter is a good call but give the bottled beers a try too. Old Brewery Pale, Nut Brown Ale, Taddy Porter and the Oatmeal Stout are all excellent.

I wouldn't dismiss the Weatherspoons houses either. Always a good choice of well kept beer and the food, while formulaic, is well cooked and presented at incredible prices for Central London. My work 'local' the Knight's Templar on Carey Street is a former banking hall with incredible trompe l'oeil artwork on the ceiling. Several others are similar.

The Seven Stars further down Carey St used to be good, an early gastro pub, but not sure it's kept up with the times. Good for people watching round the Law Courts and Lincoln's Inn though!!

 

[srw]

Another endorsement for Sam Smiths.

Why go to London and drink gassy over-chilled keg bitter brewed in Yorkshire? None of the Sam Smiths pubs I've been in have served cask beer. Go to any old Youngs or Fullers pub instead - they're all over the place. Proper London beer served in the proper manner at the proper temperature.

 

[Bromptonaut]

SRW I think you're mixing Sam Smith's with John Smith's.

John Smith's is chilled keg pi** from an industrial brewery. Sam Smith's is traditionally brewed by a family firm and served from the cask http://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk/. I suspecy Sam and John were related but parted company many, many years ago.

There are some decent beers in London but as a Yorkie it's nice to find somewhere that gives a taste of home.

 

[TheBoyBilly]

Lord John Russell in Marchmont Street (near St.Pancras) has a good selection of ales and a fair few Malts. The food is very good too, with sizeable portions
But I have to agree that the Princess Louise in Holborn is superb.

 

[Globalti]

The Princess Louise in Holborn was good when I used to drink there in the early 80s.

Is the very good Chelsea Kitchen in King's Road still going? Google says it has moved to Fulham Road: http://www.london-eating.co.uk/344.htm

 

[srw]

SRW I think you're mixing Sam Smith's with John Smith's.

John Smith's is chilled keg pi** from an industrial brewery. Sam Smith's is traditionally brewed by a family firm and served from the cask http://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk/. I suspecy Sam and John were related but parted company many, many years ago.

No, no confusion. I've been into the Three Hogsheads in Oxford and hte Cittie of Yorke in London. Neither had anything draft on a pump, just a row of keg taps. I ended up drinking their wheat beer.

It was also a Sam Smiths pub - in Soho, of all places - that got into the news recently for banning a gay couple after they had a kiss.

If I were in York, I'd look for Yorkshire beer. But when in London, stick to the local breweries. I'd recommend the Counting House on Cornhill or the Lamb in Leadenhall Market.

 

[swee'pea99]

+1 for the Lamb & Flag in Covent Garden. It's tucked away a bit, so gets less of the passing/tourist trade, which means that most nights if you want one, you can get a seat upstairs. Aldo generally has some good beers on tap - Youngs, Hophead, Bombardier, Directors, Harveys - they change, but there's always half a dozen in the bottom bar and two or three upstairs.

As for food, you can generally rely on a Pizza Express - they're all over town. Not brilliant, but a perfectly good meal at a (for Central London) reasonable price. As long as you like pizza or pasta!

 

[ttcycle]

£25 per head.
Oh that gives you loads of options in that case(that is without alcohol I asssume?)

Do try the Busaba Eathai thai restaurants

The nicer quality Chinese Restaurants in Chinatown are:
The Royal China, Jade Garden, The Imperial around the side street, Joy King Lau (I think that's what it's called)
Satsuma - Japanese in Soho
There's a great bread place in Soho - forgot what it's called but it's along Wardour St towards the soho end
There's standard chains like Wagamama's, pasta joints etc all over the place

Really great tapas places one in Waterloo on the Cut - Maison don Felipe
Lovely little french restaurant in Soho called Pierre Victoire
Great lunchtime options = Le Pain Quotidien - cakes, tarts, posh sarnies etc
A really nice Tapas place off Charlotte street - Navarros (I think this might be a tad overbudget) but they do these lovely garlic potatoes...mmm. You always need to book though as it gets very busy in there.
There's a place called New Culture Revolution on Southampton St- Holborn that does Chinese cuisine

Loads more but that's some to look into I suppose.

 

[Alan Whicker]

No, no confusion. I've been into the Three Hogsheads in Oxford and hte Cittie of Yorke in London. Neither had anything draft on a pump, just a row of keg taps. I ended up drinking their wheat beer.

It was also a Sam Smiths pub - in Soho, of all places - that got into the news recently for banning a gay couple after they had a kiss.

If I were in York, I'd look for Yorkshire beer. But when in London, stick to the local breweries. I'd recommend the Counting House on Cornhill or the Lamb in Leadenhall Market.

Not all of Sam Smith London pubs have Old Brewery Bitter on handpump, but the ones I quoted above (including the Cittie of Yorke) all do. In fact, I think I'm right in saying it's drawn from oak casks.

(Youngs is now brewed in Bedford, not London - but I see your point).

 

[Andy in Sig]

The Princess Louise in Holborn was good when I used to drink there in the early 80s.

Is the very good Chelsea Kitchen in King's Road still going? Google says it has moved to Fulham Road: http://www.london-eating.co.uk/344.htm

I used to drink there in the early 80s too! They always had good guest beers, if memory serves.

 

[Spy]

Pubs. My favourite subject. I'm a pub bore. I even write a blog about them.
One of the best pubs in Britain is The Harp, just off Charing Cross road near Trafalgar Square post office. Supremely good ales, first-class service, sausage sarnies. Gets busy but worth it (also an upstairs that nobody notices and is usually empty). This is my favourite pub in central London. I've been dozens and dozens of times and loved every visit.

There's also the Mitre, down an alley off Hatton Garden at the Holborn Circus end. Look for the Bishops Mitre on the lamp post.......

Wow, impressed with your knowledge of London taverns !

I am thinking of doing teh LCC Summer Ride (from Jubilee Gardens to Greenwich) at the end of the month, details here LCC Summer Ride

Where would you recommend stopping off for a good pint and bite to eat ?

 

[XmisterIS]

Whenever I go to london, I tend to take a pack lunch ... I find it incredible that I can buy Hampshire Aaaaam'shur cheese from the local farm shop for £1.50 for a large block of the stuff and then a fresh baked loaf and some fresh-picked tomatoes for a pittance, yet I see the same thing made into a sandwich in some swanky deli in central London, advertised as "proper rural cheese and tomato", or some such nonsense, for some astonishing price like £10!