This article is written by Cyrus Dadachanji, an avid food journalist, storyteller, non-fiction film and TV scriptwriter, researcher, advertising copywriter and poet, based in Mumbai
If you thought dining out in London meant eating Fish ‘n’ Chips, you’re in for the surprise of your life!
Welcome to London. A bustling, throbbing megapolis that is a delight for the senses in every sense of the word. If you love food, this is the city of your dreams. Name any cuisine and you’ll find it here. Not surprpising that the humble Indian Chikken Tikka has been voted as the most popular dish in Britain. That in itself says a lot for the adventurous nature of the British palate, tired of being brought up on a diet of bland roasted food. The new mantra in London seems to be… the more exotic the better. And restauraunteers have taken traditonal British hospitality to its logical end, falling over backwards to cater to these newly evolved tastebuds. So, let’s go on a gastronomical tour de force of London’s restaurants, one cuisine at a time.
When in Britain… well if you followed that dictum, you’d probably end up eating almost everything except British food. However, food represents the nature of a country and its people, lets tuck in to a little Brit grub, to begin with. Britain lives in its pubs and that’s where you’ll nvariably find the best pub grub. Check out The Anglesea Arms near the Ravenscourt Park tube station. This is one of the few pubs to have a Michelin star (which is the highest rating for resaturants in Britain). You can have a good meal for around 12 – 15 £. With dishes like calves’ liver, which melts in the mouth, the food is nothing short of adventurous and consistently good. Try having two starters instead of a main course and you’ll never be disappointed. Not for nothing has the Anglesea Arms has been voted s one of the best Value for Money establishments in the city. If you’re in the mood for some excellent roast duck, drop in at The Chiswick, near the Turnham Green Tube station. It’s a modern sort of restaurant with a pleasant amibience and an excellent selection of of new world wines, making it the perfect place to sup one evening.
While Mackintosh’s near Turnham Green station is a great place to take the kids along Try their Eggs Benedict and Curried Potatoes for a hearty Sunday Brunch. You can give the kids bowls of pasta to mess around with – and the restaurant stocks crayons so they can draw on the paper tablecloths! Stick to the food here and the ales; don’t experiment with the cocktails. Of course, in most British resturants, you’ll find the typical pot roast, steak and kidney pie and the ever popular fish ‘n’ chips or kippers (mackerel)… but there are many more culinary delicacies waiting to be discovered.
“The nice thing about dining out in London however is that there are restaurants to suit every budget, even among what may be called speciality resturants.”
Steak & Kidney Pie
For those who like their food lightly flavoured, with a hint of herbs, London has a fine selection of European and French restaurants. The nice thing about dining out in London however is that there are restaurants to suit every budget, even among what may be called speciality resturants. What’s more, most resturants, especially the Continental ones create an ambience of sophistication, blended with authentic décor. So tuck in your serviettes messeieurs and take a seat, while the aromas of Europe tease you and the food tittilates your tastebuds. But be sure to book a table well in advance, for some exclusive restaurants have a 6 week waiting list!
Granita, near Angel Tube Station all the makings of a terrific restaurant. The ambience is perfect, the service, impeccable and the food, simply divine. A mouth watering menu is backed up by perfect service. If you’re a vegetarian and wondering wheteher you should step in, there’s a good range of vegetarian dishes that are equally inspiring. But just make sure you call up and book a table, because Granita is very popular with the people in the neighbourhood.
Step out of London proper to the neigbouring borough of Kent and you can dine under the stars, with a gurgling brook serenading you as you tuck into your meal. Welcome to the Haxted Riverside Brasserie near Haxted, Edenbridge (main line). Few restaurants can beat the Brasserie in terms of ambience, service and the quality of the food served here. What’s more, the locale and the climate give your appetite the boost it will need to knock off the huge portions. Back in the city, The Abingdon is a trendy bar and restaurant nestled behind Kensinghton High street. The bar is spacious with seating at round tables and the ideal place for a drink if your table is not ready. The restaurant has quiet booths which are very comfortable and intimate, but still alow you to see what’s going on around you. The menu changes regularly, so you never know what you may find on your nextt visit. For starters, try the mussels mariniere and carpaccio of beef with a walnut dressing. The Abingdon has an exotic menu which includes Grilled noisettes of lamb with mustard sauce, brochette of scallops and squid with lemon tagliatelle and rabbit pie. They have a lemon creme brulee and rice pudding with berry compote on the desert list and both are simply out of this world… as is most of the food served here. So, if you’d like to taste European food, as it really should be cooked, the Abingdon is your best bet.
London has many European restaurants worth visiting – it just depends on which part of the city you are in and what your budget is. On an average most good restaurants will charge around 3 -5 Pounds for a starter and around 10 – 15 Pounds for a main course.
Brochette of scallops and squid
If you’re in Croydon, drop in at Bistro Mania. The restaurant has quite a few interesting dishes on the menu and the service and atmosphere is excellent. For those of you who are tired of seeing the same old dishes on restaurant menus, the Polygon near Clapham Common stattion has quite a few surprises up its sleeve. The restaurant also has a great wine list and meals are great value for money. The Bank, near Hollborn Tube station is a huge, lively restaurant with a wide selection of starters and main courses at varying prices. So you can be sure you’ll get a decent meal here, no matter what your budget.
Nowhere in Europe are pan-European flavours represented in such profusion as they are in London. For authentic French cuisine, step into Le Bouchon Bordelais near Clapham Junction (main line). The ambience of the resturant is so French, you really could be in France. The bar area is typically French and the menu compliments the rustic atmosphere. The servings are really huge and most starters seem like the main course itself and the food is simply excellent. The only drawback is that it’s a little cramped inside, so pray for good weather and dine al fresco on the balcony. If you really want to treat yourself, have a meal at Le Palais Du Jardin near Charing Cross stattion. The restaurant has a rather intersting mix of starters and main courses, although the restaurant is best known for its seafood.eating area is spacious. For starters try the Goats Cheese or the Salmon with Sour Cream on Brioche. The seafood and steaks are excellent. The service is in true French style-very, very laid back, so you might as well relax and enjoy your meal.
Chez Max near Earls Court station sounds very much like a pretentious American run French restaurant, but don’t let th name fool you. This is a true blue French eatery, which probably gives the best value for money among all the French restaurants in London. Try the leek and potato soup accompanied by the chef’s home made olive bread. If your there at lunch time, opt for the lighter menu which includes delicacies like green leaf and goats cheese salad, or penne with spinach and parmesan in a white sauce Other plus points include the possibility of ordering almost anything on the wine list in small carafes or by the half bottle. Vegetarians will love Chez Max‘s exhaustive vegtarian menu, while there are enough fish, game and other meat dishes to satisfy the carnivores. All in all, Chez Max is a great place for a quiet lunch or a long lingering evening meal.
Still hugry for some more Continental delicacies. Let’s move over to Spain and Italy, where everything is sensual ..including the cuisine. London has more than its fair share of Spanish and Italian reastaurants, vying to outdo each other with their fare and festivities.
Flamenco near Sloane Square station (main line) is the perfect place to dine for young couples. It’s a quiet, cozy restaurant, which serves excellent tapas, all the well known brands of Spanish wine and treats you like a king. And it’s extremely reasonable to boot!
Kettners , is hardly the sort of name you’d expect an upmarket Italian restaurant to have, but then that’s the only thing that’s not Italian about it. This in one remarkable place. You pass through a tiny, unassuming entrance in backstreet Soho, to enter a giant restaurant with multiple rooms and plenty of sitting room.Kettners specialises in Pizzas, but also has an extensive menu for non-pizza eaters. They even have a pianist to entertain you as you chomp down on those golden-brown, mouth watering pizzas.
For a truly Latino experience, try El Barco Latino near Temple tube station. Although it may not be is not the best restaurant to eat at in London, but it is one of the few floating restaurants in the city. The venue is truly Spanish/Latino with all the action taking place on about 2 floors of a floating boat. The food is standard Spanish fare, but the entertainment is electric. One funny thing about the restaurant is that one urinal is about 2 feet higher than the other in the gents loo, thanks to the uneven keel! On weekends, part of the restaurant becomes a disco, with DJ’s playing the latest hits and dance tracks with a Spanish beat. Ole.
London is a true melting pot of cultures -a mini United Nations if you will. And since cultures and cuisine are inseparable, you have a choice of foods from around the Orient.
If you’re feeling a little homesick, drop in at London’s most popular Indian restaurant, Chutney Mary near the Fulham Broadway tube station for a bite. It’s a sophisticated Indian restaurant, catering to palates unused to fiery conconctions we’re so used to having…but a great dining experience all the same. Another Indian restaurant worth visiting is Cafe Spice Namaste, just at the border of The City and the East-end . It’s a modern restaurant, which concentrates on serving authentic Indian food, arther than creating an ambience of the Raj. Incidentally, the menu has a wide range of dishes not to be found in most Indian restaurants. So, do drop. It’s almost as good as momma’s cooking.
“I have not eaten such good food so cheaply anywhere else.”
Venture to the Far East and you’ll land in Benihana near Piccadily Circus tube station. Like everything Japanese, this is one very expensive restaurant. It’s a nice place to come foe some Teppanyaki and have a good time. You get your own chef and your food is cooked in front of your eyes to leave you drooling. The food is excellent, but the portions are rather small, so remember to take a nice fat wad of cash along. On the other hand, Wagamama’s near Soho, is a Japanese noodle bar, where you can eat good food, at ridiculously low prices.. I have not eaten such good food so cheaply anywhere else. This is a no frills, self-service restaurant that serves seaming hot noodle dishes, late into the night. Just goes to prove that all Japanese food isn’t expensive.!
If you’re really, really hungry, drag a couple of friends along to Tiger Lil’s near South Kensington. The food is essentially Mongolian, which means that you can pick your own raw ingredients and wait your turn for it to be cooked in a huge wok by a menacing looking chef. The best part is that you an eat as much as you like for around 20 Pounds!
London also has a lot of Thai and Chinese restautants which are often nondescript, but great value for money. And the food is uniformly goo. Try the Peking duck at Lee Ho Fook’s in China Town or the Thai specialities at th family run Thailand near New Charing Cross (main line) station. And if you thought that the restaurants in London only catered to non-vegetarians, you couldn’t be more wrong. London has over a hundred exclusively vegetarian restaurants which serve everything from Thalis to Mexican cuisine. Now, that’s food for thought!
Cyrus Dadachanji
2010
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