Inexpensive London restaurants-impossible?

Around county hall - ie part of the complex, there are the usual chains which aren't that pricey if you like pizzas, burgers, chinese and the like.

There's a bloody good fish n chip place at the back of Waterloo station (Turn left on Waterloo Rd - it's just past the tunnel.

There's also a couple of pubs there that are good for food and the best (and spendiest) cake shop in the world.

Also the Hole in the Wall pub at the front of the station has good cheap food, but I don't know if they let kids in (sorry).

Google for Time Out London's Cheap Eats section.

You can also go to discountbritain.net and print off 20% off entire check coupons for many decent restaurants. You can look them up by the area.
Do the kids do Chinese? There are super cheap meals in Chinatown near Leicester Square.
And many pubs have great full lunch deals -- often in an upstairs restaurant. You can easily make that your big meal of the day and save some money.

And by the way, even after you convert the final bill which is in pounds to your dollars, you'll be pleasantly surprised when you realize that it includes the taxes and generally the service as well.

Don't be fooled into thinking the chains are the way to save money. I'm very aware that in the theatre district in particular many places have pretheatre two or three course meals which are excellent for less money than a plate special at TGIFridays would be!

A chain that I can recommend is Le Pain Quotidien (Belgian, I think, though there are locations all over the place now, including the U.S.): http://lepainquotidien.co.uk/ Lots of London locations, and we found them (we ate at two, once for lunch and once for dessert) to offer very nice food at very good value. Lots of healthy options, bread that's better than decent, and it would especially easy to feed children here without breaking the bank. Despite the bakery sounding name they're open late and do serve alcohol.

If the weather is nice, pick up sandwiches, crisps, drinks, at Pret a Manger or Tescos, Marks, etc. and sit in a park. The Pret a Manger chain has limited seating, usually full all hours.

As NeoPatrick suggested, the pre theatre dinners in the theatre district are usually great value.

Wagamama is always a hit with my kids.

Try Masala Zone for Indian food.

And Harvey Nichols 5th floor cafe would probably not come to mind as an inexpensive option, but they do a two course meal for 12,50 every day except Sunday. It's a nice place for a casual dinner (the Cafe, not the restaurant which is more expensive).

Some great suggestions here. Thanks for starting this thread, Donna!

It's definitely NOT impossible! Wagamama is perfect for this group, I think. I'm a picky eater (and don't care for a lot of Asian styles), but I love Wagamama. Plus the tables are cafeteria style, so seating everyone together shouldn't be a problem. There are lots of locations around London. Also second Pret - delicious and cheap.

I haven't been, but Belgo Centraal in Covent Garden is on my list for next time. They have a beat-the-clock special between 5pm and 6:30pm where you pay the time on the clock (so, £6.15 if you order at 6:15).

As Cathinjoetown mentioned, grocery stores and Marks & Spencer have a much bigger and better prepared foods section than we're used to in the US (assuming you're from the US). It's easy for everyone to grab a sandwich, salad or whatever else is there and enjoy a picnic in a park.

thank you all for the wonderful suggestions! they are exactly what i had in mind.

yes, jent103, we are from the US so i would not think grocery store=decent sandwich.

we usually try to eat one meal a day picnic-style and one restaurant meal while traveling, so all these suggestions are helpful. thanks.

I have been to Belgo Centraal, and yes, the beat-the-clock menu is an excellent deal (M-F only).

And don't forget to check out Borough Market and the Grilled Cheese sandwich stall!

Here's how I keep my lunches really cheap in London ... this isn't for everyone, but most days for lunch I go to Boots, Sainsbury's, Tesco, or Marks & Spencer and get a sandwich, a bag of crisps, sometimes a yogurt, and a drink, and enjoy my picnic in a park. Believe it or not, I find the sandwiches to be quite varied (a much more interesting selection than what you'd ordinarily find in a drug store or grocery store in North America) and tasty. Boots also has pasta salads that come in plastic containers with a little "spork" (a sort of spoon / fork combo) mounted on the inside of the lid - I find these pretty tasty as well (the pasta salads, that is, not the spork!).

If I want something warm for lunch, particularly if it's raining so I don't want to picnic in a park, I like to go to a Cafe Nero (these coffee shops seem to be sprouting up all over the place in the UK) and get a warm panini.

Also, another pleasant street nearby is The Cut, south and east of Waterloo Station, between Waterloo Road and Blackfriars Road. We enjoyed great pizza with some family friends visiting London at Pizza Paradiso, 61 The Cut. There are a couple of theatres and a used bookstore nearby so it is nice couple of blocks there.

Also in the cut is Taz (or possibly Tas) which is the original branch of what is now a small chain of Turkish/Arab restaurants. That's not expensive - and is good.

Also there's a pub - The Anchor and Hope - which is a gastro pub but is quite reasonable for lunch (and can get pricey at night) and is bloody good.

ps I would rather eat my own feet than go to Wagamama, but children and yanks seem to like it.

Pay C_W no mind. Wagamama is a perfectly reasonable option for feeding a family: prices okay, decent selection of healthy options. There are now branches in the U.S., but the UK branches (well, okay, it was just the once) are stuffed with locals (and not all of them children in tow, though that is a pretty common phenotype).

"ps I would rather eat my own feet than go to Wagamama, but children and yanks seem to like it."

Funniest thing I've read today! David you kill e!

Wagamama has come to Boston. Walking by I saw not a soul was in the place. Maybe because it is new?

Mim:

Bostonians give it short shrift because they probably think of it as just another upstart Italian restaurant with "mama" in its name!!

We stopped in at Wag for lunch at Heathrow Terminal 5...was pretty decent and bordering the reasonable, even when the £ was 2-1 last year.

stu t.

I visited a Boston branch of Wagamama in the shopping center immediately adjacent to one of the convention centers (where I was, huge surprise, attending a meeting) and it was mobbed. Of course, so was Au Bon Pain (though even Au Bon Pain isn't so bad that I'd resort to eating my own feet; I'd just go hungry).

Now that I think of it, though, it wasn't mobbed the first day. I guess people saw me eating there and figured it was reasonable.

There's a Marks & Spencer Simply Food in Waterloo station. There should also be a Pret-a-Manger or Eat or M&S Simply Food just across the river, I'd think. M&S sell dinners as well as salads, sandwiches and such for lunch. I'd go there instead of Boots (the Boots at the Waterloo Station doesn't have prepared food like the M&S).

For dinners, most of the restaurants between the Hungerford Bridges and Westminster Bridge on Belvedere Road weren't too expensive. But saying you're on "a budget" is more than somewhat vague -- at dinner time is it a 6GBP per person budget or a 10GBP per person budget?

If it's the former, well . . . there's a Subway on Belvedere Road too.

Along Southbank near where you're staying there are great options - as everyone has mentioned, there's Wagamama, Strada etc. There's also Giraffe, EAT and down at Gabriel's wharf there's the Gourmet Pizza Company, Studio 6 and a great little Creperie. Further along there's Pizza Express and The Real Greek. You won't go hungry!

While CW mentions Anchor and Hope, I agree it's a great place. I just had lunch there on Saturday and loved it. I had one course -- pretty much the median price -- kid chop on a stew of chick peas, fennel, tomatoes, and potatoes -- along with a Bloody Mary. It was delicious and I'm not complaining but that was 24.10 total ($36 to us Yanks). That's hardly what most visitors would call inexpensive for lunch. Sure it's way better than the average pub, but there's a big difference between a two course lunch at a pub for 4 pounds 75 or so and paying 24 pounds for a single course lunch for one. I suspect the original poster is looking more for the former and not for the latter.


I too have written off Wagamama. I like the food fine, but it too is hardly inexpensive any more. Today I ate at a great little noodle shop in Chinatown called the Baozi Inn. I had a huge bowl of wonderful noodles with fragrant slices of beef in a rich stock. It's not unlike many of Wagamama's offerings but was considerably more delicious and only 6 pounds instead of the average of 10 to 12 at Wagamama.

Of course, now it's time for me to be chastised for being a stupid American who can't possibly know anything about London, as CW loves to do everytime I offer a suggestion here.

Does anyone have pre-theater restaurant recommendation? Nearish to the Criterion?

Stokebailey - If you wanted somewhere quite special, but with a well priced pre-theatre menu I would suggest St Alban on Lower Regent St http://www.stalban.net/

Alternatively, you're not to far away from Browns on St Martin's Lane http://www.browns-restaurants.co.uk/menu-coventgarden.php or any of the places in Soho.

Great thread - I have always struggled getting value for money in London, but fortunately exchange rates should help those of us traveling there from the antipodes this year. Thanks for the Pub tips. Any others currently good for food around Green Park area up the back of Piccadilly around Brick, Hertford and Curzon Sts ? Oh and is that Polish-Mexican restaurant still there ? Any good ? Thanks

I like Al Hamra in Shepherd Market--I think good quality for the money but not inexpensive. Try lunch.

Thanks, quiUK. Those look very nice.

Even more reasonable if I stick to my policy of pretending the prices are $ and don't convert to £.

Patrick! You've discovered Baozi Inn!

Count me in as another one unimpressed by Wagamama. I've tried it twice in the UK, and after the 2nd time, I told myself I wouldn't bother with it again. The food there is not inexpensive, and fairly mediocre, and most importantly, very inauthentic (esp the Asian noodles).

Wagamama now has 3 branches in Boston, but I'd take any place in Chinatown any day than eat at Wagamama.

Great thread - thanks Therese for the link to Le Pain Quotidien. For some reason, it's a lot fancier than I thought it would be - I didn't realize it was an actual restaurant. I always imagined it sort of being like the Paul chain in Paris - this is the same chain that is also in Paris right?

Ummm, I wouldn't call Le Pain Quotidien "fancy". At least the few I've been to, they aren't. Wooden tables and chairs, no table cloth, and most have a communal table for sharing. They serve mainly soups, salads, and sandwiches; and very popular for families with young kids. I'd say it's a teensy bit better than Paul.

Le Pain Quotidien isn't what I'd call fancy in any respect whatsoever. Very much as yk describes it, with wooden tables, etc. Once you've been in more than one you'll be struck by the corporate sameness of it all (right down to the lavatories), but the food appears to be reliably good (based on my experience of two, and the recommendation of a friend).

As for Wagamama, I very seriously doubt that anybody's under the impression that the food either is or pretends to be "authentic". Chinatown (wherever it may be) offers one sort of experience, and places like Wagamama offer another.

In the end both Le Pain Quotidien and Wagamama are in a sort of gray zone between fast food establishments and stand-alone sit down restaurants, and both come in very handy when it comes to feeding families with children.

As others have said, you can get some very tasty inexpensive pre-made sandwiches at places like Sainsbury's.

We had dinner one night at a restaurant in Soho called the Stockpot. I had lamb cutlets with potato and vegetables for about 6-7 GBP. It's not a fancy place, just good basic food.

Lee Ann

Whats to be expected for tipping, please?

(also bookmarking....)

Stokebailey, last night after Sunset Blvd. at the Comedy I ate right across the street at Strada, a modern Italian place that is very reasonable. I had a great carpaccio of beef for 5.75 and a super rigotoni with a gorgonzola cream sauce topped with large thin slices of proscuitto for 9.25. They also have pre-theatre specials for an even better bargain. The place is very attractive and has delightful young and energetic Italian young people working. This is quite close to the Criterion.

Feldie, this week, I think I've only had one bill that didn't already have the "discretionary" service already added to it -- seems to be between 12 and 15 percent. No need to add anything to that. If there is none added, then do about that same amount.

Anybody been to the Polish-Mexican Restaurant near Shepherds Market in recent years ? Is it worth a visit ? Used to be a reasonably priced tapas restaurant near there too as I remember.

I plan to go to Cafe in the Crypt - http://www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/page/cafe/crypt/crypt.html this week when I arrive in London. It was closed for renovations that last time I was there. I hope to go the candlelit dinner on Thurs at 7:30. Looks reasonable with good atmosphere.

Of course, now it's time for me to be chastised for being a stupid American who can't possibly know anything about London, as CW loves to do everytime I offer a suggestion here.>>>>

No. I only call you when you're talking balls (quite often). In this case you're spot on (and I have to admit that I didn't realise the Anchor and Hope was that expensive.)

Re wagamama: I hate this place with every bone in my body because you have to share intimate space with strangers (there is nothing worse for the English than this) and more importantly their brats. Is there anything worse than other people's kids? Having said that the little rug-rats seem to love the place.

Strada is my favourite pizza chain in England ( I know this is a little like being the prettiest girl in Alabama, but hey-ho) I love their rocket pizza (you yanks call it something else that I can't remember).

Goodwill: Shepherd's market eh? Before or after (or don't you know?)

There was a good thread recently on money-off deals at UK restaurants:-
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/cheap-restaurant-deals-in-londonthe-uk.cfm

I'm also mystified why Wagamama ALWAYS comes up in any discussion here about inexpensive eating in London. I for one don't think £55 for a 2 course meal inc drinks for 2 people (which is exactly what I paid in there last time) is anything like good value. The novelty value of sitting at the long tables long wore off as well, and the whole concept is now looking tired.

Same problem with Wagamama in Sydney - the price is not right but the name attracts. I always thought it was an aboriginal word meaning "starbucks".

C_W not sure about Shepherds Market cryptic comment. Its just behind the posh place we stay at when we visit infrequently. Usually go there before going up the hill for a serious rum drink at Trader Vics then float down the hill after.

NeoP and Cholms, thanks!

Good_Will --

"CW not sure about Shepherds Market cryptic comment."

Next time you're there, look at the names on the doorbells. Or maybe closer at some of the girls in the doorways.

Cheers!

Arugula?

"I'm also mystified why Wagamama ALWAYS comes up in any discussion here about inexpensive eating in London. I for one don't think £55 for a 2 course meal inc drinks for 2 people (which is exactly what I paid in there last time) is anything like good value. The novelty value of sitting at the long tables long wore off as well, and the whole concept is now looking tired."

If you're routinely managing to get out of a restaurant with table service for under 55 GBP for the meal you describe then you are doing very well indeed. Take NeoPatrick's example of his meal at Strada upthread: 5.75 + 9.25 + 5 (assuming he had wine, and if he did that's a very conservative price for it) + 12% tip (assuming he paid it) = 22.40 GBP So double that and you've got 54.80 GBP.

In the OP's case at least two of her four children likely qualify to dine off the kid's menu (mains range from 2.70 to 4.15), and since none of them will be drinking alcohol the average price will drop considerably.

As for the novelty, well, if somebody hasn't been there then it's novel for him even if it isn't for you. I don't mind the long tables (and really love the shelves under the tables for my purse and purchases) and I don't mind sitting near other people or their offspring.

Oh, and yes, arugula (or occasionally rucola in an Italian restaurant) is what we yanks usually call rocket. Occasionally you'll see rocket on a menu, but then you can be sure that the restaurant's got a serious case of the airs.

"CW not sure about Shepherds Market cryptic comment.">>>

It's the last red light district in London.

I like to sample Japanese restaurants in London...Wagamama's been named then of course there's yo sushi which kids love but can easily become a bit expensive (although I must say the kids love the conveyor belt idea)...a competitor is called kulu kulu...there's a branch which is rarely crowded behind the late Regent Palace Hotel...better food and lower prices but same idea....there's also a fairly inexpensive restaurant called Mr. Taro's just off Charin Cross Road on I think its Old Compton Street, a block from the theatre where Jersey Boys is playing.

The sandwiches at the grocery chains named are good and inexpensive, make great picnic lunches. Pret a manger is a tad more expensive but the sandwiches are good.

Of course, expensive is relative....last year when it was £1 = $2 US, everything ranged from expensive to prohibitive. Now that the £ has fallen (although it's come up a bit in the past couple of weeks) prices range from just above moderate to expensive. There's also pub grub everywhere (don't know if the kids are allowed though) and well....dare I say it McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and Subway's everywhere. I even saw a Quiznoss near Marble Arch last year!

I don't see a meal for two for 55 quid as reasonable. It certainly is not inexpensive. That's the equivalent of $85. Perhaps Therese's math mistake (22.40 x 2 is 44.80, not 54.80) has caused an inaccurate post.

My wife and I ate out every night, split a starter, had occasional glass of beer or wine (or pitcher of sangria at tapas place) and with tip we didn't get within 10% of £55 at any restaurant (even having sushi once and picking plates we hoped the toddler might eat) and we ate only in central London.

xyz:

Kids can go to pubs generally until 9 pm, according to a previous thread on this board. And Yo! Sushi is not inexpensive for a family on "a budget." The OP has at least one teenager and a couple of tweens -- they eat a LOT and at 3-3.5 quid per dish for 6-8 small dishes at Yo! Sushi or its copycats, that's not keeping within budget.

C_W, thanks for explaining your hatred of Wagamama - I was wondering. (And thanks as always for the laugh!) I've only had to sit right next to strangers once or twice. Neither of us attempted to make conversation and we all got out alive.

And yes, I don't think I've ever met anyone who was under the impression that Wagamama is trying to serve authentic Asian food of any persuasion. It's inexpensive if you keep it inexpensive. If I decide I must have a two course meal with alcohol, well, of course it's more expensive. But if I order an entree and a tap water, which is about what I usually eat at home, I'm out for less than £10 easily. It's expectations and common sense.

Whoops! Sorry about my math error up there.

If you split a starter or only have a main (called an entree in the U.S.) then it keeps costs down. Alcohol is what really brings the tab up for me, as two drinks can easily exceed the cost of a single main. Oh dear, now I sound like a lush.

JD Wetherspoons pubs are all over the place. They allow kids in most (if not all) of them and the food and drink prices are ridiculously cheap (unlike the aforementioned Wagamamas). Check out: http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/food-and-drink/food/menu.php?ParentCategory=19782 The food is nothing to write home about but its OK and filling.

Good one about the weatherspoons pubs...we ate there on a Sunday eve and had the special grill meal of roast beef and a drink.....while certainly not gourmet food (like Simpsons in the Strand), the food was certainly fine...

The one I am most familiar with is the one on Charing Cross Road a block from the Palace Theatre....one of the nice things about this particular one is it is a very large pub and you can go in and use the facilities and nobody gives you a hard time (although one time there was some sort of big soccer game going on and there was a bouncer at the door who made me take off my baseball cap).....

To clarify for Therese, we don't split a single main, we each got an entree. But evidently my wife and I don't drink as much as she does.

Therese, if it makes you feel any better, if I'm drinking alcohol (and, after all, I can't get my beloved iced tea there)I almost always get two glasses of wine or two beers too. When you start ordering two bottles of wine with dinner, then we might start worrying that you're a lush!

I'll second the early post re Pizza Express. The name of the restaurant group belies the real quality and variety of the food; in fact, the salad niçoise is the best I've experienced anywhere. We've even eaten, with great pleasure, at the Pizza Express in Budapest. I understand from an article in recent weeks in The London Times that Pizza Express has been around in the UK since 1965 and may have been one of the first pizza restaurants in the country. There are several PEs in London.

We like Pizza Express, too -- ate at the one across from Holborn tube station.

I always thought it was an aboriginal word meaning "starbucks".

ROTFL!

Great thread, thanks! I am looking for an inexpensive evening place to dine at as well. My big splurge meal of the day will be lunch.

great responses, and you guys are hilarious, too!

"I would rather eat my own feet than go to Wagamama" -still laughing about this... now you all have me curious about that place.

finding restaurants in big cities is a bit overwhelming to me when everyone is hungry and tired. this will help so much to have these recommendations.

For the OP: there's a Pizza Express in the White House Apartments building, 9 Belvedere Road, which is between the Charing Cross/Hungerford Bridges and Waterloo Bridge.

donnaS, there are Pizza Express everywhere.

I also like Prezzo:
http://www.prezzoplc.co.uk/locations.html#london

Any suggestions on good value cafes with great coffee would also be helpful. Cafe Nero is usually where I head to when I come there. Hold the cinammon - I'm not American. Any new tips. Thanks

"Hold the cinammon - I'm not American."

????????????????????????????

I've had a couple thousand coffees in London I suppose, and I've never even heard of cinnamon in one of them? For that matter, not in the US either -- unless it's something you might add on your own at the counter afterwards.

I like Pret and Manger even more than Nero now that Pret has added an offer for each of their coffee drinks to be a "strong" with an extra shot of espresso. And I could become addicted to their hot cheese/ham/tomato croissants.

Will try Pret a Manger again - did so a few years back - I am sorry that cinammon and a diversion to coffee seems to have brought exhaustion to this thread NeoPatrick.

It is very clear that our experiences of American coffee culture are somewhat different.

I can confirm that nobody, repeat nobody has ever placed cinammon on the top of a capuccino in London or Sydney and I want to make absolutely b sure they never do.

Any coffee in cafe suggestions in London greatly appreciated and particularly those who roast their own beans.

....well there's always starbucks all over the place.

Yes, I was amazed how many Starbucks have appeared in London in the past two years. They're everywhere! And suddenly I think I may know where the above cinnamon comments came from. At holidays I think Starbucks does do cinnamon on their "pumpkin lattes" or similar, and maybe something on their sweet Christmas drinks as well. I forgot about that. Just the thought that generally Americans put cinnamon on their coffee or cappucinos really threw me for a loop, though.

Masala Zone has already been mentioned for good cheap curries. The restaurants are modern and hip.

I also like Govindas on Soho St. It's a vegetarian restaurant run by Hari krishnas so no alcohol (automatically keeps the bill down! )

Simply Food by M&S plus a good chippy or two rounds out my cheap eats in London!

Specialty coffee places (like Starbucks) in the U.S. often have shakers of things like cinnamon and nutmeg out on the counter (next to the milk and cream and sugar, etc.) for customers to add as they'd like. These shops typically sell lots of things other than coffee, specifically hot chocolate or cold chocolate ice-sorts of things, and some customers will sprinkle one or both of these on them. The combination of chocolate with cinnamon is especially common (Mexican hot chocolate is made with cinnamon), and you can also punch up the flavor of your chai (Indian-spiced sweet milky tea, served both hot and cold here). Some people may put them in coffee, but it's by no means common or expected.

I dined tonight at the Pizza Express in Soho on Greek street after seeing Jersey boys. It was excellent. The pizza was under 10 pounds and I had the baby figs in marscapone cheese dessert which came with my choice of coffee (decaf cappucino) for 3.20 pounds. The marscapone was divine.

I think there are tons of inexpensive places to dine in London; I am really quite shocked. Even a fancy Gordon Ramsay restaurant like Arbutus had a 2 course lunch for about 17 pounds. That is not cheap but I expected a place like that to be much more.

I went to the restaurant few days back with a group of office friends, the food is simply amazing and so is the service, as I found from OpenTable’s London restaurants. I promptly booked the table online as per our desired time. For your reference you can click on http://www.opentable.com/start.aspx?m=72&n=143

"Strada is my favourite pizza chain in England ( I know this is a little like being the prettiest girl in Alabama, but hey-ho) "

Or a little like having the best teeth in the UK....

which restaurant are you talking about, zachary76?

''I had the baby figs in marscapone cheese dessert which came with my choice of coffee (decaf cappucino) for 3.20 pounds. The marscapone was divine.''

That's my favourite too.

Pizza Express is one of the few chains I'd recommend.

"I know this is a little like being the prettiest girl in Alabama, but hey-ho".
Huh? I'm not from Alabama and have no personal stake in this, but are you kidding?

www.missalabama.com/index.cfm/108766/Miss-Alabama-Contestants-2009.cfm

I know you're on the other bus, but are you kidding?

That lot could munt for America never mind Alabama.

And there is such an outbreak of American Hair in there that they should be quarantined for the good of humanity.

And those fake teeth can be seen from space.

Assuming there may still be interest in reasonably/inexpensively priced food within walking distance of County Hall, there is a good Thai restaurant in Lower Marsh, and Konditor and Cook has inexpensive food in the Cut, right at the Young Vic. There are lots of other places to eat in this area, but these are two I have tried.

quiUK, we ended up getting the prix fixe pre-theatre supper at Brown's before seeing 39 steps, and they were both perfect. I recommend the chicken and leek pie, and my daughter's vegetable tart was also excellent. Very convenient to West End theaters and Covent Garden, and we got right in at 1745 without a reservation. Their afternoon tea is a good deal, too.

It was plenty that we shared the sticky toffee pudding, one rich and yummy dessert too much for one.

"And those fake teeth can be seen from space."

Except that they likely aren't fake, they're the real thing, the result of the very nearly universal application of orthodontal intervention here in the U.S., on top of generally excellent dental care and nutrition. They have almost certainly all been whitened, but that's just a matter of taste.

Women in the southeastern U.S. do, in fact, have a reputation for being pretty (as compared to women in other parts of the U.S.), not so much as a result of their genetics (which is the usual mix, though one could argue that hybrid vigor plays some role) but because it's considered laudable to be pretty and to make some effort in that direction.

Kaley's hair is frighteningly bouffant, though to be fair, most of the others aren't nearly as bad.

The teeth aren't just whitened. Most of them will have had veneers to get that eveness of size and shape. So the 'fake teeth' accusation is a perfectly fair one.

PS I love how the transatlantic bitch fest is neatly interspersed here and there with earnest postings on chicken and leak pie.

I never can get around to noticing anyone's teeth.

Earnestly, try the cockaleekie pie, RM you fortunate local you. Most delicious, and 2 courses for 12 pounds or thereabouts.

"And those fake teeth can be seen from space."

The teeth aren't fake. It's called good dental care, not as common in SOME areas.

"And there is such an outbreak of American Hair"

Yes, here we actually wash and style our hair. *gasp*

Corli, there's a difference between good hygeine, treatment of cavities etc versus purely cosmetic dentistry. Use of veneers is very prevalent in the US and it is for the most part an entirely cosmetic procedure - it's rarely got anything to do with essential dental care, unless the enamel is damaged, or teeth are badly chipped. It's used extensively across the pond to give the appearance of very evenly sized and spaced white teeth, and to cover small gaps between front teeth. Whitening is also a cosmetic procedure, rather than good healthcare. It actually increases the porosity and sensitivity of teeth. Claiming you are more health conscious/cleaner when many of the procedures conducted are purely for aesthetics is disingenous.

"leak pie"

Thanks, but none for me today.

The foam of my latte at Patisserie Valerie was strewn with cinnamon. Most tasty. Can we switch to a more appetizing debate regarding the value of the spice as it relates to coffee? I don't understand the prejudice against it.

Coffee is for wrong'uns even before you start putting curry powder and jam in it(why)?

Real men drink tea and attack anyone who mentions Earl Grey with the nearest heavy object to hand.

ps Cockaleekie's a soup. How do you make a pie out of a soup?

Must be messy to eat.

ummm. I don't know. I'm from out of town.

PS: I think you just pop some pastry over the top and bake until browned.

You know, I don't know how you would make a pie out of soup... maybe quantum mechanics... Donna I would suggest using like an online reservations thing, so I did a bit of searching and found this url that offers online reservations, quite nice. http://www.opentable.com/start.aspx?m=72&n=143 I hope you have an enjoyable time over in London.

Our family (including 3 children) spent a month in London last year. For meals, we did a lot of Sainsbury visits- the supermarket has mini locations everywhere and you can pick up hummus and tabouleh, pitas, fruit, bread, nutella, fresh veges, etc. Wagamama was also great. There is a chain restaurant with a French name (doesn't come to mind right now, though) that has quick sandwiches and soup...also 20 p. soup bread...which our kids loved. There is also a great fish and chips place (hole in the wall type) right across from King's Cross.

This one has certainly strayed from inexpensive restos but here's another opinion--99% of those teeth have had work!

That said, there apparently are regional differences here in quality of teeth--my New England dentist told me the first time I saw him that he knew I was from the Midwest because I had so few cavities. Unfortunately, the Midwest upbringing didn't provide whiter-than-white or 100% straight teeth.

You really think that all of the young women depicted (at least the ones whose teeth we can see) have had veneers? Braces, yes, and whitening almost certainly (though these photos all look a bit air-brushed, so some of that may have been added as well), but veneers would surprise me.

I've done a little poll at work today among several of the young women who work with me. All of them are pretty professional sorts who take pains with their appearance, and have sufficient disposable income to do whatever they'd like in the way of enhancing their looks. All but one of them had had braces as a child (and that one has nice teeth, but not as perfectly aligned as the others'), none of them has had veneers (hmm, maybe they're lying...), and none of them has any long-time friends acquaintances who has had them. We assumed that one couldn't know if a new friend had gotten them at some point in the past.

I also asked a friend who is a dentist, and her first answer was "Oh, yes, they're very common." And then I asked her if she personally knew anybody who'd gotten them, and she admitted that she didn't, and that in fact she didn't see them all that frequently in her practice.

Doggedly ignoring everyone's dental health, I present a recipe similar to what Brown's calls Chicken and Leek Pie. From the Scottish Arms, a pubbish sort of a place near us:

http://www.saucemagazine.com/a/1020

It was good at the S. Arms and also when whipped I up at home, at least for those among us who are ignorant of true cockaleekie.

I know I should care about the world's teeth, but what with worrying about the final results of Britain's Got Talent and all I just can't seem to make the time.

Ah! chicken and leek pie is nothing to do with cockaleekie. What with one being a pie and the other being soup.

"Pubbish"? What fresh yankee madness is this?

here's cockaleekie soup that my old Scottish Nana would have recognised (but she put pearl barley - not rice - in it)

http://www.scottishrecipes.co.uk/cock_a_leekie_soup.htm

Now back to discussing why yanks look like they've had their mouths tiled...

All right, all right:

A. You have to be patient with us. We just throw out terms at random, hoping some of them will be correct.

B. "Vaguely reminiscent of a pub except the servers wear kilts."

I'll try the real thing with barley when the weather gets more Scottish. Thanks, Cholms.

B. "Vaguely reminiscent of a pub except the servers wear kilts." >>>>

*faints*

That pie sounds very tasty. I admire a recipe that has nine cups of heavy cream in it.

Seems unlikely, doesn't it? The sheer saturatedness of it, for people who laugh in the face of cardiac effects. Either that or unfortunate misprint. I slashed the amts of butter and cheese in my version, and it still tasted very fine.

cream, that is.

The Scots have the lowest life expectancy in the western world. In parts of Glasgow it's 57 for men. Now you know why.

>In parts of Glasgow it's 57 for men. Now you know why.<

57! That's the health freaks.

When we stay in the Waterloo area, we often get a carryout lunch from the Iceland Market on Lower Marsh, a block south of the station.

The sandwiches are uniformly good quality, generous portions, and very tasty. They'll sell you a Meal Deal with crisps and a soft drink for £2.50 - the right price for filling up teenagers.

Lower Marsh has lots of good eating options and the Crown and Cushion at the top of the street (just over the road) does suprisingly good thai food as well as the usual pub grub.

There used to be a very good all you can eat chinese just by the old post office. Idon't know if it's still there.

Don't go to Cubana - it's overpriced and crammed to the gills with tossers.

And avoid the Fire Station at all costs. Overpriced crap sold to people who deserve it.

The Old Vic can be fun to eat in. Just not at show times. Also they have a late licence so if you want to get pished surrounded by yankee movie stars and pissed Brit thesps its the place to go.

Just don't take Kevin Spacey up on his offer to "show you the neighbourhood". Especially if you're a young cute boy.

In fact the Old Vic bar is where I heard the best chat-up line I've ever heard. A very famous theatrical knight (alright it was Sir Ian McKellern) said to a young fellah that he found toothsome "Dear boy. Do you know the difference between a quiche and a blow job?" "no". "Then I MUST take you on a picnic"

Well it made me laugh.

donnaS on May 11, 09 at 01:10 PM

yes, jent103, we are from the US so i would not think grocery store=decent sandwich.

One lunch at AJ's Fine Foods in Scottsdale will disabuse you of that opinion forever. http://www.ajsfinefoods.com/bistro-menu.asp

There is an excellent and cheap italian restaurant in lambs conduit street next door to the lamb pub, cant remember name will look it up and update post....

It is called Ciao Bella, pizzas and pastas under £10, children could share one. Really friendly staff, it is always pretty busy, so don't tell anybody else about it. I too recommend buying sandwhiches from M & S, they are on St Pancras and Paddington stations, probably others...