My daughter and I are headed for our favorite city. We love fine dining, but don't eat meat, so many foodie reviews that wax poetic on 6 course tasting menus are of no help to us. We'd love a celebrity chef or a celebrity-sighting venue, and are pretty adventurous, comfortable with the tube and trying to eat well without taking out a mortgage. What shouldn't we miss?

If don't mind a train journey, Le Manboir aux Quatr'Saisons would be perfect - it has a full set of vegetarian menus and most of the produce comes from its own gardens. They have rooms (at a price) if an overnight stay would suit. I know the ?? course vegetarian tasting menu used to be available at lunchtime but not sure now, from looking at the website.

A close friend, who doesn't eat meat, has said it was the best meal she's ever had.

www.manoir.com

If you eat fish, try J Sheakey. A wonderful restaurant with good food and its share of celebrities, at least last time I ate there.

&quot;<i>without taking out a mortgage.</i>&quot;

Le Manoir aux Quatre'Saisons that Caroline recommends is wonderful - but it is about 50 miles from London and depending on your mortgage - it may come close

Probably $125 pp for lunch and $250 or more pp for dinner if you have wine. They do offer vegetarian options - in fact a full vegetarian menu.

Thanks-keep 'em coming. Tea? Fish n Chips? After theatre?

Well, much as I hate to recommend anything in London, there IS my favorite GRILL ROOM- a beautiful, turn of the last century venue -crystal chandeliers, rococo interior-with surprisingly good food, at reasonable prices, and an emphasis on seafood. It's located on at 68 Regent Street-almost at Piccadilly, at the Cafe Royal, so it's right in the heart of the tourist center-a great restaurant which nobody but the locals seem to know about.

You can get an idea of its opulence, the caryatids holding up the beams, etc. (3 course meals with seafood run about 25-30 pounds) by looking at its website (which doesn't have a lot of info.)

http://www.grill-room.com/

Dinner is served M-Sa. 7:10:30pm, More info. by email: [email protected]

Thanks! Why do you hate to recommend anything in London?

The Cafe Royal is a very popular restaurant for locals and visitors - not particularly known for vegetarian though.

&quot;<i>Why do you hate to recommend anything in London?</i>&quot; Because she loathes London and anything to do w/ the English. (you've just met one of our resident pot stirrers )

Interesting..why on earth would you post on a topic you loathe?

I love Daphne's, in Chelsea. One of my favourite restaurants in the world. The food at the Ivy is pretty good, especially if you're looking for after-theatre and celebrity sightings. Ditto for Joe Allen. You'd need reservations for the Ivy for sure. Le Caprice is also very nice. I also like Quaglino.

All of the above mentioned restaurants have websites with menus. The most casual of those mentioned is Joe Allen, but it is a theatre hot spot.

I haven't been for years but remember loving Gavroche, Tante Claire and Caprice. Do they still exist?

Sorry but the &quot;Grill room&quot; doesn't conjur a vegetarian oasis in my mind....does it serve vegetarian food or just vegetarian afterthoughts? The restaurant that caroline_endinburgh recommends looks fabulous though a little ways out of town.

Le Gavroche still exists and is still fabulous.

Racine &amp; Aubergine are also very good but not sure about vegetarian options.

As you are not vegetarian (eats fish) you'll find plenty of options wherever you go really.

You're right, Janis - I focused on the &quot;love fine dining, but don't eat meat&quot; and perhaps overlooked the &quot;without taking out a mortgage&quot;. Or indeed the &quot;celebrity-sighting venue&quot;.

My husband and I had a very tasty meal at Taz, an Anatolian restaurant, and noticed several good-sounding veggie meals on the menu. There are a couple of them in London, and the food was delicious. Reasonably priced for London, as well.

No recommendations for Indian restos?

Doesn't square with 'fine dining' to most of us.

One thing to watch out for regarding fish n chips is that some places cook their chips in beef dripping, making them rather unvegetarian. Ask before you buy. (Most use vegetable oil - dripping's a northern monkey thing)

There's a street of pretty good Indian vegetarian places in Drummond St which is just by Euston Station (and handy for the British Library and Welcome Institute). Not fine dining, but good food.

Yes-we're not strict vegetarians-my daughter eats some chicken from time to time-but prefer to eat that way, and can when we're not here in the Great White North, where people would never dream to point out that something's cooked in beef drippings. Anyplace besides The Ivy that we should book NOW? Thank you so much!