ira

Hi NP,

Simpson's in the Strand


No one will claim that it offers "modern cuisine".

audere_est_facere

Don't get me started on Simpsons!

rachael9

I don't know what you mean by "splurge" b but I thought Porter's was good.

http://www.porters.uk.com/

NeoPatrick

Ah, audere est facere, at last we agree on something. Perhaps the two worst meals I've had in London were at Simpson's. They weren't bad because they were old fashioned, they were bad because they were bad.

And Porter's comes in a close second. Microwavable pub food comes to mind.

audere_est_facere

Porters is eeven worse!

PLEASE PEOPLE, STOP DOING THIS TO YOURSELVES.

Gekko

The Red Fort on Dean Street in Soho ... exceptional Indian cuisine.

Rich

For fish . . Geals at Nottinghill Gate . . been going there since Maggie was a pup.

Rich

zinfanatic

YOu might get some more ideas by posting on chowhound.com. They have boards for all regions of US and lots of international destinations also. I find their advice very helpful.

LoisL

One of our favorite restaurants in London is ffiona's. This is in the Kensington area, and has excellent food, with the added ambience of Ffiona's attitude. This is a casual place, not one to wow you, but it is always the place we chose to return to, and opt for for birthday celebrations,etc. Our daughter lives close enough by to walk to it.

If you are looking for a wow place, the Ritz will wow you, with food and service, and requisite dress requirements.

ira

>Perhaps the two worst meals I've had in London were at Simpson's.<

Sorry to hear that you had bad experiences.

Jacko5

If you want meat in fairly traditional English surroundings, and you want quality and good service, you could try The Guinea Grill which is just off Berkeley Square in Mayfair. My husband was there just before Christmas and said it was fantastic - steaks, mixed grills, pies... wonderful red wine list too.

Mochi

I love The Guinea Grill, too! In fact, that is my favorite British food restaurant in London. It's not fancy like Gordon Ramsay's, but it's unpretentious yet upmarket restaurant.

sandykins

My favorite is Rules. I've just had a wonderful new year's eve dinner there. It's just traditional English cooking, done exceptionally well. Next time I'm in London, I'm going to try for more than one meal there; the menu looked incredible, and I could eat dinner there every night for two weeks and still not get to try everything.

Not higher-end, but another favorite is Masters Super Fish, just three or four blocks south of Waterloo tube and train stations, on Waterloo Road. Absolutely the best fish and chips I remember eating. All those cabbies know their fish and chips.

miss_saigon

Hi there!
I live in London and I could not help but reading this post... London is full of great restaurants. Today the restaurant scene is the best in the world. The problem is money and bookings. Good places are hard to book. And the more expensive are even harder.
tip: go during the week. Fri/Sat are not the same.
Here is a list, you can check zagat london for some other ideas
want some fantastic modern japanese? go to Zuma. not for sushi but for their grill. Beef, shrimps... amazing place.
also very cool and happening.
want some great italian: go to Locanda Locatelli or San Lorenzo (this is not very hip)
want some great french fare: go to Arbutus, Galvin, Tom Aitkens and Petrus (the last one is a personal favourite)
keen on chinese: hakkasan or yauatcha. both are amazing. Yauatcha is dim sum and the only dim sum resto in the world with a michelin star (plus great tea based cocktails)
some thai? Nahm or crazy bear
Indian? Rasoi or amaya (the last one very modern)....
Kirky resto: Les trois garcons
Want steak: Cafe de Paris, Smith of Smithfields, St John Bread
a good value meal: Racine

Just do not go to a chain such as gaucho... there are plenty of other places where you can go and spend the same money and have great food.

By the way, you will probably spot celebrities in all of the above places.
The Ivy in my humble opinion is not that great, the food there is not that good and the decor is well pass expiry date.
and is expensive.

Good luck and enjoy London.

marginal_margiela

Gordon Ramsay; the restaurant in the Connaught Hotel.

papagena

I'd recommend any of the Gordon Ramsay restaurants; all the ones in the group are reliable for a great meal. You can go at lunch time for a set menu if you don't want to spend a lot.

I usually agree with mk2, but have to strongly disagree on the Ivy - it's a fun night out for Brits as you can spend the whole evening spotting minor celebrities. And it's not as expensive as you'd expect given it's fame. But the food isn't great; it's OK but I can cook better at home.

marginal_margiela

I also love the Ivy. My Aunt Judith, the great British antiques expert, had a private birthday party there a few years ago and everything was so spectacular.

The Groucho Club is nice for lunch and celeb spotting, but you have to be a member or be with a member.

jody

Thank you , Miss Saigon! I've been driving myself nutty trying to remember the name of Racine! We had dinner there last year and I wanted to put it on my list for March and it would not pop up in the memory bank!

I'd also recommend it! Can't wait to try Galvin!

Curt

Ummmmm well I prefer a pub myself - give me a pint and some fish and chips and I am a happy camper.

LeighTravelClub

Bertorellis! For a really special affordable meal.Very old, long established, classy London restaurant. Advice from a resident of London for over 30 years.