Meg

For all of you experienced gastro-fodorites out there: I will be in London in early October. I'm not into the really exotic entrees, but do appreciate fine dining. Love seafood. Where to eat for dinner?

Ben Haines

Dear Mrs Wright, <BR> <BR>Let's start with seafood. <BR> <BR>The fairly new fish restaurant in Borough Market, next to Southwark Cathedral, nearest tube London Bridge. Handy for Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe, and the Cathedral. <BR> <BR>Also, any branch of Wheeler's. <BR>12a Dukeof York Street, StJames, West End. Piccadilly Circus tube <BR>17 Hertford Street W1, Mayfair, Hyde Patrk Corner tube <BR>33c KingsRoad, Chelsea, bus from Sloane Square <BR>17 Kensington High Stert, W8, Kensington High Street tube <BR>and in the City on Chancery Lane, Fenchurch Street, and Great Tower Street <BR> <BR>No pub serves good fish and chips: they haven't enough dedication. As you know, the best are out in the suburbs. But I do like the one just west of the main entrance to the Victoria Coach station. If you ask the fish and chip shop before you order, you can pop along to the nearby wineshop, buy and open a bottle of white, and lubricate the cod. <BR> <BR>The Founders Arms just downstream of the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge always a fish dish or two, and is good. Of course they have wine by the glass. <BR> <BR>Now carveries. Here you can choose(and come back for seconds) among joins of beef, lamb and pork, with all the sauces and trimmings, in the context of a three course meal, with a starter and a dessert. Which means you want to eat little for 24 hours beforehand. My favouritesare the Betjemjan Room in the Charing CrossHotel, at25 poundsthe meal, and weekday lunchtimes only upstairs in the Albert pub, corner of Victoria Street and Buckingham Gate, nearest tube St James Park, at 15 pounds. <BR> <BR>And then grand English in general, at fifty pounds a meal. One is Rules, 35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, and the other is Simpson's on the Strand, just south of Covent Garden. <BR> <BR>I spend eight pounds a meal in upstairs restaurants in pubs. I can copy you a list that I have on disc of these, if you ask me. Not grand, but very London, and in my opinion good food. But then I only get fine dining in Romania and Hungary -- can't afford it elsewhere. <BR> <BR>Please writeagain for the note from disc,or if I can otherwise help further. Welcome to London <BR> <BR>Ben Haines <BR>

Meg

Thanks, Ben. I will e-mail you! The information you provided is just what I was looking for!

Rex

to the top - - from Mr. Ben Haines (indirectly) for Timothy...

to the top

bring it up!

kate

I can't recommend enough The Hardens Guide to London Restaurants. It has reviews of virtually every noteworthy restaurant at all price bands, has genuinely reliable reviews and I carry it with me everywhere. It's my Bible.

kate

Ben forgot to mention that the fish restaurant in Borough Market is called "Fish!" and is fabulous (and not too pricey). I eat there regular;y and swear by it.

Judy

Thanks Ben and KATE, you both are great! <BR>Judy

Rex

Trying to put this thread adjacent to "London restaurants" (temporary though it will be) - - for a related diatribe on the problem of "topping" a previous thread to answer similar questions. <BR>

Gina

I also like the Rough Guide to London Restaurants; small, portable, easy to carry with you and figure out if there's a good restaurant near you (it's organized by neighborhood), very thorough reviews. <BR> <BR>Since I'm a big Asian-food fan, I recommend Melati on Great Windmill Street in Soho (Malaysian), and Wok Wok on...arrrghhh...is it Dean Street? It's also in Soho, fairly close to Ronnie Scott's jazz club, but I can't scare up the card with their address. Anyway, it's rather pan-Asian, with very cool architecture inside.