london restaurants
 

looking for some good Italain and continental restaurants in London

Just returned from Europe. Spent 2 days in London and, on advice from this forum, sought out Shepard's Market in Mayfair, near Hyde Park and the London Inter-Continental Hotel. It was a lovely, quaint area with lots of restaurants to choose from and the prices seemed reasonable for London. We ate at a French restaurant, the Boudin Blanc... the food was excellent.

2 wonderful Italian restaurants..<BR><BR>Montepeliano on Montpelier St nr Harrod's<BR><BR>La Famiglia on Langton Pl off the King's Rd<BR><BR>

for italian try zafferano's or assaggi (if you can get a table!) for french, try foliage or club gascon.

Try Bertorellis in Covent Garden.

Bertorelis is the best italian restaurant in London. Pricy but worht the money.

We had a good meal at Bella Pasta in the Victoria Station area.

whoa there. Bertorelli's is an appallingly bad tourist trap, and is most certainy NOT the best Italian in London. Please don't go there!<BR><BR>A couple of the best italians in town are Zafferanos and San Lorenzo. Book well ahead, and take your gold card.

There are Bella Pasta restaurants all over town...compare them to the Olive Gardens in the US.<BR>Nothing wrong with them, but they will not meet your expectations if you are looking for a memorable meal.

For simple, yet authentic Italian pasta and pizzas, try Pizza Paradiso in St. Christopher's place. The service is good, pleasing wines, and inviting atmosphere. This is by no means any San Lorenzo, but this is reflected in the prices. If one is looking for a casual dinner or light lunch, try it, you won't be disappointed.

Try ZiZi's close to the Royal Opera House. This is in the Covent Garden area.

Allx, yes Bella Pasta is a chain, but the food was good and reasonably priced. Judy didn't say she was looking for a "memorable" meal, but it was memorable for us because WE WERE IN LONDON!

Of all the times that I have been to London (many) and all the restaurants that we have eaten in (many) Bertorellis was the WORST. <BR>I live in NYC and travel and I do have a smidgeon of knowledge about food.<BR>When I bit into the raw crunchy starchy rice and told the waiter that it was not cooked, the answer that he sneered to me was "That is the way it is supposed to be"...Au contraire, Mr Waiter, risotto is soft and creamy and good. This was not even close!<BR>The attitudes were bad, made French stereotypes of waiters look like saints. The service was slow. The price was way higher than it should have been.<BR>A typical tourist trap restaurant that most likely has no local eating there at all, the clientel is probably all who read about them in guide books.<BR>

Try Strada, 8-10 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, London, EC1R 4QA, also 15-16 New Burlington Street, London, W1X 1FF, or 237 Earls Court Road, London, SW5, or 9-10 Market Place, London, W1W 8AQ and also 6 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5DH. Yes, it is a chain but is a very good one. Pizzas are huge and authentically cooked on woodfires. Complimentary water and bread-sticks are given and a flat service charge is included in your bill. The decor is very stylish and upmarket. Service is good but not fabulous. Try also I Sapori, Drury Lane, near to Covent Garden for a more traditional, family-owned place. If you want to splurge, ask your hotel concierge for the latest recommendations.

I pretty much agree with the comments about Bertorelli's from Jill. I went twice and hated it both times; shouldn't have gone back but thought the first must be a fluke because so many people rave about it. The second time was worse. Haven't been to their new one that replaced by favorite old Soho, Soho and don't intend to. But oddly enough I think Bertorelli's was a shade better than Bella Pasta -- my idea of the worst Italian food!<BR><BR>Sorry I don't have many suggestions for better Italian in London as usually we headed off to Italy, so I just wait. Although we did have some wonderful and very inexpensive food at Rusticana on Frith in Soho. Great Braesoula, a super pappardelle with clams and mushrooms, and a great Amarone at a bargain price.<BR>Apparently the noisy group near us was much of the cast and crew from Mama Mia who eat there nearly every night.

My favourite London restaurants are:<BR>Gordon Ramsay, Connaught, Veeraswamy, St. John, Ivy, and San Lorenzo. One Italian chain that I absolutely hate is ASK (there are several around Kensington High Street). This is THE London version of Olive Garden.

Bella Pasta is a chain, but I will say that after we arrived in London tired and quite hungry, Bella Pasta was a godsend! We have eaten there twice (two different locations). They definitely have a better concept of "al forno" than many restaurants I have encountered in the States. I would say if you are craving Italian and want to dine in a casual atmosphere at pretty reasonable prices, Bella Pasta would certainly fit the bill.