Hi, <BR> <BR>My sister and I will be travelng to London in late April. Most of the restaurants listed in the various guide books are frightfully expensive! Where are some good, fun places to eat in the $7-10 entree range? <BR> <BR>Also, what is the best way to get theater tickets? I know there is a ticket booth ( I forgot where but it is listed in my guide book), but will I have a difficult time getting seats for the bigger shows if I wait? <BR> <BR>Thank you. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Alisa <BR>I can't help you with the restaurants, perhaps others can. <BR>Below I am giving you some websites and information for theater tickets. There is a half-price ticket booth at Leceister Square, but they rarely have the tickets for the big hit shows, understandably. In fact for a show like Lion King, you will not be able to get seats now even at full price from the box office because they are sold out far in advance. The alternative would be to try a ticket broker like Edwards and Edwards (they have an office in NYC in the US as well) but you will pay a commission. <BR>good luck. <BR>www.goodshow.com/ <BR>Good Show charges a flat fee ($25, 6/99) for two plays, up to six tickets per show. For each additional show there is a $10 fee, again for up to six tickets. The site also provides theatre reviews, schedules (including the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford) and fringe productions. <BR>www.whatson.com/ Theatre and concert schedules,reviews, seating plans, prices <BR>tickets, seating charts <BR>www.whatsonstage.com <BR>www.thisislondon.co.uk/ <BR>www.timeout.com/london/ <BR>www.albemarle-london.com/ <BR>http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/ book tickets without agency fees <BR>http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/ includes a click to the Globe theatre website. <BR>For schedules and tickets to West End shows, websites like http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/main.html <BR>and http://www.thisislondon.com will suffice. At any news stand in the concourse of the airport or train station you can buy the magazines Time Out or What's On in London, and also look at the Fringe theatre listings, which no website covers fully. You can book on the phone with a credit card. <BR>To try to get last-minute tickets for a very popular show, try going to the box office of the theater on the same day. Most open by 10am. They sometimes have house seats or returned tickets to sell. <BR>Stop at the same-day box office in Leicester Square in the West End theatre district to see what may be available. Cash only, and sometimes the line is very long. Can purchase up to 4 tickets for one show. <BR>The Leicester Square half price booth is open Monday through Saturday from noon for matinee performances and from 2:30 until 6:00 for evening performances. The earlier you arrive the better your chances for getting tickets for some show or play that interests you. <BR>

One place that was interesting place to eat and definitely wasn't hard on the pocketbook was the Cafe in the Crypt at St. Martins in the Field. The cafeteria is situated in the crypt of the the church, the food isn't bad, and was crowded when I was there. The crypt also has brass rubbing available.

as a londoner, i can tell you that you aren't going to get anything much in that price range in the west end area. the cheapest food options in the centre are mainly in china town, behind leicester square. <BR> <BR>most londoners don't eat in the west end, and most residential reas have a good selection of reasonable priced resurants. the best areas are: in north london; islington; stoke newington, church st and crouch end, also hampstead. insouth london: battersea, clapham and notting hill, also chelsea and fulham. hope this helps, enjoy your visit

Yes, London has many frightfully expensive places to eat! There is an inexpensive chain called Garfunkel's and they are all over London where meals, sandwiches, etc. are reasonably priced. They are sort of like Denny's I guess you could say. Not alot of atmosphere, but for an inexpensive meal .... There is one right off Trafalger Sq. and if you get a window table it's fun to watch the crowds and buses try to maneuver around the corner! There are also many pizza places as well as McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, etc. While I realize most people (including myself) don't go to Europe to eat in fast food places they are there in a pinch and are easier on the wallet if you are on a budget. <BR>We're going to be in London later this month and I got tickets for several top shows months and months ago but you might be able to get tickets if you go to the box office and ask about "returns" - frequently they are available right before the show. You can go on line and check TicketmasterUK or Ablemarle Tickets, or Global Tickets. All are agents and charge booking fees but it you have your heart set on a show and you are going this month that may be your only choice. You can also call theaters directly (as I did, but that was 8 months back) and I doubt very much if any of the top shows have anything available at this late date - so your best bet is a ticket agent (broker) such as Ticketmaster or Global, etc. Back to food, you can find pubs that offer sandwiches, etc. in that price range you mentioned as well - also cafe's in department stores have sandwiches, salads, soup, etc. For a quick bite (if the weather is good) pick up a sandwich at Marks&Spencer (or almost anyplace, even Boots sell sandwiches) and a drink and sit in a park - lovely way to rest your feet, watch the people and just kick back for a few minutes. There is also a "Cafe in the Park" at Hyde Park, Regent's Park and out in Greenwich in the park there (and probably at other parks too) - they serve sandwiches, light lunches, etc. - the one in Hyde Park is right along the Serpentine Pond. <BR>Enjoy your visit!!!

You will be very hard pushed to find that kind of price range in the west end, and even out in the residential areas, prices are just not that cheap. Welcome to Britain! Seriously, though, look out for chains like Pizza Express, Wok Wok, Ask Pizza where you will get main courses for about £6-£8. In Covent Garden, try Buona Sera on Drury Lane for big portions and good prices. The other poster was good to mention the China Town restuarants, like Poons, which are just behind the Warner Bros and Prince Charles cinemas. You can get a filling meal there for under £8 including a drink (or drink the free jasmine tea.) Remember, though, that taxes are included and that service charges generally are added on to the bill and rarely go higher that 12.5%. If they are not added, and given that you are not in a swanky place, leave a couple of pounds on the table or 10% if you want. Also, look around for fixed priced deals. Cafe Sofra towards the back of Covent Garden near the Opera House is a good place for cheap eats, selling a kind of Greek/Turkish fusion, and most Indian restaurants (which, in fact, are mostly run by Bangladeshis) will provide good value meals. Wine and booze in general will push up the price of a meal, so ask for tap water. During the day, why not buy sandwiches for £2-3 from places like Pret a Manger, Boots, Marks and Spencer etc. rather than going for the ubiquitous burger?

We decided to skip the theatre this time as we live so close to nyc and can see Broadway shows quite easily here. What we can't see is Shakespeare, and we did a day trip to Stratford to see As You Like It at the RSC. The Globe Theatre has performances in the summer only-if I were going then, that's where I'd spend money for a ticket. As far as restaurants go, we had two teenaged boys w/ us who got their McD fixes for snacks, but one of the best lunches we had was downstairs at the National Gallery, a Pret a Manger facility-cheap and delicious. Pubs are definitely the cheapest option for dinner, other than what's already been mentioned, but it's worth budgeting for at least a couple of nice dinners out-We tried Rules, the only place I saw listed as touristy but worth it, and they were right-we loved it and it didn't seem touristy at all! <BR>Have fun, it's overwhelming to try and do/see it all.

I don't know where you usually eat when you're home, but outside of ethnic (Chinese, Thai, Mexican), chains (Denny's, Coco's), or lunch places (Soup'n'Salad, Subway), I have to pay a minimum of $15 for an entree. I always assume the same for anyplace else I am (except for Morocco where $15 bought the restaurant). Consequently, the same sorts of places in London are where you'll find cheap eats. The only other place is a pub, but they aren't necessarily cheap (those in the tourist areas are going to have higher prices than those in a residential neighborhood). <BR> <BR>Some suggestions: eat your big meal at lunch (historically cheaper than the same meal at dinner); eat a sandwich or fastfood at lunch, then spend a bit more on dinner; rent an apartment, eat one homemade meal a day, the other one out; fast for your entire trip (you'll go him thin and rich).

Fodors <BR> <BR>By e-mail I'm sending you notes I have on disc about places that have main courses at ten dollars, mostly pubs. I'm afraid that among them all only Chinatown, just north of Leicester Square, is in the West Ed. As others have said, the West End costs more. <BR> <BR>You've had heaps of good advice, and I agree ith almost ll of it. A few annotations. <BR> <BR>I think the food in the crypt of St Martin in the Fields is rather poor. For weekday lunch, if you can take a bus across to the Law Curts in the Strand and drop 50 yards south to the Devereaux Arms pub, you'll get better value for the same money. Detail is on my disc note. <BR> <BR>Garfunkel's serve routine food, and don't compete with my pubs nor ethinic food. <BR> <BR>I love the plug for Islington from the officer of the Borough of Islington. Proper local pride. But if you select, you can find equally good food at those prices more centrally. What I would say is that if you're in Islington or Swiss Cottage or Kilburn already, for the good fringe theatre there, you should ask the box office, when you book over the phone, to suggest a place to eat. Certainly many places there are better than most plksces in the west end. <BR> <BR>So to theatre. Only one footnote. There's no need to go to great and famous <BR>companies (yet alone to Stratford) for Shakespeare: many of my best evenings have been at Shakespeare on the London Fringe. <BR> <BR>I'm not neccessarily right, but thought I might throw in my tuppenceworth. <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. Welcome to London <BR> <BR>Ben Haines <BR>

A great place to eat that's near Picadilly Circus is Wagamama. This is a Japanese noodle shop that has several outlets throughout London. <BR> <BR>Another fun place to eat is Belgo. This is a Belgian restaurant where you take a freight elevator to get to the restaurant level. The waiters are dressed like monks. There are three Belgos in London, but the one we ate at was near Covent Garden. Belgo also has a M-F dinner special called "Beat the Clock," where they offer three different complete meals for a particular price. For example, if you get there and order at 5:30pm, you'll pay 5.30 pounds for dinner. This is only from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm M-F. <BR> <BR>Both of these restaurants have meals which will fit your price range. <BR>

We were in London last month and found some wonderful inexpensive indian food on Brick Lane in the east end of London. (We ate twice at The Standard Balti House). We also ate a couple of times at Bella Pasta in Bayswater. Have fun!

TTT. David's first post?

This is tough, so many memories.

Ben and cw both on the same thread

And Elvira.

Ben Haines being slightly snarky.

Not by most people's standards, of course. But by his own extraordinary standards of courtesy, just the teeniest frisson.And bizarrely, aimed at CW.

But bizarrer still, wrong about CW - who famously regarded Islington as full of wanking poseurs.

With both now gone, this Forum will just never be the same again.

So where is Elvira? I have done many searches looking for her.