mocha_dolce

It looks we won't be affected by the UK industrial actions during our time there. Phew!

I'd be interested in restaurant suggestions that are midrange (and whether they are bookable). We don't need haute cuisine, chef's table, or wine pairings, nor anything exotic -- just well prepared food with table service (covered outdoor seating would be a plus).

These areas would be most convenient due to hotel locations:
London -- around Westminster, Buckingham Palace, and London Eye.
York -- city center and slightly west. (Lucia is already on our list.)
Edinburgh -- city center and in Leith (lunch when we visit the Britannia)

Thanks in advance.

maitaitom

In York, I can highly recommend Rustique (28 Castlegate). Located near Clifford's Tower, this charming French restaurant served what I thought was the best steak I've had in Europe. The four of us all enjoyed our meal (chicken, fish and pasta dishes were all good). Below is my review (with photos) from last May. We also loved Lucia.

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/rustique-york-england/

janisj

Just very quick (there are countless restaurants in that part of London and I'll have to give it some thought)

But for your Britannia day within walking distance are the Lighthouse in a floating hotel and The Shore nearby.

https://www.fingal.co.uk/food-drink/...-thelighthouse
https://www.fishersrestaurants.co.uk...nd-restaurant/

KarenWoo

These are the restaurants we liked/loved in Edinburgh. We made advance reservations at each restaurant except for Dishoom.

Dishoom - Indian restaurant. Food is delicious and well-prepared. They only accept reservations for lunch, not for dinner. We had lunch there on the day we arrived in Edinburgh. It was very busy. I think the only reason we got a table right away is because there were only 2 of us. When we left around 4pm a line was already forming outside. Located in St. Andrews Square in New Town.
https://www.dishoom.com/edinburgh/?u...LndlYnNpdGU%3D

Makar's Mash Bar - one of our favorite restaurants for the whole trip. Delicious traditional Scottish food. Very friendly staff. Definitely need reservations. When we arrived, there was a couple in front of us who didn't have reservations and they were told it was an hour long wait. Located in Old Town.
https://makarsmash.com/

Ka Pao - Another favorite of the whole trip. Food with a southeast Asian flair. Try the tasting menu for 27 pounds per person. The food was outstanding and it was fun every time our waiter brought us a new dish. Located in New Town.
https://www.ka-pao.com/

Cafe Royal - traditional pub/restaurant with delicious Scottish food Very pretty inside with stained glass windows. One of the best sticky toffee puddings! Located in New Town.
https://www.caferoyaledinburgh.com/

Mussel Inn - Focus is on seafood, of course. We ordered buckets of mussels. Very tasty. Located in New Town.
https://www.mussel-inn.com/

We stayed at the Ibis in St. Andrews Square, and all of these restaurants are within walking distance.

mocha_dolce

Thanks...maitaitom. These sound great. and I booked both ...surprised to see you needed to specify an "end" time for your dinner. Hope I got that right.

maitaitom

"surprised to see you needed to specify an "end" time for your dinner."

Did I write that?

mocha_dolce

No, but when I booked online at both, they required a start time and an end time for the reservations.

maitaitom

That is becoming more frequent I guess. Did they at least give you at least 90 minutes? I find that's the norm when places do that.

KarenWoo

I noticed that, too, when we made our reservations all over Scotland. The restaurants typically gave us 1.5 hours to 2 hours.

janisj

a bit of explanation -- it used to be really rare for restaurants in the UK to turn tables like they do in the States. Just 2 sittings at a table the whole evening would be the norm. But the restaurant industry is really struggling -- increased costs, huge staff shortages, lots more cancellations (apparently people have started booking 3 or 4 places only to decide which one to visit at the last minute).

So many places have started charging for no shows (unheard of pre-covid) and limiting a booking to 90 minutes so they can turn the table 2 or 3 times.

mocha_dolce

Thanks, KarenWoo, for the detailed reservations. I am looking through these one by one!

mocha_dolce

Thanks for the background information and the recommendations in Leith. Please keep them coming.

KarenWoo

Two of the restaurants I made reservations at in Scotland required my CC number. They would have charged us 20 pounds per person if we were no-shows.

macdogmom

We had dinner at The Barbary and Barrafina this May in London and lunch at Koya. Some of my favorite restaurants anywhere! Barbary is Mediterranean/north African/middle eastern(Michelin bib), Barrafina is excellent (they have a Michelin star) Spanish tapas and Koya has great Udon noodles and other Japanese dishes. Eater.com has an interesting list of restaurants in London plus hungryonion.com is a good site for eating advice. Have a great trip!

mocha_dolce

Is there an online restaurant guide for London by neighborhood and cuisine that is searchable? We're staying in Westminster. Sandwiches, salads, crepes, pizza. burgers would be fine for some meals, especially lunches. Breakfasts will be in the hotel or skipped. I've scanned some of the articles that highlight particular restaurants, but it is taking too long. We're not really going for the restaurants, just need some bookings so we don't have to wait for hours or buy all our food at the grocery store prepared foods section.

Morgana

I find the Hardens Food Guide very reliable although I use it for northern England and not London. Has a very good reputation.
You can search by different London areas.

basingstoke2

In Edinburgh we enjoyed David Bann. This is an extraordinary vegetarian restaurant with imaginative cuisine. It is very popular and reservations are recommended. For a splurge we had a great meal at The Witchery which is near the castle. The Witchery is elegant with impeccable service. Dinner there is more of a splurge than we wanted but lunch is far more reasonable. Reservations are necessary for this destination restaurant. There is also a small sweet place in New Town Edinburgh called Urban Angel. We ate there twice. If vegetarian haggis is still on the menu I would recommend it.

In York there is a Carvery that I can recommend. Aside from the usual meats it has a very nice veggie buffet with a good selection of root vegetable dishes. One can order just these without meats. They also have a nice Yorkshire pudding. York also has Betty's which has an excellent afternoon tea. Again try for a reservation since there are often lines for a table. I recommend the less formal upper dining room for a cream tea and choice of scones. Light lunches are also served.

menachem

https://www.toklaslondon.com/ 1 Surrey Street
Essential to book

Simpsons (Strand) https://www.simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk/

I'm afraid near London Eye is a restaurant chain wasteland

Cinnamon Club https://cinnamonclub.com/
The Old Westminster Library, Great Smith St, London SW1P 3BU, United Kingdom

menachem

Use google maps to scout around your neighbourhood. If you see something you like, fave it to come back to.

basingstoke2

For a different experience St. Martin's in the Fields is just off Trafalger Square has a cafe in its crypt. The cafe has decent food and is well priced.