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Restuarant recommendations around Trafalgar Square

Restuarant recommendations around Trafalgar Square

Old Nov 17th, 2012, 01:26 AM
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Restuarant recommendations around Trafalgar Square

We have an apartment rental near Trafalgar Square close to the Thames and would like to take advantage of all the offers on meals if you reserve ahead. Looking for restaurant tips within walking distance of our apartment that I could book now. Here is a map of where we are staying:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X...0530&A=Y&Z=110

We are a family of 5 with 3 children, so something nice but not too fussy. Ranging from fish and chips to a nice dinner out for a memory.
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 02:07 AM
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There are a lot of restaurants in the area. I suppose walking distance depends a bit on the ages of your children. There is a Burger King in Charing Cross station if the children get home sick. Simpsons in the Strand for old English fare. There is the Rock and Sole Place for fish and chips slightly north of Covent Garden. China town is close although I find Chinese food better in places like LA, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto. Masala Zone is decent for Indian food also slightly north of Covent Garden. St Martin in the Fields has a decent cafeteria downstairs for lunch. My daughter took an Art class at the National Gallery last year and mentioned that it had a nice cafeteria. Really depends on what kind of food you like. We often pick up Indian food to prepare from places like Tescos or M&S. Consider picking up a copy of the Time Out Eating guide. The Time Out web site also has restaurant specials. You may also want to consider pre theatre dinner specials in the area.
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 03:11 AM
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Thank you! I have spent the past 2 hours clicking on the google restaurants nearby and most have horrible reviews. My husband and I visited London a couple years ago and every place we ate was fantastic! I would love a great fish and chips, Indian, Italian, and probably fish and chips again.... We are tourists, so I don't mind anything "touristy" if the food is good and prices are decent. My kids are great walkers, so anything within a mile or 2 of course closer is better.

I found Lupita Mexican restaurant which is like a 5 minute walk. I could go for a margarita.....
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 03:15 AM
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There are so many alternatives. Additional suggestions, Joe Allen (near Covent Garden). There is an expensive (IMO) restaurant at the top of the National Portrait Gallery with great views, I think they do an afternoon tea as well. You could check the website fancyapint.com for local pubs. Lots of the chains have restaurants in the general area, eg Wagamama, Pizza Express. As mentioned above, the Crypt in St Martins in the Fields has a cafe - you can also pick up the London Walks brochures from there.
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 03:57 AM
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Suggestion: CAFÉ IN THE CRYPT, an affordable and fun dining option at St. Martin in the Fields Church in Trafalgar Square. You might even combine it with a concert at the church.

You have picked a great London location – enjoy!
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 05:09 AM
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I'm no great expert, but I'm not sure you'd get much if anything in the way of discounts for reserving ahead, at the kind of restaurants that expect reservations. Anywhere not so posh round there will get plenty of footfall anyway (and there are hundreds if not thousands of places, all the way up St Martin's Lane, along the Strand and into Covent Garden or Soho). I appreciate that you want to be sure of a table for the whole family, but don't be surprised if they're resistant to the idea of discounting.

I'd try
http://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/
Or Harden's or Zagat or any of the more established restaurant review guides.
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 05:12 AM
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A further thought. When are you coming? If it's any time between now and Christmas, we're getting well into the season for office Christmas lunches and parties, so booking ahead would be a very good idea anyway, regardless of any financial benefit.
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 05:37 AM
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How about the Wolseley on Piccadilly? It's only a 10 minute walk or so. We ate there in September and found it a bustling place that's open all day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea.
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 05:55 AM
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We had good luck with Toptable. Type in your post code and radius of choice to filter your selections. You can also filter by cuisine. Some do give discounts for certain (e.g. before 7 pm) reservations. Do check the reviews on the discounted ones in particular because sometimes they are discounted for a reason!

http://www.toptable.co.uk/london-restaurants
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 05:56 AM
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Brasserie Zedel which is just outside one of the exits of Piccadilly station is a little taste of Paris in central London. Very inexpensive, bustling place in the former Regent Palace hotel, best to prebook although they hold tables back for walk-ins. You can get anything there from steak frites to frogs legs, according to Timeout they have facilities for children (eg high chairs, changing facilities). It's hard to find something inexpensive and good in London and this place hits the mark.
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 06:58 AM
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At Wolsely, you might see a movie star, model or Top Person. AND the food is good in a comfort-food way.

There is a Tesco Metro in Covent Garden that had a lot of delicious heat-at- home food (stuffed guinea fowl, for example)last time I was there, and I think there is a Sainsburys or M&S nearby as well.
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 08:02 AM
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I don't know about "offers on meals if you reserve ahead", but I can definitely recommend The Texas Embassy for good Mexican food. We used to go there with our kids every time we visited London, so I know it's kid-friendly. It's located right off Trafalgar Square.

I don't know if you will be there for Thanksgiving, but in the past they have offered a turkey dinner option. (We ordered the Mexican food because that's what we love no matter where we are.)

Here's their website with location details: http://www.texasembassy.com/
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 09:05 AM
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We just ate here a month ago.

http://www.cote-restaurants.co.uk/Co...rtinsLane.html

So surprised to find out just now that it is a chain. Such a warm atmosphere and DH said it was the best chicken he ever ate! Reasonable prices and really delicious baguettes, and good wine and service.
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 04:06 PM
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Lupita is fantastic! It was my first thought when you wrote Trafalgar Square but I didn't want to suggest it in case you were looking for more standard British food!

Good Mexican in London is hard to find, but Lupita is great!

Crazy Homies out in Notting Hill, by Portobello Market is also pretty wonderful, in case you get a Mexican craving while you're out site seeing!
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 05:48 PM
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>>Restuarant recommendations around Trafalgar Square
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Old Nov 17th, 2012, 11:55 PM
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I should have looked at your map before posting! In addition to St Martin's Lane, I'd second the idea to look around Covent Garden (particularly Tavistock Street, which is more or less wall-to-wall small-scale restaurants).

Villiers St is full of small cafés; they're mostly geared to daytime snacks and takeaways rather than sit-down family evening meals, but would be good value fuel-food.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2012, 03:45 PM
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I suspect that you will have breakfast at your apartment. Consider lunch at a branch of Paul's. They make excellent sandwiches and are scattered around London. There is one on the Strand near you and one on Bedford street. Pubs may be another option for lunch with such dishes as fish and chips, toad in the hole, Shepard's pie, Ploughman's lunch and sandwiches available.
Dinner depends on what kind of food
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