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Neris posted:Maaaaaan, as a resigned caffeine addict, I love the coffee/brunch recommendations list, I've been living in London for ages and it's awful when you want to meet someone for non-alcoholic drink and half the time you end up stuck in some random goddamn Cafe Nero unless you're on Exmouth Market or something. I was in prufrock the other weekend for coffee tasting and they had a £2 map of all the specialist coffee shops in london.
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Jan 5, 2013 01:15
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Alright, I added Asa Kusa to the Food map. I did have really good food in there once, but they made me wait an hour and a half for my 6 pieces of sushi because a table downstairs ordered something like 100 pieces and they served them first  All my friends had eaten and were done, so they were just left waiting for me for ages. When I complained they just said sorry so I had to tell them outright I wasn't going to pay for the drinks, certainly, and it was mega uncomfortable. Here's a coffee map!
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Jan 5, 2013 08:55
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Thanks for these maps, they are amazing! My suggestion for coffee places would be Notes who have stores on the Strand and Covent Garden, they also run the Flat Cap coffee stalls which are amazing too.
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Jan 5, 2013 19:44
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Neris posted:Ooh, I'd definitely suggest Le Mercury in Angel. Cheap, but really nice 'date' atmosphere, and the food is totally acceptable. Check it out. Just like to add that Le Mercury have recently opened a much larger second restaurant not 5 minutes up the road from the first. Haven't tried it yet though, maybe if I can convince the missus to come with me I'll go in the week sometime as it's a short walk from my flat.
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Jan 5, 2013 21:02
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Any London goons fancy going to Viet Pho Noodle Bar this evening? It's near Licester Sq. 34 Greek Street London Greater London W1D 5DJ
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Jan 6, 2013 11:18
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Neris posted:Alright, I added Asa Kusa to the Food map. I did have really good food in there once, but they made me wait an hour and a half for my 6 pieces of sushi because a table downstairs ordered something like 100 pieces and they served them first Reaffirming my assumption that Victoria is a desert for decent food and coffee 
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Jan 6, 2013 12:40
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reality_groove posted:Thanks for these maps, they are amazing! Definitely, Notes is really good.
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Jan 6, 2013 12:40
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Steakandchips posted:Any London goons fancy going to Viet Pho Noodle Bar this evening? It's near Licester Sq. Ooh, enjoy, the cold noodles are brilliant. And so cheap! Remember to BYOB 
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Jan 6, 2013 15:41
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angor posted:Does anyone know if Burger and Shake has a veggie option on their menu? Facebook suggests they trialled one a little while ago but not sure if that stuck. I walked past today and they do have a veggie burger. 
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Jan 7, 2013 13:26
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On the breakfast subject, a friend and I have spent the last couple of years working our way round the city and slowly trying all the well-reputed breakfast places (using the Time Out list as a general guide). I think we've ticked off everywhere notable at least once now (though we haven't actually tried The Wolseley). My favourites: - Lantana. Well known and the menu hasn't changed much, but I think indisputably the best. Every time I go I'm amazed by how good the breakfast is. Apparently they've opened a new branch near Old St called Salvation Jane? - Counter Cafe. Arty place in Hackney Wick - an absolute arse to get to and no two items of furniture or cutlery in the place match, but really excellent breakfast with a regularly changing menu. It's round the corner from the Hackney Pearl (which I though was massively overrated). - Railroad. Dinky cafe in a weird place on Morning Lane. Very small menu (typically the only breakfast options are baked eggs or a sausage sandwich), but it's excellently made food, the place has a lovely atmosphere, and the coffee is absolutely superb. - Workshop (formerly St Ali) on Clerkenwell Road. Worth going purely for the baked eggs.
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Jan 8, 2013 12:57
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You must try The Tapa Room in Marylebone or it's sister restaurant Kopapa in Covent Garden. I rate them over Lantana for brunch.
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Jan 8, 2013 14:06
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Girlfriend got a job in London, now I must leave Yorkshire for London. Tell me about street food and various food trucks/stalls/markets in London. I'm imagining loads of boutiquey, super-fashionable food vendors in place of the usual burger vans you get up north. Is this the case? Also food markets. I know of Borough Market, but are there any other decent ones?
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Jan 8, 2013 14:20
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GiantAmazonianOtter posted:You must try The Tapa Room in Marylebone or it's sister restaurant Kopapa in Covent Garden. I rate them over Lantana for brunch. I've been to both, but not for a while. I remember enjoying them, but thinking they were both slightly too expensive. Kopapa is right across the road from Matilda and has an excellent pre-theatre menu though, for the poster that was looking for recommendations there.
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Jan 8, 2013 14:28
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Raffles posted:Tell me about street food and various food trucks/stalls/markets in London. I'm imagining loads of boutiquey, super-fashionable food vendors in place of the usual burger vans you get up north. Is this the case? I see lots of spanish/japanese food vendors at the lunchtime markets. It's all very expensive as well, normally £5+ for food and a drink.
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Jan 8, 2013 15:34
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Raffles posted:Girlfriend got a job in London, now I must leave Yorkshire for London. Unfortunately, when you see the price of rent down here compared to the Shire, you'll wonder how you can still afford to eat. Borough Market is good, but expensive as hell. Brixton Market is worth a look, for Franco Manca alone. There are still a lot of truly lovely food trucks, sadly..
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Jan 8, 2013 15:43
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Breakfastchat is great and all, but someone asked about Richmond on the last page and as it happens, I'll be spending a lot of my time there in the coming months. Any ideas beyond the pubs already suggested?
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Jan 8, 2013 21:35
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peanut- posted:My favourites: Yep Salvation Jane is great - same Lantana menu, no queue. Workshop is a treat.
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Jan 8, 2013 21:44
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Vlex posted:Breakfastchat is great and all, but someone asked about Richmond on the last page and as it happens, I'll be spending a lot of my time there in the coming months. Any ideas beyond the pubs already suggested? Cirrik is excellent. Rara at Kew is great too.
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Jan 9, 2013 22:04
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I'm going to Saf in Kensington on the weekend with my vegan friend! "Oven roasted Courgette towers stuffed with soy bolognaises, topped with melted rice mozzarella cheese and served with house salad.", "Thinly sliced daikon radish filled with soft tarragon cheese, served with rocket salad and raw mushroom crisps", "Seasonal vegetables oven roasted in tomato and herb sauce served in chickpea crêpe, with lemon-tarragon aioli and side salad" It actually all sounds delicious, if they pull it off. I can't wait!
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Jan 10, 2013 15:50
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Raffles posted:
I poo poo you not, the first time I noticed a burger van was when I almost walked into one near Waterloo Bridge on NYE. That's how rare they are. It's all about fixed carbon copy chicken shops of poo poo here.
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Jan 10, 2013 21:13
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It's true, Time Out and the Evening Standard like to go on about London's burgeoning food cart culture, but they are actually incredibly rare. Pitt Cue under Hungerford bridge is the only one I've seen and that's virtually permanent now.
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Jan 10, 2013 21:17
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Neris posted:I'm going to Saf in Kensington on the weekend with my vegan friend! It's been a while since I've been there, but I really liked their food; clearly prepared with a lot of care and skill, worth experiencing even if you're not vegan. Looks like the courgette pappardelle I had isn't on the menu any more, but browsing their menu makes me want to go back and try everything else. The full Saf experience is also to eat their 'raw' food, so if that doesn't sound like the most awful dining thing ever, maybe give that a shot? (Raw means possibly cooked/heated up to 48c. I didn't really understand why the cut-off point but then I never really looked for an explanation either. Regardless, it was delicious.)
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Jan 10, 2013 22:07
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The_Doctor posted:It's true, Time Out and the Evening Standard like to go on about London's burgeoning food cart culture, but they are actually incredibly rare. Pitt Cue under Hungerford bridge is the only one I've seen and that's virtually permanent now. Pitt Cue is pretty drat awesome though. But the portions need to be bigger, like Bodeans big.
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Jan 11, 2013 11:11
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Spuckuk posted:Pitt Cue is pretty drat awesome though. But the portions need to be bigger, like Bodeans big. I've only seen it closed.  I was in the actual restaurant opening night though, and that was awesome.
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Jan 11, 2013 15:02
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I really need to post here more often! Victoria is short on decent places to eat, Picante is good for a Mexican lunch as the queues testify. Think it's been mentioned before. Street places have been well publicised in the past year or two but they're still relatively few and far between. South bank tends to have some other than Pitt Cue especially on Summer, but things like Big Apple Hot Dog near Old St you could easily walk past or dismiss on appearances. Some foodie news I've read recently that people might find find interesting: - Shake Shack (extremely popular New York burger joint) is coming to Covent Garden this year, Spring I think. Looking forward to a peanut butter milkshake - Jason Atherton is looking to open a second place that will be more affordable than Pollen Street. Have just booked Hedone in Chiswick (first visit) and The Harwood Arms (second visit, loved the first time) for the girlfriend's birthday Always nice to have a reason to splurge on food! Will report back here after the event.I'd like to get to Dabbous this year but the popularity of some restaurants these days is insane.
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Jan 11, 2013 17:02
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Muga posted:
Yeah, there't not much near Victoria. There's the usual Pizza Express/La Tasca/Nandos etc. If you're preared to walk a bit there's a bit more variety. Horeserry Rd has Firecracker, a Japanese restaurant that does karaoke and cool little bento trays. Also the Loose Box is a pretty good bar/restaurant with some nice sharing platters. Goya is a traditional Spanish tapas restaurant near Pimlico which is very satisfying. The Regency Cafe is a traditional greasy spoon known for appearing in Layer Cake, Brighton Rock and bunch of TV dramas. THe Luaghing Halibut on Strutton Ground is a fantastic chippy. Caxton Grill and the Cinnamon Club are probably the more popular upmarket restaurants nearby.
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Jan 14, 2013 13:41
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Seeing as we've had discussions of coffee places and whatnot, I figured it wouldn't be too remiss of me to ask you guys for recommendations for drinking establishments. I'm looking for somewhere that isn't too pricey and that has both decent beer and other drinks (I'd be happy in a BrewDog or something but I have a few non-beery friends). I want to book a table for my birthday to avoid having to drag people around looking for somewhere to be, but I'm at a loss in this city since there are so many options! Somewhere North/East/Central would be good as I want to avoid going too far South/West because of getting people there and back. So, any suggestions? I'd also like a place that isn't too loud, since I like being able to have conversations. I assume my requirements aren't too specific, I'm just not sure where to start searching!
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Jan 16, 2013 12:53
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Do you want a place that serves food as well?
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Jan 16, 2013 18:34
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Bollock Monkey posted:(I'd be happy in a BrewDog or something but I have a few non-beery friends). BrewDog do usually stock a selection of excellent wines too. I only mention this as recently one of my friends was dreading going to one as she's not big on beer, after she'd been she raved about how great the wine was there and how the staff could tell you anything/everything about it, just like the beer.
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Jan 16, 2013 19:07
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Snipeo posted:Do you want a place that serves food as well? Thei posted:BrewDog do usually stock a selection of excellent wines too. I only mention this as recently one of my friends was dreading going to one as she's not big on beer, after she'd been she raved about how great the wine was there and how the staff could tell you anything/everything about it, just like the beer. It's my birthday, damnit, and I want to both please people and actually have them come. This is stressful!
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Jan 16, 2013 19:39
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Bollock Monkey posted:Nah, just drinks. In my head I replaced 'fussy' with something else entirely that's slightly uncomplimentary. Really they should be trying to please you if it's your birthday. Given the circumstances maybe a Tiki bar? If they don't love Tiki bars then there is something severely wrong with them. Rum fixes everything. There seems to be South London Pacific, Mahiki and The Sugar Cane; I haven't been, but now I want to... Oh, and happy birthday!
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Jan 16, 2013 22:07
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Neris posted:Alright, I added Asa Kusa to the Food map. I did have really good food in there once, but they made me wait an hour and a half for my 6 pieces of sushi because a table downstairs ordered something like 100 pieces and they served them first Came here to post just this! Went to Asa Kusa and the food was great but i waited over 2 hours for my nigiri!. They tried to say it's because sushi took longer which is bullshit as all the tables around us were getting it despite some having arrived an hour after i'd ordered. I was there as a guest of someone who picked up the bill otherwise i'd have refused to pay. In more positive new i went to Season Kitchen on stroud green round and it was great. Probably a little over priced but am definitely going to be going back lots. I knows there's a load of people in here from around that area and it is well worth trying. Loving Africa Chaps fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Jan 16, 2013 |
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Jan 16, 2013 22:23
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Bollock Monkey posted:Nah, just drinks. I believe the BrewDog in Shoreditch which used to be Mason & Taylor's has a speakeasy-type cocktail bar in the basement, might be the best of both worlds?
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Jan 17, 2013 00:14
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Loving Africa Chaps posted:Came here to post just this! Went to Asa Kusa and the food was great but i waited over 2 hours for my nigiri!. They tried to say it's because sushi took longer which is bullshit as all the tables around us were getting it despite some having arrived an hour after i'd ordered. I was there as a guest of someone who picked up the bill otherwise i'd have refused to pay. You'll find this in popular restaurants in London, it's not when you arrived, but who you are or who you know. If you're a 'Nobody' you'll be seated near the back, and often times wait longer than 'Important' guests to be served. A poor review or two and calling out of this practice usually sees establishments start to turn around.
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Jan 17, 2013 00:17
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Alright, I'm in the west end, and I fancy a big chinese noodle soup with lots of meat for lunch. Where am I going?
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Jan 17, 2013 13:25
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Bollock Monkey posted:Nah, just drinks. Just book a room in the Library in Islington or some other generic bar. No one will care about the booze or anything, as long as there's beer, wine, liquor behind the bar and a room where you can get pissed and be loud that's the recipe for success - don't over think it. I was going to use the Library for my birthday and then last minute the whole thing got hosed up since we booked the date wrong so check that. And also it's your birthday, anyone who pouts because they can't get a Cosmpolitan or an unusual dark ale is an rear end in a top hat. Saf: I was seriously not too wowed by this. The service was pretty unforgivable. First they lost our reservation, then they made a fuss since it was full booked, they sat us in a crappy table, it was NOT fully booked as we left two hours later with empty tables. We orderd the cheese tasting platter and my friend had the daikon ravioli for the main - the waitress did not tell us the daikon ravioli features heavily on the cheese tasting platter. They were also loving slow with just about everything (giving us a menu/ordering/taking plates away) and it took us three bloody requests to get some tap water. Also its new location, in the food hall of Whole Foods in High Street Ken didn't have a very good vibe. The raw Pho I had was pretty alright but massively over-sauced and tangy. I think the proper vegan with us enjoyed it though. Neris fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Jan 17, 2013 |
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Jan 17, 2013 15:17
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The_Doctor posted:Alright, I'm in the west end, and I fancy a big chinese noodle soup with lots of meat for lunch. Where am I going? Bone Daddies in Soho. Not strictly Chinese - Japanese ramen in fact, but it's great.
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Jan 17, 2013 15:42
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reality_groove posted:I believe the BrewDog in Shoreditch which used to be Mason & Taylor's has a speakeasy-type cocktail bar in the basement, might be the best of both worlds? I loooove this place, but apparently you can't book tables. It was my first choice until I found that out, but I want to avoid having to wander round Shoreditch trying to find somewhere if we get there and it's too busy. Neris posted:Just book a room in the Library in Islington or some other generic bar. No one will care about the booze or anything, as long as there's beer, wine, liquor behind the bar and a room where you can get pissed and be loud that's the recipe for success - don't over think it. I was going to use the Library for my birthday and then last minute the whole thing got hosed up since we booked the date wrong so check that. And also it's your birthday, anyone who pouts because they can't get a Cosmpolitan or an unusual dark ale is an rear end in a top hat. Thei posted:In my head I replaced 'fussy' with something else entirely that's slightly uncomplimentary. Really they should be trying to please you if it's your birthday. I'd love to go for cocktails but they get pretty expensive pretty quickly, which is annoying, Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'll follow some leads. I also found designmynight.com and that's helping as well. Bollock Monkey fucked around with this message at 13:33 on Jan 18, 2013 |
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Jan 18, 2013 13:30
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tentish klown posted:Bone Daddies in Soho. Not strictly Chinese - Japanese ramen in fact, but it's great. I ended up going to Hung's on Wardour St, this tiny place with about 4 tables. Their wontons had actual prawns in, and were delicious!
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Jan 18, 2013 13:34
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Monkahchi posted:You'll find this in popular restaurants in London, it's not when you arrived, but who you are or who you know. If you're a 'Nobody' you'll be seated near the back, and often times wait longer than 'Important' guests to be served. A poor review or two and calling out of this practice usually sees establishments start to turn around. I've been to plenty of popular restaurants and never had this. poo poo service is poo poo service not to mention that we were with people who know the family that run it.
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Jan 18, 2013 14:28
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