# Food Options in London



## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Going to London for 4 days and have questions about food. Being the provincial American, I was hoping to stick with what I know. Is it worth it to try to find familiar American-ized food options? Or should I go local?

Ideally, I was hoping to find a quiet cafe/diner *near Victoria Station *where I could sit and enjoy breakfast and lunch each day. Nothing fancy, but someplace that serves decent, freshly prepared food.

For dinner, if I opt for the pubs, should I expect fare that is like American bars, mostly fried foods? A quiet American-style steakhouse or seafood restaurant would be ideal, but I'm unsure if they are commonplace over there.


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## Balfour (Mar 23, 2012)

A few suggestions:

- Decent, reasonably priced fish restaurant: Loch Fyne (www.lochfyne-restaurants.com).

- Avoid "Angus Steak Houses".

- If you push the boat out one night, try Rules (https://www.rules.co.uk/) or Cut (https://www.45parklane.com/CUTat45ParkLane).

- For the best vodka martini in London (if that's your thing), Dukes Hotel (https://www.dukeshotel.com/).


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## Balfour (Mar 23, 2012)

P.S. Avoid most tourist pubs.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Balfour said:


> A few suggestions:
> 
> - Decent, reasonably priced fish restaurant: Loch Fyne (www.lochfyne-restaurants.com).
> 
> ...


Thank you Balfour.

Your suggestions look very nice. Judging by the website, if I patronize Cut (and they let me in), I might have to be on my best (sober) behavior...but if I screw my courage to the sticking place, I might give it a go.

Depending on how the meeting goes on Tuesday, a vodka martini may very well be in order. Thank you for that suggestion as well.

Tourist Pubs? Can they be worse than Hard Rock Cafe?


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

I did alright with Fish & Chips and Indian selections.

I get enough steak, burgers and shellfish at home!!


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> Tourist Pubs? Can they be worse than Hard Rock Cafe?


The Fuller Pubs on every corner are not as bad as HRC or PH but I think you can go to those in London as well if you dare!!


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## Balfour (Mar 23, 2012)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> Tourist Pubs? Can they be worse than Hard Rock Cafe?


No, but you can find much better. They also tend to be twee ('Ye Olde English Tea Shoppe'-type stuff).

For some everyday, not too expensive options, Tapster would be a good place to try (https://www.davy.co.uk/tapster) and Strada is a good high end-pizza chain (https://www.strada.co.uk/). This is all by London standards - think more expensive than NYC.


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## Balfour (Mar 23, 2012)

Or, in Jermyn Street: Rowley's () or Fortnum and Mason's ground floor restaurant for breakfast ().

Again, pushing the boat out (far, far from harbour), the best English restaurant in London: Wiltons (www.wiltons.co.uk).

Of course, dining in Jermyn Street may be a costly undertaking in more ways than one given the temptation to buy clothes and shoes!


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Balfour said:


> Or, in Jermyn Street: Rowley's () or Fortnum and Mason's ground floor restaurant for breakfast ().
> 
> Again, pushing the boat out (far, far from harbour), the best English restaurant in London: Wiltons (www.wiltons.co.uk).
> 
> Of course, dining in Jermyn Street may be a costly undertaking in more ways than one given the temptation to buy clothes and shoes!


Thank you Sir. You've been more than kind with your recommendations.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> Thank you Sir. You've been more than kind with your recommendations.


PS, Yes, I've prepared myself for menu sticker shock.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

*London Food Debrief*

Some notes from the various restaurants that I enjoyed while staying in London (Belgravia/Westminster):

*Gran Paradiso* (Italian, Wilton Road): My colleagues and I ate dinner here one evening. My meal was fine but my colleagues' were hit-or-miss.

We ordered a number of starters that included a delicious homemade sausage. For the main course, I had a flattened pan-fried pork chop and shoe string fries. It was light, tender, and delicious. For wine, we had a bottle of Liano (sangiovese/cabernet blend), and it was superb. For dessert, I had the lemon tart with ice cream, and it too was delicious. One colleague ordered the sirloin steak, and it was a surprise...not up to American standards. It looked more like a serving of roast beef...thin slices of beef that were pan-fried. Another colleague ordered chicken parmegean, but instead received something totally different. After a brief discussion with the Italian waiter, my colleague did not want to make a scene and took what he was given. He enjoyed it, but it wasn't what he ordered.

The restaurant itself is small and cozy with white table cloths. Apparently, unbeknownst to the Americans, there was a British celebrity at the next table which gave all of our UK colleagues a thrill. After he left, we were told of his presence. When I looked over at the empty table, I noticed he ordered the same wine we did.

I can see the appeal of the restaurant. It is elegant, small, and efficient. The patrons were well-dressed, jackets and ties, but the atmosphere was not stuffy. I think we were the only non-locals in the restaurant. Very Nice.

*Dim T *(Asian Fusion, Wilton Road): Next to Gran Paradiso is Dim T, which is a chain restaurant. I ate dinner there twice, once alone and once with colleagues. When alone, I had the Thai Fish which is basically fish-and-chips without the chips and with a spicy red sauce to dip the fish in. The portion was huge, but I thought it was too heavy and not a very appetizing dinner.

On another night, I had the Won Ton Mee, which is a noodle soup. The soup had pork and shrimp won tons, mushrooms, and egg noodles in a chicken broth. It was very good. In terms of atmosphere, Dim T is more bustling than GP...a completely different experience.

*Victoria Station Food Court*: The train station has a mall and an American-style food court on the second floor. Among other choices, it has KFC and MacDonalds. On my last day, I had an egg macmuffin and coffee for breakfast...nice comfort food for an American in London.

*Sainsbury Grocery Store* (Wilton Road): The Sainsbury grocery store was well-stocked. I ended up buying bottled water and fruit there relatively cheaply so I could eat simple breakfasts in my room. I noticed that they had rotisserie chicken there as well.

*Saint George's Tavern *(Belgrave and Hugh): Not too impressed. Service was indifferent. Fish-and-chips were bland and dry. The bartender tried to sell me a Carling instead of what I wanted to drink...I actually had to raise my voice to tell him I did not want a Carling, but rather I wanted what I wanted. I thought it was a borderline tourist trap.

*2 Bridge Place *(Doubletree Hotel Bar): Just like any hotel bar...except the service was poorer than what I'm used to in the USA. Otherwise fine. They can pour a Peroni as well as the next guy.

*Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse *(Heathrow Airport): Or as I like to call it, A Little Slice of Heaven. Everything is complimentary. Foodwise, I had the grilled salmon with fennel for lunch before my flight home...very nice. There is also an Italian deli station with crusty bread, cheeses, cured meats, olive salads, fresh fruit, etc. There is also a gleaming long bar, a hair salon, a massage room, a research library, a table stacked with various newspapers and magazines, a pool table, a shoe shine station, and enough waiters, waitresses, and support staff to keep the whole thing humming. I wish I could have stayed there for the duration of my London visit. It really was a little over the top...but oddly, very enjoyable and something I think I could get used to very easily...


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Snow Hill Pond, I hope you won't take it amiss if I make some observations on your recent visit to London? I don't know whether you followed up any of Balfour's suggestions, but I get the impression it was slightly disappointing. There is an incredible breadth of cuisines to sample in London, indeed just too much to risk a random choice, and for the benefit of any other first-time visitors to London, I would recommend doing some careful research perhaps using the Time-Out restaurant guide, which is a telephone directory-sized book that I have found very useful in the past, or the Good Food Guide.



Snow Hill Pond said:


> Going to London for 4 days and have questions about food. Being the provincial American, I was hoping to stick with what I know. Is it worth it to try to find familiar American-ized food options? Or should I go local?
> 
> ... A quiet American-style steakhouse or seafood restaurant would be ideal, but I'm unsure if they are commonplace over there.


I have to say this slightly puzzles me - why would you travel half-way round the world to eat what you can have at home?



Snow Hill Pond said:


> Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse (Heathrow Airport): Or as I like to call it, A Little Slice of Heaven. ...*I wish I could have stayed there for the duration of my London visit*. .


Now that made me quite sad I'm sorry to say.


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## s1722 (Sep 7, 2011)

I would certainly recommend the Fortnum & Mason breakfast experience - it is well worth a try. Likewise, if you are looking to push the boat out one night for a steakhouse then I would add Hawksmoor to the list of suggestions from Balfour (I tried their restaurant at Seven Dials, near Covent Garden - https://thehawksmoor.com/).

I must say that I was a little disappointed by the steak at Rules, although the restaurant itself has charm by the bucket-load. Conversely, although the steak at Hawksmoor is excellent the restaurant is quite corporate - there appears to be a trend for pricey steakhouses around the City.

Afraid I don't know the area around Victoria St very well. Frankly, I've always tried to avoid it because of its chaotic, commuter hell nature. I have heard of a decent cafe nearby, Pimlico Fresh (review may be found at https://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/venue/2:27125/pimlico-fresh) but I have not tried it.

If you're looking to venture further afield then I would recommend heading west on the District Line to Chiswick (Turnham Green tube), where there are some excellent food pubs (Swan, Devonshire, Duke of Sussex). Alternatively, the pubs operated by Geronimo Inns are reliable for food (https://www.geronimo-inns.co.uk/ourpubs) - the Betjeman Arms inside St Pancras station is impressive and I notice that they own a pub near Victoria Station, the Phoenix (which I have not tried - https://www.geronimo-inns.co.uk/thephoenixinvictoria/).

Oh, if you are calling by Jermyn St then be sure to have a look in at the Red Lion.

Hope this helps. Enjoy.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Langham said:


> Snow Hill Pond, I hope you won't take it amiss if I make some observations on your recent visit to London? I don't know whether you followed up any of Balfour's suggestions, but I get the impression it was slightly disappointing. There is an incredible breadth of cuisines to sample in London, indeed just too much to risk a random choice, and for the benefit of any other first-time visitors to London, I would recommend doing some careful research perhaps using the Time-Out restaurant guide, which is a telephone directory-sized book that I have found very useful in the past, or the Good Food Guide.
> 
> I have to say this slightly puzzles me - why would you travel half-way round the world to eat what you can have at home?
> 
> Now that made me quite sad I'm sorry to say.


Thank you Langham. By nature, I'm just a provincial American. I like steak.

My not taking up Balfour's recommendations were more about my inability to decipher the London geography than anything else (What the heck is a Mew?). Plus the fact that everything was prohibitively expensive made me want to stay close to the Adequate Inn...excuse me, the Comfort Inn. I just didn't want to spend a fortune on transportation. Plus, by staying close, I was able to find all of the other things..like the grocery store and the Gran Paradiso, which I thought was a very pleasant experience.

Not disappointed at all. London is a deep-and-wide pool....I've just dipped my toe.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

s1722 said:


> I would certainly recommend the Fortnum & Mason breakfast experience - it is well worth a try. Likewise, if you are looking to push the boat out one night for a steakhouse then I would add Hawksmoor to the list of suggestions from Balfour (I tried their restaurant at Seven Dials, near Covent Garden - https://thehawksmoor.com/).
> 
> I must say that I was a little disappointed by the steak at Rules, although the restaurant itself has charm by the bucket-load. Conversely, although the steak at Hawksmoor is excellent the restaurant is quite corporate - there appears to be a trend for pricey steakhouses around the City.
> 
> ...


Thank you.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> Thank you Langham. By nature, I'm just a provincial American. I like steak.
> 
> My not taking up Balfour's recommendations were more about my inability to decipher the London geography than anything else (What the heck is a Mew?). Plus the fact that everything was prohibitively expensive made me want to stay close to the Adequate Inn...excuse me, the Comfort Inn. I just didn't want to spend a fortune on transportation. Plus, by staying close, I was able to find all of the other things..like the grocery store and the Gran Paradiso, which I thought was a very pleasant experience.
> 
> Not disappointed at all. London is a deep-and-wide pool....I've just dipped my toe.


I'm glad the trip was not a disappointment. I can well understand the problem of geography and transport you mention - I lived in London for eight years, and have been visiting it regularly for the past 25, and still have only a vague notion of most of the bus routes, and have seen at the most perhaps 10% of London. The area you stayed was a good choice - perhaps you had time to visit Hyde Park, or some of the galleries?


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

Langham said:


> I'm glad the trip was not a disappointment. I can well understand the problem of geography and transport you mention - I lived in London for eight years, and have been visiting it regularly for the past 25, and still have only a vague notion of most of the bus routes, and have seen at the most perhaps 10% of London. The area you stayed was a good choice - perhaps you had time to visit Hyde Park, or some of the galleries?


Thank you again sir.

My debriefs are meant to communicate my experiences from my point-of-view (hopefully unfiltered). Experiencing a new (for me) city like London can never be disappointing.

I might have walked through Hyde Park as I did get lost walking around Buckingham Palace...but I cannot be sure. During my lost walk, I do remember seeing a very nice statue of (US President) Abraham Lincoln...which was a pleasant surprise. And if I hadn't gotten lost, I would have never seen it. It's all good...


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

That's interesting - I think you may have been in St James's Park.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

Snow Hill Pond said:


> Going to London for 4 days and have questions about food. Being the provincial American, I was hoping to stick with what I know. Is it worth it to try to find familiar American-ized food options? Or should I go local?
> 
> Ideally, I was hoping to find a quiet cafe/diner *near Victoria Station *where I could sit and enjoy breakfast and lunch each day. Nothing fancy, but someplace that serves decent, freshly prepared food.
> 
> For dinner, if I opt for the pubs, should I expect fare that is like American bars, mostly fried foods? A quiet American-style steakhouse or seafood restaurant would be ideal, but I'm unsure if they are commonplace over there.


Call me cheap, but when I travel abroad, I tend to economize on food. With the weak dollar, I find I would rather spend my money on tourist attractions, clothes (especially in London) or something else besides an expensive meal that will digest the same as an inexpensive meal.

When I was in London in the summer, I practically lived off of oatmeal or yogurt with granola and fruit from Pret a Manger.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

Balfour said:


> P.S. Avoid most tourist pubs.


In other words, basically anything in central London.


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## Balfour (Mar 23, 2012)

hockeyinsider said:


> In other words, basically anything in central London.


If you mean pubs, then most but not all.

If you mean restaurants, then none of my recommendations were tourist pubs.


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## Snow Hill Pond (Aug 10, 2011)

hockeyinsider said:


> When I was in London in the summer, I practically lived off of oatmeal or yogurt with granola and fruit from Pret a Manger.


What is wrong with you? This diet sounds way too healthy. Good luck living to 100. I plan to keel over sometime after my last child has graduated college.


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## hockeyinsider (May 8, 2006)

I like being healthy and wearing clothes that fit.


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