Dining Around London

[9V-SIA]

Going to be in London in August.

Any hot new place to try? West End

[jhm]

Define "hot" ? Besides location (just the West End ?), I think it also depends what type of food you want to eat, how many of you are there and how much you're willing to spend.

I only know what I like in London for the types of food which I like to eat (current favourites being Turkish after recent trips to Turkey and - as always - Japanese) but they're not hot nor new nor appropriate maybe if you happen to live elsewhere. I don't keep up with openings but you do have lists like this:

http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaura...What's_Hot

Some of those places are new and some have been around for years. I also don't think "hot" = "good to eat", e.g. China Tang on that list which has been around for years isn't good from the few times I tried it.

[Pinkfloyd]

9V-SIA, if you do happen to go to the Fat Duck, please do post some pics! I think Heston Blumenthal is pretty amazing with what he does!

[jjpb3]

I was just about to page our London-based foodie jhm.

[9V-SIA]

We are going to Fat Duck whatever anyone says so I deleted my initial post!!

But within London... bistro type food I guess.

I will put pictures of post worthy eateries here..

The scene has changed a lot..

my source of Northern Indian food used to be Standard on Westbourne Grove. Closed.

Khans next door is a joke. Rogan Josh I ordered was milky with almonds

New Bengal near Porchester Baths has morphed to Bengal at Royal Oak.

Will definitely visit the SQ staff canteens on Queensway

No Japanese for me in London. How good are they?

[jhm]

You either think the Fat Duck food is amazingly creative and HB is a genius or you dislike the food because you find it gimmicky. Having been 3 or 4 times for lunch or dinner over the years (back when it only had 1-star and was easy to book and also about a year ago), it's not a restaurant I'm in any rush to return to. I think phaleesy has the same opinion.

On the other hand, the Waterside Inn literally down the road from the Fat Duck is somewhere I've eaten at many more times than the Fat Duck and I never tire of it. Classic French food done very well. Sitting outside by the Thames in summer and - if you book even further in advance - a room upstairs for the night followed by breakfast in your room the next morning with the best croissants/pastries I've ever had anywhere (forget about the PHT etc which some on here rave about ). Magic!

For Japanese food - sushi - in London, my current favourite is the following tiny place near Euston station (Sushi of Shiori) which I first tried back in January:

http://www.sqtalk.com/forum/showpost...&postcount=284

and which I've been back to many times since then. In the last few weeks, it's got various very favourable blog reviews:

http://lizzieeatslondon.blogspot.com...of-shiori.html
http://felixhirsch.wordpress.com/201...shiori-london/
http://londoneater.com/2010/07/16/su...h-bookmarking/
http://www.thecattylife.com/2010/07/...omment-page-1/
http://www.rocketandsquash.com/sushi-of-shiori/
http://www.london-eating.co.uk/36130.htm

with the omakase being a favourite it seems (e.g. £50 for two cold courses, some sliced raw fish, sashimi, sushi, meat sushi and dessert). I've never had that - I always go a la carte - but like others, I love the scallop sushi (with a dab of white truffle) and the homemade ice creams. It's traditional sushi with a slight twist - unlike the fusion you get at Dinings (which Time Out recently said is the best sushi in London) - and I prefer it.

[phaleesy]

Fat duck's food technology is passe. (your article tells me so ) Never liked it when I first tried it years ago, and I don't think I'd change my mind now.

Waterside Inn yummy.

Had a sushi takeaway from the Warren St place jhm mentioned last Sat and it is indeed v nice. Nicer than some places in Japan.

[jhm]

But within London... bistro type food I guess.

The only thing which springs to mind is the following (Market in Camden Town) which some here on SQT have been to before:

http://www.marketrestaurant.co.uk/

It's not new nor hot though. It's modern simple British food using quality ingredients which is inexpensive. Good reviews when it opened, e.g.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty....foodanddrink4

I particularly like the sponge and custard which brings back memories of schooldays and which I hardly eat nowadays.

If you have the stomach capacity , you could (like stargold, phaleesy and I did once - shortly after eating at Market!) compare and contrast what I understand to be the former staff canteen with the current one down the road!

[9V-SIA]

That's a lot of homework for me to get through.

Thanks!

[jhm]

Some further thoughts!

my source of Northern Indian food used to be Standard on Westbourne Grove. Closed.

Khans next door is a joke. Rogan Josh I ordered was milky with almonds

New Bengal near Porchester Baths has morphed to Bengal at Royal Oak.

For Indian food, my destinations are in north London (Zan Zi Bar in Edgware which is a bar/restaurant which is most enjoyable when they show Bollywood videos to watch whilst you eat; and the Karahi King in North Wembley) near(ish) where I live so not convenient for tourists.

For central London, I'd go for a branch of Masala Zone (one of their thalis which is a complete meal on a tray) or Sweet and Spicy in Brick Lane (a Pakistani working class cafe with plastic tables; jugs of water; pre-prepared microwaved food; self service; lots of locals but dirt cheap and authentic). I wouldn't eat at any of the other "Indian" (actually Bangladeshi) establishments in Brick Lane which all have a tout standing outside (unlike Sweet and Spicy).

(And whilst in Brick Lane, you can also try a salt beef bagel from the famous 24-hour bagel shop (but make sure you get the right one - there are two shops side by side - if facing them, it's the one on the right you want).)

Edit: for a "posh" curry, I'd go for Rasoi Vineet Bhatia (the tasting menu which includes things like lobster curry dusted with cocoa powder from a large puff; chocolate samosas etc - Bhatia is one of the chefs on BA's Culinary Council) near Sloane Square.

[Kyo]

I can absolutely recommend Market at Camden! It was exactly what I was after (that, and that confounded beef wellington which I'm still craving for... will have to visit once again)...

[kpc]

We are going to Fat Duck whatever anyone says so I deleted my initial post!!

Can you please, please take photos (....and post them)

[LHR]

Below are not really "hot" new places but are my usual favourites.

Fat Duck was great but that was a few years ago. I didn't like the Waterside Inn, a bit of a meat and 2 veg kind of place.

Agree that Khans is a joke, the microwave couldn't stop pinging away. Try Trishna on Blandford Street instead for modern Indian. Seafood biriyani and Dorset brown crab to die for. Much prefer this to Cinnamon Club.

Sardo at Grafton Way for Sardinian food is great. Love their beef carpaccio, spaghetti with mullet roe and linguine with crab.

Dinnings at Harcourt Street for modern Japanese food by ex-Nobu chef. Slow service when busy but foie gras rolls etc are excellent.

I continue to like Galvins at Baker Street for classic, well cooked French bistrot type food.

Le Cafe Anglais at Whiteleys is lovely for British food too.

[9V-SIA]

Thanks for all the very useful tips!

So far, will try..
Places I can walk / nonstop bus ride to ( even my buses I prefer nonstop )

1. Market
2. Masala Zone
3. Galvins
4. Le Cafe Anglais

Then Sushi of Shiori by tube, I guess..
The other ( further away from my Area Of Operations ) Indian restaurants mentioned if I have a waistline left..

Alas no Waterside Inn or Fat Duck this time. Full.

I think I'll book for Sep 2011

[jhm]

Alas no Waterside Inn or Fat Duck this time. Full.

I think I'll book for Sep 2011

If the Waterside Inn, I'd try booking at least 3-4 months in advance if you want to eat at a time like Saturday evening (but not stay).

If the Fat Duck, they only take reservations exactly two months in advance. You need to phone up bang on 10am (maximise your chances by getting others to call).