Eating in London - London.To-Go.Biz

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	Eating in London It is a huge task for a visitor to find the 'right place' to eat in London - with the 'right atmosphere', at the 'right price' - largely because, as in any big city, there are literally thousands of venues from which to choose. You can find restaurants serving food cuisine from nearly every country in the world. Unfortunately, London is quite possibly the world's most expensive city to eat in. But this survey hides the fact that there are plenty of good value, even cheap places to eat - you just have to know where to look. Of course, many travellers (especially those on a budget!) prefer to help themselves; picnicking and/or buying food for preparation in your room is a great way to enjoy good food at the lowest price possible. Pricing Following is a (very!) rough guide to what you might get, should you fancy eating out: Ł3 - a good English Pub or Cafeteria breakfast with egg, sausage, a rack of bacon and beans in tomato sauce, coffee or tea and a glass of orange juice. Most pubs stop this offer at 11am. Ł5 - a couple of sandwiches and a soft drink, or some fish and chips (takeaway only), or a fast food 'meal'. There are also a number of (mostly) Chinese restaurants which serve an 'all you can eat buffet' for around this price. These are dotted about the West End, and it is well worth asking a member of public or a shopkeeper where the nearest one is. These restaurants make much of their revenue on drinks, although these are usually still moderately priced. The food, whilst not being of the finest standard, is usually very tasty, and the range of dishes available is excellent. Ł6-8 - a decent meal and a drink of choice at an English pub. Be aware that many pubs have a 2 for one offer, and you can either order two main dishes for yourself or bring a friend. For Ł6 you can normally also get a good meal at Chinese or Italian restaurants offering a buffet. Ł10 - plenty of Chinese/Indian/Thai/Vietnamese restaurants will give you a meal and bottle of beer for this much. Some more expensive restaurants serving French, Mediterranean or International cuisine have cheaper "lunch offers" that include two or three courses. Ł20 - a lot more choice: you can have a good meal, half a bottle of wine and change for the bus home. There are plenty of modest restaurants that cater for this bracket. Ł40 - you are generally paying for nicer interior, or a better view. But if you are trying to impress a special someone it'll be worth it. Ł50 +: with more money to spend you can pick some of London's finer restaurants. It may be a famous chef (like Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver) or simply a place that prides itself on using the finest ingredients. There is no maximum limit on what you can spend, as some restaurants seem intent on pushing this higher and higher.... Prices inevitably become inflated at venues closest to major tourist attractions - beware the so-called "tourist traps". Notorious areas for inflated menu prices trading on travellers' gullibility and lack of knowledge are the streets around Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, the British Museum and the Palace of Westminster. The worst "tourist trap" food is, in the opinion of many Londoners, that served at the various "Steak Houses". Real Londoners wouldn't dream of eating here - you shouldn't either! London has many fast food outlets. Sandwich shops are London's most popular places to buy lunch, and there are a lot of places to choose from. More upmarket chains such as Eat and Pręt a Manger offer ready-made sandwiches made with quality ingredients--the latter of these, especially, is recommended. Other independent shops will make sandwiches to order, but depending on where you go the product may not be as large as you expect. Some Italian sandwich shops have a very good reputation and you can identify them easily by looking at the long queues at lunchtime. And if all else fails, there's likely to be a Subway nearby (often connected to an easyInternetCafe in case you need to check your email). Another good (and cheap) lunch option is a chicken or lamb doner (you might call it a gyro) at many outlets throughout the city. If all else fails, the central area has lots of mini-supermarkets operated by the big British supermarket chains (e.g. Tesco Metro, Sainsbury's Central etc.) where you can pick up a pre-packed sandwich. It is worth bearing in mind that if for any reason you are visiting the suburbs of London, the cost of eating out is reduced drastically. Particularly in large ethnic communities, there is a competitive market which stands to benefit the consumer. In East London for example, the vast number of KFC-style chicken shops means that a deal for 2 pieces of chicken, chips (fries) and a drink shouldn't cost you more than Ł2, and will satisfy even the largest of appetites. Tipping may also be different than what you're used to. Some places include a service fee (usually 10-12%), and all meals include the 17.5% VAT tax. The general rule is to leave a tip for table service, unless there's already a service charge added or unless the service has been notably poor. The amount tipped is generally in the region of 10%, but if there's a figure between 10 and 15% which would leave the bill at a conveniently round total, many would consider it polite to tip this amount. Tipping for counter service, or any other form of service, is unusual - but some choose to do so if a tips container is provided. Restaurants If you are looking for particular nationalities these tend to be clustered in certain areas: Brick Lane is famously known for curries, but for a better quality meal (and cheaper) Tooting has a far better reputation. For a collection of good value Indian Vegetarian restaurants, go to Drummond Street (just behind Euston railway station). There's Chinatown (Soho) for Chinese, Kingsland Road (Shoreditch) for good cheap Vietnamese, Brixton for African/Caribbean, Golders Green for Jewish and Edgware Road (Marylebone) for Middle Eastern cuisine. Other nationalities are equally represented, but are randomly dotted all over London. Chains reviews Wagamama, Japanese noodle bar; generally good quality freshly cooked food at a reasonable price, in a well-designed canteen style restaurant. Diners are seated on benches opposite each other, so not a good place for an intimate meal. Main courses generally around Ł5 to Ł8. Open Mon-Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-10pm. Two dozens of restaurants around Central London. Vegetarian London has plenty of vegetarian-only restaurants, and a quick search in Google will produce plenty of ideas, so you never have to see a piece of cooked meat all week. If you are dining with carnivorous friends, then most restaurants will cater for vegetarians, and will have at least a couple of dishes on the menu. Indian/Bangladeshi restaurants are generally more fruitful, as they have plenty of traditional dishes that only use vegetables. For those of you looking for veggie fast food, Red Veg on Dean Street, opposite Tesco in Soho, has some great stuff. There are also many vegetarian Thai buffet places where you can eat somewhat unconvincing (but tasty) meat substitute grub for Ł5. These can be found on Greek Street, Old Compton Street and Islington High Street. Food For Thought restaurant in Neal Street, Covent Garden, has a tasty range of choices for vegetarians and vegans. For those of you that are not scared of moving a bit out of the centre Blah Blah Blah in Shepherds Bush is a nice place to start the evening. Please keep in mind that this place does not accept cards. In case you want to have a glass of wine you should bring your own bottle. If you’re passing through Kings Cross, the previously infamous Backpackers – now the Cross Kings - has been transformed into a quirky oasis of comfy sofas, gorgeous home cooked food, friendly staff and excellent entertainment. 2 minutes from the train station, book in advance and the chef will produce a dish specifically for your table. Some of the best ‘real’ food in London. Religious Due to the mix of cultures and religions, many London restaurants cater well for religious dietary requirements. The most common signs are for Halal and Kosher meat, from burger joints to nice restaurants. There are plenty of Kosher restaurants in London, including a Chinese Kosher restaurant (Kaifeng). Speciality shops London caters for most global tastes by hosting at least one - and sometimes - many food stores that specialise in one or more cuisines. Numerous examples exist, for example, of food stores dedicated to Chinese, Japanese, Italian and African foods. Shopping Fortnum & Mason, "the Queen's grocery store", selling the finest quality (and most expensive) foods and drink Harrods, a seven floor department store which is world famous. Harvey Nichols, noted for fashion, jewellery and music. Selfridges, the Oxford Street emporium, has high style in all categories (like Bloomingdale's in New York).
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