English Pub in Belgravia and other London, United Kingdom Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Star Tavern

We traipsed all over Belgravia, a quiet residential district in London, looking for the much ballyhooed Star Tavern. It was really hard to find. Once we found it, it was worth it. Look for it on Belgravia Mews West, one block west of Belgravia Square, near the German embassy. Along the way, we walked past many embassies and consulates. It tested our flag recall greatly. This picture shows a row of embassies just east of Belgravia Square.


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Theme: Pub/Brewery
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Address: 6 Belgravia Mews West, London, England

Restaurant Name: The Red Fort

The Red Fort is located in the heart of Soho. It is an upscale Indian restaurant with a very soothing decor. Almost makes you want to practice your Zen meditation techniques. The food was delicious. We needed a restaurant that would allow my very young nieces and nephew (London restaurants are a little stricter about this than US restaurants), and the Red Fort said they could accommodate. The staff was wonderful and never objected to the fact that my 2 year old niece started taking apart the lighting fixtures, but it really wasn't exactly a place I would describe as "child friendly".

Favorite Dish: Any Indian restaurant is, of course, ideal for vegetarians like me. I sampled several very creative vegetarian dishes at The Red Fort, such as Hara kebab - spinach and fenugreek patties lightly filled with cheese, onion and coriander, Baingan mirchi ka salan - baby aubergines in chilli, peanut, coconut, sesame and tamarind sauce, and Bhindi khumb - stir fried okra with mushroom and green shallots.

Why do I think these dishes are so good? Because I've never tasted them before and I don't know how to make them at home.

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Theme: Indian
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 020 74372525
Address: 77 Deane Street in Soho
Website: http://www.redfort.co.uk/welcome.htm

Restaurant Name: Signor Zilli

Signor Zilli's is a tiny restaurant tucked into Dean Street in Soho. The food was delicious, and Signor Zilli himself is a wonderful host. We loved the authentic Italian decor and the very authentic Italian food.


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Theme: Italian
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 20 77343924
Address: 40 Dean St

Restaurant Name: Brasserie Roux

Brasserie Roux is the restaurant located in our hotel, the Sofitel St. James. We ate 4 breakfasts here and one dinner, since all were included in the price of our hotel. The meals were all very good, and not just because they were free. However, the price was a very huge plus, since dining here is not cheap. For instance the breakfast that was included would have cost us 24 pounds per person.

Favorite Dish: We loved the breakfast buffet. It had everything a vegetarian like me could want - fresh fruit, granola, yogurt, eggs, smoothies, cheeses, pastries, orange juice, coffee. Meat eaters could scarf down sausages and bacon if they so desired. My husband tried a strange looking dish that must have been pudding with prunes - only the English could come up with something like that. He said it was good, but that is only because he likes prunes.

The dinner was also very good. Portions were fairly large. I could eat only half of my risotto. For dessert, I had this really good banana tart with ice cream.

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Theme: French
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 (0)20 7747 2200
Address: 6 Waterloo Place
Directions: Near Piccadilly Circus
Website: http://www.sofitelstjames.com/brasserieroux/brasserieroux.html

Restaurant Name: The Clarence

We ducked into The Clarence on Whitehall to get out of the rain. It turned out to be a fantastic little pub with a variety of ales and a not bad but small selection of wines. My family liked the variety of fish and chips, from beer battered hake to breaded sole. The decor is so very English! Lots of wood and dark colors.


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Theme: Pub/Brewery
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 20 79304808
Address: 53, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2HP
Directions: On Whitehall, between Trafalgar Square and Westminster Underground station