London Restaurant Tips by planxty

Sartori restauraunt: Another great VT tip.

I am lucky enough to be one of the members involved with the London-Calling VT group based in that city. We regularly have meets for visiting members and these often include a meal somewhere. Recently there were a number of members in town and a meeting was duly called. It fell to &L[http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/a0272/]toonsarah]%L* to pick the venue, a function she fulfils with unerring good taste. The restaurant chosen was the Sartori Italian in the Covent Garden area of the West End and an excellent choice it turned out to be.

On a winters midweek evening it was pretty full all evening and there were generally people waiting for tables which shows how popular it is and also suggests that booking at any time might be a good idea. The decor is modern and unfussy and the atmosphere lively. Service was very good all evening with what appeared to be the manager / proprieter coming to speak to us at one point to ensure everythng was to our satisfaction.

I am not a huge eater so I passed on a starter knowing how much Italian food can fill me up and this proved to be a prudent choice in my case as the starters seemed quite large. I know at least one member had to call for a takeaway bag! Those that did decide to indulge in an antipasti all pronounced them to be very good. I always find VT meets to be very pleasant occasions and this was no exception. A glass of very palatable red wine and some good conversation ensued as we awaited the mains. Don't ask me what the wine was, Sarah had chosen it and I am certainly no expert. For those of you who know about such things the cuisine is described as Southern Italian / Neapolitan.

The mains arrived, thankfully all served together and with the usual smiling service. I had chosen a dish of calves liver served with gnocchi and topped with crispy fried onions (see attached image). Although not mentioned in the menu, it was offered with delightfully dry and well-cooked saute potatoes so thank Heavens I had opted out of a starter or I would never have finished it. It was cooked to perfection and the liver was beautifully tender. Well done chef. I was pleasantly full and therefore did not have dessert.

As I mentioned, the place had a queue at the door but we were not hustled to vacate our table at all which I thought was good. When I went downstairs to use the (spotless) facilities, I found that there was another dining area of about the same size as the ground floor room we were in and it too was completely full. On a practical level, I should mention that I did not see an accessible toilet and the toilets are downstairs so wheelchair users may wish to check before visiting. The restaurant is open 1200 - 2300 daily.

A look at the website shows a set lunch menu of two courses for £9:95 which looks like very good value. Considering this restaurant only opened in 2010, it appears to have quickly built up a large following and it is hardly surprising as it really is very good. I shall definitely be back here.

Highly recommended.

Favorite Dish: I have only eaten here once but the calves liver dish as described was excellent.

Address: 15-18 Great Newport Street London WC2H 7JE

Comparison: about average

Directions: Nearest Tube is Leicester Square about three minutes walk away.

Phone: +00 44 (0)207 836 6308

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 5

Theme: Italian

Website: http://www.sartori-restaurant.com/

East thai, Covent Garden: A very decent Thai.

Firstly, apologies for the photo which does not show the restaurant at all to best advantage. I had forgotten my camera the previous evening and so do not have any images of the food, which is a shame.

My dining companion recommended this place having eaten there before and it proved to ba a good choice. It is quite a small restaurant and was fairly empty when we visited on a midweek night in November. The restaurant is situated in the middle of "theatreland" so the fact that the theatres were still in may have had a bearing on this. Service was prompt and friendly in that wonderful Thai way and the food delivered quickly.

I started with the chicken satay which had obviously been barbecued over an open flame in the authentic Thai way giving it that slightly smoky flavour that I love. It was served with a delicious peanut dipping sauce. For main course I had ordered the jungle curry (Gaeng Pa), a dish from the Isaan (Northeastern) region of Thailand, which can be almost volcanically hot if made authentically. I had made a point of telling the waitress that I liked "pet" or hot and that I had had it before so tell chef not to worry about offending my farang "Western" palate with too much spice. The dish certainly delivered on the heat front it was excellent, very tasty. I always associate jungle curry as being a fairly dry curry but this was served more in the soup style, which is the first time I have had it like that. Perhaps it was just some local vriation of the chefs home. The sticky rice accompaniment, another favourite, was preferred perfectly.

All washed down with a bottle of Thai beer, it was a most pleasant meal.

Recommended.

Update, January 2013.

The London-Calling VT group organised a meet there. In the event things conspired a little against us, not least the weather which was unseasonably bitter and snowy and there were only four of us in attendance. We were waited on with the usual friendly and efficient service and I decided to stick with my favourite, the jungle curry. I skipped the starter as I had eaten earlier in the day. I did my usual explanation that I could take hot food, and again, it delivered brilliantly. The ladies all seemed equally pleased with their choices and we had a lovely evening.

I wrote the original tip above in November 2011 and I can report that this is still a great little place and definitely recommended.

Favorite Dish: The chicken satay was particularly delicious.

Address: 176 Drury Lane London WC2B 5QF

Comparison: about average

Directions: On the East side of Drury Lane towards the Holborn end.

Phone: +00 44 (0)207 405 5551

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim

Website: http://www.just-eat.co.uk/restaurants-eastthai/menu

Cape Town Fish Market: A very fine fish restaurant.

My usual dining companion was in town recently and had expressed a desire to go to a fish restaurant so I started doing a bit of digging on the internet and came up with the Cape Town Fish Market in central London, just off Oxford Street. It seemed to get good reviews and I managed to get a deal by booking through a website called Top Table. I know I rarely recommend external websites but this is rather good with lots of special deals available. Admittedly, it was a winter midweek night but I expected the place to be a little busier than it turned out to be. I was a little worried by this but my fears were groundless as I shall explain.

I had read that the restaurant was, as the name implies, South African themed and specialising in fish. We were greeted promptly and in a friendly manner by the obviously Eastern European server who then passed us over to another obviously Eastern European server. I have no problem with this but I have mentioned in another recent tip that it is a little odd to be served in a Thai restaurant by a person from the East of the EU and I certainly didn't hear a Southern African accent all night. The service was efficient and friendly without being overbearing though, and I merely mention this in passing as a trend in central London restaurants.

Cape Town Fish Market has modern and unfussy decor with an emphasis on blue lighting, presumably to keep in with the sea theme. There is an excellent chiller displaying the days catch at the entrance which you can see in one of the images.

I did study the menu but deferred to my companion in the ordering as I usually do. My friend is a foodie and has unfailingly good taste in such things. Whilst studying the bill of fare I noticed that they do have several set menus at various prices (see website for details) and also that the menu was not exclusively piscine having things such as potjiekos, steak and burgers. If you don't know what a potjieko is, and I certainly didn't, it is a traditional South African one pot stew and was offered here in fish, chicken and pork varieties. The excellently prepared mojito certainly assisted in my perusal.

Interesting as the stew sounded, we opted to start with the Combination Platter @£19:95, certainly not cheap but as you can see it was excellently presented and tasted as good as it looks. My knowledge of technical terms for sushi type dishes is nil so I have copied the details here from the website. The platter consisted of Prawn and avocado hand roll, shiitake maki, Spicy Cape Town roll, prawn and tuna nigiri, sashimi, salmon rose, pickles, wasabi and Nitzume dipping sauce, so now you know. The food was excellent but it was the pickles and accompaniments that really impressed me, they were gorgeous.

Once that was polished off, we awaited the main course and again it was a sharing platter, this time the Kalk Bay platter for 2 @ £32:95. Again, I shall resort to the website for the full details. It compridsed Butterflied prawns, two grilled fillet of fish (changes daily), salt ‘n’ pepper squid, steamed mussels, fish cakes, chips and tomato chilli dressing. If the starter had been very impressive, this was nothing short of stunning. The daily catch turned out to be tilapia which I am fond of, the prawns were succulent and bursting with flavour, the mussles done just so, the chips crisp, hot and dry, I suppose I really should stop there! It was superb and the only thing left on the plate was the prawn shells. It really is a long time since I have eaten such a good seafood meal and I have been lucky enough to have had some lovely such meals all over SE Asia and other places.

As I said, it is not cheap but the quality of the food and the service make it well worth the occasional splurge. I certainly intend to return at some point. Very highly reecommended.

The restaurant is open Sunday to Thursday: 1200 - 2300 Friday to Saturday: 1200 - 2330. It is on one level and therefore appears accessible for wheelchair users.

Favorite Dish: I have only eaten there once but the Kalk Bay platter for 2 as described was faultless. Excellent food.

Address: 5-6 Argyll Street, Soho, London, W1F 7TE.

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Walking down Argyll Street from the Oxford Street end, it is about 200 yards on the left. Nearest tube is Oxford Circus.

Phone: +00 44 (0)207 437 1143

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 5

Theme: Seafood

Website: http://www.ctfm.com/home/

Belgo Central, Covent Garden: Popular, and rightly so. Belgo Centraal (Covent Garden) Review

I am a tip group editor for London here on VT and it is one of my happy tasks to go over the restaurant tips here and I have found many excellent places for my own dining whilst doing this. One of the more reviewed restaurants is Belgo Central which is conventiently situated in Covent Garden in the heart of the West End. In truth, Belgo is actually a chain with other branches in Camden, Bromley, Kingsway and Clapham but don't let that put you off, it does not feel like a chain place. I cannot believe I had never actually visited here until November 2012 but, well, there are so many places to eat in london.

My usual dining companion had expressed a desire for something not too heavy and I suggested Belgo as we were in the area. This seemed to fit the bill, so off we went. From other reviews I had a fair idea what to expect and it was fairly much as I had anticipated only much better. We arrived fairly late so the place was not overly crowded with the pre-theatre crowd long gone and we were swiftly seated by a friendly server and asked would we like a drink whilst we perused the menu. Well, as the restaurant name implies, this is a Belgian themed venue and for me that meant only one choice, a Kreik beer. A friend from the Low Countries has told me that this particular type of beer (effectively flavoured with cherries) is considered a female drink in it's place of origin but I really don't care - I love the stuff. My companion opted for a Leffe, another fine Belgian brew.

To the menu then. Whilst there are other items available incuding a couple of interesting stews. lamb shank, duck breast and various variations on rotisserie chicken, for me there is only one option in a Belgian restaurant and that is mussles (moules) which form the backbone of the menu. Apart from the more traditional styles you can have Provencale, Thai or even curried! I opted for the traditonal with white wine, celery, garlic and onion. I believe I am correct in saying these are known as moules marinieres. My companion, who has unerring taste in all matters food, had decided that the baked Pont l'Eveque cheese served with crudites, asparagus and a few other things would be the order of the day for us to share. I know now that the Belgian name for a sharing plate (effectively a board) is Houtenplank which I think is a lovely word.

Whilst waiting for the meal to arrive, I had a chance to look round the place. It is designed on the beerhall principle and is certainly no-frills but it is pleasant and clean. You can amuse yourself watching the chefs in the open kitchen, which is always a good sign in my book.

The starter arrived and it was delicious, the cheese melting invitingly and balanced beautifully by the crisp veg and croutons. I would never have thought of asparagus with baked cheese but that was a revelation, simply beautiful.

Having polished off the starter in rapid order, we waited for the mains and they also did not disappoint. I know moules marinieres are not exactly the most difficult thing to make as I can even do it myself and I am no Michelin chef but these were particularly good. I suppose the quality of the ingredients may have something to do with it. The mussels were succulent and the cooking liquor nicely balanced. Accompanied by the frites (chips) which were piping hot, dry and crisp it took me back to the last time I was in Belgium, regrettably too long ago. Apart from the discarded shells, not a thing was left on the plate / in the bowl.

Another round of drinks, some good conversation and we were heading unknowing towards closing time although we were not hassled in any way to get out quickly. we paid the bill which, fankly was not high for good food in this part of London, and went on our way. If you want to make things even less expensive by taking advantage of a couple of good deals available at time of writing. Check the website for details. Currently there is an express lunch for £7:95 and a beat the clock deal for early evening. This is an interesting idea presumably designed to attract an early evening crowd. Basically this runs from 5 and 6:30 (1700 - 1830) and you order a main from a selection of five, including the moules and frites I had. you then pay the price on your food order so, for example, if you order at 5:26 p.m. you pay £5:26 for the meal. I shall certainly take advantage of that as I cannot think of anywhere else in central London you could get this.

I really don't know what took me so long to actually get here but I can assure you it will not be anywhere near as long until I am back again. I thoroughly recommend it.

Favorite Dish: The baked cheese starter was a worthy contender but the moules and frites as described has to be my favourite. simply delightful.

Address: 50 Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LJ

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Nearest Tube: Covent Garden There are a few other branches in London - refer to web site for details

Phone: +00 44 (0)20 7813 2233

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 5

Theme: Other

Website: http://www.belgo-restaurants.co.uk/

Mirabelle restaurant.: No longer there. Mirabelle's Review

This information is current as of 7th December, 2012.

I am a tip group editor for London here on Virtual Tourist and regularly check on the entries regarding that city. Whilst looking through some restaurant tips lately I found some regarding the Mirabelle restaurant, formerly at 56 Curzon Street, W1 and owned by celebrity chef Marco-Pierre White which is now shut. This is confirmed by various websites.

I submit this information to avoid anyone having a wasted journey due to out of date information.

Favorite Dish: Not applicable.

Address: Curzon Plaza Mayfair, 56 Curzon Street, W1J 8PB

Directions: Nearest Tube, Green Park

Phone: +00 44 (0)207 499 4636

Rating: 0

Theme: Other

Wodka restaruant: Relocated. Wodka Review

This information is current as of 7th December, 2012.

I am a tip group editor for London here on Virtual Tourist and regularly check on the entries regarding that city. Whilst looking through some restaurant tips lately I found some regarding the Wodka restaurant, formerly at 12 St. Alabns Grove, W8 which is now shut. This is confirmed by various websites including their own. The restaurant has been relocated to the parent restaurant in Blackfriars Road, SE1.

I submit this information to avoid anyone having a wasted journey due to out of date information.

Favorite Dish: Not applicable.

Address: 12 St. Albans Grove, W8 5PN

Directions: Nearest Tube, High Street Kensington

Phone: +00 44 (0)207 937 6513

Rating: 0

Theme: Other

Website: http://www.wodka.co.uk/

L Restaurant: No longer there. L Restaurant Review

This information is current as of 7th December, 2012.

I am a tip group editor for London here on Virtual Tourist and regularly check on the entries regarding that city. Whilst looking through some restaurant tips lately I found some regarding the L restaurant, formerly at 2 Abingdon Street which is now shut. This is confirmed by various websites.

I submit this information to avoid anyone having a wasted journey due to out of date information.

Favorite Dish: Not applicable.

Address: 2 Abingdon Road, London W8 6AF

Directions: Nearest Tube, High Street Kensington

Phone: +00 44 (0)20 7795 6969

Rating: 0

Theme: Other

Website: http://www.l-restaurant.co.uk/

Dionysus restaurant.: No longer there. Dionysus, Oxford Street Review

This information is current as of 7th December, 2012.

I am a tip group editor for London here on Virtual Tourist and regularly check on the entries regarding that city. Whilst looking through some restaurant tips lately I found some regarding the Cocoon restaurant, formerly at 3-5 Oxford Street, W1 which I know is now shut. This is confirmed by various websites. The venue has been demolished as part of a rail building programme.

I submit this information to avoid anyone having a wasted journey due to out of date information.

Favorite Dish: Not applicable.

Address: 3-5 Oxford Street, W1

Directions: Next to Tottenham Court Road tube station

Phone: +00 44 (0)207 434 4204

Rating: 0

Theme: Other

Oriel Brasserie, Sloane Square: No longer there. Oriel Review

Favorite Dish: This information is current as of 7th December, 2012.

I am a tip group editor for London here on Virtual Tourist and regularly check on the entries regarding that city. Whilst looking through some restaurant tips lately I found some regarding the Oriel Brasserie restaurant, formerly in Slone Square, Chelsea which I know is now shut. This is confirmed by various websites.

I submit this information to avoid anyone having a wasted journey due to out of date information.

Address: 50-51 Sloane Square, London, SW1W 8AX

Directions: Nearest Tube, Sloane Square

Phone: +00 44 (0)207 730 2804

Rating: 0

Theme: Other

cocoon Restaurant: No longer there. Cocoon Review

This information is current as of 7th December, 2012.

I am a tip group editor for London here on Virtual Tourist and regularly check on the entries regarding that city. Whilst looking through some restaurant tips lately I found some regarding the Cocoon restaurant, formerly at 65 Regent Street, London, W1B 4EA which I know is now shut. This is confirmed by various websites. The venue now operates as Hawksmoor Air Street.

I submit this information to avoid anyone having a wasted journey due to out of date information.

Address: 65 Regent Street, London, W1B 4EA

Directions: Nearest Tube, Piccadilly Circus

Phone: +00 44 (0)207 494 7600

Rating: 0

Theme: Other

Website: http://www.cocoon-restaurants.com/