London Restaurant Tips by Krystynn

Restaurant Name: MANGO ROOM

I have several favorite restaurants here in London. Let's start with the BEST Caribbean restaurant (in my humble opinion) that is called - MANGO ROOM - nestled in the hip Camden district. I heard from the grapevine that this is a celebrities haunt. But just so you know, on the few occasions that I was there, I never bumped into any celebrity! No David Beckham. No Hugh Grant. No Elizabeth Hurley. No Elton John. No Kate Moss! :-((

If you're on a budget, this place is definitely not for you. Expect to pay at least £30.00 for a 2 course a la carte meal (dinner). Price is inclusive of VAT. If you wish to live it up a little, just remember that a bottle of sparkling champagne starts at £28.50. Cheers!

Favorite Dish: You MUST try their Fish in Tomato Sauce (yummy!), delicious Potato and Crab Balls and the Jerk-Chicken (yes, you're reading correctly).

They are ALL absolutely a delight! ;-)

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 020 7482 5065
Address: 10-12 Kentish Town Road, NW1 8NH
Website: http://www.mangoroom.co.uk/
Other Contact: Opening Hours Mon-Sun 12N-11pm

Restaurant Name: The Ritz Hotel's - The Palm Court

Your visit to this vibrant city is not considered complete if you don't participate in the most British of traditions i.e. High Tea. And what better place to experience this culinary afternoon delight than at the world famous - The Ritz Hotel.

If you dream of living like an aristocrat albeit for one afternoon, may I humbly suggest an afternoon of HIGH TEA at THE RITZ? You'd be serenaded with melodious classical music whilst you oogle at the delightful spread of finger food before you in the grandiose Thames Foyer.

P.S. Please reserve at least ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE to avoid embarassment i.e. like being turned away from the restaurant.... unless of course you sashay in with David Beckham or Hugh Grant. In which case, the above rule does not apply! :-)

Yes, we mere mortals (read: my friends and I) DID book one month in advance BEFORE we arrived into London.

IMPORTANT: Jeans and track shoes wearing tourists and locals are NOT ALLOWED entry into this exclusive hotel. Most super-luxurious hotels the world over also abide by this rule. So, no need to kick, squeal and yell at the poor door man.

Favorite Dish: How does delicious sandwiches of Smoked Salmon, Ham, Egg Mayonnaise with Cress, baked Raisin and Apple Scones sound like to you? Oh, and you must absolutely sip on their Earl Grey tea! It's simply to-die-for. Period.

The Ritz even offers a special Champagne High Tea in the late evening to those who wish to drown themselves with the expensive drink. My friends and I have only experienced the normal afternoon High Tea - thrice in our whole life time so far...and believe me, if you have to pay £35.00 (per person, excuse me), you would devour even the bread crumbs on the tray! This is not recommended and definitely not good table manners. But since we're tourists.... that's another different matter altogether. Haha....

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Theme: Local
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: +44 (020) 7493 8181
Address: 150 Piccadilly • London • W1J 9BR
Website: http://www.theritzlondon.com

Restaurant Name: The Ivy

For those of you out there who absolutely looooove rubbing shoulders with the who's-who in the entertainment industry... or with the beautifully hip crowd ahem!), THE IVY is the place for you, baby.

However, the chances of you getting a table here is.... not good unless of course, if you're Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Keira Knightley, Roman Abramovich, Prince Charles or Elton John. You MAY stand a SLIGHTLY better chance if you were to come here for lunch or post-theatre dinner instead. Alternatively, you can try and book well ahead in advance - yes, one month in advance preferably.

The restaurant is kinda cramped though. The good thing is - you can probably eavesdrop on your neighbor's conversation! And if your diner neighbor is none other than say, Orlando Bloom... you're in luck! On the other hand, Orlando Bloom can also probably overhear your entire conversation... and your going goo-goo and ga-ga over him. How embarassing!

Moral of the story: Concentrate on your food and on your dining partner. Don't eavesdrop on your neighbor. Period.

Favorite Dish: I am a HUGE fan of The Ivy, especially when my friends and I feel rich (read: during bonuses!) and for those days when we daydream of being a Hollywood celebrity a la Elizabeth Hurley, Keira Knightley or Lucy Liu.

My highly recommended and all-time personal favorites include their: Crab Bisque (£6.50); Sashimi (£11.50); Lobster Salad (£17.50... yummy!); Herb crusted Cod Fish (£14.50); Hamburger (£9.00); Shepherd's Pie (£11... my favorite!)... and for dessert - their Sticky Toffee Pudding (£6.25) will send you straight into toffee heaven! :-)

Note: The above prices inclusive of VAT, but excluding service charge are the latest (2006) - courtesy of The Ivy; and I've added them in to show you that dining at The Ivy won't make you bankrupt. Now that you're convinced it's quite affordable, go pick up the phone and make that all-important reservation.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 0871 2238001 **
Address: 1 West Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9NQ
Directions: Tube: Leicester Square.

Restaurant Name: Hard Rock Cafe

This Hard Rock Cafe, touted as the original of all HRC joints, was opened in London on June 14th, 1971, by two Americans who thought Europe should have a taste of good old authentic, American cooking... and flavored with a heavy dose of rock 'n' roll! Today, this place is the hang-out for the global tribe of rock 'n' roll yuppies, guppies and everyone else....

Note: Try celebrating your birthday here and see what the HRC staff will do to you! We celebrated a fake birthday here once (some years back) all because we wanted a free brownie and balloons. The poor victim was a male friend of ours - who gamely faced the embarassment of having to stand atop the table whilst the HRC staff got everybody at the restaurant to sing 'Happy Birthday' to him! It took us a loooong while before we stepped foot into Hard Rock Cafe London again. Five long years to be exact!

Favorite Dish: Everything here is nice from their delicious Fajitas to Cheeseburgers. My personal favorite is HRC's world famous Brownies (topped with a scoop of Haagen Daaz CHOCOLATE ice cream).

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Theme: American
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 020 7514 1700
Address: 150 Old Park Lane London W1Y 3LJ, England
Directions: Tube: Hyde Park Corner. It's just a stone's throw away from the Intercontinental Hotel at Old Hyde Park.
Website: http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/cafes.aspx?LocationID=91&MenuID=15&MIBEnumID=3