London restaurant

[Zippee]

Can anyone recommend a nice restaurant in London? We’re staying at the Renaissance at Kings Cross but will likely head towards the west end/Soho way, though happy to eat anywhere from there and in between 
Ideally I would have booked CVlos Maggiore as I love it there but they are booked on the date we want. Thought about The Ivy in C/G but it is a little pretentious and sometimes rushed. It will be a Sunday night if that's any help.

I want somewhere nice, comfortable but decent food with good service and also somewhere with a bit of atmosphere instead of the ultra quiet uncomfortable surroundings you get in some high end restaurants.
Cuisine wise I want French, British, Mediterranean etc so no Japanese, Indian or such like. I’m not too fussed about budget but not after a multi starred tasting menu only type place.

[Europa1]

It might be too out of the way, but for French the Cafe du Marche near Smithfield is a corking little place.

[anonymous-user]

I quite like Hix Soho in that area.
However, I haven't been there for some time.

Edit; for drinks and nibbles there is a little Spanish 'enclave' a few hundred yards away from your hotel- entrance is opposite 5 guys. 3 lively bars in a little courtyard doing drinks and tapas.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 1st August 14:24

[Podie]

http://www.picturerestaurant.co.uk/ - both Marylebone and Fitzrovia are very good.

ETA - scrub that, noticed it's a sunday.

[arfur]

The l'atelier de joel robuchon works for me and would hit your requirements ... eat at the bar

Or the main Ivy, new dining bar in the middle, was very nice a couple of months back. On the same street

[imy85]

Dishoom, Sketch, hawkesmoor, meatliquor, brasserie zedel. You could try the trafalgar hotel, has a very nice rooftop bar.

[tomtom]

arfur said:

The l'atelier de joel robuchon works for me and would hit your requirements ... eat at the bar

Yeah, that.

Or Dishoom if you want less fancy but lively.

[FrankAbagnale]

There was a pretty good thread here recently with a lot of recommendations - it's worth a look

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Alex L]

Dishoom as mentioned above is good but you've already said you don't want Indian.

If you like french go to http://www.boudinblanc.co.uk/

I went here recently and had the taster menu, can thoroughly recommend http://portlandrestaurant.co.uk/

This is also very good and normally has a decent atmosphere http://pollenstreetsocial.com/

And these have a decent atmosphere and bars http://www.avenue-restaurant.co.uk/ or http://hush.co.uk/

Edited by Alex L on Wednesday 2nd August 12:29

[Vee]

Sketch has always been good when I've been.
Chotto Matte isn't bad. Busier and average service, but the food was very good.

[CS Garth]

You've got a lot on your doorstep - I'd have a cocktail in the old ticket hall bar at the Gilbert Scott and then dine at Plum and Spilt milk 5 mins away. Food at the Gilly S great but more starchy than PSM

[Zippee]

Thanks all so far. Some good suggestions to check out