What is your favourite(s) restaurant in London

[erics]

I'll start:

1/ Il Bordello in Wapping which serves the most exhuberant Italian food in London. The essence of comfort food. Busy atmosphere. ALWAYS busy. Good value.

2/ La Figa, sister restaurant of the above in Narrow Street which serves very similar food.

3/ Tentazioni in Mill Street Shad Thames. Also an Italian, but one of these hidden gems everyone hopes to find in their lives. AMAZING food with lots of truffle in the cooking. Romantic atmosphere. Amazing value for the quality of food they serve. One of the pasta dishes is cooked in a butter, lemon and caviar sauce.

4/ Hazev restaurant in Canary Wharf serves an amazingly fresh Turkish food.

5/ The Square in Mayfair. For special occasions, this is my favourite Michelin starred restaurant in London.

...

[tpp_uk]

Not sure about Bordellos - pretty tatty interior and very surely staff. Only live a few doors down, but the Pizza Express round the corner is better quality imho. As for Figa only meal ever eaten there both of us had one bit and food went straight back - funny thing is staff didn't even seem surprised.
To answer though, The Boot and Flogger.

[shakotan]

Um, shouldn't it be "favourite restaurant(s)"?

Anyway, Rules for me.

[tpp_uk]

Not sure about Bordellos - pretty tatty interior and very surely staff. Only live a few doors down, but the Pizza Express round the corner is better quality imho. As for Figa only meal ever eaten there both of us had one bit and food went straight back - funny thing is staff didn't even seem surprised.
To answer though, The Boot and Flogger.

[shakotan]

tpp_uk said:

Not sure about Bordellos - pretty tatty interior and very surely staff. Only live a few doors down, but the Pizza Express round the corner is better quality imho. As for Figa only meal ever eaten there both of us had one bit and food went straight back - funny thing is staff didn't even seem surprised.
To answer though, The Boot and Flogger.

There's quite an echo in here!

[CraigVmax]

in this order and no, not that imaginative maybe but good...

1. Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Rd
2. Marcus Waring at the Berkeley
3. Zuma

Biggest disappointment Locanda Locatelli where the Sommelier was a total cock and the food was overpriced and average.

[sidekickdmr]

erics said:

I'll start:

4/ Hazev restaurant in Canary Wharf serves an amazingly fresh Turkish food.

...

Really? I used to live in the apartments above this place (discovery dock), ate there about 2-3 times and was vastly unimpressed.

[lauda]

CraigVmax said:

Biggest disappointment Locanda Locatelli where the Sommelier was a total cock and the food was overpriced and average.

Would have to agree with this as well. No specific comments on the sommelier but was just a bit underwhelmed considering the reputation and prices. Having said that, the fact that my friend was hideously late for the last available lunch booking probably didn't endear us to the staff.

I'm a big fan of Italian food but Italian fine dining doesn't do it for me. The best food I ate on a recent tour around Italy was in a little local trattoria down a smelly alley in Florence. Whole thing cost less than I'd spent on one bottle of wine in other places and was out of this world.

[dmitsi]

Giaconda dining rooms and wild honey are two that stand out for me.

Service is top notch in both, and really good tasty food. Neither too expensive either.

[BarnatosGhost]

To add a bit of low-brow contrast:

The Golden Union on Poland Street is probably the finest licensed sit-in chippy in the world. Utterly perfect.

http://www.goldenunion.co.uk/index.html

[g3org3y]

- Camden Kitchen: Great home cooked style food. Very nice decor especially in winter with an open fire. Service can be slow but worth it for a relaxing lazy mid week dinner or weekend lunch.

- Camden Brasserie: Really nice food and reasonable prices if booked on offer with Top Table.

- Le Pont De La Tour: Classy, excellent service, lovely food. Atmosphere and decor are top notch. Great view over Tower Bridge Very highly recommended for a romantic date.

[erics]

your number 1 and 2 are on my to do list.

Zuma is one of my greatest nightmares. Don't like the crowd, food is utterly uninteresting. Women at the bar look mostly like prostitutes looking for a rich middle eastern guy.

CraigVmax said:

in this order and no, not that imaginative maybe but good...

1. Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Rd
2. Marcus Waring at the Berkeley
3. Zuma

Biggest disappointment Locanda Locatelli where the Sommelier was a total cock and the food was overpriced and average.

[hungry_hog]

Cinnamon Club (modern Indian) in Westminster and L'anima (modern Italian) in Liverpool St. Neither has a Michelin star but they both should do, better than all the Michelin starred places I have been to (which is admittedly not many)

Cinnamon is reasonably priced, L'anima is not!

[Wadeski]

Marcus Wareing is very good
I like the Glasshouse in richmond for neighbourhood quality
Angeles in Kilburn for hot and spicy Szechuan chinese with no frills (although Sichuan Folk just off Brick Lane is good)
Tayyabs for grills
Hawksmoor Seven Dials for steaks and arguably the best cocktails in London
Wild Honey for business
Crazy Homies for getting really, really drunk on tequlia in

[davepoth]

I'd second Tayyabs - the Lamb Chops are awesome.

I like Tito's - It's a Peruvian restuarant on London Bridge Street. Nothing special to look at, but the food is pretty authentic.

[erics]

oh... and I forgot the Greenhouse in Mayfair. Not cheap by any standard but what a place! Amazing. Ideal for a very special occasion.

[grumbledoak]

erics said:

3/ Tentazioni in Mill Street Shad Thames.

I really must try that, it's very near to me.

I would have said 'Maze' but I've not been since Jason Atherton moved on.

[Guvna]

Sergios of Great Titchfield Street does it for me when I am around there

Great pizza and Italian food for a reasonable price

Looks like a circus from outside. Authentic Italian

[birdcage]

I eat out everywhere cashy through my job but the Guinea Grill for me for me on Bruton Place if I want 'honest' food.

Best pies in London a pub attached, plus top class sommelier.

[Bonefish Blues]

grumbledoak said:

erics said:

3/ Tentazioni in Mill Street Shad Thames.

I would have said 'Maze' but I've not been since Jason Atherton moved on.

Funnily enough, I was there yesterday - I thought it was a little patchy, with 2 excellent dishes, 1 good, and 2 iffy ones from the seasonal menu I tried.