Restaurant suggestions

[minniemomo]

Booked a weekend in London which dp has paid for and I want to book a good restaurant for one night - not a chain we can find at home. Any suggestions in the west end/wc1 area? Budget £100 excluding wine

What kind of food do you like? Any specific cuisines you love or hate? Is the £100 budget for both or per head? Do you want fancy/casual/cool/glam?

I would recommend Kricket (Indian) or Kiln (Thai), both in Soho.

Bob Bob Ricard.

Bob Bob Ricard is a bit ambitious for £100!

It’s fine, unless they go for caviar, OP said excluding wine. So I assume that’s just for food? Mains are £22. Starters about £15.

What kind of cuisine? Anything kind you don't like in particular?

Where is your hotel?

And is there any flexibility in your budget or is £100pp top whack?

Plus sides, plus desert, plus water, plus service on top you’d easily be approaching £100 which is why I said ambitious not impossible.

We eat anything but I'm fussy about Indian food having eaten the real deal so will steer clear of that, never had a decent Indian meal in London, best food is U.K. north!. Mains of £40 ish is fine, £100 was just a guide meaning not a crazy priced £400 for 2 sort of place.

Oklava is a favourite in our family.

www.oklava.co.uk/

Bob Bob Ricard looks promising, thanks! Staying near Covent Garden

My advise is a fancy place for lunch! So much cheaper especially midweek. You often get set menus in Michelin star places for substantially cheaper, although as others have said wine/service might take you over budget

@Yeknom

Any suggestions?

Hakasan’s lunch menu is fab.

Hawksmoor, assuming you’re not vegetarian, or Noble Rot (great wine list).

Early doors at Kitchen W8 - arrive before 6 - eat early and then enjoy London in the evening.

Bentleys on Swallow Street is lovely. If you prefer meat to fish then Rowleys on Jermyn Street is quite fun.

Barge East
Sushisamba
Eaterly

Bob Bob Ricard is really good, I've been there several times.

Ember Yard in Soho also excellent (tapas, but really nice tapas).

Bocca di Lupo (also Soho) really good but more expensive.

Seconding Bob Bob Ricard and Noble Rot as above. Also Ember Yard although I prefer their sister restaurant Opera Tavern. Hawksmoor (any of them, although I like Seven Dials) is always a safe bet. Others: Bocca di Lupo (relaxed but fab Italian), Blacklock (very meaty), Frenchie (modern brasserie-ish), Terroirs (brilliant and interesting wine and lovely shairng-type food).

I wouldn't go to Rowleys tbh, we went and the staff were shocking, just cba, it's pretty touristynaff unless they have pulled their socks up!

I love Shampers...Beak Street or thereabouts, parallel with Regent Street/ Carnaby Street... it's a bit of a dive of a Wine Bar with food, but I have had some really lovely meals there over the years.

Otherwise Sheekeys, between Leicester Square Covent Garden, we have never booked but the staff are really on top of their tables and know if and when they can squeeze you in.

Kitty Fishers in Mayfair or its sister restaurant Cora Pearl in Covent Garden are amazing for seafood!

Oystermen is great too, 6 oysters and a glass of fizz for a tenner in the week.

Temper and Flat Iron good for meat.

ooh or Fishworks....that's on Air Street (ish) one of the streets that go between Piccadilly and Regent Street...that's one of dh's favourites. He still sighs about the Blood Orange Cheesecake he had there.

ALso I really like a fancypants breakfast so The Shard is good for that, also Centrepoint, but I think that might be closed now, National Gallery used to be good, but they had gone a bit mashed avocado on sourdough last time we were down, or another of dh's faves was Goddards, the pie and mash place in Greenwich.

London Orient is fab too for Chinese food

I am having real actual pangs now for London. I need to see a red bus and breath in some pollution.!

Thanks everyone, lots of food for thought! Been 23 years since I lived in London so I'm seriously out of touch. Unfortunately those lunchtime and early evening menus aren't available due to social distancing but still plenty of options.

What about somewhere like Skylon, or the National Portrait Gallery ?

Skylon is seriously over-priced IMVHO - and the food wasn't that special last time we went.