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Original poster

Why is finding a restaurant I like so hard??

12 replies

JoshandJamie · 23/02/2008 21:53

I know I'm fussy when it comes to food:

  • I can't eat any seafood (that's an allergy, not by choice)
  • I HATE fresh coriander and goat's cheese
  • I won't eat tongue/sweetbreads/offal/liver - even fois gras - that type of thing. And don't even wave a snail or frogs legs in front of me
  • Not a big fan of game either

But otherwise I'm ok. I think.

But good god, I have sat here since 7.30 tonight going throught Zagats trying to find somewhere in London that I want to eat at next week for a rare evening out as grown ups - woohoo! I've seen a couple of places that look good - but the chances of getting a reservation are zero.

I can't stand that almost every restaurant seems to have about a million seafood starters - and if they're not seafood they fall into one of the categories above. Sure, I could go to a burger or pizza joint, but this is supposed to be something slightly more upmarket than that, but still vibey.

Why do these restaurants all require you to carry a dictionary with you to even understand what the hell they're serving??

The few that have the right kind of menu and vibe all seem to have a really crap service/attitude/turf you out after two hours type system (if various online reviews on anything to go by).

I know I must sound like a complete country bumpkin who probably deserves to just stay at home, but I want to find somewhere great that I won't feel as though I'm being robbed while eating something I loathe and being turfed out because my time's up, table's needed oh and I probably don't look cool enough to get into the bar below...

Is it just me? Anyone got any non-poncey places they can recommend that are still vibey and upmarket?

OP posts:
Carmenere · 23/02/2008 22:03

Er just because you don't like the things on your list doesn't mean that you can't go to a restaurant that serves them. You have a limited palate which limits your choices and tbh I think it would be very difficult to find an upmarket restaurant that would fit your requirements.

hatwoman · 23/02/2008 22:09

sardo off tottenham court road. Joe Allens - just south of Covent Garden (can;t remember the road). Baltic near Blackfriars. Moro on Exmouth Market. Meson Don Felipe on the Cut

MissingMyHeels · 23/02/2008 22:10

Asia de Cuba is a bit pricey but has a wide ranging menu, no goats cheese or fresh coriander as I recall and you can certainly ask them for pretty much whatever you want. Not poncey though and no game/offal.

As a cheaper - but rather camp option - Balans is good and always has a good lively vibe. Very flexible so am sure you could ensure you don't have any coriander etc and plenty of things on the menu you could eat.

Where exactly are you going in London?

AitchTwoOh · 23/02/2008 22:13

i think the thing with upmarket places is that you will always feel like you're being robbed if you have that sort of a mindset. joe allens, for example, charges a ludicrous amount for a caesar salad or a burger but it is a good one and it is joe allens. (not a brilliant example, actually, i'd rather go to Moro. with hatwoman. )

hatwoman · 23/02/2008 22:13

[http://www.gauchorestaurants.co.uk/ gaucho grill] lots of seafood and offal but lots of other stuff too

AitchTwoOh · 23/02/2008 22:14

are they good, hatwoman? there's one up here and i always just walk past it and head straight to wagamama when i'm wanting to eat in town. (normally with dd, to be fair).

hatwoman · 23/02/2008 22:15

coq d'argent. in the city.

hatwoman · 23/02/2008 22:16

gaucho? have to confess I;ve never been myself. dh swears by it. says the steaks are unbelievable.

MrsJohnCusack · 23/02/2008 22:18

I don't eat any of those things either (well, except the coriander) as I'm vegetarian and I hardly ever have a problem finding something nice to eat, wherever we go

so basically you'll eat most meat?
There must be loads of places!

MrsJohnCusack · 23/02/2008 22:22

yes, go to Gaucho - if you eat steak then it'd be great
as would most of the places on here TBH and I'm sure I'd find something to eat at all of them so I'm sure you will

Original poster
JoshandJamie · 23/02/2008 22:24

Thanks for those suggestions - am frantically surfing through them all.

I used to live in Boston and New York and there were so many places that seemed unstuffy, yet still excellent food, with a bit of a bar on the side for those must have cosmopolitans without it being overly load/clubby so you could still talk to each other. That's the type of place I'm looking for - but am clueless when I come to London.

I don't really care where in London - will find a hotel to suit the restaurant but want to be fairly central-ish

OP posts:
AitchTwoOh · 23/02/2008 22:25

hmm, might give it a try. although good steak not hard to come by in jockoland.

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