pj26's Profile
London restaurant rec to celebrate engagement?
Galvin at Windows is a good rec - great views and excellent food, with enough of an 'occassion' atmosphere. The Galvin La Chapelle is an equally lovely space, but in a different way.
Nobu, not so much - it's a bit full of people wanting to be seen and even though the food is good, the atmosphere can be rowdy and I didn't particularly like the room.
I actually really loved Hibiscus, didn't feel too stuffy and is up there with one of the best meals I have had.
Not sure if you want to stay in London, but further afield, I couldn't recommend the Sportsman highly enough, perhaps you could make a day/night of it?
And congratulations!
Lunch near Tate modern? [London]
Elliot's is also very good at Borough Market.
Or a bit closer to the Tate, the Swan at the Globe has a great restaurant, with 'British tapas' in the bar or a brasserie upstairs, with amazing views over the river.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Miscellaneous Thread
Inspired by this thread, I made this last night to have with my asparagus and spring greens, was delicious. Was quite tart, but then I like it like that. The idea of feta over the top is great, will try that tonight.
London chip shop serving plaice?
I had a great fish and chips at Kerbisher and Malt in Shepherds Bush, they had plaice, as well as cod and haddock. And excellent onion rings.
solo dining options
if you do a search on the UK board you will find a few threads about it - there are a load of options.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Fish, Poultry, and Meat Thread
Chicken stuffed with garlic and coriander, Moro, p221
So I did end up cooking this over the weekend and it was great - that paste really keeps the chicken tender. I didn't have any saffron and was not about to venture out in to the miserable London weather so did without and still tasted great. I did make the lemon gravy, which went really well with the spring greens I had on the side. I usually keep my roast chicken pretty simple but this one will be joining my regular repertoire from now on.
Masterchef Australia vs Masterchef US
I much preferred the UK series this year to what they have had in the past, they have tended to follow more of the Aus/NZ format than in the past few years, with better and more varied challenges, and being less reliant on being proficient in classical French cookery and more open to ethnic influences. Greg Wallace is still a bit of a knob though.
Although overall, I think the Aus and NZ formats are better for the viewer to 'learn' from with regard to cooking techniques etc. The editing on the UK sometimes just focuses on the outcome or the drama to get there.
[London] Late May itinerary critique and specific dish suggestions, please
Brawn is excellent but make sure you book well ahead for a Sunday as the flower market is on and it gets completely manic around there.
I guess Hawksmoor doesn't have that pub atmosphere, but that isn't always necessarily a bad thing. The pubs I would recommend for Sunday lunches often have more of a restaurant feel than a pub feel anyway. And I do begrudge have some rather ordinary pub roasts, where I have to order at the bar, clamour for a seat but still pay over the odds - i.e. restaurant prices.
Which reminds me I had an excellent Sunday roast at the Jugged Hare in Barbican a couple of weeks ago - even though it bills itself as a pub, I would class it as a restaurant. It was very good nonetheless!
[London] Late May itinerary critique and specific dish suggestions, please
I wouldn't necessarily discount Hawksmoor - their Sunday roast is very, very good.
May 2012 COTM: Food of Spain and Moro The Fish, Poultry, and Meat Thread
Definitely going to make this over the weekend. Have had the Moro book for years and not explored it fully, but this has inspired me!
I did the pork cooked in milk (apologies, don't have the book in front of me so not sure of page number and correct title) but was very disappointed as the pork turned our very chewy. I think this is my fault though as it was a small piece and not of the best quality, so do want to try it again with better quality/larger cut of meat. I also used skim milk, so it curdled rather than simmered down to a nice, nutty sauce.
Pre-theatre dining near Queens Theatre [London]
Arbutus does an excellent deal on a pre-theatre menu. Or you could sit at the bar at Spuntino, at that time there probably wouldn't be any queues, or equally try Duck Soup or 10 Greek St.
Tipping in Pubs: Yes or No?
The level of service is the most important - even if it is table service, but the service is poor I will not leave a tip. And I will (mostly!) ask for it to be taken off the bill if it has been included and not deserved.
London Food Recommendations Near the British Museum
I'd second (edit: third just seen the post below) Great Queen St, it's about 10 minute walk at the most and it's excellent. And across the road is Moti Mahal for great Indian. And a bit further in to Covent Garden you have Da Polpo or Hawksmoor which are also really good.
EATING IN LONDON
Harters is right, do a quick search and you will come up with loads.
but just quickly, there's better places than Barbecoa (for steak/meat) - try places like Hawksmoor, or for British 'top level' places, other restaurants like Ledbury, Launceston Place, Pollen St Social, or for the view, Galvin at Windows would fit the bill.
Food for 16 people by Trafalgar Square or the Globe theater
The Swan at the Globe is very good, but not really that cheap, although they do sometimes have some quite good deals on for lunch. Tas is a good option, directly across the road - if you are attending a performance at the Globe they do a good pre-theatre dinner and ensure you are done in time for the show.
Canadians visiting London
I'd recommend Hereford Road in Notting Hill - had a great lunch there a few weeks ago, really great British produce/cooking. For a walk around, depends what you want to see I suppose! Most shops etc will shut around 7pm depending on which night of the week you are there.
Salt Yard is an old favourite of mine, or you could try their sister restaurant Opera Tavern in Covent Garden.
I haven't been to Randall and Aubin for years - it still seems to draw the crowds so they still must be doing something right. There are plenty of other new-ish openings around which you could give a go - 10 Greek St, Duck Soup, Spuntino, Mishkins or the Delauney could be good options for you.
London - Next Week - Trendy & Fun
there's been loads of interesting, trendy openings in Soho recently - La Bodega Negra seems to be the 'in' place at the moment or there's 10 Greek St, or Meat Liquor (but you can't book for either and they may have queues). Or you could try Spuntino or Mishkins, both low key but good food and very trendy.
fine foods shops, London
Also depends what you mean by 'proper' ingredients. Is it just Italian ingredients you are after? Because there are some amazing Chinese, Viet Namese, Indian, West Indian, Spanish stores where you can source speciality foods.
Cheap places to eat in London.
Sorry to put a spanner in the works, as it's great you take the time to reply FrBill but if you are visiting London, please take note of some of the other suggestions and threads (particularly by JFores) with regard to cheap food - London has much better to offer than chains like Wagamamas and Pizza Express! Franco Manca is by far better and can be cheaper than Pizza Express and there are many places in Chinatown and beyond that will beat Wagamamas.
If you are staying at the Marriot, you are right next to the South Bank which on Fridays has a great food market - and if you can take the advice and head down to Brixton Market, it's a short trip from Waterloo.
Brik pastry (London) Where can I get it?
I have looked in the chiller cabinet, maybe they don't think people in East London would need it! Thanks for the tip.
Brik pastry (London) Where can I get it?
I have been trying to source this for a while, I have a recipe where it says it's available in Waitrose, but I haven't seen it in any I have been to. Anyone know where I can get it?
London pub recs?
Give Mason and Taylor a miss for food, it's pretty average and there are much better places nearby. It's also not a pub, but a bar that serves beer.
Visiting London next week
As Harters has mentioned, there are a lot of permanent retailers in the market that are open every day during the week: Ginger Pig, Neal's Yard Dairy, Monmouth coffee, plus many of the fruit and vege stalls, Brindisa etc, so it's still worth stopping by (depending on what you want your experience to be - it's fine for me to pick stuff up for dinner on my way home), but there just won't be as many stalls.
London - Olympic Park
Where is your starting point? Obviously the park itself is pretty huge with a number of entrances. And the View Tube and Greenway is a pretty pleasant walk, is 20 minutes too long?
Brick Lane (London) Indian Restaurants
There are however some good food stalls there at the weekend, there is a separate thread on this. Your friends are right though, the area in general has a 'vibe' - trendy hipsters, cafes with good coffee, vintage shops, art galleries etc.
Pitt Cue Co. [London]
I tried Pitt Cue back when it was a stall under Hungerford Bridge and it was excellent then - I look forward to going to their new premises to try out the rest of their offerings. Sounds like the portions are still huge - pretty much finished me off for the afternoon!
London - Olympic Park
Well at this point, they won't even be able to get on to the Olympic Park due to massive security. So 'near' has to be good enough!
London - Olympic Park
There are actually quite a few places nearby/very close (not on the park), and some really nice cafes within a walk (and of course there is Westfield which has an array of places. The View Tube is a great cafe with a brilliant view across the park and there are some nice pubs.
Check out this website for some more options, all within walking distance http://www.eastvillagelondon.co.uk/on-your-doorstep.aspx
Best time to go to Tayyab's? [London]
I actually think Needoo is better and you don't have that rushed feeling you get at Tayyabs.
