In-n-Out is probably the most over-rated dining option in human history, but it's still pretty good for what it is. there's plenty of burgers in London these days far better than In n out, but that's misunderstanding what it is.

it's not an alternative or even a competitor to some luxury gourmet burger. it's an alternative to Mcdonalds, BurgerK ing or Wendy's. And in comparison to them it wipes the floor. But anyone expecting the world's greatest burger, as some of the zealots would have you believe, will be sorely disappointed.

As others have said, Japanese is not London's strongest cuisine, and if you are coming from NYC you will likely leave disappointed by even the best here. also many of london's latest 'trendy' places serve up 2nd rate American food so avoid these.

St John is a bit of a must, but you could perhaps also try Brawn - the namesake charcuterie dish is wonderful.

speak-easies - Happiness Forgets is just fantastic. arrive early and sit at the bar. it's not flashy and low on gimmicks but the service, drinks, atmosphere and attention to detail cannot be beaten. i'd honestly go as far as to say it's my favourite cocktail bar in the world. I personally think Nightjar is a bit of a joke, but it has an impressive set up despite the misguided, OTT drinks list and the snooty service. Purl and the Whistling Stop are also great for inventive drinks - radiation aged cocktail, anyone?

Coffee - I feel Monmouth at Borough is still London's finest. But Prufrock on Leather Lane is not far behind and the knowledge and personable staff there tend to have more time to talk about your drink whereas Monmouth is more hectic. St Ali/Workshop Coffee also do a superb cup and their food is also nice. Same goes for the two Caravan locations.

Barrafina - i really like it - nice and simple. seafood dishes are always reliable here. But i also think Copita is worth a visit - slow cooked duck egg yolk and the ajo blanco - drool...

Can't disagree with much there-

I also received the tuna with watermelon and basil and found it to be terrible. I don't think the flavour combination works at all and the tuna quality was very poor. On the upside I did get it for free after a mistake.

On the other hand I also had the 'raw fish of the day' which was a trout served on a pink salt slab and it was melt in the mouth superb. However i think it was dressed with too much truffle oil - perhaps a small speck of actual truffle would've worked better. The mackerel tartare was good, nothing special though. The beetroot with curds I have had better elsewhere and was also served way too hot, but it was decent.

They also had a spicy pulled beef (or pork?) doughnut which sounded intriguing. Don't order! it's awful.

Did you not try the duck and waffle dish? i think you kind of have to here. It's pretty good, but i think the portion size is too big - the dish just gets kind of boring after one too many a mouthful. Then again i'm not really a fan of US-style chicken and waffles at all.

I love Caravan on Exmouth Market - will be interesting to see the KX branch. Seems like the menu differs a bit, not a fan of chicken and waffles but i'd give it a go.

As for the staff - i went there right after getting off a night flight from the US last month and was treated very well despite wandering around like a zombie and forgetting where i had been sitting!

Hi there, i'm arriving in Chicago soon and will be spending only one night there before i continue on to my final destination nearby. I'll be travelling over two days so going to be pretty tired/lagged and not looking for anywhere formal or too fancy.

i am basically looking for somewhere that's serving fresh & light food, which i'll undoubtedly want after eating microwaved stuff on my journey. Small plates, sushi, salads, best local produce would be great - but if there's anything a Brit in Chicago shouldn't miss, i'd consider that too.

going to head to somewhere like scofflaw after, for cocktails, so anywhere in the centre of town or around logan square (or in between) works well.

any suggestions???

Heads up for cocktail geeks - Chapter One in Santa Ana is currently serving a barrel aged Vesper cocktail - it's incredibly delicious. Not sure what they're using as the "vermouth" but it comes out on the sweet side and with some good colour to it.

Ah, that must be Ricky Yarnall, but he only bartends a few times a month at Memphis - think he is more usually to be found at Broadway.

Guy I was talking about is called Greg, not Craig (not used to American accents, see), half-italian guy who didn't flinch when I requested a hanky-panky the other night - and indeed half an hour later two thirds of the other patrons at the bar were also drinking one.

thanks - i ended up going to little bear - nice burger and good beers.

2nd visit to HCR was not as impressive - crappy micro-foam that disintegrated on a 5oz latte and espresso wasn't as nice - they'd changed to a single origin from colombia - barista didnt seem too sold on it.

Filter coffee again wasn't the best i've had but ok.

I've been visiting Memphis at the Santora recently and have to say there are one or two bartenders there who can make fantastic cocktails. hit and miss depending on who is working but there is a guy called craig (i think) who is big into his cocktails and they have a good back bar.

just wondering - and thought i'd put it in this thread - is there anywhere to eat within walking distance of HCR? seems it is in a pretty out of the way location and i dont remember seeing any food offered here, so it's not ideal for hanging out there for a while.

Visited Handsome at the weekend -

very impressed by the espresso - one of the best i've ever tasted, smooth with rich crema - flavours of salt and citrus. wonderful. blend of columbian and rwandan apparently.

espresso with milk - pretty good flavour, liquorice tones. could do with a smoother, more silky and denser micro-foam rather than the frothier cappucino style on the 3 oz, otherwise the froth just fills the cup. as a nice extra they give you the left-over espresso in a spare cup tho.

filter coffee - underwhelming. most places pour over to order these days so not sure why HCR think they can get away with filter coffee that's been sitting around for hours. have been using their beans over past few weeks - really clean flavours of blueberry pie, lime peel, strawberry. but tossed the bag after a few days as it turned to crap for some reason (had it shipped so not the freshest i suppose).

nothing can replace my beloved camembert, but i shall check this out. when i lived in california i used to eat stuff that had been smuggled in, but you had to know the right people to get the good stuff. ;)

if you like alembic i assume you are an offal fan? in which case go to st john bread and wine.

also try brawn - in-house and carefully selected charcuterie, along with small plates, constantly changing menu with big emphasis on seasonal meat, fish and veg.

another place i like is elliott's by borough market - market produce cooked simply but very, very well. also try 40 maltby street in same area - wine bar in converted railway arch - simple british food on the light side, good atmosphere too. in similar vein to these is rochelle canteen - owned by the wife of the guy behind st john i believe? check them out on google images to get a feel for the dishes.

I would not bother with Mexican food in London at all, and Japanese cuisine is better in California. However as limster says some of the fish here can be superior, in particular cornish mackerel or scottish shell-fish. A lot of places with a bit of buzz behind them atm are US-themed or influenced, and again i imagine you can get better at home so why bother in the UK? saying that from someone who lived in southern california In-n-Out isn't all that special!

places like copita, barrafina, jose etc do good tapas - not stodgy or oily as can often be the case - and far better than anything you can get in california.

nice breakfast spots include st ali, caravan and providores - all with an antipodean influence and obviously great coffee (which believe me will be better than nearly anything you can find in LA or SF).

AWaiting has covered the best two options IMO -

Urban Angel - the one on Forth Street - always has 5 or 6 salad options available that change every day - you can ask for a selection of them on one big plate. great quality, really fresh, nice and light and quite inventive flavour matches. pretty cheap as well, especially if you get a take-out box - can feed 2 people for under £4. they also do delicious smoothies and great cakes that you will see on the counter as you walk in.

then just around the corner is Broughton Street Deli - my favourite - bit more rustic than urban angel perhaps, but some of the salad and veggie options here are delicious. If you like Ottolenghi style salads go here - they basically copy half their stuff. Again the best option is to go for a mixed plate of all the different salads. One thing I would beware here is the pricing - it always ends up costing a fair bit more than the advertised prices, which leaves a sour taste in the mouth. it's quite underhand, imo. however i keep going back for the delicious food. best thing ive had there is there roasted eggplant and pomegranite slathered in yoghurt, and the veggie lasagne.

elsewhere leo's beanery in stockbridge tends to be decent-ish food with salad options.

some good recommendations already - i'd second Colebrook Row (and the Zetter Townhouse branch for a cosier, more eccentric version), Hix Soho, Nightjar and Hawksmoor, in particular the 7 dials branch which offers good food like lobster rolls that you can eat while primarily enjoying cocktails at the bar.

To add to this i'd recommend Purl and Worship Street Whistling Stop - inventive but revivalist cocktails, a sort of fusion between victorian vintage and modern cutting edge, If you want to pay a bit extra head to the bar at Rules. Not as good as it was but still decent enough if you ask for the classics which tend to be served with a slight twist to the recipe.

Could also try the likes of Spuntino - pretty sure they serve cocktails, but i've not been so don't know about quality.

could try some Camp, delicious chicory syrup. not personally used it to make hot chicory coffee but was addicted to iced lattes with this stuff when i was a kid.

plenty of Whiskey purveyors in Edinburgh - Royal Mile Whiskies have a good selection, as does the Bon Vivant's Companion on Thistle Street - the staff there will go the extra mile to pick something out for you. if you want to try some for yourself, go to Raconteur bar in Stockbridge - excellent scotch selection including some old and expensive bottles, they will even mix you up a cocktail or two.

i often get pork shoulder - cut up into rough steaks rather than the whole joint - just easier to work with as i use it for pulled pork or carnitas taco filling (drooool). works out at £4.33 per kilo from Tesco atm.

but puff pastry. come on, that's not right.

Anyone have opinions on the various mince pies and mulled wines on offer?

Tried the M&S and Tesco pies and really like the latter - can taste the cognac in the mincemeat, and the cherries add a bit of sweetness, very, very rich. unfortunately the pastry is just too sugary. M&S are good, though they only had the one type for sale when i went in last week.

Jing Tea has some great chinese tea, check out their website. based in brixton i think but they don't have a shop as such.

Leaf do some good herbal infusions - linden, olive leaf etc. the quality of their leaves is really good. thisisleaf.co.uk

Tea Palace have a shop in covent garden. used to like their place on westbourne grove but it shut sadly. pretty decent wide selection.

last time i was at fortnum and mason they had a big shelf full of teas behind a counter, lots of choice.

these could be worth checking out: http://www.rareteacompany.com/

as for Postcard - they do a coffee blossom tea that is worth trying.

Visited 320 Main Yesterday - very impressed. Hospitality is great - i told one of the guys I was heading up to SF and he recommended me a bunch of great places to visit when up there. Also got nerdy about great spirits and recipes.

Had a Negroni's Loss, sweeter than a typical Negroni and a tad less bitter due to replacing Campari with Gran Classico. Extra citrus oils balanced it out perfectly. My favourite of the afternoon.

Also an oaky Tequila Sazerac with absinthe spray instead of rinse, a wet Martini with Plymouth gin and Dolin vermouth, a sample of their old tom gins (for free!) and a Zaya rum on ice. Only quibble would be too much ice with the rum diluted the flavour too quickly. I also think that rum is sweet enough to mean that sipping it neat brings out the best.

Also sampled my drinking companion's Earl Grey Martinez - so so good, will certainly order that next time. Old Fashioned was just okay, and a couple of the happy hour cocktails were decent, especially considering the $4 pricetag but i don't think i'd order them again.

We also got a plate of spicy chicken tenders with a blue cheese dressing, on the house. really nice, with not too much of a kick, so ideal for pairing up with drinks.

Thanks for the rec Ubergeek and gph2os!

if you are still looking for a good bar to visit - try out Raconteur in Stockbridge. The owner has just won the UK World Class cocktail competition down in London, they make really excellent drinks.

For me it depends what type of bar you are in. an anonymous bar - no. a pub - no. a loud nightclub venue - no. someplace where you are getting personal, attentive service with a lot of effort being put into every drink, such as Purl - yes.

i used to live on the same street as Mesa, but never visited. the cocktail menu doesn't look fantastic, though, too many bog standard spirits and over use of juices.

that sounds perfectly located, and seems to have a nice vibe and food menu judging from the website.

Thanks Ubergeek - that looks great.

i know about varnish, roger room and others in LA, but i don't know of any craft cocktail bars using high end spirits, house-made bitters, tinctures etc in Orange County. Does such a thing exist? If not, where would be the nearest place in LA? i'll be staying around the north part of Santa Ana over the summer, so the closer to that area the better, or maybe somewhere around Long Beach.

redwood are doing a thanksgiving dinner this year - it's fully booked but you can add your name to the list in case of cancellations.

I think Providores has the best brunch in london and is central on marylebone high street. unfortunately it gets rammed on a sunday and the cramped eating space (well the high chairs anyway) isn't the most comfortable when it gets busy. So i'd recommend caravan for weekends.