Two days left in Manhattan - paralysed by choice

Ah, thank you! We checked out Oceana, but prob a bit more than we want to spend - we dropped $250 on Japanese last night, so our 5 night stay is going to hurt when that monthly bill comes in, so the brakes are on a little!

Just returned from a day walking round NYBG, so we've picked a place in staggering distance from our hotel - The Mermaid Inn. We fancied something light and refreshing - oysters! So we'll see how that goes...

Thanks again for your help :)

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Mermaid Inn
96 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003

Oceana
120 W 49th St, New York, NY 10020

therubyslippers in Manhattan

Two days left in Manhattan - paralysed by choice

Hello, and help! We have two days left of our NYC trip, and we're totally stuck where to eat for dinner tonight and tomorrow, and a brunch tomorrow. We're staying in Cooper Square, that's Bowery and E6th area.

So far (not all on this trip!) we've been to WD50. Il Buco, In Vino, Noho Star, Balthazar, Pastis, Scarpetta, Daniel...

Looking for something mid-price, probably Italian, for dinner - happy to travel. Not fussed about being hip or in, just good food and wine.Would also happily do steak or seafood.

Then for brunch - any recommendations within a few blocks of our location?

Thanks so much....

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Il Buco
47 Bond St., New York, NY 10012

In Vino
215 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10009

Noho Star
330 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012

Scarpetta
355 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014

therubyslippers in Manhattan

6 places to eat in Lisbon

We stayed in Hotel Britania on the Avenida, and most of these are walking distance from there / the Avenida Metro:

Rubro: http://bit.ly/7KsXd7 - Spanish / Portuguese tapas, including Iberico pork, prawns in garlic, salt cod omelette, cuttlefish croquettes, pimentos. Large, modern, open space. Attentive service. Really good - sadly closed on NYE, NYD and the 2 January, as we'd have gone back for more.

Solar dos Nunes (taxi ride away) http://bit.ly/82aHDJ - traditional, we were taken there by a Portuguese friend. Couvert included liver, marinated mushrooms, cheeses, smoked ham. Grilled fresh fish with potatoes and veg, followed by a wide choice of eggy and almondy puddings. For three, inc two bottles of Alvarinho, bill was €190. We think we had preferential service as our friend knows the owners - but everyone else seemed pretty happy there too.

Pasteis de Belem (tram ride away): http://bit.ly/cEexa for the custard tarts, port, bicas and croquettes. Something like Betty's Tea Rooms but on a vast scale, the rooms just keep on coming.

Ribadouro: http://bit.ly/6Jpb32 for clams with garlic and coriander. Bright to the point of over-lit, but cheerful, friendly service, and a wide seafood list.

Tamarind: http://bit.ly/5FIueC, mild, mainly south Indian food, in a bright pink and blue tiled restaurant. Really good.

For a morning bica and pastry at the counter, we liked Pastelaria Smarta - no messing, order what you like, eat, then pay at the separate desk http://bit.ly/5CRRkp.

Also ate at one of the Cafe Nicolas and Sanchos - both fine, although Sanchos proved a pricey meal.

therubyslippers in Spain/Portugal

Love Ottolenghi's , but they're closed for time we need , anywhere else like it apart from Fig & Olive Islington [London]?

I can't think of anywhere quite like Ottolenghi. Best I can come up with in that area is Camino - Spanish tapas. Bit pricey, but you can stretch out the tapas to fill a lot of time: http://bit.ly/l4mYP. Not too far away is Cigala on Lambs Conduit Street (http://bit.ly/WoRau), again for tapas. If you don't know the street, there are lots of small cafes and pubs on there, plus some independent shops to while away the time.

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

Affordable, local food in Venice?

Ditto Ae Oche (we went to the one on the Zattere) - wide range of pizzas - I had one with forest mushrooms (see the pizza menu: http://bit.ly/1Ejg70), and a crafty Aperol cocktail for lunch.

Try also the places on the Fondamentas of Cannaregio - we had a lot of fun drinking grappa in al Timon, and a good meal in Da Rioba on Fondamenta della Misericordia, including salad with super-fresh walnuts, which tasted like nothing we'd had in the UK before.

Have a fabulous and memorable trip.

therubyslippers in Italy

London - 3 day dining binge!

Cocktails and dinner combo...try Galvin at Windows or Skylon.

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

in [London] for 3 nights

Bit belatedly to this - no, certainly not 'great' food rather 'really quite good' - as in plenty of choice, and a big tick in the convenience box if you're already shopping there. Apart from the interminably awful Wahaca.

@limster - apologies for not seeing your request for the link - it was for La Trompette in Chiswick. Hope you found somewhere :)

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

Lisbon - where to eat a special dinner on New Year's Eve?

Thanks ever so much. We've picked up some info from your other post (we're staying in the same hotel as the OP, by coincidence), and we love the idea of the shellfish restaurant :)

therubyslippers in Spain/Portugal

in [London] for 3 nights

Jump in a cab, go a little bit more west to Chiswick, and try http://www.urbanpath.com/london/french/la-trompette.htm.

If you try Maze, go for the flight of wine to accompany your meal - well worth it.

Also, do you mean K-West the hotel? If so, it's very close to an enormous new shopping mall with a really quite good food court - everything from Pho (Vietnamese) to Ooze (risottos) to Tiffin Bites (Indian), so you can shop and have a bite to eat within walking distance.

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

Suggestions For Good Spots Near Touristy Areas [London]

Definitely make time for a gastro pub - it'll mean jumping on the tube and going to zone 2, but you'll get a better idea of what many Londoners do of an evening or Sunday lunch.

All of these are a short walk from a tube, in residential areas:

St John's in Archway (north, on the Northern line) http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/reviews/12983.html

The Morgan Arms in Mile End (east, on the Central and District lines)
http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/83761/The_Morgan_Arms

Princess Victoria (west, Hammersmith & City line)
http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/reviews/13358.html

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

Lisbon - where to eat a special dinner on New Year's Eve?

I guess the title says it all!

Ideally, we're looking for something with really good, homegrown food (seafood would be great), a long wine list, good service. Probably not too formal or fussy.

If there's a place with a view over New Year fireworks / celebrations - all the better.

We'll spend as much or as little as necessary moneywise :)

Thanks so much in advance.

therubyslippers in Spain/Portugal

[West London] Decent Gastropub for tonight?

Oh yes, forgot about The Devonshire - had a couple of nice meals there. Very good on the pie front.

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

[West London] Decent Gastropub for tonight?

They both have good wine lists - the Princess Vic more so I'd say. Everything from a £12 bottle to £hundreds.

Hmmm, I wouldn't say either was especially noted for fish / veggie, but there's always been something on the menu to my memory.

If you want something purely fish, there's FishHook and Fishworks - both in Chiswick. Never tried FishHook, but Fishworks is always good, if a more generic experience. Doesn't tick your gastopub box mind you!

I'd probably plump for the Princess Vic on balance. A friend of mine reviewed it here, she's an ex wine journalist too: http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/reviews/13358.html

Be interested to hear where you get to, and what you think.

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

[West London] Decent Gastropub for tonight?

Ah - my local area. I'd head for either of these two:

Princess Victoria is probably the most interesting / new thing around. Went there last night for dinner, but a long wait for a table, so we had bar snacks instead - which were: Potted crab, Stilton, apple and walnut salad, and a huge board of Spanish cured meats with quince paste and manchego. It's been consistently good there - the place is newly renovated. Very noisy tho, not great for a quiet chat.
http://princessvictoriashepherdsbush.blogspot.com/

Then there's The Carpenters Arms on Black Lion Lane, also recently refurbished - similar deal food-wise, a little more expensive, and little more formal.
http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Restaurant/The_Carpenters_Arms/dac4/

Then there's the old guard: The Anglesea Arms and The Raven (much more beery). The Dove on the river for something historic - but food is less of a feature there.

Any questions, ask away.

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

Questions re: Maze in London

If you haven't already been...You can happily go in jeans, shirt and jumper. Some people will be uber dressed up, some super-casual, ie trainers. To my knowledge, there's no strict dress code.

We had some fantastic Arbroath Smokies, and had flights of wine to accompany each course - very good value actually. £90 a head.

The evidence!

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=35034349879%40N01&q=maze&m=text

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

[London] Picadilly Circus/Leicester Square area?

Why don't you try Fresh & Wild? It's now owned by Wholefoods - so it's shopping, a deli, food-to-go and somewhere to eat happily alone.

http://www.urbanpath.com/london/organic/fresh-and-wild-soho.htm

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

We fancied Gordon Ramsay at the London, but...

Thanks for these - it was a gastronomic few days! I am several £ lighter and several lbs heavier. We ate at...

WD-50 - interesting food combinations - the 'Eggs Benedict' particularly, lovely staff, way too much wine (7 glasses) for the tasting menu (9, I think, courses), so I can't really remember the puddings.

Daniel - fabulous ravioli starter with clam emulsion, charming sommeliers and cocktail-makers at the bar. And my purse had its own stool. A little OTT in some ways, but otherwise a perfect old-fashioned dining experience.

Scarpetta - good service, nice food - not that great tho - just too twiddly for Italian food. My boyfriend's carne course was very dry. Always best to stick to the pasta / risotto, we've decided since.

Il Buco - probably my favourite - buzzy, informal, fantastic food - cavolo nero starter and a good ragu sauce on my main.

And then a whopping Dean & Deluca picnic in Central Park.

therubyslippers in Manhattan

London in August

All sorts of places spring to mind - these are mainly chains, but have cool interiors and quirks: Ping Pong for dim sum, Masala Zone for thali, Wagamama, Taro - both for Japanese canteen-style, Itsu for sushi. Leon for an organic lunch.

St Christopher's Place has loads of restaurants, and a lively atmosphere, and Canteen in Spitalfields market is good.

You could also grab a picnic from Fortnum & Mason, then head to St James' Park...

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

London - Which is the best Italian Restaurant? No budget

Hmm - I wouldn't 100% recommend LL - had a blow-out there last year, with high hopes, but left feeling a bit shortchanged - amazing langoustine starter, disappointing carne. Love the River Cafe, especially on a sunny day - much more relaxed and just er, Italian-feeling. But as someone's said, it's shut til August 2008. Which doesn't really help you.

If I was going to book somewhere today, that I hadn't tried before, I'd go for Theo Randall.

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

We fancied Gordon Ramsay at the London, but...

Thanks jakew8 - we'll check it out, looking forward to our visit.

therubyslippers in Manhattan

We fancied Gordon Ramsay at the London, but...

we can't get a table on a Friday night.

Where should two Londoners eat, that's something like there?

We love Italian food, seafood, organic food and eating seasonally.

We're not bothered about getting uber-huge portions, and for this once, money's not really an object - hurray.

Help much appreciated.

therubyslippers in Manhattan

Trip to London- Please help NYC Chowhounds

The Anglesea Arms (Ravenscourt Park tube stop), The Dove (on the Thames, Hammersmith tube), Monkey Chews (Chalk Farm tube) - all quite different, all good food pubs. For seafood, J Sheekey or one of the Fishworks... Where are you staying?

therubyslippers in U.K./Ireland

Londoner WLTM memorable breakfast

Thanks both - maybe Barney Greengrass as you've both mentioned it. Tempted by Prune, seen some mixed reviews online - but it was highlighted in a UK food magazine 'olive' as a good place to try.

therubyslippers in Manhattan

Londoner WLTM memorable breakfast

Visiting New York for the first time this weekend (2/3/4 March - excited) - can someone recommend a good breakfast place for each of Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Staying at the TriBeCa Grand - happy to travel. Thanks!

therubyslippers in Manhattan

Stick with us, please

Hi, I'm new here today, and had no idea there was a previous site, design, colour etc - so as a new user, with no legacy, I think it's great. Really good. Love the way the posts colour up then fade after posting and the boards seem easy to navigate.

therubyslippers in Site Talk