Food
Obviously, there are TONS of places to eat in London, and things are ever changing. What I found helpful was to figure out which chain restaurants are good, especially when you're out and about and starving and don't want to read 100 restaurant reviews, then arrive at a place and not be able to get in because you had no reservation. When you're near attractions, you will probably see at least one of these chains, and I felt that they had good options.
Cafe Rouge- I ate here once, and I really, really liked it. They have French food at a reasonable (for London) price. I think I got the house salad (not pictured), and chicken (above). Maybe it's because I was exhausted and starving, but it really hit the spot. When we went back to London the second time, I saw fewer of these around, so it might be a dying chain. Bummer.
Pizza Express- If you're used to American portion sizes, the reasonable portions in London take some getting used to. However, I found these brick-oven pizzas to be plenty to fill me up.
Zizzi was probably my favorite Italian chain that we tried. They have a pizza (pictured above) that is "cool" (creamy sauce, potatoes, etc) on one side and "hot" (spicy sausage and peppers) on the other side. The server (who was extremely helpful, and also one of the thinnest men I've ever seen) recommended eating from one side then the other to balance the flavors. They also have a hanging kebab thing that I LOVED.
Strada was my favorite Italian place the first time we went, but they are always changing their menu, and I didn't like it as much when we went back a year later. It was still very good, though! Before I ate at Strada, I always thought pasta was just pasta. No. This is not true. There is good pasta, and there is REALLY good pasta. Strada has the REALLY variety. They also have amazing tiramisu.
LEON is a healthy, fast-food place. I really like their hummus and flatbread (above). Tim likes their hot-boxes. He does not recommend the dairy-free milkshake. If you're a meat and potatoes kind of person, this place probably isn't for you...
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| Bacon roll on left, pasty on the right. |
West Cornwall Pasty Co. It took me WAY too long to discover this. I mean, I knew it was there-- I walked past it multiple times daily in Richmond and Waterloo stations. But I guess I thought that something that was so... right there couldn't really be good. Then Sapphire and I tried it last summer. Life. Changing. The pasties are FANTASTIC, and so is the bacon roll. Pasties are quintessentially British, and West Cornwall pasties are so good! I cannot emphasize this enough!
Benugo is a chain of restaurants, but they also run the cafes in the museums and parks. They have a wide variety of delicious options, but of utmost importance is the scones. This is DEFINITELY the best place to get a scone (a fact that was confirmed for us by a local). After walking around a park or museum all afternoon, it is so, so good to go to the cafe and order a cream tea (pictured above): tea, scone, clotted cream, and jam. I recommend raspberry jam, and use ALL of the clotted cream and ALL of the jam. Because you just did all that walking, didn't you? You must keep your energy up!
JD Weatherspoons is a brand of pubs that you can find all over the place. Some of the food is a little mediocre, but I love the broccoli soup! It comes with warm bread and butter. If you're really hungry, order two servings. Since we're talking about pubs, here is the seating arrangement for most of them.
- Walk in and find yourself a table. There will be a number on the table. Reserve the table in some way, probably by having a member of your party sit there.
- Go up to the bar to place your order. They will ask for your table number.When you pay, do not tip.
- Your drink will be handed to you at the bar, and your food will be brought to your table.
If you're ever not really sure the system at a restaurant, start by looking for table numbers. If they have numbers, you probably order at the bar.
In the world of non-chain restaurants, I have a few things to say as well.
Brasserie Zedel- This is located just off of Piccadilly Circus. A reservation might make your life a little easier. I don't think there's a dress code, but try to look nice. The atmosphere is a little swanky, yet relaxing, and the food is good. It's not cheap, but it's not as expensive as I thought it would be either. We ate here a couple of times, and I don't know if anyone had anything they didn't like.
Tae Won Mein- This is a Chinese place on a corner in Greenwich. When you go out to see the Prime Meridian and the Maritime Museum, plan on stopping here. The food is amazing and the portions are generous. You should probably get noodles (above) instead of rice.
While we're here, let's talk about community seating you often find in the London area. Tae Won Mein has very large tables that seat about 8-10 people. You will be seated with your group, and another group, and maybe another to fill the table. You're served and waited on as groups, not tables, so no worries. Being a pretty reserved person, I was surprised at how much I like this arrangement. You eat your meal shoulder-to-shoulder with a total stranger, and it's totally fine!
The Pig's Ear (Richmond)- This pub can be a little hard to find, but if you think you're in the right place (it's right by Wagamama) look for stairs going down, and they will take you right to this magical gem. The highlight (for me) is Tuesday night because that is the only night they have fish and chips- and they are the best fish and chips I've ever had! Also delicious is the Triple Pig Burger, the sticky toffee pudding, and I've heard the mussels are really good as well. The top level is just a pub for drinks, but if you go back to where the stairs are, you can ask for a seat for dinner.
The Slug and Lettuce (Richmond)- This is right on the river, with beautiful views and a nice atmosphere. I'm pretty sure we went on a Monday, because food was half price! I got the mac and cheese (above), and definitely won the prize for tastiest choice. So good.
I had intended to write just one post with all of my London travel tips, but... I guess I got a little carried away. I get kind of passionate when it comes to food. We'll call it quits for now, and next time we'll talk about museums or something.
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