I’m meeting an old friend for lunch in a couple of weeks but neither of us know London that well. Looking for somewhere reasonably central (one of us is comning from the W, the other from the E) with decent grub – comfortable without being pretentious. I’m sure there’s a million and one options but I could really do with some suggestions to narrow the field a bit.

Are you talking cafe style or full restaurant? Casual cafe style, pretty much in the middle of the action I’d suggest Princi, on Wardour Street. Some of the best quality/price ratio I’ve ever experienced. Great place for a lunch, IMO.

If the weather is nice, we went to the temporary Wahaca place on the South Bank by Waterloo Bridge. It’s Mexican street food, but done very well. Food v. good and lovely and fresh – although when they say spicy, they mean it – the chilli tacos are one of the hottest things I’ve had in a restaurant ever. Lovely place to sit and watch the river too.

http://blog.wahaca.co.uk/2012/07/going-experimental-down-on-the-southbank/

They also have various normal restaurants, which are jolly nice too.

Joe

Lobster and burger. One near Green Park and a new one in Soho I think. They only have Lobster or Burger on the menu. Yum.

theflatboy – good point I’m after a full sit down restaurant type thing.

Polpo, polpetto, meat liquor, Pitt Cue Co, bocca de lupo, Andrew edmunds.

The laughing gravy by southwark tube is fantastic, as is el vergel on great suffolk street (nearest tube is borough). Coopers on lower marsh (by waterloo) does massive and really tasty salads if you like that sort of thing.

They are all pretty easy to get to for both E and W london

If the weather is good drop in here after Scoop for an ice-cream 🙂

My personal recommendation for food is Cafe Pacifico But I’m no London expert, I just like Mexican food!

If you get around Notting Hill area, Otto Pizza (cornmeal crust pizzas) and Taqueria (mexican food) are fantastic for what I guess would be called “casual dining”

Thanks for all the suggestions so far – the laughing gravy looks like it’s the right sort of place, any more similar to that?

My personal recommendation for food is Cafe Pacifico But I’m no London expert, I just like Mexican food!

stodgy chain ‘restaurant’ pap that’s on the same level as garfunkles and maccy-D’s.

if you want gelato then Gelupo on archer st is fantastic. salt caramel and the sour cherry are sublime. it’s run by the Bocca de lupo restaurant opposite

Try Inamo off Regent St. for a full on geektastic experience

http://www.inamo-restaurant.com/pc/

Thanks for all the suggestions so far – the laughing gravy looks like it’s the right sort of place, any more similar to that?

there is the fire station just round the corner, the anchor and hope and Baltic.
all very good food.

MrSmith – Member

bocca de lupo.

yes.

(in fairness, those of the others you mentioned that i’ve been to are good shouts too!)

Roast.

Properly good food without any pretension – last time I was there I was dressed in jeans and t-shirt in amongst all the booted and suited city types and oddly wasn’t made to feel self-conscious about it at all.

slainte 😀 rob

workshop coffee in farringdon do a great burger, they also sell kernel brewery pale ale and the coffee is very good (they roast on the premises)

dovetails round the corner is a nice belgian beer bar and the food is better than you expect for a bar selling high alcohol content beer. they do nice fish and chips and it’s cheap.
the fox and anchor victorian boozer is not far, they are known for their pies which are truly ‘historic’*

*michael winner voice.

Dragon Castle near elephant and castle for great Dim Sum, hmmm Char Siu buns.

I like http://www.rules.co.uk/ – proper old school grub and lovely surroundings. Near Covent Garden which is always nice for a mooch.

Where is Flashy to patronize those that seek knowledge about London eateries.

Perhaps sir would like to take his old friend up the OXO Tower?

Great reviews

For those of you not au fait with the Oxo Tower, it’s a south-of-the-river landmark with a restaurant on top. If you haven’t yet savoured its hidden delights, here are a few more reviews to whet your appetite:

I took my friend Eleanor up the Oxo Tower last week and I must say it was lovely. In fact,she has recommended it to all her other friends. I’ll be taking my other girlfriend Kerrie up there too. It is a truly brilliant restaurant.

My Husband has always nagged me to try it up at the Oxo Tower but, to be honest I am too tight and thought I wouldn’t enjoy it very much. Well he finally convinced me to splash out and go. What an experience! The place was fantastic, the service was smooth and I had a fabulous time. I am so glad I let him take me up the Oxo Tower we would certainly be doing it again with some friends I hope.

I have tried to talk to my girlfriend into letting me take her to the Oxo Tower for the last few years now, but for some reason she just did not let me. So, as I couldn’t wait any longer I took my friend Gordon up the Oxo Tower and it was a wonderful experience that has changed us forever.

😀

If you don’t mind a bit of queuing up, serv at the counter Cafe stuff, the the V and A museum cafe is great.

Not expensive, and great food, get the chef to reccomend what’s good that day. Also it is a simply stunning place to eat.

However, it can get busy, especially when the schools are out. It seems that lots of the science museum visitors go there too.

M 😉

No queues, just excellent quick service at Maroush Lebanese restaurant about 200 yards up the east side of Edgware Road from Marble Arch. Not to be confused with the Maroush just before it on the west side.

Delicious fresh salads, mezzes and grills. Mrs Gti and Gti Junior are a veggie and very fussy eater respectively but have eaten there twice now on visits to London and are begging to go back on Saturday when we go down for the road race.

Mr Smith, would these ” Pitt Cue Co, bocca de lupo” be decent replacement Mexicans? I’m not precious about that one particularly.

[Edit] Ok just checked and no neither of them are, so slight hijak, but replacement Mexican eateries please 🙂

Try the Hawksmoor bit pricey but nice I thought or Rodizio Preto in Covent Garden. Both are meaty establishments.