Evening all,

Having arranged some grandparent toddlersitting, I’m taking the pregnant mrs alfa to London for a dirty weekend classy city break.

Any recommendations for dinner on Friday night somewhere central? We’re staying near Waterloo. Prefer food quality and atmosphere over swankiness – don’t fancy dressing up super smart.

Any hidden gems or places not to miss, please 🙂

Oh, and just to preempt it, I took her up the Oxo tower a few years ago.

Cheers,
Dave

Shad Thames, a favourite of mine, not far from waterloo. River walk.

Blueprint

Has a nice view of the Thames, pricey but excellent food. Although I’ve not been for over a year.

Budget? (Crude, I know, but would help point me in the right direction for recommendations! I know some great cheap places, and some epic expensive places. Oh, and a few in between! Would prefer to hit the right level.)

The best food I’ve eaten was at Fera when we stayed at Claridges.
They did some sort of smoked salad. Faultless.

last time i was there i ate at La Gavroche, The Longhorn, and Fishworks.

Obviously La Gavroche was wonderful, it bloody well should be, but the other two were really VERY good, for a much more modest budget.

Budget… err.. i suppose up to £200. We’re already spending a fair amount on hotel and theatre tickets on Saturday, so probably shouldn’t go ‘epic’!

edit: saying that… I’d be perfectly happy spending £20 if someone has got a recommendation of a cheap eat that shouldn’t be missed!

Clove club, shorditch. I hear its nice

Got it.

Couple of favourites from me,
Mon Plaisir, at Seven Dials. Very genuine and excellent French. Good Calvados list, too.
Rules, Maiden Lane. Stuffy, old school days British brilliance. Should be doable on budget.
A Wong, Pimlico. Chinese. Blindingly good Chinese.
Hunan, Pimlico. Another excellent Chinese, no menu though, only Chef Peng. Trust him. He is ALWAYS right.
Boisdales, Belgravia. Sublime. An the whisky list…..

Pollen Street Social for me.

toot many to mention!!

http://www.laportedesindes.com/london/

Home

http://www.coqdargent.co.uk/

Pollen St as above… depends what you are looking for really.

if you like gin: http://www.thestaratnight.com

swanky (but pretentious) cocktails after dinner? https://www.morganshotelgroup.com/originals/originals-sanderson-london

Had forgotten the Bleeding Heart. Very good indeed.

Thanks everyone… lots to pick through there. Will find out what her indoors fancies.

If I was staying near Waterloo, I’d stay south of the river, within stumbling distance home, rather than suffer the suffer the Tube. There are a some cracking restaurants around London Bridge (Casse Croute and Jose on Bermondsey St, Magdalen on Tooley St). And also some good bars and my favourite London pub (though that’s probably not a good idea).

My knowledge is limited. But I went here and it was good.

Home

Was in London this weekend and went to

http://www.rsj.uk.com/

Which is reliable, very nice, convenient for the theatre but nothing spectacular.

Quality chop house.
Not a bling fine dining experience but a small slightly cramped restaurant/bar, the food is some of the best I have had in London and a great wine list. A mix of traditional and modern British with a nod to France.
Took the other half there on birthday weekend including Spuntino and Bob Bob Ricard for the hangover Sunday.
Beans on toast for the rest of the week 😕

Edit. Did Baltic last week, food is good (have eaten there a dozen times) but I wouldn’t have it down as top notch dining for a special,occasion.

I just got back from Duck and Waffle.

It was pretty good.

Wahaca restaurants are becoming a bit ubiquitous now but the one on Southbank nr Waterloo is always ace…

Duck and Waffle is great but I prefer it for brunch, bit too fancy for me at night. Darwin restaurant in the sky garden is a similar set up too

J. Sheekey – classy but casual.

Typing Room in Bethnal Green is great. Might be a touch over 200 quid with wine for you but worth it.

Another vote for Boisdale of Belgravia here. I don’t think the the above recommendation of the Pollen St Social is in budget, but it’s sister the Social Eating House in Soho should about be. I was there Friday and it’s very good.

Edit: Atlaz recommendation of the Typing Room is a good one too, the Town Hall Hotel that hosts the Typing Room is pretty cool and I believe the cocktail bar is good.

Town hall hotel has good food and the sense of occasion with all the teak wall pannelling etc, but it’s location is rather insalubrious. There’s a few chicken shops nearby if you leave undernourished

If you are meat eaters, then this place fits your bill….

Seven Dials

How about the Hare Krishna temple just off Soho Square? Always used to get really nice food there for pennies! Only trouble was you’d always get someone from the temple sitting at your table trying to convert you.

Barbecoa is good at St Pauls as is Pasternoster Chop House.

alfabus – Member
don’t fancy dressing up super smart.

tomhoward – Member
last time i was there i ate at La Gavroche…Obviously La Gavroche was wonderful

La Gavroche is wonderful, however, their dress code is out of kilter with the OP’s preference.

Our dress code is smart casual, however we do require gentlemen to wear a smart jacket for lunch and dinner. Ties are optional, smart jeans are allowed and strictly no trainers or shorts.

It should be noted; not only is a jacket required but they won’t let you take it off while you eat! Top nosh though.

Pasternoster Chop House.

Isn’t that the place on First Dates? be careful what day you go!!

Depends what kind of thing you’re after…
Places we’ve eaten in recently which we’ve enjoyed:
Fera at Claridges
NOPI in Warwick St, just off Regent street
Benares in Berkeley Square

Limited experience but really enjoyed Roux at Parliament Square – not as expensive as I’d feared it would be, and top nosh and service!

Wahaca restaurants are becoming a bit ubiquitous now but the one on Southbank nr Waterloo is always ace…

There’s one on Waterloo Road (near the Old Vic) which is usually quieter too if you do fancy that.

Skylon in the Southbank Centre is nice if you want more upmarket and don’t want to cross the river.

There’s usually a very good food market behind the Southbank centre at the weekends too, ideal for lunch/grazing during the day.

ROAST
is pretty good – had a lovely Chateaubriand there a few months back on a work lunch.

Very rarely get a chance to visit that there London village but when I do I always meet up with friends at Rules, good location, great food and not bad cost wise.
Note: Its good enough for Dickens and M in Spectre.

I thought it was generally accepted that for the pinnacle of fine dining and metropolitan sophistication, when in our nations glorious capital, there was only one destination…

If you are meat eaters, then this place fits your bill….

http://thehawksmoor.com/locations/seven-dials/

Really good steaks but go there hungry and share a Porterhouse.

Really good steaks but go there hungry and share a Porterhouse.

Been there before… and I didn’t share it 🙂 ate all 850g myself

Adam Handling at the Caxton. Pretty blinking amazing for the cheapness of the meal. He’s getting mucho michelin starness very soon, mark my words. Loads of other lovely places but that’s my recommendation for food greatness per buck.

Booked a table at Dishoom cov garden next week, looks good. Everytime I’ve been past they’ve been queuing out the door