Hi all, I’m taking my brother out for dinner for his birthday present and am after recommendations and suggestions.

We both appreciate our food and like fine dinning but more towards the rustic, robust, hearty end than the prissy and fussy.

Looking for something where dinner for two is going to come in up to £150 anywhere in London really.

Despite what many may think – The Ivy is exactly this. Dishes like Shepherd’s Pie – but the best you will ever eat and impeccable service. Not too hard to get a table if you can book ahead and are willing to take an slightly earlier or later time than usual.

Likewise J. Sheekey’s for superb Seafood.

St John’s Smithfield, or Giaconda Dining Room on Denmark Street.

Both do great food (dare one say that St John’s is offally good 😉 ), and a meal at either leaves me full enough I don’t want to stop for chips on the way home (which has happened at one or two poncier places).

Have not been yet (booked in a few weeks time) but Balthazar is all the rage at the moment.

Corrigans is fantastic and prob fits the bill for what you’re after. It’s fine dining but proper hearty fare, the game pie is very good. If steak is your fancy then Goodmans just off Regent Street is top drawer, best steak i’ve had in London anyway.

Thanks guys – will check out the suggestions.

I’ve always been a fan of Smiths of Smithfield – so long as you’re not vegetarian! Top floor is most pricey, 2nd floor better value.
And Gaucho’s good for steak.
Also worth trying Skylon on South Bank. The views are tremendous.
I think there’s restaurant in Centrepoint too. Not glamorous but superb views.
Oh and the original Neal St Carluccio…

Little Bay

Been going to the Kilburn and Farringdon ones for years, simple non messed about food with a Mediterranean feel. Two of you would have to do some serious eating and drinking to hit £100.00.

I found Skylon a bit underwhelming. York and Albany is good

One of Richard Corrigan’s, St John are both good shouts if you want rustic, Club Gascon is also good and could be described as rustic as could Hix.

Could do worse than The Hawksmoor.

I’ve been to Club Gascon and it was lovely. About six of us had the full to bust taster menu and wine and it was fantastic.

rustic, robust, hearty

look no further than: river cafe.

£150 will get you very decent dinner there, portions always man-sized. and don’t miss dessert.

only things is a little off the beaten track (best to cab it), but worth it if you’ve not been IMO.

There’s a fantastic restaurant at the end of my road in Brixton – Upstairs. West End quality dining at much more reasonable prices and without the pretentiousness. The midweek tasting menu, with 5 glasses of good wine to match, is a bargain £55. Add service and a pre dinner drink you’ll be getting pretty close to your budget.

If you want big wholesome posh pub grub the Anchor and Hope at Waterloo is great though you can’t book.

Little Bay? 😯 a nice enough place to eat but fine dining? Do you normally eat at Nando’s? 🙄

my reccomndations would be StJohn, Hix, Bocca di Lupo, Moro, Eyre brothers and great queen street.
Bocca di Lupo being my favourite, good luck with booking though.

boisdales
Victoria
Scottish lean
whisky bar
cigar terrace
jazz from 10pm

Stoner that is an awesome suggestion. I’ve drunk in there several times but never eaten. I love jazz and my brother loves a cheeky cigar so might be a good choice.

yeah boisdales good option, top steaks and ‘unusual’ venue

Boisdales in Belgravia, of course. Not the nouveau upstarts.

Also worth a look, IMHO
Rules – Classic old school
Hunan – Finest Chinese food outside of China
Cinnamon Club – Fascinating Indian interpretation

A few years ago I ate at the oxo tower brasserie.

top food, service and an awesome view from high up on the south bank.

The Wolseley or the Delauney.
Quality celeb spotting to be had at either.
Excellent service & food.

Dinner, Hestons place in London one of the best meals I have ever had and I do eat out a lot…. Oh my brother was paying so it was even better.

Bibendum

Classic French food in a fantastic location

5 minutes walk from South Kensington tube

http://images.foodepedia.co.uk/restaurants/london/august/bibendum/bibendum.jpg

This or the Tate modern is nice

Gaucho Steakhouse on the South Bank, by City Hall. Great food.

Gaucho have several restaurants, but the one at London bridge is my favourite. I entertain clients a lot, so I’ve had lots of posh food, but Gauchos has consistently been the best food I’ve eaten in London. Not that rustic admiddedly, but it’s steak.

I hope the Eritrean restaurant on Brixton Road just down from the Oval is still open.

Just make sure your sleeves are rolled up well past the elbow and you don’t mind a bit of spice!

I lived five minutes down the road for a couple of years and this was the culinary find.

Gaucho and Boisdale were my two choices but I got word from his missus that he has a soft spot for a place called The Bleeding Heart in Farringdon so were heading there.

The Bleeding Heart is very nice

This thread shows London’s ace for eating out 🙂

Bleeding Heart? Good choice. They had a superb Calvados list when I last went.

Seriously, get a table booked at Petrus. Regularly voted the best restaurant in London, will be about £70 a head for the tasting menu (plus drinks) and is genuinely the best meal I’ve ever had. Forget that it is owned by Ramsey. Forget that it looks a bit poncey. It us absolutely FANTASIC. Also, it is great value – it is meant to be a 7 course menu (yes, seven!) but by the time we had left we’d had no less than 11 courses – admittedly some are little tasters but you won’t go hungry.

Can’t recommend it enough.

Oh, and it wasn’t a fluke – went back recently and it delivered again!

Hawksmoor, seven dials.

Brooes you’re so right so much choice/competition means standards are very high at every price point.

Dizzle hadn’t considered Petrus but would like to at some point. The other place I wanted to book was La Gavroche. It would be interesting to eat at Michelle Roux Jnr’s restaurant.

Very limited experience but

The best meal I have ever eaten was Brown’s hotel in London

I think the lunch was £25 a head for 3 courses 10 years ago

http://www.brownshotel.com/dining/

No contest, it’s gotta be Lebanese food at Fakhreddines in Piccadilly or, cheaper, Maroush on Edgware Road.

Delicious.

Actually, does anyone know of anything good near the Albert Hall? We’re there on Thursday evening, and the wife has told me to book something nice. No pressure then. 😯