I came to recommend Murger Han but Mugen beat me to it. Their noodles with chilli oil is immense. Theirs also one in Mayfair which is nicer but the same price.
I eat Lebanese almost every time I eat out. Less than ten quid and sometimes five for a ridiculously large amount of superb freshly made salads, dips and grilled meats. You may not be a fan of Arabic culture but when it comes to food you don't need more. The only two cuisines I would rank as highly are Indian and Italian.
There used to be a wonderful family-owned Italian place near Dalston Junction called The Bite. Just a nice neighbourhood haunt and the service was very good. It was also (too) cheap, which I fear did for them in the end.
The old Stingray Cafe on Fortess Rd in Tufnell Park was one of my favourite ever neighbourhood restaurants. We left the area in 2007 and haven’t been since then, but it only recently closed.
The Taste of Raj isn't even the best Indian in Blackheath, let alone best restaurant in all of London!
I've only been to Babur once, but I'm looking forward to my next visit in a few days' time. They also do unbelievably good cocktails (for a restaurant).
I'd completely forgotten about Ciao Bella. I had countless amazing dinners there after post law school drinking sessions.
I'm a big fan of Frog and La Trompette. Clos Maggiore also does surprisingly good food considering most people are there for the setting.
Tbilisi (the restaurant on Holloway Road, not the city). Honourable mentions to Rules and St John, but imo it's a ludicrously cheap place for what it does. Admittedly the service is - to put it politely - a bit hit and miss, but Georgian food is superb and they do it superbly.
Josip - interesting. I'd like to try Georgian food but for me bad service utterly ruins a restaurant. Even if the food is good.
Whereas interestingly really good service can compensate for average/merely decent food (see e.g. the Woleseley where the food is decent - standards turned out very competently - but not amazing).
Most of the country would be overwhelmed by the food at the Wolseley, and on top of that the experience is why regulars go. The idea it’s ‘decent’ ffs. And people wonder why there’s a populist government.
WAL - I was at the Wolsey a week or so ago, and got "the" booth (purely because of who I was with). Aged gent at next table dining alone with his book, looking like he'd just drifted down from The Albany for a quiet supper. Other side a group of what *must* have been art dealers with flamboyant scarves. It was absolute perfection.
It’s a bit like the river cafe - underwhelming description then massively over deliver on what’s on. The plate. The very finest smoked salmon with the very best butter bla bla.
It's high quality comfort food delivered in a nice setting with excellent service and nice booze. Exactly the sort of place an affluent chap might very well drift into for dinner alone when at a loose end one evening and perfect for a long lunch with an old friend when you want to know what you are getting and don't want the food to be a distraction. Nowt wrong with that and I don't think they would claim to be anything else.
Personally I rarely want anything else these days.
I like London for the kinds of food you can't get in Scotland. Had brilliant Caribbean in Camden recently (wish was not in Camden but u can't have everything). Cambodian, Sri Lankan, Afghan. It's so cool.
Don't really enjoy "Establishment" vibes and I can make bland comfort food myself.
The Wolseley is superb because they recognise that hospitality is a different thing from serving great food. (The food is great btw, since when did serving classics disqualify you?). But you don’t go there for the food per se, you go because you’ll have a fantastic experience and leave feeling happy at the end of it
i went somewhere last week you’d think wasn’t remotely out of the ordinary. The staff were superb. Made us feel a whole lot better. Makes all the difference. Especially now. This winter is going to be properly shit. Eat out to keep them about.
Don't get me wrong, I eat there often and I wouldn't go if the food wasn't pretty good. But there's much better food elsewhere in London and often much cheaper too.
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I find myself going out of my way to go to the Vietnamese places on Kingsland Road. My feet just take me there. Crispy omelette or Pho.
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Maidstone
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St John
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Close call between Hawksmoor and Jugged Hare.
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Julie's
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We use any of Hawksmoor, Blacklock, Clipstone, Six by Nico. Jugged Hare good shout too, been awhile.
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Is the Jugged Hare really that good? I need to put it on my list for this autumn then.
Mine is Brindisa in Borough. Always solid.
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C&R cafe
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Wiltons
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Rules and various clubs. St John is also fantastic.
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Moro
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Kingsland Rd Vietnamese a good shout too, haven't been for ages.
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Wendys
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I'm so glad Nico has caught on in London! Nico is the absolute best.
Ps thanks for these!
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the eagle in farringdon
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There is this falafel place run by a family in Aldgate.
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Maggie j’s, hakkasan, river cafe on someone else’s tab
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Haven't been since pre-pandemic but always loved Cafe du Marche. Just rock solid reliable French food with good service and nice atmosphere.
The original Sophie's steak house is great as well.
Honorable mention for Miyako in the Andaz near Liverpool street as well. Solid reasonably priced Suhsi and their ice cream is just fvcking amazing.
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JW Steakhouse or Hawksmoor (unbeatable for Sunday roast).
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Has anyone tried Eataly in Bishopsgate? I liked it in NYC but don’t know if it’s travelled well.
Also shout for Voodoo Ray’s which is the closest thing I’ve found to New York style pizza in London.
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No, not tried Eataly but keen to
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Gung-Ho, Finchley Road
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Babur in Honor Oak Park.
For comfort Turkish, Ruyum near Watney Market.
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Sheekey
wolseley
river cafe
7saints on all Saints road
Yauatcha
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Any thoughts on Ariana ii?
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Murger Han by Euston road station.
very authentic chinese food.
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you lot have surprisingly good taste. Special shout out for Ronters, RR, Caecilius, Kudeyarov.
Honey and Co on Warren Street. Elliot's in borough market.
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For the pure simple comfort that a glass of Barolo and a plate of Parmesan delivers when you need it, Ciao Bella on Lambs Conduit St.
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Another great shout from the nobel laureate economist
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barafino
River cafe
chez b
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pied a terre
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le Gavroche
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and The Orange Tree in Totteridge
bit homesick at the mo
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Hawksmoor or Le Cafe du Marche.
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Santore
Quality Chop House
Yauatcha
No97 (in Kingston)
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surbiton non?
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Ah - yes - it would be surbiton. Great restaurant. Still London, just about…
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Bar Shu
Hawksmoor
Locatelli
Orrery
Artichoke in Amersham
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I'm local to this place and we call it Taste of Vaj (not because of the quality, but because my friends and I are very immature).
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Whenever i drive past the gaylord in Weybridge I have a little chuckle
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Cafe du Marche also a good shout.
I like bocca di lupo as well (and their restaurant kits in lockdown have been good).
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Hawkmoor Borough for me...great service, good food, not too posh
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Babur is overrated. There's a good Italian opposite.
Does London have cheap excellent non-chain Lebanese yet?
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- Noble Rot (original is slightly better than Soho)
- Quality Chop House (has a good set lunch)
- Bocca di Lupo
- St John Bread & Wine (more relaxed than original but similar menu)
- All Corbin & King restaurants make reliably good cocktails and serve reliably good food
- River Cafe
- Rules may strike you as a tourist trap but is actually very good and has a nice cocktail bar upstairs
- The Ritz is bloody amazing if you want a Michelin blow-out
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Blacklock for lunch today, quite remarkable and gentle on the wallet.
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I liked Al Waha on Westbourne Grove for Lebanese when I lived round that way but it deffo weren't cheap.
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Fairuz in Marylebone is decent for Lebanese food.
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What a gormless OP. What’s the point?
There must be literally tens of thousands of eateries in London.
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Brunswick House, Vauxhall
Brat and even better than Brat is Brat X in Hackney
lyons crouch end
Angelina Hackney
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Bistroteque
A little of what you fancy
Gunpowder
Brawn
Tayyabs / lahore
Mangal 2
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Andrew Edmunds is a fave
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I came to recommend Murger Han but Mugen beat me to it. Their noodles with chilli oil is immense. Theirs also one in Mayfair which is nicer but the same price.
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Oh, also Regency Club in Queensbury
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Bone Daddies
the Tantanmen followed by the Korean fried chicken… Jesus what a treat
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Got to be the bleeding heart for me clive. So many great memories with great friends.
Noble shout to Simpsons and The Goring for roast trolleys.
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I was going to suggest the BH, but for some reason I thought it had closed down.
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I eat Lebanese almost every time I eat out. Less than ten quid and sometimes five for a ridiculously large amount of superb freshly made salads, dips and grilled meats. You may not be a fan of Arabic culture but when it comes to food you don't need more. The only two cuisines I would rank as highly are Indian and Italian.
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Name names, high guise!
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These are unbranded sun. You find them anywhere you go.
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Medlar.
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Bentines can’t be here right now, but if he were he’d recommend the London Bistro on London Street.
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I’ve been there. Highly recommend the London Chicken.
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I like that I don’t have to do this any more.
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Another vote for Ciao Bella. Bellissimo!
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Chez Bruce
Medlar
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There used to be a wonderful family-owned Italian place near Dalston Junction called The Bite. Just a nice neighbourhood haunt and the service was very good. It was also (too) cheap, which I fear did for them in the end.
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@Periclean - head for Shepherd's Mkt. Lebanese a-go-go.
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Tayyabs.
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I'm too fickle to have one favorite restaurant. It all depends on what I am in the mood for.
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some good reminders here
RoF at its best
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Thank-you Escaped, that's thoughtful
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Lauceston place for a special occasion. Reasonable prices also
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Chez Bruce
Core
Babur
Malaysian Deli
Kitty Fishers
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The old Stingray Cafe on Fortess Rd in Tufnell Park was one of my favourite ever neighbourhood restaurants. We left the area in 2007 and haven’t been since then, but it only recently closed.
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Used to love L'anima
Arabica
Locatelli
Bone Daddies
Hutong purely for the duck
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The Taste of Raj isn't even the best Indian in Blackheath, let alone best restaurant in all of London!
I've only been to Babur once, but I'm looking forward to my next visit in a few days' time. They also do unbelievably good cocktails (for a restaurant).
I'd completely forgotten about Ciao Bella. I had countless amazing dinners there after post law school drinking sessions.
I'm a big fan of Frog and La Trompette. Clos Maggiore also does surprisingly good food considering most people are there for the setting.
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T5
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Tbilisi (the restaurant on Holloway Road, not the city). Honourable mentions to Rules and St John, but imo it's a ludicrously cheap place for what it does. Admittedly the service is - to put it politely - a bit hit and miss, but Georgian food is superb and they do it superbly.
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they have hutong in dubai
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Josip - interesting. I'd like to try Georgian food but for me bad service utterly ruins a restaurant. Even if the food is good.
Whereas interestingly really good service can compensate for average/merely decent food (see e.g. the Woleseley where the food is decent - standards turned out very competently - but not amazing).
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Most of the country would be overwhelmed by the food at the Wolseley, and on top of that the experience is why regulars go. The idea it’s ‘decent’ ffs. And people wonder why there’s a populist government.
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Little Georgia in Angel is great plus Buen Ayre in Broadway Market
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WAL - I was at the Wolsey a week or so ago, and got "the" booth (purely because of who I was with). Aged gent at next table dining alone with his book, looking like he'd just drifted down from The Albany for a quiet supper. Other side a group of what *must* have been art dealers with flamboyant scarves. It was absolute perfection.
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"Most of the country would be overwhelmed by the food at the Wolseley,"
Presume you mean they would be overwhelmed by how bland it is? Just look at their menu FFS:
1/4 Pint of prawns
chopped liver
prawn cocktail
chicken soup
smoked salmon
salad nicoise
fish goujons and chips
chicken and chips
steak and chips
calves liver and onions.
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It’s a bit like the river cafe - underwhelming description then massively over deliver on what’s on. The plate. The very finest smoked salmon with the very best butter bla bla.
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I don't agree they over deliver at all! It's average food in a shiny building. It was a lot better, and a lot more fun when China House was in there.
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It's high quality comfort food delivered in a nice setting with excellent service and nice booze. Exactly the sort of place an affluent chap might very well drift into for dinner alone when at a loose end one evening and perfect for a long lunch with an old friend when you want to know what you are getting and don't want the food to be a distraction. Nowt wrong with that and I don't think they would claim to be anything else.
Personally I rarely want anything else these days.
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That is patently bollox amit, and escaped has captured its magic. Imagine living in the Albany and that being your local. That’s success.
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Oooh where do we stand on the definite article re Albany (let’s go peak ROF).
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I like London for the kinds of food you can't get in Scotland. Had brilliant Caribbean in Camden recently (wish was not in Camden but u can't have everything). Cambodian, Sri Lankan, Afghan. It's so cool.
Don't really enjoy "Establishment" vibes and I can make bland comfort food myself.
But also I have never been 😃
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Escers and Donny, next time, go around the corner to Wiltons. Not fashionable but food exactly as you describe and sublime service.
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And masses of single tables, plus a seafood bar.
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The Wolseley is superb because they recognise that hospitality is a different thing from serving great food. (The food is great btw, since when did serving classics disqualify you?). But you don’t go there for the food per se, you go because you’ll have a fantastic experience and leave feeling happy at the end of it
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What she said
i went somewhere last week you’d think wasn’t remotely out of the ordinary. The staff were superb. Made us feel a whole lot better. Makes all the difference. Especially now. This winter is going to be properly shit. Eat out to keep them about.
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Don't get me wrong, I eat there often and I wouldn't go if the food wasn't pretty good. But there's much better food elsewhere in London and often much cheaper too.
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I think it's emperor's new clothes! You can get great service everywhere with much better food.
The Ivy (the original one on West St) has almost the same menu as the Wolesely but the service is so much better. And actually the cooking is too
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Sorry, are you offering up the Ivy Club as an example of a low brow/common garden establishment that is as good as the Wolseley?
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If I can pick a place that's gone - Greens, Duke St St James - fish pie and a glass of flinty Chablis - really, a cure for any ailment.
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No, I'm not talking about the Ivy Club at all.
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But the old Ivy - before Richard Caring took over - was really v like the Wolesley, although not in as nice a building.
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