london restaurants

in that area, nice beer just isn't enough. you've got more great beer pubs around that way than anywhere else. as i said the friday crowd was unusually nasty for that area too, maybe it was something shit before changing.

good pubs/restaurants near to russell sq for ppl who like microbrews and meaty stuff?

Might try the Holborn Whippet, not that I've been there?

the london pub

Haven't been there in a while, but the Marquis Cornwallis maybe?

How important is food in this plan? The Whippet does a serviceable burger but it's no great shakes in that regard.

it's not for me, for a friend in london soon. think he's there for a few days in any case and willing to go further afield

asked me for food options & beer options

is there a london pub thread or is this it? skimmed for restaurant ideas but didn't see many pubs

The Lamb on Lamb's Conduit Street has good food. For good steaks, The Bountiful Cow. Not sure about beer situation, because I don't ever drink any.

When I get home I can be specific but If they're into beer, farringdon/clerkenwell is the Mecca, plenty food there too.

Just saw the full question, I reckon just eat at St John or The Eagle then drink at any one of the amazing beer pubs nearby. Not right by Russ Sq but v close.

here's the usual London pub thread:
ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?action=showall&boardid=40&threadid=65076

Didn't like that not magicking into a thread title, doing it again
Acceptable or even GOOD pubs in London city centre?

Great queen street too

All my answers are depending on your pal being into walking

don't think he'll mind walking

just going to give him list of boozers & burger places. he wanted details of microbreweries too so got the details of kernel, camden and meantime

I did go to the Whippet tonight - the beer is good but I won't eat there again. Their food is a bit miserable and should be better.

Was in whippet at the end of a long trawl through the good pubs of that area, Tim, shame I missed you. Didn't eat there.

not strictly a restaurant (though they do food which by all accounts was v nice) but for future ref, the albertine wine bar in shepherd's bush is a lovely little place for pre-gig (and indeed any sort of) drinks

yeah been there a few times it is nice. food is alright.

I'm looking for somewhere to have a good Sunday Roast in the New Cross / Deptford / Brockley area. Does anyone have any tips?

The Orchard by Brockley Station is a lovely place to while away a Sunday afternoon (books, board games, nice beer, giant fish tank, excellent food). You'll probably need to reserve a table though, it's really popular.

Great, thanks sir.

failing that there's the tesco express near St John's station. Great burgers.

Went to 10 Greek Street last night. It was reliably excellent. No bookings of course, but I only ever get there if I'm planning to arrive by 6.15 on a weeknight.

Then went to The Star At Night, which is a gin bar in a bit of Soho slightly blighted by Crossrail digging. I love it in there - 50 kinds of gin, a super-friendly staff who love to talk to you about gin, it feels pleasingly grown-up in comparison to the relative rough and tumble of Soho boozers, but it's not a fancified cocktail bar.

Not that there's anything wrong, necessarily, with boozers, or cocktail bars.

sounds like a great tip to me.

This is them: http://www.thestaratnight.com/

If you sign up for the London Gin Club, which is free, you get a coffee shop style loyalty card which gives you a free gin and tonic for every nine stamps. You get a stamp by buying a gin and tonic, obviously.

The real top tip is to have a cask aged bathtub gin and tonic - tastes like a delicious multi-spirit cocktail but it's a G&T. Magic.

love the star at night. always had a great time there.

re: giant robot earlier upthread - the place doesn't blow your socks off but was a pleasant surprise when we first went there trying to find somewhere nice that was still open after the jerusalem kicked us out at closing.

star at night is super lovely - especially, yes, for gin conversations with the staff - but for some reason the last three times i've tried to go there it's been closed.

That's bad, C - when was that? Over Xmas / new year? This was our first time there for a month or so, for one reason and another.

One thing that always surprises me is that they keep pub hours - it seems strange to hear time caled at 11 in Soho, especially when you're drinking the gin.

Oh, once was a Monday, once was a Saturday before 6pm, that sort of thing. I keep expecting the "cafe" on the sign to mean that it has... cafe hours? But no.

That sucks. I would like to spend a Saturday afternoon in there.

going to a gig in dalston (Cafe Oto) this evening, might get a bite to eat beforehand - any recommendations?

the big traditional Chinese restaurant a few doors down from the tube station is perfectly passable, otherwise the area surrounding Cafe Oto is p much kebab shop heaven, afaik

thanks, Ward - that's p much how i remember it from when i lived round there and ate turkish 24/7. i thought that since then it had become full of exciting 'street food pop ups' and up-and-coming chefs slumming it from their day job at top European hotels. I might go to that v good, always empty 24hr Turkish place up towards Stoke Newington if it's still around.

that place is v nice

the big traditional Chinese restaurant a few doors down from the tube station is perfectly passable, otherwise the area surrounding Cafe Oto is p much kebab shop heaven, afaik

― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, February 6, 2013 10:26 AM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah the shanghai is excellent and reliable

even if there were more pop-ups in dalston the turkish places would still be a million times better, only reason not to go to mangal/cirrik/evin cafe/stone cave would be if you're totally sick of turkish food.

I do enjoy eating at the Duke of Wellington just along Balls Pond Road there for better than standard pub food, though I may be biased due to having worked there and thinking it's an A1 pub.

even if there were more pop-ups in dalston the turkish places would still be a million times better

million times cheaper as well.

the welly is nice, xpost.

going to a gig in dalston (Cafe Oto) this evening, might get a bite to eat beforehand - any recommendations?

― Say Bo to a (Fizzles), Wednesday, February 6, 2013 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Turkish all the way. Mangal 1 on Arcola St is my favourite restaurant in the area: http://www.mangal1.com

Rita's is one of the newer places that you were probably thinking of: http://www.ritasbaranddining.com

Had a coffee in White Rabbit for the first time last week and the food looked decent: http://whiterabbitdalston.com

I like the Turkish pizza place just along from Birthdays a lot too.

Has anyone tried Floyd's on Shacklewell Lane? How about Voodoo Ray's pizzas?

there was that place that looks like a ship inside that is quite fun. the name is something like TMNT but not that cos that's turtles.

ah it's LMNT

i've never been inside that noodle place on the corner of the balls pond road and the A10 but it says "NOODLE BAR" in massive fonts which is always enticing as I like noodles, and looks as thought it's dodgy enough to be worth a visit.

Has anyone been?

haha i know what you mean, i'm always curious about that place as well (but havent been).

new (to me) noodle place is chang's noodle in holburn, i think they're made in house & there's lots of other unusual regional chinese things on the menu

haha i've always noted but never been to that noodle place on the corner as well - there's something slightly terrifying about it

cosign LMNT, it's more of an old reliable than mindblowingly good but it's a v cosy place. toilet deco is NSFW

talking of noodles, wound up at new cultural revolution in angel at the weekend - forgot how great it is

forgot to mention it here i think, but have any of you been to tozino at maltby st market? really cool little tapas bar, v authentic feel.

another SECRET WEAPON i went to at the weekend: paolina's, a thai place on king's x road. looks vaguely grotty and is def on the "cosy" side inside (and not in the actually cosy, comfortable sense) but omgggg the food. melt-in-the-mouth calamari>>>>>>>>>>>

I used to go to that NOODLE BAR with my GF when we got drunk in town and she lived in Clapton, so we would get off the 38 at Dalston Junction. The food was... edible.