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Places to eat in London
Doing the Lon/Paris/ Seine River cruise in June. Need places to go eat for 2 nights close to the Savoy. Would prefer pubs or where the locals eat. 3-5 kilometers away from the Savoy.. Thanks
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Doing the Lon/Paris/ Seine River cruise in June. Need places to go eat for 2 nights close to the Savoy. Would prefer pubs or where the locals eat. 3-5 kilometers away from the Savoy.. Thanks
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I am also interested in dining suggestions since we will be on this tour next spring. I've done some research, but it's always nice to hear from those with direct experience.
When we did this cruise ending in London several years ago our group ate at the Rock & Sole Plaice.
It's about a half mile walk from the hotel. Here's their website https://www.rockandsoleplaice.com/
Just before our tour Guy Fieri and his son taped a show there. Huge portions. Excellent fish and chips.
We sat outside at the tables (you see them on their website) and got a bit of a show when a van crossing at the intersection hit a bicyclist. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt. The bicyclists come swooping down Endell st so its not real surprising it happened.
Right after this cruise we did the England Scotland Wales land tour also ending at the Savoy. It included a dinner and play choice. We ate at Tuttons which is also close to the hotel. It was a special pre theater fixed menu so I didn't get a full evaluation of it.
We also ate at the Pret a Manger just a few steps along the Strand from the hotel. Not fancy but good salads, soups, sandwiches for when you've had enough of big gourmet meals.
Claudia Sails. Thank U
Yes, thank you very much. I've added them to my list of places to research. Soups are always good!
Pret a Manger is a chain restaurant based in the UK but with locations all over. Sadly none in my city.
Also in the US. Great fro a quick meal when you want to concentrate on site seeing.
If you are interested in Indian food I would recommend Veeraswamy. We have been to London numerous times on our own and usually try to get Indian food since you can get the best Indian food outside of India in the UK. We were quite impressed with the food and service at Veeraswamy. The restaurant is about one mile from the Savoy Hotel on Regent Street.
Thanks, JohnS. I was hoping someone would have a suggestion for Indian cuisine.
My favorite place in London is Dishoom, an Irani cafe, reminiscent of early 20th century Bombay. Not the typical North Indian menu, very distinctive, and their chai is to die for! They have several places and have recently branched out beyond London, incl. Edinburgh. The one on Upper St. Martin's Lane is a 10-minute walk/.4 mi. from the Savoy, near Covent Garden. Last I heard they didn't take reservations; easier to get a table off-peak.
Thank you to all who offered suggestions. It appears there is so much to see and do in the Covent Garden area, including a peek inside the Barbour store! Safe travels.
An update today on my favorite London restaurant. Dishoom was featured on NPR's Marketplace. It is continuing its pandemic take-home offerings with a new Dishoom Store.
https://www.marketplace.org/2022/04/21/food-businesses-across-the-uk-pivot-again-as-crowds-return-to-restaurants-shops/
MarketArt,
Can you tell me a few of your favorites? Have you had the sea bream? What dish (ginger-based) would be best with naan? Thanks, as always.
kfnknfzk, other than shrimp, don't recall much seafood at Dishoom; don't see sea bream on online menu. It's much easier to be seated during the day, perfect for their many small plates and street food, largely veggie, some chicken. And they have an interesting breakfast menu. I think naan goes with everything; I like their garlic-coriander version. And cinnamon ice cream for dessert! Don't forget the house chai.
I saw the sea bream on one of the on-line menus as the chef selection or similar verbiage. I think we will stay with the naan and small plates. Yes, definitely the chai. Thank you so much for all your assistance.
A friend of mine is British and who lives part-time in London and part-time in the U.S. now. Whenever I go to London, I always ask for his suggestions for food and drink. I'll see if I can dig up his last list, but one place he suggested that I've gone to a number of times and adored is the Noble Rot in Bloomsbury: https://noblerot.co.uk/
Just north of Covent Garden (so a short, easy walk from the Savoy) is Belgo Centraal which is sort of a cross between steampunk and Belgian Abbey. Great selection of...Belgian...beers and Belgian-ish cuisine. Reasonably priced. One of our go-to places in London since the service is quick, but not rushed, which works as a pre-theater dining option.
My sister & I were on the ESW trip in September, 2022. We had a really good/fun dinner at Flat Iron in Covent Garden. They're popular & don't take reservations, so factor that in to your timing. Loved the steak/chips + the free scoop of gelato as a farewell treat.
Portolan-
Belgo Centraal apparently closed permanently in 2020. Darn pandemic.
Ken: I learned that when we started a cruise in August 2022. Very sad since it was a fixture for us of 30 years of UK visits.
I was in London recently and ate twice at Dishoom. Their starters were delicious and a great way to sample everything. And the chai was fabulous. Thanks, MarketArt, for the suggestion.
No matter what your taste, you can find virtually every type of cuisine in London.
I recommend Fortnum and Mason for High Tea. There is so much to eat and the waitress will bring a take out container. While you are enjoying High Tea, a piano plays appropriate music which is not possible for High Tea at the Savoy. They didn’t allow us to take a mother daughter photo because as the waiter explained that a celebrity wouldn’t like that. We were the only guests there.
It's a tradition for my daughter (who spent her junior year abroad and London) and me to go to Fortnum's for tea whenever we're in London; but for a special treat, we've gone to Brown's Hotel. We go back to London regularly--but never on a tour. I've never stayed at the Savoy nor gone to tea there, so can't compare.
When I went to high tea at the Savoy last year there was a lady playing the piano and I took a picture of a mother and son by the piano.
There was a pianist playing when we enjoyed afternoon tea at the Savoy last month. I took a picture of our dessert tower just as the server was pouring us more tea. She gave us a box filled with our leftover sweets which I shared with those whom we ate with at the welcome dinner. We quickly made friends!
I also wanted to experience tea at Fortnum's but ran out of time. Thanks, MCD, for the Brown's Hotel recommendation. Perhaps I'll try them next time!
I have been to London many times, and Abeno (see below) is a favorite. The food is unique and makes you think you are dining in Tokyo. We were in London for a long weekend a few months ago and dined at Sexy Fish and Novikov, two great restaurants, but we have them in Miami as well. Abeno is special, and we find it great every time we have been there. They take a credit card to guarantee a reservation, but the place is small, and they have to be sure the reservations are honored by their customers. You can't go wrong with this unique informal dining experience. See below from their website.
Abeno Okonomi-Yaki
Europe’s first specialist Okonomi-Yaki Restaurant
The world’s first Michelin-listed Okonomi-Yaki Restaurant