London restaurants - a guide to the best places to dine

Not so long ago England was the culinary laughing stock of Europe, so many first time visitors to London are surprised to find that the capital has been quietly undergoing something of a gastronomic renaissance. Today London's even giving Paris a good run for its' Epicurean money.

As one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world London has an understandably broad appetite, after all there aren't that many other places where you can have a plate of Ethiopian injera served with doro wot  one night and a bowl of Polish borscht the next. At the same time London's palate has also become much more refined, but this doesn't mean that eating out need break the bank and you should be able to find a good crop of decent restaurants in each borough where you can eat well for under £15.00 a head.

London's most sophisticated restaurants have their guidebook entries marked by a Michelin star (or two in the case of Le Gavroche) and the current favorite is footballer-turned-chef Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in Claridge's hotel. However, it isn't always about the food and arguably London's best known restaurant The Ivy, owes a good deal of its notoriety to the stars dining on the inside. If you're hoping to eat in one of the capital's established eateries you'll have to book well in advance.

In 1991 the manager of The Eagle in Farringdon decided that it was time that pub food got a little more sophisticated than a pork pie and a packet of peanuts. He pulled off the first gastro-pub with such culinary panache that Eogn Ronay rewarded him with a star, and the idea quickly caught on. Today gastro-pubs are a welcome and familiar addition to the capital's dining scene, representing 'good honest grub' at 'good honest prices'. Regular guidebook favourites include: The Social in Islington, The Engineer in Primrose Hill and The Cow Dining Room in Notting Hill.

On the bottom rung of the culinary ladder London's streets are littered with fast food joints, but for the sake of just a few pounds extra it seems short-sighted not to push the boat out just that little bit further.

More on London City Breaks:
London Weekend and City Break Information > London Tourist Information > Free Things to to do in London > Museums in London > London Short Breaks > London Entertainment> Tower of London > London Dungeon > London Palladium > London Zoo > London West End London Theatres > London Tickets > London Travel Guide > Central London Hotel Guide

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - London Restaurants

Contact | Disclaimer | Sitemap | Advertising |  Subscribe in a reader