Cocktails and Food in London - Where

I am going to London next month for a couple of weeks for business. I am not really sure where the best places to go to check out the culinary scene are, but I was thinking that some of the world travellers here could help me out. I currently have dinner at L'atelier de Joel Robuchon and cocktails at Milk and Honey scheduled (really loved their NY location last time I went), but nothing else.

I am staying out in Canary Wharf in the business district. Looks like food around there is pretty chain-y. Any can't miss places?

The Elephant and Castle in Kensington is an excellent London pub: a dozen and a half beers and ciders, congenial staff, and chef-prepared high-end pub food. A classic.

Geo

bjackson, here are a couple of places you might like. See my comments on them here. The Hawksmoor people have three restaurants. I am not sure which one is closest to your business location. Also, they are known for an excellent breakfast, which might suit your schedule or serve for a meeting.

Hereford Road
3 Hereford Rd, Westbourne Grove, London W2 4AB, United Kingdom
Tel. 44 20 7727 1144

Hawksmoor Seven Dials
11 Langley Street, London WC2H 9JG
Tel. 44 020 7420 9390
Hawksmoor Seven Dials is fully accessible to wheelchair users.

We did not get to Gordon's Wine Bar, but it is supposedly quite a good place for atmosphere and wine, though crowded.

Have a good trip.

On my most recent visit to London I enjoyed excellent cocktails at Zetter Townhouse and Callooh Callay.

Zetter is just down the street from St John which is a great restaurant.

My parents love love Maggie Jones!! I haven't eaten there but I trust them as my father is big into food and also, British. It's sort of what we would call "rustic" food.

http://www.maggie-jones.co.uk/

Purl is in Marleybone and has great cocktails, their sister cocktail bar Worship Street Whistling Station should be equally as good

Rules has food and cocktails and one of the oldest bars in London, and the bar in the Mandarian Oriental is very good (and connected to Dinner) if you can score resos

Was in London last month for an eating vacation. We stayed in an apartment in Kensington.

Our best meal was at Barrafina, a tapas place in the theater district. It was truly a great meal. http://www.barrafina.co.uk/

Our second favorite meal was at St. John.

Borough Market is a can't miss food destination as well.

The best place I found for a pint was right outside the Euston stop of the tube. Called the Euston Tap, this tiny spot had far and away the best draft selection of any spot I visited. http://eustontap.wordpress.com/

Stuck in London on Thanksgiving for work (not my company's fault, the European Medicines Agency is holding an apparently culturally insensitive workshop). I found The Gun, a gastropub just off the edge of Canary Wharf.

I started with a celeriac soup with winter truffles and a tortellini that I forget what was in it, but enticed me to order it (it was the least flavorful part of the soup, so, no matter). Creamy and smooth and just what I needed on a cool November evening. I thought I took a picture of it, but can't find it. White on white with a speck of green, not much to photograph anyway, so here's a shot of the Gun Room:



Actually, I started with a Symonds cider. Crisp and dry the way I like it, but not the most flavorful I've had, which I guess makes it a good accompaniment for food.


Then, to simulate thanksgiving, I had what was billed as a Crown Roast of Partridge, with crispy leg dressing, a bacon-wrapped sausage (which was really really good), red cabbage, and potato. The limbless bird was tricky to carve -- it rolls like a football -- but was moist and tasty.


Overall nice atmosphere (white cloth up front, barrels and stools in the back), good food, friendly service. Highly recommended.


The Gun Docklands
27 Coldharbour,
London
E14 9NS
Reservations: 020 7515 5222
info@thegundocklands.com
http://www.thegundocklands.com

Grabbed a quick lunch at the Wahaca "street food" kiosk in Canada Place on Canary Wharf. It's an airstream trailer with a limited menu (tacos and burritos, cash only).

The pork burrito (cochinita pibil style with red onions and black beans) was quite good, better than a Chipotle (not a very high bar), but not up to the best hole-in-the-wall joints. Nice spice level, especially with the arbol sauce on the picnic tables. £5.75, an extra 50p for guac.

But now that I've done that, I need another idea for dinner.

Absolutely *loved* St. John.

Geo

Back in London, same hotel, same meetings, nicer weather.
Previously, I'd not wanted to walk as far as this place, but I'm glad I got there this week. Memsaheb on the Thames is darn good Indian, reasonable prices. The Crab Puri had spicy crap on a fresh-fried puri. Could have used a little cilantro (or let the crab flavor shine through more), but very tasty. Konju Papas is described as "South Indian style prawn curry cooked with mustard seeds, coconut and tamarind. Hot and sour." It was nicely spicy, very flavorful. I may go back again.

Lunch today was Tesco (the account manager's idea, he wanted something he could eat while driving to the next client we were visiting). Normally, I'd say, "eh.... supermarket stuff?" but a crawfish and rocket sandwich, and thai chile crisps, washed down with a ginger bear was quite a good lunch for about 5 quid.

Tonight was room-service (exhausted, and it's raining), hope to get further afield the rest of the week.

JoelF wrote:The Crab Puri had spicy crap on a fresh-fried puri.

What kind of spicy crap? Hopefully not too gamy.

Dlongs wrote:

JoelF wrote:The Crab Puri had spicy crap on a fresh-fried puri.

What kind of spicy crap? Hopefully not too gamy.

Stupid autocorrect

JoelF wrote: washed down with a ginger bear was quite a good lunch for about 5 quid.

Did it come in a growler?

Mostly I've been at the same places I go to within walking distance of my meeting and hotel, but I do have a couple comments and new places:
1) The Gun continues to be awesome. I found Dory... delicious (John Dory, sauteed with spring onion risotto and preserved lemon relish). Their bread service included a butter with mustard seeds; really, really tasty (had me jonesing for radishes). See upthread for contact info.

2) Today's lunch was a semi-permanent foodtruck/trailer on Canary Wharf from Bleeker St., a small chain of burger places trying to emulate Shake Shack: their motto is "Bringing New York style burgers to the streets of London." They've got a black&white shake (but not today), burgers and fries. The burgers are grilled, not griddled but to a nice juicy medium rare with onion, lettuce and some sort of mayo-based sauce. "Angry Fries" have blue cheese sauce and hot sauce, but could be more crispy.

Bleeker St.
Montgomery Square / Montgomery Street / London / E14 5JJ
(also Spitalfields, Southbank, Dalston Yard)
canarywharf@bleeckerburger.co.uk
https://bleeckerburger.co.uk/

3) Had a really good sandwich at Birley's: Braised beef, slow-cooked onions, cheddar, grilled/pressed.
Mall Level -1 /Churchill Place / Canary Wharf / London / E14 5RB
020 7515 4766
http://www.birleysandwiches.co.uk

Same hotel in the Docklands, so I'm back to The Gun.
Sunday dinner is roasts - awfully winter-y for June, but the server said everyone loves it. Roast beef with horseradish, roast pork belly with applesauce, and roast lamb (I don't recall what the sauce was with that one). All three come with yorkshire pudding, duck fat fried potatoes, roast root veg, a little bit of greens, cauliflower cheese, and jus. I had the beef (Cambrian rump roast), and it was terrific, rare and beefy. Nice sharp horseradish cream, thick jus/gravy, and all the sides just perfect.

Went back again to the Gun Tuesday night (I was grumpy and needed to walk, there aren't a lot of places I can walk to from the hotel and a couple of them suck, look upthread). Definitely improved my mood.

They're now keeping Cornish Gold cider on tap (I believe Cornish Orchards, not certain -- there are a couple of brands by that name), very tart, a little sweet, low alcohol, just what I wanted. I'll have to see if I can find that one, I think it replaces Bulmer's/Magner's as my favorite.

I ordered off the bar menu, including lamb shoulder croquettes with mint aioli. These were "sticks" of about 1/2" square by 5" long of succulent lamb, breaded and fried. The only negative is that they're too fragile to pick up with your fingers. I followed that with cornish mussels steamed in the same cider. Best mussels I've eaten anywhere. Smaller shells than PEI or New Zealand, but very plump and tender, soft but not undercooked. Great meal, improved my mood significantly.