London: Rec for one good meal?

I have an odd layover in London on Monday: from 7:25 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

If anyone has recommendations for one good breakfast and one good (early) dinner, preferably Indian with good vegetarian and meat options, I would be grateful.

We had dinner at this place........... http://www.veeraswamy.com/

I was relatively new to indian at the time, and maybe this place is a tad overhyped, and it was recommended by the hotel concierge, but it was pretty good. The restaurant was packed when we went and it didn't seem that everyone was all tourists. It wasn't cheap, but nicer restaurants in London seldom are. I had a tandoori combination sampler. My wife had some vegetarian meal that I can't remember. It hooked me on tandoori foods.

It's right near the Piccadilly Circus tube stop. A little hard to find, but they have a guy in some type of indian regalia standing outside the door. (at least they did 4 years ago) Look for him to help you find it if you go.

Khan's in Bayswater used to be my go to when I spend a year abroad in London in 1990. Walkable from the Queensway tube on the circle line. The Chicken Vindalu and Chicken Jalfrezi are very hot. Things have really picked up in culinary London over the past many years so there is probably better info out there now.

If you like Fish & Chips we also used to like Dionysus Chippie next to the Tottenahm Court Road Tube in the West End. It is an institution.

Khan's Restaurant
13-15 Westbourne Grove
Bayswater, W2
+44 20 7727 5420

Dionysus Fish & Chips
14 Tottenham Court Road
London W1 P9DP
+020 7637 5917

Fraggle, if you are flying through Heathrow (rather than Gatwick) & are looking for Indian, I suggest you go to Southall.

This is a good guide for how to spend a few hours for your layover; Ealing Broadway is only a few minutes by Tube from Heathrow & the food is certainly more authentic & cheaper than most options in Central London.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/tr ... ayout.html
(free registration)

BTW, Timeout is a good source of rest recs, such as

http://www.timeout.com/london/restauran ... fasts.html

Just sort according to where you'll be.

as surprising as it may be, you can get better indian in chicago than london. I wouldn't waste a meal on indian food in london.

I'd go to herods food court, and maybe the savoy grill, or maybe just a good pub for a meat pie and a schoolboy pudding and a couple of pints.

if you don't want english food, have chinese - the hong kong/ cantonese food in london is differnt from chinese food that you will find pretty much anywhere else. If I were eating one meal in london (and that actualy happens to me pretty regularly) I'd go to poon and co in china town and have the crispy beef, a quarter crispy duck and some noodles. all very hong kong dishes, and very representative of london chica town food.

Not sure how upscale you are looking to go, but the Cinnamon Club was amazing example of high-end Indian. It's been 5 years, and I still think of that meal anytime I hear "London" or "great Indian food."

--Rich