Dining in London
Bluebird Dining Room
Fresh clean design is at the core of the beautiful first-floor dining room of the Bluebird Brasserie. A high glass roof floods light into the crisp white room, which is decorated with framed photographs capturing times past in a restaurant that is absolutely ‘now’ – you would expect nothing less from successful restaurateur and design guru Sir Terence Conran. Bluebird’s chefs also have an eye for the aesthetic as the inventive British cuisine is exceedingly well presented. It is obvious after just one mouthful, but the knowledgeable staff will happily assure you, that the ingredients, sourced from small farms and producers across the British Isles, are of the highest quality. And what could be more authentic than Cornish crab, crackled pork, strawberries and elderflowers or the great knickerbocker glory?
Boxwood Café
Boxwood serves the kind of sublime quality dishes you’d expect from a restaurant in the Gordon Ramsay group, and adds its own sense of fun. Choose from veal and foie gras burgers with chips, mini icecream cones in silver stands or seriously dark chocolate fondue with fluffy marshmallows, fruit kebabs and biscotti. You’ll find young families relaxing here on Sundays, well looked after by helpful staff. The clean lines of the chic interior also make this a calm retreat from a day out in Knightsbridge, and with a three-course set lunch costing just £21, you can suspend the guilt of the money you’ve just spent shopping. If you’re feeling more decadent, try the six-course ‘taste of Boxwood’ menu, accompanied by a bottle of wine.
Butlers Wharf Chop House
Homegrown produce is cooked to perfection in this delightfully relaxed restaurant that overlooks the very British Tower Bridge. Wood pigeon and Cornish razor clams are among the delectable starters you can choose from, followed by steak and kidney pudding with oysters and Suffolk pork loin tenderly cooked. Dishes you would normally associate with hearty comfort food and country cottages are quite at home in the oak-lined dining room or on the riverside terrace. The ingredients are as fresh as they are indigenous and are treated superbly by head chef Shannon Whitmore. Butlers has not minimized any of the charm or intense flavors of these rustic favorites, but still made them accessible and appealing to urbanites. Wines on the restaurant’s very extensive list come from as near as Sussex and as far away as New Zealand, but you can also order a very traditional English beer to accompany your meal.
Cockneys Pie and Mash
For less than a fiver you’ll get great meat, fish and vegetable pies plus the statutory scoop of mash served with greenish gravy. You have to know your ones and twos here though as you place your requests in terms of how much you want: one pie with two scoops of mash, or maybe you want two pies and one scoop of mash with liquor? If they ask you if you want one lump or two, however, they are not talking about the mash, but the number of sugars to put in your tea. Whatever you order, your plate will be handed to you across the counter, then you take it to one of the tables stocked with the essentials – vinegar and ketchup. This is real East End food that is not lost on the good people of west London.
Inn the Park
No ordinary park cafe, Inn the Park is a beautiful, natural restaurant that is as suitable for lunch with the kids as for a three-course business dinner. The wooden structure lies low on the north-east side of the park’s horizon, overlooking ‘Duck Island’ and the lake. During the day it is bustling and bright as breakfasts are served followed by wedge sandwiches and hot food such as home-made meat pies and soups from the ‘grab and go’ section. Settle in for a gourmet lunch of high-class British dishes served with large old-fashioned cutlery and cute bee-embossed glasses in one of the large booths or on neat wooden tables. When night falls it becomes even more stylish and sophisticated, but also intimate and romantic thanks to starry lights from the London Eye and the nearby fountain. The barman also happens to be a genius when it comes to creating unique cocktails.
Monkey Chews
Nestling at the back of a friendly neighbourhood bar is this cosy little dining room that serves home-made British food. The menu is simple and offers dishes that will warm your soul and make you want to settle in all night. Spit-roast lamb with rosemary and thyme and butchers’ Lincolnshire sausages with garlic mash and gravy are among the firm favourites with young locals, who treat it like a home from home. This is a relaxed and welcoming place where conversations are leisurely and the dining is hassle free. A good way to round off a meal is to slip into the bar afterwards for a few drinks and, from Thursday to Saturday, listen to musicians play live sets.
Notting Grill
TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson has created a relaxed dining room serving simple British fare. Starters include plenty of 1980s restaurant classics such as prawn and avocado and smoked salmon, which have not gone out of fashion for a reason. Main courses are meat focused. Thick and juicy steaks are cooked to your preference, as per the cooking guide detailed on the menu, and served with traditional dressings. There are no chef secrets here, just a sincere care for what you are eating. You can find out the provenance of all of the organic, locally sourced produce; descriptions of meat, for example, come with details of the amount of fat on the meat and what texture to expect. This is a great place for foodies, but is just as popular with couples, families and groups that have something to celebrate.
Roast
Based in the elegantly refurbished flower hall of Borough Market, Roast offers a 180-degree view of characterful London architecture; a glimpse of St Paul’s, the green rafters of the marketplace, and the old pubs and narrow winding streets surrounding this hub of activity. Early birds who have seen the market in full swing can relax for a leisurely breakfast. Lunch and dinner are finer affairs with the menus reflecting the best of British produce. Orkney rare-breed beef, tender lamb shanks and roast game are masterfully cooked and served without pretension (you can even ask for a dollop of mustard, mint sauce and horseradish cream on the side). Wines can be recommended to suit your choice of food but, in the very finest British tradition of uncompromising manners, the barman will be just as happy to recommend cocktails to accompany your meal should you prefer. Afternoon tea, served from 13:30 to 17:30, is also a delight.
Smiths of Smithsfield
Open from 07:00 to service the workers of the famous meat market nearby, Smiths serves hearty all-day breakfasts, brunches, lunches, dinners and drinks in an impressive building that stood empty for 40 years. Big open windows and blasted brickwork give it a New York loft conversion style, where friends gather to share fun and fine food. Sandwiches come with traditional fillings such as roast beef, horseradish and watercress or ham, mature cheddar and sweet mustard on wedges of fresh crusty bread. Other dishes such as corned beef hash and meat pies sit alongside fresh blends from the juice bar. If you’re looking for a relaxing drink and a bite to eat, the ground floor has comfy sofas and low tables. On the first floor there is a slightly more formal dark oak dining room with well-polished service, while the top floor offers a luxurious restaurant with views across the city.