Pubs & restaurants -- Whitehall/Buckingham Palace /Oxford Road/Thames Path

The Founders' Arms pub is right on the on the River, south bank, before you get to the Globe (coming from County Hall. Wonderful view across to St. Paul's.

https://www.foundersarms.co.uk

We have never stopped there as in summer it is always packed. But you can make a reservation. It might even get you a table by the window.

The Swan Pub is a six minute walk from the Peter Pan Statue, if you are at the statue facing towards Kensington Palace turn to you right and walk to Bayswater Road, the pub is across the street to your left.

I use this website when I travel to London; www.fancyapint.com.

As far as pubs near some of the locales you've listed:

Near St James park: The Two Chariman, The Old Star and Adam and Eve.

The Swan on Baywater rd is a 10 minute walk from the Peter Pan statue but I prefer the Mitre. Walk nto the short alley adjacent to the market and then up the stairs. You'll be facing it. Mid day you'll have the place to yourself. By 6pm standing room only.

I also enjoy the Three Tuns. Nice walk from Hyde Park Lancaster Gate entrance or hop on the Tube at Lancaster Gate and take the Central line one stop to Marble Arch. It's a 10 minute walk from there to the Portman Mews. You can then stroll over to view the Christmas windows at Selfridges.

Near the Globe try to Olde Thameside Pub.

Cheers

There are two Oxford Roads near London, one in Sidcup a fair distance to the southeast and one in Enfield to the north. I bet that you meant Oxford Street which is the big shopping street in central London.

A lot of the lights on Oxford Street and Regent Street have already been hung (yeah, not even Halloween). I was through there yesterday and - to be honest - I was properly underwhelmed. Maybe there is still more to go up, but Oxford Street seems to just be a study on white balls this year, and Regent Street has last year's paired angels again. Of course during the day, and this early, they weren't switched on yet, but I'd prepare to lower your expectations this year. The High Street (the way we talk about bricks and mortar retail in towns) is really suffering at the moment with more than half of the department stores either closed, bankrupt or hanging on by a thread, and their Christmas displays are likely to mirror this situation. See it this year - they may not be there next year. My wife and I commented yesterday about how tatty Selfridges windows are this year. Really awful to my eye. House of Fraser, Debenhams and John Lewis didn't have the displays up yet, or I didn't notice.

Sorry to forewarn you but maybe you'll love it. I see what's on every year so maybe I'm spoiled. I am very worried about the British high street though.

Sorry to say that I have very little knowledge of pubs in London. As far as restaurants - what cuisine, price point, or casualness?

Agree on the Founders Arms near the Globe. It's a very modern building, which might not please some tourists, but the views are excellent. The Old Thameside is a more atmospheric building but I haven't heard positive things about the food.

Nigel, thanks for the heads up on Christmas lights. My daughter is easily wowed by any sort of Christmas decoration! As for our restaurant preferences, something in the casual range is usually best, We are semi-vegetarians (did I just make up a word?), chicken and seafood only, though my husband likes the occasional slab of beef or hamburger. We can be characterized as stick-in-the-mud when it comes to trendy foods -- no unpronounceable body parts for me!

A couple of chains to have a look at - Wagamama (asian inspired but very British with plenty of seafood and chicken in soups, on noodles or on rice, a fav of mine) and Nandos (everywhere, pretty much, - South African/Portuguese peri-peri chilli marinated grilled chicken or veggie alternatives, very very popular across all age groups but particularly the younger crowd dating or in groups, or people just wanting excellent food reasonably fast and reasonably cheap).

https://www.wagamama.com/

https://www.nandos.co.uk/

We like the Tattersail Castle across from the Eye. It's one of the boats tied up along the river, not far from Westminster.

Give it another couple of weeks and it will be an awful lot more
festive. I think it’s a cumulative effect as all the shops start to do
their windows and decorate their buildings. That said I personally
wouldn’t bother making a special trip to view the lights on Oxford
Street. A lot of the rest of the city is lit up so you will likely see
lights everywhere.

We saw the Oxford Street lights in Dec. 2016 (from the upper floor of a double-decker bus – perfect) and (up but unlit) in Nov. 2017. But as Emma says, lights are everywhere. Pretty much every little shop has its own Christmas tree and lights, which is so cheery when the weather is gloomy and the sun has set at 3:51pm. In fact, my best memory of December 2016 in London is of emerging from the Underground station (we prefer buses, but time must have been of the essence) into Sloane Square at dusk, and there were sparkly lights – something like giant spherical snowflakes – floating among the bare branches of all the trees in the square, and the effect was magical, particularly as we came upon it all of a sudden. Plus, unlike Oxford St, there were no crowds, and we could explore the monuments, laden w/poppies, in the square at our leisure, in this fairy-like atmosphere. I am rather crowd-phobic, and like discovering what seem like secret, personal treasures when I travel. Which are all over, if you are open to serendipity.

Speaking of that, I can recommend the book "London Pub Walks" by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), and the Jugged Hare near Victoria Station, in a converted bank (to which my husband was taken years ago by a local), where last month our server, an immigrant to the UK, entertained us by trying to recite all 50 U.S. states. But often I just see what's around and check out the menu (posted outside) and ambience in person, or ask locals. As you are doing here ;-)

It does get busy with the after work crowd so give it a miss between
5-7pm.

My husband loves the Founder's Arms (he goes to London a lot on business and has eaten there many times), and the view of St Paul's and the river is lovely, but it was just too loud when we were there one evening around 6pm, with, as Emma says, the after-work crowd, and loud music.

Founders Arms is quite good, but a bit touristy since it was done up a few years ago. Doggett's is quite close and right by the river, but the food's only so-so. Behind that, there is the Rose & Crown, which serves a good pint but is quite small (notable for the only decent-sized pub garden in this par of London); the Mad Hatter, a Fullers place so always good quality but not cheap, and the King's Arms on Roupell Street, one of my favourite pubs. There isn't much north of Westminster Bridge, but the Old Shades and The Clarence, both at the tope end of Whitehall, are pretty decent. There's another Fullers pub, The Sanctuary House, on Tothill Street, or further up Petty France there's the Buckingham Arms, still a proper pubby pub.

It's a bit harder to suggest somewhere for your way back from Oxford Street as you could go almost anywhere.

I can't thank all of you enough! I'm getting lots of good suggestions and advice.

Your welcome and most pubs will have a sign board on the adjacent sidewalk advertising their pub grub.

Few pubs are now independently owned so menus can be the same. If looking for a difference then seek out a (gasp) Gastropub.

We liked the Westminster Arms, but we just had drinks, & didn't eat there. (They claim they are a "traditional pub near Houses of Parliament, favoured by politicians and journos, with division bell." The atmosphere was certainly oak-filled and traditional.) A Brit took us there after we met him at the Civil Engineers building (ICE) at One Great George Street, very much worth a visit also – they always have a cool exhibit upstairs in their beautiful library. (When we were there it was the world's longest suspension bridge made out of Legos.) They also have a café in a stunning dining room.

Near the Globe, we loved The Anchor. Get the small portion Fish and Chips. I got the full size F&C and it was almost, too much to eat. It is touristy, but its been the site of a Pub/Tavern for over 800 years, and the current building is over 400 years old.