Restaurants in London

London is really huge and must have thousands of restaurants. What part of the city are you staying in? What price range are you looking for? What cuisines interest you?

I think you mean afternoon tea--the one with little sandwiches and sweets, right? That's a topic that comes up pretty often here. You'll find a lot of earlier recommendations via the Search function. But I imagine you won't want to travel across the city for tea, so do you have any idea where you'll be sightseeing on the day(s) when tea is a possibility?

Yes, of course - so sorry! We're staying in Westminster, but will also be going to The Globe and to St. Paul's, possibly to the theatre district and to Baker Street. It's mostly a Churchillian trip for my darling companion, who generally likes upscale places with mostly traditional fare and some surprises. Great wine is a must. I like just about everything, including cafes and pubs.

Thanks again,
Marjie

Restaurants we enjoyed:
The Ivy, Covent Garden
***Elyston Street, Chelsea
Rabbit, Chelsea

If you need a pick-me-up some afternoon but don't want or don't have time for the full tea experience, consider stopping for a scone with clotted cream and jam. I enjoyed that more than once.

Could be neat to include some of Churchill's old haunts on a Churchillian trip - Simpsons at the Savoy, or restaurants in Brown's or Claridges.

Some neat ideas here:
https://www.standard.co.uk/reveller/attractions/churchill-s-london-where-to-eat-drink-and-indulge-like-winston-a3738756.html

Or there's the Churchill Bar and Terrace -
https://www.thechurchillbar.co.uk/
(I think it's more Churchill-inspired, with various Churchill memorabilia and stuff on the walls and as part of the decor. I don't think it has a connection to him beyond that; don't think he frequented it in the establishment's past life, for instance)

See if any of the afternoon tea options available offer Pol Roger with their champagne upgrade (lots of afternoon tea places have the option to add champagne to your service), since apparently that was Churchill's favorite.

Your hotel might have an afternoon tea option. Otherwise, so many of the hotels around town offer them up. We splurged on afternoon tea at the Lanesborough last time we were there and it was magnificent. But while I'm sure any afternoon tea they offer is going to be fantastic, it definitely isn't cheap and they also change it often enough (bringing in celebrity chefs and changing the theme and stuff) that what we had a few years ago isn't what's on offer today.

1895bd, these are wonderful ideas! Thank you. Yes, the companion is a fan of Pol Roger:)

acraven, ah yes, a scone with strawberries and clotted cream! When I took my grown kids to the UK in 2016, we had these and thought we might be in heaven. But it was just a lovely cliffside cafe overlooking the Irish sea.

For your Churchill excursion be sure to stroll by 28 Hyde Park Gate. About a 10 -15 minute stroll from the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens. Look for the Blue Placque. I think your partner will be pleased.

As far as restaurants try Dishoom ( I like the one in Granary Square ), Comptoir Libanase in Sloane Square, Dragon Inn in Richmond, or check the food and drink section of The Londonist website.

EDIT: *The London Eater is a great site to visit for restaurant recommendations. I always take a look at it while in London. https://london.eater.com/ The Londonist website is also helpful.*

Since you’ll be there for five nights and Churchill is a prominent theme, maybe check into visiting his Chartwell house, a National Trust property, or Blenheim Palace where he was born and his nearby grave at The Parish Church of Saint Martin, Bladon (1/2 miles or so from Blenheim). I have no idea how easy it is to get to these places via public transportation.

Churchill Arms Pub, Winston Churchill made his wartime speeches from this pub.

Many more wonderful replies! Yes, we are taking the train to Chartwell, supposedly a few blocks from the station.

And a tip o' the hat to Claudia, she who gave me wonderful advice on this forum in early 2016 when I was working on a fast trip to Belfast (Game of Thrones and family history for us); Liverpool, for me but then our son fell in love with it; and London. As I recall, Claudia said to turn left at Piccadilly Circus and there would be...Trafalgar Square.

Thank you, everyone!
Marjie

Actually, Churchill didn’t make his speeches from the pub. An excerpt from a Londonist.com article from 2016, 5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Churchill Arms:

"Churchill made his wartime broadcasts here, and laughed at Hitler’s watercolours while drinking banana daiquiris and farting," is one such claim of the Churchill Arms, relating to its namesake.

We ran this past Fuller's, and the sad truth is that Winnie did no such thing.

Of course, the pub wasn't named after him, anyway, until after the end of the second world war. Why this particular pub? Churchill's grandparents — the 7th Duke of Marlborough and Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane — drank here regularly in the 1800s. So there's a nice family link, after all.”

Are you by any chance staying at St. Ermin’s, the hotel where Churchill and others formed the SOE group, which was headquartered on a floor of the hotel?

https://www.sterminshotel.co.uk/about/our-history/

We really liked the hotel. But even if not staying there, you might consider it for your afternoon tea.

Hopefully I didn’t say that about turning Left at Piccadilly and you’d be at Trafalgar Square. Dead wrong if I did.

Pleased to know I was helpful otherwise regarding your first trip to Belfast.

Lets see...

I would look at Rocca in South Kensington for Italian
http://www.roccarestaurants.com/south_ken.htm
Portobello in Notting Hill is also good for Italian.
https://www.portobellolondon.co.uk/
Rowleys in Picaddily for great British food (steaks, grills and fish). This is not far from Fortnum & Mason, which would be nice for high tea.
https://www.rowleys.co.uk/
The Lowlander Grand Cafe on Drury Lane for Belgian and Dutch beers with a brassiere cafe menu (and mussels).
https://www.lowlander.com/
Otto's for French food off of Greys Inn Road (Chancery Lane or Russel Square Tube stations closest)
https://www.ottos-restaurant.com/
Frederick's for Modern European in Islington (Angel Tube stop)
https://www.fredericks.co.uk/
The Thai restaurant at the BACK of the Churchill Arms is also quite good. You have to go through the pub to get to it. Have also had good Thai food at Thai Square on Trafalgar Square. Yes, its a chain, but the food was nice.
https://thaisq.com/

More fabulous suggestions from everyone: I have work to do now! And will look into a visit to St. Ermin's.
(Dear Claudia: my apologies - this mind isn't what it used to be, if it ever was:)