restaurants in London

Mark what type of restaurant are you looking for. Pricey?
Good value? Ethnic? After decades of not being a city where you would find good food, London now has a plethora of excellent places to dine. Pub grub has also vastly improved. Given the broad range of options I'm providing a potpourri of possiblities. Bibendum is a restaurant/oyster bar (is presently be refurbished but unless you are going this week should be up and running) that is located in the lovely Art Nouveau Michelin House (as in tires) Pricey and hip. Love the look and the seafood. My guilty splurge whenever I'm in London. Bea's of Bloomsbury is a great respite and fun for "high" tea. Was turned on o the Chaam Thai Eatery in Fulham by a friend who teaches at the London Film Academy. Top notch and economical. Koya has great udon. Places like the Wagamama chain, the Golden Union Fish Bar, Mooli's in Soho and Bosphorus Kebabs in S. Kensington have marvelous food that don't make a big dent in your wallet. Haven't been in a few years but the Teaclipper pub a few blocks up a road near Harrod's served wonderful pot pies. It was Winter so a pint and a pot pie were a great combination to ward off the cold. Lastly, this past May ate an excellent meal at the Oxford on Kentish Town Road. Guess you'd call it a gastropub. Can eat in the pub or in the attached restaurant. Same menu. Superb. Just a few blocks from the Kentish Town tube station. A GREAT way to find places to eat in London is to search London food blogs online. Have a wonderful trip.

Mark, is there a particular area where you're staying? Do you have preferences - eg Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Italian etc? For pubs see the website www.fancyapint.com. A pub I took a visiting friend to recently was "The Old Bank of England" on the Strand/Fleet Street just to the east of the Royal Courts of Justice - the pub is in the old banking hall. There are several similar pubs which were previously banks - eg "Counting House" near Bank or Monument tube stations. My current favourite restaurant is Princi on Wardour Street, runs south of Oxford Street (Soho area). Italian - there is a Princi in Milan. Also love the Indian restaurants on Drummond Street, just north of Euston Square station. Mostly veggie. But lots of other Indian restaurants to go to depending on where you are.

Also look at the Graffiti Wall on this site and look under the section about food and you will find some information about eating places in London. We went into some local shops, similar to what I would call a "deli" and ate what I think are called pasties, little meat filled pies which were great, very cheap and filling.

Granted it is full of tourists, but my wife and I enjoyed "The Crusting Pipe" in Covent Garden for lunch last time we were in London. I think they had an "Express Lunch" special for 17 pounds per person. Included a 3 course meal and a glass of wine each, which I thought was a pretty decent price. We ate inside the restaurant but there are a lot of seats outside where you can listen to the live entertainment, which was a orchestral trio the day we were there.

Thanks for the responses. We are staying at Marriott County Hall - Not big fans of Indian food. For dinner, we enjoy pubs and over a 7 day period, would like to have some finer meals as well. Thanks. Mark

The Marriott by the Wheel yes? On that side of the Thames try the Blue Print Cafe atop the Design Museum. Read the review in Timeout (which you should buy a copy of when you land at Heathrow. Travel bible for knowing what's on where in London while you are there). Personally enjoyed visits to the Southwark Rooms and the Lord Clyde. Don't forget to visit the nearby Borough's Market while there. Go early in the morning. The pub I always return to in London is the Nelle Gynn Tavern. 2 Bull Inn Court. The size of a dark shoe box it always feels like a local's pub. I adore it. Have a great trip.

Thanks to all. This is certainly high on my priorities for planning

I have to agree with Claudia in recommending Bea's of Bloomsbury, but you will only be able to get a "cream" tea there - scones (the best I had in London), good ion of teas to choose from, a sampling of excellent cakes and a large cupcake. Bea is famous for her American-style cupcakes. They have tons of frosting and decorations, but weren't outstanding. They only have savories on the weekends. It's about an 8-10 minute walk from the British Museum. I had afternoon tea ("high tea" is supper for the lower classes) at Bob Bob Ricard (1 Upper James St, Soho) and it was worth it for the ambience, though the scones were reheated and had to be sent back. Everything else was very good. I had lunch at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (145 Fleet St). It dates back to the 1600's and has tons of atmosphere. It looks quite small when you enter, but keep going down the stairs. It's quite lovely. I had compiled a list of places for tea, but only got to these two. I did go back to Bea's a couple of times. For the best toasted cheese sandwich you have ever eaten, go to Borough Market. It's lots of fun to wander through, but beware, everyone offers free tasting, so you may not have room for the sandwich - or if you eat the sandwich first, well, you get the idea. I think Borough Market is open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. I was there on a Friday.

Definitely visit Borough Market. According to my travel journal, we were there on a Tuesday. The Wolsley is an elegant place for a meal-not inexpensive but worth the splurge.