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= Good Things Nearby = | = Good Things Nearby = | ||
All times in minutes walk from the London office | |||
== | == Bars and Pubs == | ||
* | === Close to the office === | ||
* | * The Harp - Quaint little bar usually overflowing with local workers having a pint after work. Very convenient to the office. (Covent Garden, 47 Chandos Place) | ||
* | |||
* | * The Bedford & Strand - Just a couple of blocks from the office is this fairly unpretentious wine bar which is often not too busy either. Great selection of European wine and cheese and meat plates to go with or a meal if you please. (3 minutes, 1A Bedford Street WC2E 9HH) | ||
* | |||
* Ship and Shovell - This tiny pub spans two side of an alleyway and I once saw Kristin Scott Thomas there. (5 minutes, 1-3 Craven Passage WC2N 5PH) | |||
* | |||
* | === Further from the office but of interest === | ||
* Princess Louise - This pub’s interior has been restored to its Victorian era state and is possibly one of the prettiest pubs you’ll visit in London. (15 minutes, 208 High Holborn WC1V 7EP) | |||
* Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese - This maze of underground rooms serving as a pub was rebuilt after the great fire of 1666 and was believed to have existed since 1538. History: Britain has it. (25 minutes, 145 Fleet Street EC4A 2BU) | |||
* Graphic Bar - This bar in Soho stocks 180 types of Gin and serves their gin mixes in paint tins..! (15 minutes, 4 Golden Square) | |||
== Chain restaurants == | |||
Unfortunately London is rife with mostly average tourist-trap chain restaurants which is a shame because inbetween them and with a bit of local knowledge you can find far better food in London. | |||
However there are a few ‘safe’ chain restaurants that offer medium range food for medium range price if you’re happy with such compromises. The other benefit of these are that they can often accept large groups at short notice. If you really have to, our recommendations for these are: | |||
Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Byron Burger, Pizza Express, Wagamama (Fusion Japanese), Nando’s | |||
There are several of each of these walking distance from the office. | |||
Stay away from: | |||
Steak & Co, Bella Italia, Angus Steakhouse, Prezzo, Spaghetti House, All Bar One, Masala Zone, TGI Fridays | |||
== Chinatown == | |||
Why would you go to an average chain restaurant when the London office has Chinatown on its doorstep? London’s Chinatown is more Hong Kong-style due to British-Hong Kong historical relations so the food may be a bit different to your SF local. While not nearly as big as San Francisco’s it’s still a good place to get a meal. Try these few: | |||
* Leong’s Legends - Taiwanese, famous for oyster omelette (5 minutes, 26-27 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA) | |||
* Plum Valley - More modern style Cantonese dim sum (8 minutes, 20 Gerrard St W1D 6JQ) | |||
* Abeno Too - Osaka-style Okonomiyaki, a Japanese omelette with your choice of fillings (4 minutes, 17-18 Great Newport Street WC2H 7JE) | |||
* Koya - Udon noodles. Just a note to Californians that Udon is not like Ramen.. it’s better! (10 minutes, 49 Frith Street W1D 4SG) | |||
* Young Cheng - Dim sum and also famous for Lobster noodles (5 minutes, 22 Lisle Street WC2H 7BA) | |||
== Soho == | |||
Just North of Chinatown bordered by the streets Oxford, Regent and Shaftesbury the Soho area of London is an agreeable place to hangout and it’s hard to find bad coffee, food and drink around here. It is also the central gay area of London, but accommodating to all. It can get a bit rowdy late on Friday and Saturday nights. | |||
Some great places to get a bite are two Spanish Tapas restaurants Pix (10 mins, 16 Bateman St W1D 3AH) and Brindisa (20 mins, 46 Broadwick Street W1F 7AF) and for groups of 2 or less try Fernandez and Wells on Lexington St (20 mins) for a cosy wine bar. | |||
== Meat == | |||
If you’re American and feeling a bit homesick you might like to try Bodean’s at 10 Poland Street (10 minutes) for some ribs, pulled pork, burgers and so forth while watching American sport replays. The same American BBQ style but more expensive and more exclusive is the Pitt Cue Co (25 mins, 1 Newburgh Street W1F 7RB). | |||
A direct recommendation from Boozeniges is Meat Liquor. As the name poorly disguises its cuisine I’ll just get to the point and give you the address: 74 Welbeck St W1G 0BA (25 mins) | |||
Similarly famous and close to the office is the steak restaurant Hawksmoor (3 minutes, 11 Langley Street WC2H 9JG). Hugely busy you’ll almost certainly need to book first and take your largest, most uninhibited credit card. | |||
== Vegetarian == | |||
There are two Vegetarian restaurants I know of. A simple lunch/dinner cafe style restaurant called Food for Thought (5 minutes, 31 Neal Street, WC2H 9PR) and a more upmarket sit down meal at Mildred’s Vegetarian on Lexington Street, Soho (15 minutes) | |||
== Other notables == | |||
* Jamie’s Italian - Good proximity to the office and well priced but very very busy. Be prepared to wait during peak hours (2 minutes, 11 Upper St Martin's Lane, WC2H 9FB) | |||
London Mozillian Ross Bruniges runs a blog on London’s finer restaurants: www.ross-eats.co.uk | |||
= Todo = | = Todo = | ||