Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WHERE TO EAT
London is one of the world's great dining capitals. Here you can experience a global
range of cuisines, anything from a traditional English feast to the regional cooking of
countries from Italy to India. The last few years have been momentous for the restau-
rant scene. Top-end places can no longer rest on their laurels; they are dealing with
educated, well-traveled, and opinionated customers who know the value of a meal.
Prices have stayed the same and even lowered in some cases, and every major restau-
rant now offers good-value set meals.
On top of that, the “gastropub” has become a force to be reckoned with. Young
chefs have taken over moribund pubs, filled them with odd pieces of furniture, and
now offer top cooking at less-than-top prices. Some are in the center, but you'll find
many gastropubs in residential neighborhoods outside the usual tourist areas. Another
big change in the last few years is the geographic shift from the West End to East
London, where new cafes and small restaurants have emerged in what is now a
dynamic part of the capital. It's all good news for restaurant-goers: Eating out in
London offers more choice, more value, and more fun than ever.
Look to the Internet for occasional impressive discounts on London dining. Web-
sites promoting special deals include
Lastminute.com
and
Squaremeal.co.uk
. It's
also worth subscribing to regular newsletters like those e-mailed weekly by
Love-
foodlovedrink.co.uk
and
Travelzoo.com
, and signing up to deals websites like
KGB Deals
(www.kgbdeals.co.uk/london),
LivingSocial
(www.livingsocial.com), or
Groupon
(www.groupon.com). For a top meal at reasonable prices, many destination
restaurants offer set-price lunch deals, as well as limited, but top-quality pre- and
post-theatre menus; see details in the reviews below.
The West End
MAYFAIR
Very Expensive
Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester
FRENCH Alain Ducasse is the name
here, but it's talented Jocelyn Herland who earned three Michelin stars in 2010. The
plush room centers around a circular table for six, hidden behind a translucent cur-
tain and lit with fiber-optic cables. It's better to sit in the pretty front room overlook-
ing Hyde Park. This is French haute cuisine, but with a nod toward London's more
relaxed style. The cooking is superb; the quality of the seasonal ingredients shining
through in starters like Scottish crab with coral jus and mains of halibut in a celeriac,
shellfish, and squid broth; or the rich venison from the Limousin. Desserts are great
set-pieces, although the cheeseboard is lacking the range such a restaurant should
offer. And the wine list? Splendid, but splendidly priced too.
Inside the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, W1.
&
020/7629-8866.
www.alainducasse-dorchester.com.
Reservations required 2 weeks in advance. Set-price menus 2 courses £55, 3 courses £75, 4 courses
£95, 7 courses £115. AE, DC, MC, V. Tues-Fri noon-2pm; Tues-Sat 6:30-10pm. Tube: Green Park, Hyde
Park Corner, or Marble Arch.
Le Gavroche
FRENCH There may be new kids on the block, new cuisines,
and new young chefs, but Le Gavroche remains the number-one choice in London for
classical French cuisine from Roux, Jr., son of the chef who founded the restaurant in
1966. The famous cheese soufflé is still there, alongside hot foie gras on a crisp duck
pancake with cinnamon. Also on a masterly menu: rich loin of venison with walnut
gnocchi and bitter chocolate sauce; and desserts like apricot and Cointreau soufflé. It's
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