Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
it's worth being more adventurous and trying dishes such as roast cod with chorizo
sausage and rocket. It's all conducted in a genuinely friendly atmosphere, though
high-ish prices and occasionally slow service put off some people.
11-15 Swallow St., W1. &   020/7734-4756. www.bentleysoysterbarandgrill.co.uk. Oyster Bar: Main
courses £10.50-£19.50. Grill: Main courses £18.50-£27.90. AE, MC, V. Oyster Bar: Mon-Sat noon-mid-
night; Sun noon-10pm. Restaurant: Mon-Fri noon-3pm and 6-11pm; Sat 6-11pm. Tube: Piccadilly Circus.
Inexpensive
Tokyo Diner JAPANESE This Japanese interloper into prime Chinatown territory
is cheap and friendly, refuses tips, takes £1 off dishes between 3 and 6pm, and is open
every day of the year from noon to midnight. No wonder it's so popular. Donburi rice
dishes pull in students and the impecunious to fill up on beef and onion braised in sweet
Japanese sauce with ginger. Others go for their popular bento box set meals: £14.80 gets
you a chicken teriyaki box, in which chicken flambéed in teriyaki sauce is served with
rice, vegetables, and pickles. Sushi and soup noodles complete the picture.
2 Newport Place, WC2. &   020/7287-8777. www.tokyodiner.com. Main courses £8.50-£13.70. Bento
box set meals £11.50-£16.40. MC, V. Daily noon-midnight. Tube: Leicester Sq.
COVENT GARDEN & THE STRAND
The restaurants in and around Covent Garden and the Strand are convenient choices
for West End theatre-goers.
Very Expensive
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon FRENCH The London Atelier of Robu-
chon (who, incidentally, has 26 Michelin stars and restaurants around the world) is
based on his concept of an informal restaurant. There are three areas: the first floor,
which is the most conventional; the top floor Le Salon bar; and the moody red and
black “Atelier.” For the most dramatic effect, eat here and book at the counter. Here
you can watch the theatre of the chefs producing tapas-style dishes—small bomb-
shells of taste as in beef and foie gras mini-burger; pig's trotter on parmesan toast; and
egg cocotte with wild mushroom cream, all wildly inventive and beautifully pre-
sented. The a la carte menu follows the conventional three-course approach, using
superb ingredients. The pre-theatre menu represents stunning value.
13-15 West St., WC2. &   020/7010-8600. www.joel-robuchon.com. Reservations essential. Main
courses £19-£34; small tasting dishes £13-£21; Menu Découverte 8 courses £125; Vegetarian Découverte
8 courses £80; lunch and pre-theatre 2-course menu £25, 3 courses £29. AE, MC, V. Daily noon-2:30pm
and 5:30-10:30pm. Tube: Leicester Sq.
Expensive
J. Sheekey SEAFOOD Tucked into a small alleyway off St. Martin's Lane, J.
Sheekey has long been a Theatreland favorite for both the famous (Laurence Olivier
and Vivien Leigh) and the not-so-famous. It's a charming dining room with pictures of
theatrical greats lining the walls. You can opt for the favorites—Atlantic prawns, the
famous Sheekey's fish pie—but it's worth trying more unusual dishes. Monkfish and
tiger prawn curry comes topped with crispy fried shallots and basmati rice. The more
casual J. Sheekey Oyster Bar, 33-34 St Martin's Court ( &   020/7240-2565 ), is
next door, has the same look, and offers Sheekey classics and smaller dishes.
28-32 St. Martin's Court, WC2. &   020/7240-2565. www.j-sheekey.co.uk. Reservations recommended.
Main courses £14.75-£42. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat noon-3pm and 5:30pm-midnight; Sun noon-3:30pm
and 6-11pm. Tube: Leicester Sq.
4
 
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