Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WESTMINSTER & VICTORIA
Expensive
Cinnamon Club
INDIAN This former Victorian library is a gorgeous, stately
building with wooden paneling, high ceilings, and a book-lined gallery. It's a suitably
grand setting for the many Members of Parliament who seem to regard it as their club.
And it's a suitably theatrical setting for the exciting modern Indian cooking from execu-
tive chef Vivek Singh. European ingredients, Indian spicing, classical cooking tech-
niques, and Western-style presentation make for a heady mix. Such a balancing act
could be disastrous in less skilled hands, but here it produces some of the most innova-
tive Indian cooking you'll find. Try Gressingham duck breast with coconut vinegar sauce;
hot sweet king prawns with curry sauce and brown rice; or saddle of lamb with sesame
tamarind sauce. Go conventional at breakfast with a perfect, light kedgeree—the dish of
fish, rice, eggs, parsley, and cream brought back from the Raj by British colonials.
Old Westminster Library, 30-32 Great Smith St., SW1.
&
020/7222-2555.
www.cinnamonclub.com.
Main courses £15-£32; set meal pre- and post-theatre 2 courses £24, 3 courses £28; tasting menu £75.
AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 7:30-9:30am, noon-2:30pm, and 7:30-9:30pm; Sat noon-2:30pm and 7:30-
9:30pm. Tube: St. James's Park or Westminster. Also at Cinnamon Kitchen, 9 Devonshire Sq., EC2
(
&
020/7626-5000
).
Moderate
The Orange
GASTROPUB/CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN The Orange
is a smart gastropub with four delightful rooms for overnight stays. There's a heaving
bar downstairs, with a dining room adjoining and a second dining room upstairs. It
serves a clever menu that has the wealthy nearby residents of Pimlico coming back
again and again. Sautéed wild mushrooms with polenta or soup of the day might start
the meal. Wood-fired pizzas, conveniently served in two sizes, are popular with the
families who regularly eat here, while mains like sea bream with new potatoes, olives,
and anchovies, or house-baked pies satisfy the parents. It's fun, cheerful, and the staff
go about their business with great charm.
37-39 Pimlico Rd., SW1.
&
020/7881-9844.
www.theorange.co.uk. Main courses £13-£18; set 3-course
menu £30. AE, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 8-11:30pm; Fri-Sat 8am-midnight; Sun 8am-10:30pm. Tube: Sloane Sq.
Inexpensive
Jenny Lo's Teahouse
CANTONESE/SZECHUAN This teahouse is really a
small, fun cafe, ideal for inexpensive lunches. It was opened by Jenny Lo, daughter
of the late Ken Lo, the tennis-playing restaurateur whose
Memories of China
brought
upper-class Chinese cooking to London. Ken Lo cookbooks contribute to the dining
room decor of black refectory tables set with paper napkins and chopsticks. The
menu offers a good range of well-cooked dishes like vermicelli rice noodle (noodles
topped with grilled chicken breast and Chinese mushrooms). Rounding out the menu
are stuffed Peking dumplings; chili-garnished spicy prawns; and wonton soup with
slithery dumplings.
14 Eccleston St., SW1.
&
020/7259-0399.
Reservations not accepted. Main courses £6.95-£8.50. No
credit cards. Mon-Fri noon-3pm; Mon-Sat 6-10pm. Tube: Victoria.
South Bank
BANKSIDE
Expensive
Oxo Tower Restaurant, Brasserie & Bar
INTERNATIONAL The Oxo
Tower is one of London's top dining spots—literally, as it's on the 8th floor of Oxo
Tower Wharf. Stunning views up and down river make the terrace one of summer's
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