EATING IN LONDON - London 2015 - page 649

another near the Mansion House Tube stop, next to the Tower of London, and on the South
Bank across from Vinopolis.
Masala Zone, serving accessible Indian food, makes a predictable, good alternative
to the many one-off, hole-in-the-wall Indian joints around town. Try a curry-and-rice dish,
a thali (platter with several small dishes), or their street food specials. Each branch has its
own personality ( £ 8-12 meals, www.masalazone.com ) . Locations include Soho, Covent
Garden, Bayswater, and in the Selfridges department store on Oxford Street.
Côte Brasserie is a contemporary French chain serving good-value French cuisine
in reliably pleasant settings, and at the right prices ( £ 9-14 main dishes, early dinner spe-
cials, www.cote-restaurants.co.uk ) . Côte has locations in Soho, Covent Garden, Leicester
Square, Oxford Circus, Fitzrovia, Kensington, Bayswater, and near St. Paul's on Ludgate
Hill.
Byron, an upscale-hamburger chain with hip interiors, is worth seeking out if you
need a burger fix. While British burgers aren't exactly like American ones—they tend to
be a bit overcooked by our standards—Byron's burgers are your best bet ( £ 7-10 burgers,
www.byronhamburgers.com ). Locations are in Soho, Covent Garden, Leicester Square,
between Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square, near St. Paul's, Fitzrovia, South Kensing-
ton, Kensington, and Greenwich. Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) provides a cheaper
alternative, serving burgers that are, if not quite gourmet, very good. Choices range from
a simple cheeseburger to more elaborate options, such as Jamaican. Choose a table and or-
der at the counter—they'll bring the food to you ( £ 7-8 burgers, many outposts throughout
London).
Loch Fyne Fish Restaurant is part of a Scottish chain that raises its own oysters and
mussels. Its branches offer an inviting, lively atmosphere with a fine fishy energy and no
pretense ( £ 12-20 main dishes, two- and three-course specials often available before 19:00,
www.lochfyne-restaurants.com ). In London, there's one near Covent Garden, and another
in The City (near Leadenhall Market).
Nando's is understandably popular as a casual, affordable place to get flame-broiled
chicken with a range of Portuguese and South African flavors ( £ 10 meals,
www.nandos.co.uk ) . They're all over, including Soho, near Piccadilly Circus, between
Covent Garden and Leicester Square, near Victoria Station, near the Baker Street Tube
stop, Fitzrovia, two blocks behind St. Paul's, near Leadenhall Market, on Clink Street
along the South Bank, and in South Kensington, Kensington, Notting Hill, and Bayswater.
At Yo! Sushi, sushi dishes trundle past on a conveyor belt. Color-coded plates tell
you how much each dish costs ( £ 1.80-5), and a picture-filled menu explains what you're
eating. For £ 1.50, you get unlimited green tea (water for £ 1.05). Snag a bar stool and grab
dishes as they rattle by ( www.yosushi.com ) . Yo!s abound in London, with about 25 loca-
tions around town, including a handy branch a block from the London Eye on Belvedere