Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
passionate about port). The low, carbon-crusted vaulting deeper in the back seems to in-
tensify the Hogarth-painting atmosphere. Although it's crowded, you can normally corral
two chairs and grab the corner of a table. The crowd often spills out onto the patio, and on
hot days a chef cooks at a barbecue for a long line of tables (arrive before 17:00 to get a
seat, Mon-Sat 11:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-22:00, 2 blocks from Trafalgar Square, bottom of
Villiers Street at #47, Tube: Embankment, tel. 020/7930-1408, manager Gerard Menan).
Ales: The Harp, clearly a local favorite, is a crowded and cluttered little pub just a
block above Trafalgar Square. While they serve no food, this is a good, central spot to
nurse a fine ale and befriend one of the Londoners crowded around the coaster-coated bar.
This is a top choice for an après-work pint among nine-to-fivers, who stand in the dozens
out front after the workday, sipping their beers (Mon-Sat 10:30-23:30, Sun 12:00-22:30,
47 Chandos Place, tel. 020/7836-0291).
Near Piccadilly
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here .)
The first two places are upscale and snooty—but if you want something cheaper in this
same area, you'll find plenty of other options.
Swanky Splurges
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here .)
The Wolseley is the grand 1920s showroom of a long-defunct British car. The last Wolse-
ley drove out with the Great Depression, but today this old-time bistro bustles with form-
al waiters serving traditional Austrian and French dishes in an elegant black-marble-and-
chandeliers setting fit for its location next to the Ritz. Although the food can be unexcep-
tional, prices are reasonable, and the presentation and setting are grand. Reservations are
a must ( £ 13-30 main courses; cheaper soup, salad, and sandwich “café menu” available;
both menus available in all areas of restaurant, Mon-Fri 7:00-24:00, Sat 8:00-24:00, Sun
8:00-23:00, 160 Piccadilly—see map on here , tel. 020/7499-6996, www.thewolseley.com ).
They're popular for their fancy cream or afternoon tea (for details, see here ) .
The palatial Criterion offers grand-piano ambience beneath gilded tiles and chan-
deliers in a dreamy Byzantine church setting from 1880. It's right on Piccadilly Circus
but a world away from the punk junk. It's a deal for the visual experience during lunch
and if you order the £ 20-25 fixed-price meal (except on Sun, when you must order from
the expensive à la carte menu). At any hour, the service couldn't care less. Anyone can
drop in for coffee or a drink (Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 17:30-23:30, Sun 12:00-15:30 &
17:30-22:30, 224 Piccadilly, tel. 020/7930-0488, www.criterionrestaurant.com ) .
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