EATING IN LONDON - London 2015 - page 665

Cheaper Options near Piccadilly
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here .)
Hungry and broke in the theater district? Head for Panton Street (off Haymarket, two
blocks southeast of Piccadilly Circus), where several hardworking little places compete,
all seeming to offer a three-course meal for about £ 9. Peruse the entire block (vegetarian,
Pizza Express, Moroccan, Chinese, and diners) before making your choice.
The West End Kitchen serves up Italian ( £ 7-10 pizzas, £ 9-17 meals, daily
11:45-22:30, 5 Panton Street, tel. [phone]). The Woodlands South Indian Veget-
arian Restaurant offers an impressive £ 19 thali combination plate (otherwise £ 7 main
courses, daily 12:00-22:45, 37 Panton Street, tel. [phone]).
Good Chains near Piccadilly: Busaba Eathai (35 Panton Street), Wagamama (an-
other in Leicester Square at 14 Irving Street), Byron (11 Haymarket, but enter around the
corner on Whitcomb Street), and Nando's (46 Glasshouse Street). For descriptions, see
here .
Near Covent Garden
(See “Central London Eateries” map, here .)
Covent Garden bustles with people and touristy eateries. The area feels overrun, but if you
must eat around here, you have some good choices.
Joe Allen, tucked in a brick cellar a block away from the market, serves modern in-
ternational and American cuisine with both style and hubbub. Downstairs off a quiet street
with candles and white tablecloths, it's comfortably spacious and popular with the theat-
er crowd. It feels a bit old-fashioned and cluttered, but in a welcoming way ( £ 7 starters,
£ 10-30 main courses, £ 15 two-course specials and £ 20 three-course specials available
at lunch and 17:00-18:45, open Mon-Fri 12:00-24:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-24:00, piano music
after 19:00, 13 Exeter Street, tel. [phone]).
Sofra Turkish Restaurant is good for quality Turkish with a touch of class. They
have several menus: meze (Turkish tapas, £ 4-7), vegetarian, and £ 11-13 fixed-price meals
(also £ 10-15 main dishes, daily 9:00-23:00, 36 Tavistock Street, tel. [phone]).
Sitar Indian Restaurant is a well-respected Indian/Bangladeshi place serving dishes
from many regions, fine fish, and a tasty £ 15 vegetarian thali (combo plate). It's small
and dressy, with snappy service ( £ 10-17 main dishes, Mon-Fri 12:00-24:00, Sat-Sun
15:00-23:00, next to Somerset House at 149 Strand, tel. [phone]).
Belgo Centraal serves hearty Belgian specialties in a vast 400-seat underground lair.
It's a mussels, chips, and beer emporium dressed up as a mod-monastic refectory—with
noisy acoustics and waiters garbed as Trappist monks. The classy restaurant section is
more comfortable and less rowdy, but usually requires reservations. It's often more fun