Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
STREET LIFE
London's dynamic and recession-friendly
street food
scene, in which trucks, carts and
temporary stalls dish up artisan food, from jerk chicken to Vietnamese buns, to hungry foodie
crowds, shows no sign of slowing down. You'll find excellent street food at the city's markets
(see p.434), and in particular, of course, at the food markets -
Borough
,
Broadway
and
Maltby Street
are the biggies, along with
Brixton Village
, but you can also check out the
Real Food Market
on the South Bank (Fri-Sun;
W
realfoodfestival.co.uk) and
Berwick Street
in Soho (
W
berwickstreetlondon.co.uk). To be sure of keeping up with this dizzying scene,
check out the activity on
W
kerbfood.com, a loose collective of traders and trucks who pop up
at various locations - including a residency at
King's Cross
(Tues-Fri) - and foodie events.
SOHO
CAFÉS
Ì
Bar Italia
22 Frith St, W1
T
020 7437 4520,
W
baritaliasoho.co.uk;
!
Leicester Square; map p.100.
Tiny, family-owned coffee bar that's been a Soho institution
since the 1950s, keeping many of its original features
(including the Gaggia coffee machine) and its iconic neon
sign. A happy crowd of clubbers, Italian soccer fans, celebs,
tourists and locals fill the place more or less around the clock
for espressos, croissants, beers and sandwiches. A real slice
of old Soho life.
Nearly 24hr; closed Mon-Fri 4-6am.
Beatroot
92 Berwick St, W1
T
020 7437 8591,
W
beatroot.org.uk;
!
Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus
or Tottenham Court Road; map p.100.
Bustling little
veggie/vegan café by the market, heaping savoury bakes,
stews and salads into cardboard boxes priced from £4.70 to
£7.20. Great cakes and smoothies, too. Takeaway available.
Mon-Sat 9am-9pm.
Breakfast Club
33 D'Arblay St, W1
T
020 7434 2571,
W
thebreakfastclubcafes.com;
!
Oxford Circus; map
p.100.
With its comfy, battered furnishings and cheery,
slightly tatty retro decor, this laidback place is a fun (and
popular) spot to linger over big all-day breakfasts and
brunches and to pop in for wraps, burgers, burritos and the
like as the day progresses. Branches in Islington, Hoxton,
London Bridge, Battersea and Spitalfields.
Mon-Wed
8am-9pm, Thurs & Fri 8am-10pm, Sat 9am-9pm, Sun
9am-7pm.
Ì
Fernandez & Wells
73 Beak St, W1
T
020 287 8124,
W
fernandezandwells.com;
!
Piccadilly Circus or Oxford
Circus; map p. 97.
Fabulous, freshly prepared sandwiches for
around £5, great coffee and amazing cakes - most people
take away, but there are one or two tables. There are two more
Soho branches - a wine bar-deli around the corner at 43
Lexington St, which does small plates, too, and an espresso-
wine bar (closed Sun) on St Anne's Court, off Dean St (see
map p.100) - plus another on Exhibition Rd near the V&A,
and one in Somerset House on the Strand.
Mon-Fri
7.30am-6pm, Sat & Sun 9am-6pm.
Gaby's
30 Charing Cross Rd, WC2
T
020 7836 4233;
!
Leicester Square; map p.97.
This simple, no-nonsense
deli has long been beloved of Londoners for its home-cooked
(non-kosher) Jewish/Middle Eastern specialities and its late
hours. The takeaway falafel is a bargain for these parts at
£4.90.
Mon-Sat 10am-midnight, Sun noon-10pm.
Ì
Maison Bertaux
28 Greek St, W1
T
020 7437 6007,
W
maisonbertaux.com;
!
Leicester Square; map
p.100.
Established in 1871, this charmingly old-fashioned
and terribly French patisserie, with two floors and some
outdoor seating, is an unmissable Soho experience. The
decor is simple but pretty and a little bohemian, with art on
the walls and fresh flowers on every table, and the cakes are
to die for. Some French-accented savoury treats are on offer,
too.
Mon-Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 9am-8pm.
Nordic Bakery
14a Golden Square, W1
T
020 3230
1077,
W
nordicbakery.com;
!
Piccadilly Circus; map
p.97.
Fill up on colossal cinnamon buns, delicate rye-bread
sandwiches and strong coffee at this super-sharp
minimalist Scandinavian café. There are two more branches
in Marylebone. Takeaway available.
Mon-Fri 8am-8pm,
Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 10am-7pm.
Patisserie Valerie
44 Old Compton St, W1
T
020 7437
3466,
W
patisserie-valerie.co.uk;
!
Leicester Square;
map p.100.
This beloved old Soho patisserie, dating back to
the 1920s, is the nicest of the ever-expanding chain. Come
here to enjoy croissants, mousses and gooey cakes to die for,
as well as great brunches and sandwiches, in a wonderful
old dining room. Takeaway available. Many other branches,
including in Marylebone (see opposite).
Mon-Fri
8am-11pm, Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 10am-11pm.
24
RESTAURANTS
Bar-shu
28 Frith St, W1
T
020 7287 8822,
W
bar-shu
.co.uk;
!
Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road;
map p.100.
Bar-shu
was one of the first places to introduce
fiery Szechuan cuisine to a city far more familiar with
Cantonese food, offering zingy dishes - pepper-fragrant
pigs' kidney on enoki mushrooms, for example, or fried sea
bass in a mustard greens soup - in a vibrant space
decorated with wooden screens, masks and lanterns. Mains
£8-30.
Daily noon-11pm.
Bocca di Lupo
12 Archer St, W1
T
020 7734 2223,
W
boccadilupo.com;
!
Piccadilly Circus; map p.100.
