Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Friendly fusion restaurant from the Kiwi chef behind
Providores
(see p.368). Dishes like tempura spicy dahl-
stuffed
inari
pocket on caramelized coconut with pickled
green papaya offer fresh, complex flavours; many are
designed to share.
Breakfasts and weekend brunches are
great.
Large plates from £13; small plates from £6; two-/
three-course express menu for £17.95/£20.95 (early
evening most nights, Mon 5-10.30pm).
Mon-Fri 8.30-
11.30am & noon-10.45pm, Sat 9.30am-4pm & 4.30-
10.45pm, Sun 9.30am-4pm & 4.30-9.45pm.
Masala Zone
48 Floral St, W1
T
020 7379 0101,
W
masalazone.com;
!
Covent Garden; map p.132.
Attractive, reliable restaurant, decorated with Rajasthani
puppets, serving modern Indian food, including lots of
veggie options. Start with little dishes of “street food”, then
move on to the well-balanced, richly flavoured curries or
thalis. Branches in Soho, Camden, Islington, Earl's Court
and Bayswater. Dishes from £4.50.
Mon-Sat noon-
11pm, Sun 12.30-10.30pm.
Opera Tavern
23 Catherine St, WC2
T
020 7836 3680,
W
operatavern.co.uk;
!
Covent Garden; map p.132.
Another classy Spanish-Italian restaurant from the
Salt
Ya r d
team (see p.373), with sharing plates and fine wines
by the glass. Star turns include a mini foie gras and Iberico
burger - or indeed anything featuring the Iberico ham or
prepared on the charcoal grill. Sit in the buzzy downstairs
bar rather than in the more formal upstairs dining room.
Charcuterie and tapas from £5.
Mon-Fri noon-3pm &
5-11.30pm (bar snacks, charcuterie and cheese
3-5pm), Sat noon-11.30pm, Sun noon-5pm.
Ì
Terroirs
5 William IV St, WC2
T
0207 036 0660,
W
terroirswinebar.com;
!
Charing Cross; map p.132.
Great wines - including “natural”, additive-free wines -
and excellent Mediterranean/Modern British food at this
convivial wine bar-restaurant. The ground floor serves
small plates (from £6.50) - dishes like smoked eel with soft
boiled egg, horseradish and pea shoots (£9.50) - along
with French-accented
plats du jour
(from £12), home-
made charcuterie, cheese and bar snacks, while the
basement offers more formal dining, with mains, the like of
confit duck with hazelnuts, from £16.
Mon-Sat noon-
11pm (charcuterie and cheese 3-5.30pm).
CLERKENWELL
CAFÉS
Clerkenwell Kitchen
27-31 Clerkenwell Close, EC1
T
020 7101 9959,
W
theclerkenwellkitchen.co.uk;
!
Farringdon or Angel; map p.150.
Bright, airy place
serving good food from a River Cottage alumni. The short,
seasonal menu uses sustainably sourced ingredients in
dishes like wild garlic, red onion and potato frittata or
simple fish pie, and the open-plan kitchen serves
everything from breakfast through to tea and cakes, with
deli sandwiches, soups and savoury tarts to take away.
There's a courtyard for outdoor dining. Mains £8-14.
Mon-
Fri 8am-5pm; till 10.30pm on Thurs.
Kurz & Lang
1 St John St, EC1
T
020 7993 2923,
W
kurzandlang.com;
!
Farringdon; map p.150.
An
echt
German Bratwurst in a prominent corner site off
Smithfield. Choose from a variety of fresh, authentic
sausages accompanied with bread, mustard and sauerkraut
(from £6), and finish off with a sticky German pastry.
Mon-
Wed
24
Ì
Pho
86 St John St, EC1
T
020 7253 7624,
W
phocafe.co.uk;
!
Farringdon or Barbican; map
p.150.
Small café serving freshly made Vietnamese noodle
soups, washed down with strong weasel coffee (don't ask).
They have five more London branches - in Oxford Circus,
Soho, Shepherd's Bush, Stratford and Spitalfields - but this
is the original. Phô from £7.75. Takeaway available.
Mon-
Thurs noon-3pm & 6-10pm, Fri noon-3pm &
6-10.30pm, Sat 6-10.30pm.
Prufrock Coffee
23-25 Leather Lane, EC1
T
020 7242
0467,
W
prufrockcoffee.com;
!
Chancery Lane or
Farringdon; map p.150.
A spacious and tranquil shrine to
the coffee bean, brainchild of world barista champion
Gwilym Davies. The coffee, of course, is superb - what with
this and the
Department of Coffee & Social Affairs
opposite,
Leather Lane has become quite the caffeine-fiend's haven.
Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat & Sun 10am-5pm.
11am-11.30pm,
Thurs
11am-1am,
Fri
RESTAURANTS
Caravan
11-13 Exmouth Market, EC1
T
020 7833 8115,
W
caravanonexmouth.co.uk;
!
Farringdon; map p.150.
True to its Kiwi roots, this funky Exmouth Market favourite
is great for creative brunches (Sat & Sun 10am-4pm) - try
the baked eggs with tomato, pepper and Greek yoghurt or
the avocado with chilli flakes on sourdough toast. At other
times the modern fusion menu might feature anything from
almond couscous via pickled mackerel with corn, avocado
and jalapeno to Arabica oxtail with polenta. Their coffee
(takeaway available) is roasted on site. Small and large plates
£5-18.
Mon-Fri 8-11.30am, noon-10.30pm, Sat
10am-4pm & 5-10.30pm, Sun 10am-4pm.
11am-6.30am, Sat noon-6am, Sun noon-5pm.
Morito
32 Exmouth Market, EC1
T
020 7278
7007,
W
morito.co.uk;
!
Angel or Farringdon; map
p.150.
As an offshoot of
Moro
and right next door, this
long, skinny tapas bar allows you to enjoy the same
fabulous flavours and fine wines in more casual, bare-
bones surrounds. Don't think of it as a cheap option,
however - though the most expensive dishes (fried baby
squid; lamb chops grilled
a la plancha
) are just £8.50,
everything is tiny and wickedly moreish, and what with all
the great wines costs can really mount. Tapas from £4.
Daily noon-4pm & 5-11pm, Sun noon-4pm.
