London

 

 

I lived in London in 1987.  There were three good things about London at that time: the beer, the Indian food, and the fish & chips.  Boy, that has changed.

 

Restaurant St. John: My fav in London; From head-to-tail philosophy; simple cool vibe; braised ox heart…yum! ($$$)

La Petite Maison: Escape to the Mediterranean with this fresh cooking and fun scene ($$$)

The Draper’s Arms: an amazing gastro-pub in the fun Islington area of town; killer bar menu too ($$$)

The Ledbury:  Solid Notting Hill joint; reminded me a bit of Gramercy Tavern.  Nearly flawless execution. ($$$$)

Hakkasan: it might just be the best Chinese food in the world; if you can deal with the atmosphere (trendy) and time limits, you will have an insanely great meal ($$$$)

Zafferano: who knew there’d be a great neighborhood Italian joint in London; fun place, awesome food, great owner! ($$$$)

Chez Bruce:  it is so worth the trip; this tiny restaurant well south of the river was the best meal I have ever had in London ($$$$)

The Wolseley: great breakfast; great dinner; great little bar with great Manhattans; the Balthazar (circa 1998) of London

Ponte de la Tour: A great contemporary British restaurant without too many tourists; great view of Tower Bridge; cool neighborhood ($$$)

OXO Tower: A hip joint with an awesome view and pretty good food; a little pretentious ($$$)