| London is without doubt the restaurant | | | | |
| capital of the UK. Immigrants of all | | | | Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has London's |
| nationalities have brought their own exotic | | | | only restaurant with three Michelin Stars. |
| flavours and culinary culture to the city, | | | | Named simply Gordon Ramsay, it's on Royal |
| making London an exciting and cosmopolitan | | | | Hospital Road near Chelsea Embankment. |
| place to eat out. Here's a guide to some of | | | | |
| the best restaurants area by area. | | | | Founded in the 1950s, the Troubadour on Old |
| | | | Brompton Road is an eclectic café-bar with |
| Covent Garden | | | | a prestigious live music heritage. Bob Dylan, |
| | | | Charlie Watts and Jimi Hendrix are among the |
| Covent Garden is an attractive area with a | | | | stars who have performed here. The epitome of |
| covered piazza complex at its centre. It's | | | | London bohemia, this West London institution |
| popular with tourists but can be pricey. If | | | | has a deli, club and café, and it's great |
| you're looking for an inexpensive meal in | | | | place to hang out for food, drinks and music. |
| this area your best bet is to try out some of | | | | |
| the large bar/restaurants such as Wagamama | | | | Camden |
| and All Bar One, where you'll find reasonable | | | | |
| quality food in stylish surroundings at | | | | Camden is young, hip and trendy and there's |
| affordable prices. | | | | nowhere better in London for a lively night |
| | | | out. There are restaurants of all sorts |
| If you want to experience a traditional | | | | interspersed between vibrant bars and clubs. |
| London restaurant, try Rules on Maiden Lane. | | | | |
| It's rather expensive but it's worth it. | | | | For excellent French cuisine, try Le Petit |
| Reputed to be the oldest restaurant in | | | | Train on Chalcot Road, or Belgo Noord on |
| London, it has a beautiful vintage interior | | | | Chalk Farm Road for hearty Belgian cooking |
| and serves old London favourites, from | | | | and great beer. The best tapas can be enjoyed |
| oysters and eels to pies and puddings. | | | | at the Spanish themed Bar Gansa on Inverness |
| | | | street. |
| Another famed London restaurant and popular | | | | |
| hang-out of the rich and famous is The Ivy on | | | | Soho/Chinatown |
| West Street. You'll need to book a table | | | | |
| weeks in advance to savour its wonderful | | | | Soho is probably one of the best places to |
| modern and luxurious British cuisine - | | | | eat out in London in terms of quality and |
| shepherd's pie, leek tart, kedgeree and the | | | | value for money. Most of the restaurants |
| deliciously decadent sticky toffee pudding. | | | | offer fabulous cooking at reasonable prices, |
| | | | especially in Chinatown, where there are some |
| South Bank | | | | great Szechuan, Thai, Cantonese, Japanese, |
| | | | Indonesian and Vietnamese restaurants. Try |
| Urban redevelopment has seen lots of | | | | Imperial China Cantonese restaurant on Lisle |
| 'gastro-pubs' pop up in this area - chic and | | | | Street, Kulu Kulu Japanese restaurant on |
| trendy bars serving high quality food in | | | | Brewer Street, Busaba Eathai Thai restaurant |
| informal surroundings and at reasonable | | | | on Wardour Street or Saigon Vietnamese |
| prices. | | | | restaurant on Frith Street. |
| | | | |
| For fabulous modern European cuisine, try | | | | Brick Lane |
| Festival Square on the ground floor of the | | | | |
| Royal Festival Hall. It's a relaxing | | | | London's large Asian population is |
| café-bar serving everything from light | | | | concentrated in the East End, especially |
| snacks to filling main course dishes. | | | | around Brick Lane. Lined with Indian and |
| | | | Bangladeshi restaurants, it's earned the |
| Another popular gastro-pub is the award | | | | nickname the 'Curry Mile'. Monsoon is one of |
| winning Anchor and Hope on The Cut. In | | | | the hippest modern Indian restaurants, with |
| contrast to many of the bars in this area, | | | | contemporary Tandoori dishes as its |
| its décor is traditional, with oak | | | | speciality, whereas Sweet and Spicy gets back |
| panelled walls, but its food is most | | | | to basics, serving top-notch Indian food in |
| definitely up-to-date. Try the beetroot and | | | | modest surroundings. One of the most stylish |
| goat's cheese salad or the lamb shank with | | | | Bengali restaurants is Café Naz, a sleek |
| minted beans. | | | | café-bar with modern wood and steel |
| | | | décor and atmospheric lighting. Its fish |
| Bloomsbury | | | | and seafood dishes are delicious. Preem is |
| | | | another good Bengali restaurant with a |
| Bloomsbury is home to many of London's top | | | | fantastic range of balti dishes. |
| academic institutions such as University of | | | | |
| London, University College London, Birkbeck | | | | Islington |
| College and the British Museum. It's always | | | | |
| bustling with students and as a result | | | | Once a run-down residential area, this |
| there's a great choice of good but cheap | | | | inner-city suburb in the north of London has |
| café-bars and brasseries as well as some | | | | been given a new lease of life in the last |
| more upmarket restaurants. | | | | few decades. The beautiful Victorian |
| | | | townhouses have been renovated and it's now a |
| The Coffee Gallery on Museum Street, next to | | | | trendy and fashionable part of London with an |
| the British Museum, has an eclectic range of | | | | air of bohemian chic. The restaurants are a |
| organic and vegetarian dishes, from | | | | varied mix of stylish and quirky. The Elk in |
| sandwiches to salads and pastas. | | | | the Woods, for example, is reminiscent of an |
| | | | old lady's living room. It's a small and cosy |
| One of the best ethnic eateries in the city | | | | place on the lovely cobbled Camden Passage. |
| is Hakkasan, London's first Michelin-starred | | | | Just like the décor, the food is inventive |
| Chinese restaurant. It's chic and | | | | and unusual - with a modern European |
| sophisticated, with inventive dishes and a | | | | influence. Flaming Nora is a great burger |
| fashionable cocktail bar. | | | | restaurant and takeaway, but it's not a |
| | | | typical fast food joint. The burgers are all |
| Knightsbridge and Chelsea | | | | made from the freshest, highest quality meat |
| | | | and fish, chargrilled to perfection. Aberdeen |
| Two of the most fashionable and exclusive | | | | Angus, lamb and tuna burgers are the |
| parts of London, Knightsbridge and Chelsea | | | | specialities, and it also does a great line |
| are dotted with upmarket and Michelin-starred | | | | in skewers and kebabs. |
| restaurants. | | | | |