Our top restaurant finds in London include:
The English Restaurant: Located at 50-52 Brushfield Street, this is the perfect place for brunch on Sunday during your time at the Spitalfields/Brick Lane markets.
Bread Street Kitchen: At 10 Bread Street, a short distance from St. Pauls, is where I had a light Sunday night dinner at this rather new restaurant by Gordon Ramsay. It has a very attractive, sleek décor. The entire neighborhood has totally changed since I was first there 40 years ago. There are new shopping centers and office buildings everywhere.
Across from the Spitalfields Market, at 94-96 Commercial St. is St. John Bread and Wine which you might try for breakfast or lunch. This is an offshoot of Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gullivar’s St. John Restaurant that was named one of the World’s Best Restaurant by Food & Wine in 2019.
Borough Market: Under the shadow of the new Shard tower, by famed architect Renzo Piano, is the Borough Market. I enjoyed my first visit walking through the market, seeing the bars and restaurants and having a great lunch at Wright Brothers Oyster & Porter House. It had a great atmosphere and design plus my fish entrée was really excellent!
NOPI, 21-22 Warwick Street: Enjoyed dinner with a friend at this sleek restaurant offering tapas style entrees with a Middle-Eastern and Asian influence. A great spot for a pre-theatre bite in Soho.
Visiting Notting Hill with a friend I went to Ffiona’s Restaurant, for dessert, which was a short walk from the Notting Hill Gate Tube Stop at 51 Kensington Church Street. This is a small, casual restaurant featuring British specialties. Ffiona is from Liverpool and is really fun!!! They also offer a great brunch menu. Mention Globalphile when you go!
A friend, just back from London, loved The Windmill in Mayfair at 6/8 Mill St. They are known for their seasonal pies and other British classics.
Old standards include:
Claude Bosi at Bibendum is located at 81 Fulham Road, in Michelin House, a 100 year old landmark building. Formerly know just as Bibenbum, it recently underwent a total renovation and has reopened under a prominent new chef and partner. It continues to get good reviews.
Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, 100 Strand: Serving traditional English dishes since 1828.
Ye Olde Watling, 29 Watling Street: Built by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire in 1666 and later rebuilt in 1901 and again, after the blitz, in 1947.
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, 145 Fleet Street: A great pub that seems untouched since Samuel Johnson dined in the Chop Room.
The Dove: I found The Dove in Hammersmith many years ago. This is an historic pub on the banks of the Thames west of London. I am excited to try it again when I am back in London. Built in the 1530s, it was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London in 1666.