Dining in London
Bibendum
With a pricey, but often inspired menu, mains such as carpaccio of wild salmon with green peppercorn and dressing, together with grilled calves liver with creamed onions and rosemary show just why Bibendum is still one of, if not the best, restaurant in Kensington/Chelsea. For pud, try nougatine glacé with Grand Marnier sauce and kumquats or perhaps iced passion fruit and marshmallow parfait. Very good indeed.
Bluebird
"More" than just a restaurant, Conran's advertising blurb also describes Bluebird as being one of the world's "grand épiceries" which, in layman's terms, means the complex also contains a café, food and flowermarkets and a houseware shop. And, though it's an overly extravagant claim, the restaurant, which is housed in a former 1920s garage, is indeed a bold, glamourous design statement. Complete with steel girders, skylights and an attractive bar, it matches the style of Bluebird's cuisine - namely modern European.
With a seasonally changing à la carte menu, the restaurant focuses upon inventive versions of traditional filled pastas, risottos, grills and fish/meat dishes. Puddings can also be inventive, with exotic fruits accompanying light ice creams, mousses, tartlets and pastries. Bluebird's wine list is generally expensive, although wines can be bought by the glass. Service is also good, if a little hurried during the evening on weekends.
Cantaloupe
Self-assured bar-cum-restaurant which has built a solid reputation for good tapas/Mediterranean style food. While not exactly located in the most picturesque part of town, Shoreditch is seen as an "upcoming area", meaning it's still pretty much a tip, but with trendy clubs, bars and restaurants setting up shop there. In fact, with the City so close, pretty young things and hard-nosed professionals have made places like Cantaloupe and the Great Eastern Dining Rooms favored haunts.
On Friday and Saturday nights the place is heaving (you may even have to queue to get in), with DJs pumping out all the latest grooves. Work your way through the throng however, and you'll find an agreeable mix of Spanish dishes with fish, steaks, traditional sausages and chargrilled meats featuring heavily. An added bonus is the wine list, which is not only well-ordered by surprisingly good value.
Hush Brasserie
Along with Nathan Jackson's upstairs dining room Hush Up, Hush also incorporates a slightly more affordable brasserie - Hush Ground - together with three private rooms (Strictly Hush). As a partnership between Geoffrey Moore (Roger Moore's son) and Jamie Barber, Hush has earned a deserved reputation for not only being a fine eatery, but also one of the hottest tickets in town. A well-balance modern European menu offers some sublime flavor combinations (including mains such as goats cheese and sun dried tomato ravioli with basil cream) while near perfect desserts and a carefully chosen wine list make Hush an extremely good find.
Mash
As an extremely popular modern restaurant with a vibrant atmosphere, Mash provides consistently high quality, well prepared food at reasonable prices. With dishes on the menu to satisfy even the most discerning palette, the small on-site brewery next to the bar only adds to its appeal. Its location, a short walk away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, makes Mash a great choice for lunch or dinner.
The People's Palace
A popular venue within the Royal Festival Hall, the People's Palace offers well prepared, inexpensive food with superb views across the Thames. Along with à la carte dishes, the restaurant offers good value set and pre-concert menus, averaging at £20 per head. Becomes very busy immediately before and after performances.
Quo Vadis
Situated at the very heart of Soho, Quo Vadis has been a gastronomic institution for decades. Now owned by Marco Pierre White, it retains an air of exclusivity, whilst offering relaxed dining and (relatively) affordable modern European cuisine.
Before a meal, diners can first enjoy a drink in the well-stocked upstairs bar. However, cometh the hour, cometh the feast, with starters of scallops and langoustine risotto followed by a main course of calves liver - both cooked to perfection. In addition, duck and rabbit dishes are both well-executed, as are the restaurant's fine selection of fish dishes.
Be sure to leave room for dessert though, as both the tart tatin and raspberry soufflé are divine. And, with a wine list to compliment any meal here, Quo Vadis undoubtedly makes for a memorable evening out in central London.
Rocket
Classy Mayfair restaurant which, as well as having a trendy ground-floor bar, serves up inventive, well-prepared modern cuisine, pizza and salads. Convivial atmosphere/central location are a boon while surprisingly, for this part of town, prices are extremely reasonable too.