Today's post concerns tips for eating out in town.
Keeping it simple - I'm suggesting a place for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
This is something I hope to do every month in order to keep you informed of what's new and different as well as some under the radar gems worth checking out.
Breakfast
S&M Cafe on Essex Road in Islington is my suggestion for a traditional English breakfast.
This cafe is also popular for lunch and dinner but personally I have always found it is the breakfast that I return for.
The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly and the clientele is a complete mix of suits, media types and students as well as locals. Take away is an option but I have always preferred to sit in, enjoying the 70's for mica vibe that accompanies my mug of tea and toast. Friends swear by the full monty breakfast and staff have always been obliging when asking for extra bread or bacon instead of the black pudding. Turns out some food outlets in the UK actually do replacements hurrah!
Over the years the food quality has remained fresh and tasty and the prices consistent. There is now a sister cafe in the newly refurbished Spitafield's market and although I enjoyed my visit there, because the decor is definitely more modern I find it lacks the personal, traditional touch, to that of Essex Road.
Link below for more in
http://www.sandmcafe.co.uk/islington.php:
Lunch
Staying on Essex Road but opposite S&M we have
The Diner. A traditional 50's American food experience in London.
This is a brand that has grown rapidly over the past few years. I have visited the Soho and Shoreditch branches as well Islington although have yet to experience the Camden or Kensal Rise establishments.
Again breakfast, lunch and dinner are served here and the menu is extensive. My favourite is the cornbeef hash with fried eggs accompanied with cheesy fries and a milkshake to die for. The burgers and hot dogs are also extremely good. The beauty of a place such as this is the choice.
You can enjoy the kind of fries YOU want. Ranging from fat fries (chunkier) to wet fries (with onion gravy) to chilli fries to cajun seasoned and obviously cheesy! You can add peanut butter to your milkshake and even mix in a some Nutella too if you so wish. Something my nephew describes as wonderful!
If not visiting for lunch, its a great place to grab a late night snack too, as the portions are adequate but not Supersized American. The decor is all red booths, black tables and white tiles and the space is ample. Good for couples, families or dining alone.
There are two reservations I have with The Diner.
First is the price. It may not be extortionate, especially as we're in London, but I feel it just creeps over the edge of what you feel comfortable about spending on a "normal" lunch out.
The second is, that over the three restaurants I have visited although the staff are polite they have been consistently too relaxed and laid back which can result in a longer than normal wait for your meal which kind of makes the price you are paying for your meal that much harder to swallow.
That said I wouldn't be posting about The Diner if I didn't feel it offers a different eating experience to any other American food place I've visited in London and if you have ever had the real diner experience in the USA I'd say, food wise at least this is about as close as you get at present in dear old Blighty.
Details below:
http://www.goodlifediner.com/
Dinner
My favourite meal of the day!
Bodean's BBQ Restaurant
We're off to Soho in the centre of town now. This is another brand that is slowly expanding but again I prefer the original restaurant located here in West End.
Bodean's BBQ Restaurant
"Smoke it Slow, Cook it Low" is their slogan and the aim seems to be to provide the juiciest tasting meat one can eat and of the many offerings I've enjoyed off this menu it excels where no other place I've eaten can. I was taken by a friend a few years back and haven't stopped recommending the food since!
The quality is just so good.
In a time when many restaurants offering a similar style seem to just add BBQ sauce and dried out sides, this place stands head and shoulders above the rest. There really seems to be a care in the food they are serving you. It's obvious from the taste that leaves you mmmming and drooling from the first bite that they have studied their style and perfected it.
Be it the BBQ Chicken, Pulled Pork or Beef Brisket, the meat is so tender you almost want to order seconds despite your bulging belly. The fries are tasty and seasoned with a the little pot of sauce that accompanies them along with the coleslaw which is always fresh and creamy. These extra touches to the sides lighten the whole BBQ taste, providing you with a delicious taste experience.
Staff are friendly, efficient and always accommodating in the Soho and Tower Hill restaurants that I frequent.
Upstairs in both there is a deli style atmosphere and a take away service. Downstairs hosts a more intimate (more so in Soho if I'm honest) dining experience. There are screens showing sport but nothing loud to overcrowd your meal. The atmosphere downstairs is created with dark green or red booths and a wood decor, heightened by the the hum of conversations of fellow diners that creates an almost lodge style experience. Not, may I add in a bad way but in a "we know this place exists!" kind of excitement which only adds to the eating out experience.
Prices are west end prices and totally worth it in my opinion. I've said before that I'm happy to pay for consistent quality and Bodean's delivers just that.
Please check out the link below and let me know what you think because this is little piece of meat heaven as far as I'm concerned and anyone I've taken along has agreed. It would be good to hear others opinions!
http://www.bodeansbbq.com/
So there you have it today's tips for tantalising your taste buds!
More to follow next month......
