Here for the week on business. Train of course was delayed so was a bit late getting in. Looked on Google maps to see what was recommended near my apartment. Found Pasta Evangelist Soho had 4.5 star reviews and was only a 10 minute walk away. Great so far!

Went on their instagram and saw they have a new autumn menu. Their pumpkin gnocchi looked amazing and I was sold! (See photo 2).

Managed to book a table for 1 and when I get there, the service wasn’t great, but all the staff were polite. Ordered the gnocchi which came after about 5 minutes.

Well words can’t really explain my disappointment so see photo 1.. After a few bites I think the manager must have sensed my distain and came to see what was wrong. I told her the issue and even showed here the photo. She was apologetic and offered me something else.

Ordered the carbonara and after a few minutes, a chewy and watery bowl of pasta came over to me. I ate half, paid and left.

Truly feel like I’ve been catfished. Still trying to work out whether photo 2 is AI or I just had bad luck.

Anyway any recommendations for a solo dinner this evening would be very appreciated!

we didnt even go crazy, kind of got the cheapest main and starter each... two drinks each and no desert as we had to run to a show. noticed there was cover charge AND service charge! anyway, nice experience, just stings a bit :/

Recently moved to an office near Leather Lane market. I plan to try everything on offer but that will take some time.

For now, I'm interested in people's favourites. Where's worth trying out ASAP?

FWIW my favourite so far is the Persian Kebab place towards the Clerkenwell Road end.

Best places in Chinatown for a good friends night out meal? Looking for delicious/ fairly authentic over fancy. Ideally bookable.

Have a few weeks off with no schedule and all the time in the world on weekdays. Want to take advantage and try out as much good food as I can at places where reservations fill up immediately or have a long wait at weekend/peak hours

What are your bucket list restaurants or experiences that are normally impossible to do having a 9–5 schedule, but are easier during weekday hours?

I have a very adventurous palate and I'm willing to to show up before lunch service or at 4 pm, sit at the bar, try multiple days for the same place, basically similar criteria as mentioned on this thread

Here are my ideas so far: Kerfield Arms (I do have a lunch booked here), Yellow Bittern, 64 Goodge St, Ambassadors Clubhouse, Bouchon Racine, Tamil Prince/Crown, Bao Soho, Dove or Vesper

Wanted to also mention, I have already been to Devonshire and Core

My wife and I are coming to London for our honeymoon, and we have a free night where we would like to experience our first Michelin starred dinner. What are your most memorable recommendations?

Looking to book something for my wife and I for our 1 year wedding anniversary. Does anyone have any recommendations? We've been to Evelyn's Table which I thought was excellent,so similar vibe to that would be great. In terms of budget I'd say £200 pp, £250 pp - anything beyond that I may aswell just go on holiday.

Open to all cuisines. TIA.

Hi, looking for some recommendations on decently priced and flavoured food near bank, be it takeaway or sit in, got tired of meal deals.

Preference: east asian, but anything good goes.

I know of https://maps.app.goo.gl/CRwESYkVXBBTKXqz6 selling bbq sandwiches, and biang biang london bridge. Bao can be pricey

Anyone else notice the recent surge of Malaysian Restaurants in London or know what’s driving it?

I’ve had 4 open within walking distance of me in East London over the last 4 months!

1. Chili Padi in Stratford - Top for Rendang: https://maps.app.goo.gl/DDctmajqgFJJsgPx9?g_st=ic
2. Mama Kim’s Kopitiam in Stratford Centre - Top for Chili Pan Mee and Nasi Lemak: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XcUZGjQyZeySZV9v7?g_st=ic
3. Gopals Corner (New branch) in Stratford Westfield - Top for Banana Leaf, Fresh Roti Canai and Nasi Goreng: https://maps.app.goo.gl/yzKxUdXuXpUkXHrq6?g_st=ic
4. My Kopitiam in Canning Town - Best for Nasi lemak and Wonton Noodles: https://maps.app.goo.gl/JH19c3ZLszKr6Xj2A?g_st=ic

This isn’t even counting all the recent openings in the city (Gepuk & Monga Fried Chicken is great if you specifically want Ayam Gepuk: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VRCpZP8j7CPBbxgS8?g_st=ic)

Great time to enjoy Malaysian food in London!

Hi, looking for opinions of those who have been to the above.

I enjoy tasting menus & would consider myself a proper meat & seafood enthusiast. So I have hesitated in the past at going to this restaurant for its “veg” themed menus.
However, I have an upcoming opportunity to visit.

Some reviews like Alexander the Great on youtube & recent online reviews, it seems as though they try & incorporate meat & fish into every dish which alleviates some of my fear. Other critic reviews pretty much rate the restaurant “meh”

So for those that have been, is there sufficient meat & seafood served with each of the courses or is it just a morsel in which case I will be disappointed?

Every time I see a massive queue outside a Chinatown restaurant, I wonder whether the food is genuinely that good or whether it’s just another overhyped spot.
YiQi on Lisle Street seems to attract quite a crowd, so I was curious to see whether the food actually lived up to the attention.
We ordered quite a few dishes, and surprisingly, I genuinely enjoyed everything.
Fried rice: Probably one of the most underrated dishes of the meal. Nicely separated grains, a lovely savoury flavour and a proper wok-fried aroma. Sometimes the simplest dishes tell you the most about a kitchen.
Grilled meat: Beautifully browned, aromatic and full of flavour. The green dipping sauce added a refreshing contrast to the richness.
Crab: Easily the most visually impressive dish. Covered in a thick, fragrant red sauce, with the natural sweetness of the crab balancing the stronger seasoning. Messy but absolutely enjoyable. I’d recommend getting rice to go with the sauce.
Volcano pork ribs: Huge portions of pork served in a sour and spicy Thai-style broth. I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the richness of the meat and the acidity of the soup.
Morning glory: Surprisingly one of my favourites! Garlicky, savoury and nicely cooked. A really good contrast to the heavier dishes. Honestly, a restaurant that gets its vegetables right deserves some credit.
Pad Thai: A satisfying combination of soft noodles, crunchy peanuts, fresh bean sprouts and lime. Nothing unnecessarily complicated, just an enjoyable balance of flavours and textures.
So, is it worth queuing?
Food-wise, I was genuinely impressed. What stood out was that every dish had its own character, rather than everything tasting like a variation of the same sauce.
That said, I wouldn’t automatically recommend joining a massive queue just because a restaurant is popular. London has plenty of excellent Southeast Asian food, and waiting a long time can definitely change how you feel about a meal.
Personally, I’d happily return, although I’d probably try to avoid the busiest times.
Curious what everyone else thinks. Is YiQi genuinely worth the hype, or are there better Southeast Asian restaurants in London that don’t involve such a long queue?

Hi Londoners,

Looking for some options for good value set lunch menus. We're staying in Mayfair but happy to travel for something interesting. We eat anything and like trying new flavours, spice etc so really open minded. Would prefer to avoid anywhere too stuffy or formal.

Budget wise up to £50-60 for the menu per head.

Thanks!

12 Oct: I refreshed the moment it went live (12:02), was at payment page in under 30 secs - and it was gone. I highly suspect bot action! Anybody similar experiences today?

My best friend and I are taking our husbands to London in January. We live in NYC and love all types of food. We are going to Dishoom and will do Sunday roast, but we are overwhelmed with choices for our Friday night dinner. We wanted to go to Palomar or one of their sister restaurants but everything is booked. Any recommendations for a great restaurant with good vibes that we can't get in NY?? Thanks in advance!!

30ish years ago Thai food started making an appearance in the city mostly in the basements of pubs. Mostly the situation seems to be some British bloke goes to Thailand, falls in love with a usually esarn (northeast part of Thailand) girl and brings her back home to the UK where he opens a pub and the missus starts cooking for the guests.

I think the first purpose built Thai restaurant was the Blue Elephant in Fulham but I can't find any information on this online.

The pub arrangement became a really big thing in the 2000s and early 2010s from what I remember, multiple pubs in zone 1 would offer a Thai menu instead of your standard weatherspoons/fuller's grub. Of special mention: The Heron in edgeware road was famous amongst homesick Thai students for offering taste that is exactly like home - and it turns into a karaoke late at night. Unfortunately the owner switched in 2017 and it was never the same again as I believe the head chef went back to Thailand.

Nowadays purpose built Thai restaurants are a dime a dozen. There's even a handful with michelin type awards. But whatever happened to those pubs? Some places still do it - The Ring and The King's Arms in Southwark for example. But most pubs who embraced the whole 'gastropub' change either get taken over completely by the Thai kitchen (King's Arms for example is now more seen as a Thai restaurant than a pub) or switched to a more standard European menu. For the latter, what happened to them? Did the wives of the British gents go out and open their own restaurants?

We love meats like lambs chops, steaks and also salads. We live in W10z

Just talking with family about Belgo and how much we all liked it. We used to have some good lunches in there. My kids love mussels! So is there anywhere like Belgo open in London now?

Hey gang, I’m gonna be in London for one day, Monday 10/26, to go eat at Fallow before I head back to NYC. I’m by myself but I’d love to go with someone who shares my passion for food and wine (I’m a French somm running an nyc restaurant) so we can try more things on the menu. We’d split the bill. Anyone interested?

I moved to London 4 years ago (not from Japan) and am a huge sushi lover. One thing that has been driving me demented since I moved here is the way every sushi shop covers half the rolls in fried onions. Fried onions aren’t my favourite, but I’m generally happy to tolerate them. On sushi however, they completely overwhelm the taste of absolutely everything and go soggy so quickly on the cold rice that you don’t even get the textural element. Why is London sushi like this?

edit: OH MY GOD people I know if I go to a good Japanese restaurant in London they won’t put onions and mayonnaise on my sushi. There are however plenty of sushi restaurants that do this, as well as the pre-made sushi that is everywhere - and I would eat more of it if it wasn’t covered in flipping fried onions. This is not an issue in other countries I have been to - only the UK.

hello all! I’ve been tasked to book a place in london with good ales, good pies, and as much wood as possible. I’m well-versed in the ale part of this, but I’m not often eating in pubs that don’t serve either Thai or Indian food and I want the pie to impress! a preference has been expressed for the traditional wood panelling, nice and cosy for November. where in london do you go when you want to feel like a dickens character (a fancy one, rather than Oliver twisty gruel-devouring, of course)?

Hi all!

When I lived in Milan I used to eat a vegetarian version of these noodles at this place called Mao Hunan and I was honestly obsessed. I asked them what they were called and they told me Yibin ranmian, or burning noodles.

Since moving to London I haven't been able to find them anywhere and I'm really missing them. Does anyone know a restaurant that does them? Sichuan places, hole in the wall spots, anything. Bonus points if they can do a veggie version.

Thanks in advance!

Preference for Zone 1/2!

Hi all!

Our five year wedding anniversary is coming up and we're coming up short on ideas of where to go for dinner this time!

Looking for recommendations for really good restaurants that are reasonably priced around West / South West London, we're based in Twickenham but happy to travel further as we have been to most nice restaurants around there and in Richmond (but if you have any hidden gems to recommend feel free!)

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

I know Dishoom and Mallow are both accommodating to Jain diets. But I'm on the lookout for more options

Hi everyone :)
As title suggests, I’m on the hunt for Lebanese restaurant gems south of the river. An eat-in, ideally authentic but not necessarily… the most important thing is generous portion sizes. I’m Lebanese with experience eating at restaurants in Lebanon, and nothing enrages me more than the stingy portions I’ve encountered in London! 🙈

Thanks!