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It’s not hard to find a good restaurant in London. On my few trips to the city, I’ve been fortunate enough to try several places.
Sophie’s Soho
For a delicious steak, try Sophie’s Soho near Piccadilly Circus. It’s got a lively atmosphere, excellent service, and prices are more than fair for the quality.
We started off with an order of fried buttermilk wings with pickled watermelon, crispy squid, and bread. The wings were great but the calamari wasn’t.
For dinner, all three of us had ribeye steaks with a side of mushrooms, fries, green beans, and smoked new potatoes. Being from Chicago, I’m spoiled with amazing steaks. It’s not the same as what you’d get in Chicago, but I can honestly say Sophie’s does it right.
For dessert, we shared an incredible sticky toffee pudding and a salted caramel tart.
Randall & Aubin Soho
If you’re looking for a good seafood dinner, visit Randall & Aubin Soho. We had to stand outside for about 20 minutes before getting a table in this small restaurant. The results were mixed.
We shared a platter of oysters and I had a French onion soup. The oysters were good but I’ve definitely had better. The soup was tasty but missing that special something.
For dinner, I wasn’t disappointed one bit. I had the seared Orkney scallops served over a bed of cauliflower parmesan purée with lemon spinach. It was one of the best meals I had eaten in a long time. For dessert, we shared a sticky toffee pudding and bread pudding.
Ham Yard Bar & Restaurant
Ham Yard Bar & Restaurant, located at the Ham Yard Hotel in Soho, serves a good selection of international and British cuisine. They’ve got excellent service and outdoor seating as well.
I had tomato soup and grilled tuna for dinner and finished it off by sharing two incredible desserts.
Since I was staying at the hotel, I had breakfast at the restaurant every morning. My favorites were the English breakfast and poached eggs with avocado toast.
We also had afternoon tea in the bar. They have a good selection of teas.
Santorini
For dinner with a couple locals, we visited Santorini on Moscow Road in Bayswater. This authentic Greek restaurant serves traditional favorites in a bright and welcoming setting.
We started off with the Cretan saganaki, which is fried and topped with honey and sesame seeds. We also had grilled octopus, a Greek village salad, and fried calamari. I had a bowl of avgolemono soup.
For my main course, I had the grilled stuffed calamari, which were excellent. We finished off the meal with bougatsa and ekmek kataifi.
Café Rouge
After a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London, we stopped into Café Rouge across the street for a light lunch. Service was a little snooty.
I had a French onion soup, which wasn’t that great. We also shared the sharing board, which included baked camembert, Toulouse sausages, smoked hummus, olives, garlic flatbread, and carrots and celery sticks.
Lemonia
My friend Carol took me to Primrose Hill and we passed Lemonia on the way. She took me inside for a quick look at this Greek restaurant. While I didn’t have a chance to eat there, Carol said the food is excellent. I’ve got it on my list for my next visit.
La Crêperie de Hampstead
While walking through Hampstead, Carol told me I had to try La Crêperie de Hampstead. This typical Parisian street crêperie has been in the same location since 1980. They offer a wide variety of both sweet and savory crepes. I had a banana butterscotch crepe and it was incredible.
Coffee Cup
On the same block, we stopped for coffee at the aptly named Coffee Cup, a historic coffee lounge and popular meeting place. It was jam packed and we were lucky to get one of the few tables outside on the street. The coffee was decent.
The Flask
Carol also took me to The Flask in Highgate. It’s a lively pub with friendly service and a good selection of beers. It was packed but we were able to get a table outside and enjoy a nice cold beer.
Munchkin’s
Across from the British Museum, I stopped into Munchkin’s for fish and chips after a visit to the museum. It wasn’t that great.
Brick Lane
Finally, for authentic Indian and Pakistani food, a friend took me to Brick Lane on my very first visit to London in 2004. I have no idea where we ate but it was a delicious meal.
