13 Fino
The sheer spaciousness of this Spanish restaurant makes it bright and
airy despite its subterranean setting.The tapas runs from caperberries
and toasted almonds through to foie gras with chilli jam.
Fino, 33 Charlotte St, W1T 1RR (020 7813 8010) Goodge St tube.
14 Food for Thought
Sitting incongruously among the trendy boutiques and shoe shops of Neal
Street, this unpretentious, vegetarian stalwart does tasty soups,
stir-fries and salads, and is brilliant value for money. The lunchtime
takeaway queues are long for a reason.
Food for Thought, 31 Neal St, WC2H 9PR (020 7836 9072) Covent Garden tube.
15 The Bleeding Heart
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This softly lit, congenial cellar bar is owned by Adnams, and as well
as quality beer it boasts an obscenely long wine list (450 at the last
count) – including bottles from the firm’s vineyards in Hawke’s Bay,
New Zealand. The first pub on this site opened in 1746, and the place
oozes history. Appetising food is served upstairs, and the Gallic
bistro is across the cobbled courtyard.
The Bleeding Heart, Bleeding Heart Yard, 19 Greville St, EC1N 8SJ (020 7404 0333) Farringdon tube/rail.
16 Quirinale
Rabble-rousing parliamentarians give this creamy-coloured Westminster
restaurant a vote of confidence. Fine regional cooking, a stupendous
cheese list and four house wines to debate mean that while Quirinale
might be set underground, it certainly hits the heights for Italian
cuisine in London.
Quirinale, North Court, 1 Great Peter St, SW1P 3LL (020 7222 7080) St James’s Park or Westminster tube.
17 Tate Britain Restaurant
This smart eatery is also a gallery in itself– its four walls covered
with a specially commissioned Rex Whistler mural, amusingly titled ‘The
Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats’. The short menu changes regularly
but always offers British classics. The desserts are a particular treat
– bread and butter pudding, apple crumble and cheescake. The perfect
accompaniment to a leisurely browse round the gallery above.
Tate Britain Restaurant, Millbank, SW1 4RG (020 7887 8825) Pimlico tube.
18 Hakkasan
Don’t expect chewy prawn crackers or an all you-can-eat buffet at this
opulent Chinese restaurant. The high prices reflect the quality on
offer; it was only the fifth Chinese restaurant ever to be awarded a
Michelin star. Its unlikely location off Hanway Street makes it a real
find. The drinks can play second fiddle to the exceptional food, but
it’s worth ducking beyond the slatted wooden partition and into the
classy confines of the bar. The Hakkatini (Grey Goose l’Orange,
Campari, Grand Marnier) and the Saketini (saké, Hendrick’s gin, Rain
vodka) are dangerously easy to guzzle.
Hakkasan, 8 Hanway Place, W1T 1HF 020 7927 7000) Tottenham Court Rd tube.
19 The Asylum
Easy to miss, The Asylum is parked under a now empty newsagent’s on the
corner of Rathbone Place and Percy Street (next to Bam-Bou). Down the
metal staircase is a small bar that plays host to a bewildering array
of events – hip hop nights, art installations, comedy and live punk, to
name but a few. You could phone ahead to find out what’s on, but it’s
just as much fun piling downstairs and discovering for yourself when
you get there.
The Asylum, 28 Rathbone Place, W1P 1DJ (020 7636 8228) Tottenham Court Rd tube.
Time Out London magazine (Issue 1832)
London Eating & Drinking|
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