Eating in Central London
See www.london-eating.co.uk and map at foot of page.
1)
Chuen Cheng Ku
17 Wardour Street, Soho
Nearest Tube station - Piccadilly Circus
Recommended for: Dim Sum - lunchtime.
Not the prettiest place in London, but it is always stuffed full. Do not order
from the menu - the food comes round in trolleys. A typical plate is around
£2-£3, and 6-8 will fill 2 people up. Especially recommended are
the char sui (pork buns, big fluffy white things with pork in the middle) and
the curried squid (if you like that kind of thing).
2) Belgo Centraal
50 Earlham Street, Covent Garden
Nearest Tube station - Covent Garden
Web site
Recommended for: an early evening meal.
Watch out for: 'Beat the Clock', where you pay the price at the time shown on
your food order when ordering from their BTC menu, i.e. 6pm is £6. Aberdonians
eat at 5pm on the dot. 'Lunch Express' is a set lunch menu for £5.95,
Mon - Fri. It's kind of opposite Shelley's in Covent Garden, but you go in round
the side...and down a lift, it's all very industrial.
It's fashionable. It's in the basement, so the experience is as much as the
food. A Belgian theme restaurant may not conjure up visions of greatness, "mussels,
beer and chips" are their specialities but the menu is varied - even the
beat the clock menu. The waiters are dressed as monks and there are as many
beers as you can shake a stick at.
3)
Wagamama
10a Lexington Street, Soho, London, W1F 0LD
Nearest Tube station - Piccadilly Circus
Web site
Recommended for: lunch or early evening
The original fashionista "Japanese" place (but no raw fish!). Large
portions of noodles at a reasonable price, no booking (so queues later in the
evening) and refectory style tables. Don't expect authentic Japanese, but it's
filling, even the queueing can be fun (and the queues do go down quickly and
are not as bad as they used to be). Foodies will complain that it's only aimed
at filling you up and getting you out - so? Health note: the "fruit juice"
(a mixture of apple, orange and passion fruit) is wondrous.
4) Busaba Eathai
106-110 Wardour Street, Soho, London, W1F 0TR
Nearest Tube station - Tottenham Court Road
Recommended for: any meal.
No booking, so can be very busy on Friday/ Saturday night. No smoking. However,
it's pretty reasonable for a central London place, and the food has been excellent
every time we've been there. Be prepared for the refectory type tables (as in
Wagamama). Pad Thai recommended, as is the green curry.
5) Tokyo Diner
2 Newport Place, London, WC2H 7JP
Nearest Tube station - Leicester Square
Recommended for: a quick lunch
It's relatively cheap and genuinely Japanese - which means you don't tip...(note
for Aberdonians there). There is plenty on offer, not just sushi - on a cold
day try out the katsu-don (pork on rice) or the chicken version (can't remember
the name!) The miso soup is great and cheap. Filling and authentic.
Best way to get to it is from Charing Cross Road, as Soho round there is a maze.
6) The Sports Cafe
80 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4TE
Nearest Tube station - Piccadilly Circus
Web site
Recommended for: a sporting occasion
It's a sports themed restaurant. It has a Formula One Lotus on the wall. Don't
expect much more!
7) Gili Gulu
50-52 Monmouth Street, London WC2
Nearest Tube station - Leicester Square/Covent Garden
Recommended for: stuffing your face on fish and noodles
Slipped in a Sushi bar at the end here, but if you're ever going to do it this
is the way. It's an all-you-can eat buffet, and the food goes round on a conveyor
belt so you just help yourself to what you want (and no messing around with
coloured plates as in Yo! Sushi - except that the green ones are the veggie
ones). The other option is to have a noodle/sushi combo, so you can try 2 plates
of sushi (for example) with a plate of noodles. Only disadvantage is that all
your party have to have either the buffet or the combo (to prevent people "cheating").
Map - Click on green number for information