Tamworth suckling pig, radishes and honey emulsion at Launceston Place
When I tell friends and acquaintances that I blog about restaurants, they often ask what my favorite restaurant is. And while I often end up saying something like “it depends” because it’s the truth, I also understand why that response is deeply unsatisfying.
Although I have no single “best” London restaurant to share, below is a list of my fave restaurants and individual dishes of 2009. (Click on the boldface restaurant names to read my original posts).
- Barrafina. Each time I eat at Barrafina, I swear that it’s the *last time* I’m queuing to snag one of their coveted seats at the bar, but Barrafina’s fresh and tasty seafood served in convivial surroundings sucks me in time and again. Based on my dinners there in 2009, Barrafina’s still going strong.
- Launceston Place. I ate here relatively recently (in November 2009), so of course my dinner there remains fresh in my mind. But even if I hadn’t been there since last January, Tristan Welch’s creative, delicious food served in a chic, comfortable dining room would still stand out. I can’t wait to revisit!
- Leong’s Legends. I eat dim sum at the original Chinatown location about once a month, and it’s part of the place’s charm that they still don’t recognize me as a regular diner. Although I agree with World Foodie Guide that Pearl Liang has the edge in service and decor, in terms of quality of dim sum, I think the two restos are neck-and-neck. What gives Leong’s the slim advantage over Pearl Liang is its location in Chinatown — Soho is just so much easier for me to reach than Paddington.
- Murano. Delicious and elegant. I’m still not a fan of all those mirrored walls (it’s so worst-of-Vegas-in-the-80s), but I love the haute Italian food here, along with the generosity and quality of the amuses. I’ve been to Murano twice and look forward to going again.
beef dolsot bibimbap at Young Bean
Lifting a good idea from Londonelicious, below are my fave individual dishes at London restaurants in 2009:
- Galvin La Chapelle served me a superb bone-in rib eye. I loved everything from the accompanying bone marrow and black truffle macaroni and cheese to the the over-the-top tableside presentation. I haven’t eaten anything else at La Chapelle, but based on how consistently good Galvin Bistro de Luxe is, I’m hoping Galvin La Chapelle will turn out to be just as good.
- L’Anima‘s heavenly fritto misto pulled me in twice in a month. For £14.25, you’re served a massive plate of fresh seafood, battered and fried in the lightest, crispiest, grease-free way possible. It’s like taking a trip to Venice, but 5,000% cheaper.
- Young Bean‘s dolsot bibimbap is an addiction. I love the sizzle of the rice and raw egg when they hit the clay pot, and if I could eat this thing every day, I would.
foie gras ice cream with brioche emulsion at Hibiscus restaurant
London restaurants that I haven’t visited in the past year, but which I will definitely return to in 2010:
- Hibiscus. I was last there in December 2007 (!), and I keep hearing good things about it. Read Tamarind & Thyme’s recent post on her lunch here.
- The Ledbury. Time flew by, and I didn’t notice until today that I was last there in October 2008. Hollow Legs’s post on her excellent meal there last week also informed me that the Ledbury finally has its second Michelin star. So I’d better get in before the prices go up.
London restaurants I’d like to try in 2010 for a variety of reasons I won’t go into here, but tell me if you think I shouldn’t bother with any of these:
- The Brilliant Restaurant (in Southall)
- Chez Bruce
- Giaconda Dining Room
- Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Roa
- Madhu’s (in Southall)
- The Square
- Sushi Hiro
Here’s to more eating and eating and eating in 2010! And I’ll post later this week on my favorite meals while traveling outside the UK.
Hiya, no doubt you’ll be inundated. My 2 cents: Giaconda always looks like a packed sardine tin when I peer through the window; can’t imagine enjoying a dinner so squashed together so thus have refused to go. Have you ever been to Greenhouse in Mayfair? It’s probably my fave resto in London (of the posh variety). They get the combination of creative and classical just right. Plus, lots of freebees.
On a Paris-note… I am heading there tomorrow just for dinner (well, it is our anniversary and my partner Steve is working there for 3 weeks). Going to “Jadis”, a bit of a trek but pretty rave reviews as a place that — like Greenhouse — allegedly combines tradition with a hint of trendy. Will let you know how it is.
Mike – I haven’t been to Greenhouse, but thanks for the tip. Giaconda has sounded appealing bc I miss the small, good-quality Italian places I used to take for granted in New York. But I take your point about the sardine tin – every time I call to make a booking, they’re full.
I’ve heard good things about Jadis – I think I first read about it on David Lebovitz’s site. or Dorie Greenspan’s? Or maybe both. Let me know how it goes. And happy anniversary! My current faves for mid-cost-eating in Paris are Itineraires and Thoumieux (for the traditional-elegant atmosphere and the starters there were so good that I suspect my so-so mains were an anomaly).
Oooh, how did you decide on those Southall restaurants? I go out there relatively often (so close to me) but haven’t tried those two!
Hi Su-Lin, I have a lot of colleagues and friends from India, and those were two that came up a lot in conversations. The “Brilliant” resto is apparently where the Bollywood celebs go when they’re in town, and Madhu has just come up the most often with different people. I’ll let you know when I’m headed there and perhaps I can suck you in, too.
Was just about to suggest the same! Yeah, I’m keen to hit them up both!
Great list – they are always fun. Of your to go to list – I think you will really like Giaconda Dining Room, you will love the Square as it is like the Ledbury but even more Michelin style and Chez Bruce – I think you will like the food but find the atmosphere a little strange perhaps.
Really keen to go to Sushi Hiro so if you don’t make it there before I am back from holidays we should try it. I also have heard interesting stuff about The Brilliant, it is a real institution apparently.
Gourmet Chick – You’re on for Sushi Hiro, as I know it’s on your “must visit” list for the year, too. And your excellent experience at the Square is a big factor for my wanting to visit (in addition to my love of the Ledbury). Have you read Jay Rayner’s “The Man Who Ate the World”? He talks about how the Square was his favorite, but when he re-visited with his wife, it was horribly disappointing. That said, I’m still curious about it.
I will, of course, plan to avoid that upstairs room at Chez Bruce. If those diners thought Aussies were loud, they will definitely not look kindly upon Americans. lol.
For those of us east enders, schlepping out to Southall is all but impossible. And for those of you not interested in queuing at Tayyabs… try Kolapata on Whitechapel Road. They proudly serve Bangladeshi food. All spices hand ground daily. Dishes you’ve never seen anywhere else (eg: the 5 dishes in the “smashed” list). It’s not exactly haute gourmet, nor are surroundings too salubrious, but the food is delicious! BYO and dirt cheap.
As for Italian, agreed. In London, Lucio on Fulham Road comes pretty close. I guess the cafe version of Semplice comes close (main resto very good but a bit staid).. but the real winner is hands down, Frizzante at the Hackney City Farm. It’s seasonal, closed until Spring. They have Italian evening once a week — the real thing, usually only 3 choices for each course.
Enjoy!
The Square – went to it in Feb 08 so my opinion is a bit old by now, but I thought it was generally very good in a more modern style.
Sushi Hiro – My only complaints of it is that it is a bit out of the way and that there’s only sushi/sashimi to eat. Personally I still prefer Sushi Say because its just bloody good all round.
I’m also really keen on Ledbury and hopefully the Galvins and Murano as well.
Wild Boar – so the Square was worth the money when you visited? Re: Sushi Hiro – yes, it’s a schlepp. That’s why I haven’t visited yet, but so many bloggers and food lovers adore it, and I do crave sushi . . . so I really must visit. Sushi Say was very good both times I visited, but frankly, Willesden is a bit out of the way, too.
Value is always a tricky one to pin down. I spent £240 for two degustations including a bottle of wine so it definitely wasn’t cheap. That being said I thought the general quality (food, service) was very good. Compared to other 2*+ restaurants, I preferred my meal in Le Gavroche but found Square more enjoyable than Joel Robuchon and Waterside Inn. I only had the set lunch at Hibiscus (review done, awaiting editor’s approval) but that seemed equally good as the Square too.
Summary: Yes it was one of the better meals I had in London in the posh French variety.
Sushi-lovers – have you tried Sakana-tei on Maddox Street (off Regent Street)? Small place, authentic, fresh – at night, along with the sushi, they specialize in “little dishes” (don’t know Japanese term) with most written in Japanese on blackboard, though the waitresses/owner will explain. check out the kosher wine at the entrance — a couple of regulars apparently are Israelis…
I’ll look for Sakana-tei . . . funny what you say about Israelis. When I was in Israel last summer, several of the Israelis I visited kept raving about the sushi scene in Tel Aviv. Sushi seems to be “big” there, or at least in Tel Aviv.
but presumably not ika, ebi — or my fave — uni!
I wouldn’t bother with the Giaconda – although it seems I’m in the minority.
Sushi Hiro is most definitely worth a visit and The Square is on my hit list too. I’ve heard the food is practically faultless, although the atmosphere is a little stuffy.
I’d recommend Giaconda, not only for the food, but also for the service and the atmosphere. (It’s right around the corner from my office, so I’ve been there a few times for lunch – always able to book a table, but then it’s lunch – and once for an early dinner, and again was able to book no problem.)
I loved Sushi Hiro, but it is a right schleppathon. Worth the trek I’d say. Given my recent lunch at The Ledbury, I’d also love to try the Square.
Douglas and Diana – sounds like you’ve represented the split views on Giaconda, though perhaps lunch vs dinner is part of the disparity in views? I know for sure that I’ve been unable to get a reservation several times now at Giaconda, though in fairness, I do call only a day or two in advance.
Helen and Lizzie – I remember reading rave reviews about Sushi Hiro on your blogs, which is part of the reason I feel I need to schlepp out there. And the Square will surely benefit from the Ledbury’s elevation to two stars – most fans of the Ledbury seem to know about that sibling.
[...] you enjoyed reading this post, you might also like last week’s post on my favorite London restaurants in 2009. Also, for an index listing all the posts I’ve written on restaurants outside the UK [...]
I did a tour of Southall through London Walks at some point this year and it was pretty cool. (Although I was really hoping to eat along the way and we didn’t.) It was pouring rain by the time the tour finished so we didn’t make it to Brilliant, but we did buy a lot of sweets from the different sweets places. Somewhere, I’ve noted who had the best stuff. Remind me to dig it up.
Yes, now that you mention it, I do remember your post on your Southall walking tour. I’m not a huge sweets fan, generally, but would still be curious to see your list.
London is a country with multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society this is the reason you enjoy london most compare to other countries . Famous Restaurants in London in general presents varieties of cuisines; normaly you can find French/Algerian cuisine food , Chinese cuisine, Thai cuisine, Vietnamese cuisine, Tasty Indian cuisine and also Belgian cuisine.
whenever i am in london i specially effort go to Amaya Indian Restaurant
The food is mainly designed to be shared and also comes in varying tasting portions; 6-8 of these plates is further equivalent routine ly two course meal.
Great List you have here – big fan of Pearl Liang, Leong’s Legends and Barrafinna. Completely agree with you on L’Anima (probably one of my best meals of 2009 – will try the fritto misto next time, but fell in love with the Ravioli and Blueberry souffle)
Thanks for the rest! – recently started food blogging and your list definitely helps me to shape up the 2010 hitlist! Really enjoyed the food at Cafe De Luxe last weekend, and hope to give La Chapelle a visit in the coming months…
Guan
Guan, blogging is pretty fun, but beware that it’s a total time-suck of a hobby! I’ve had a souffle before at L’Anima – it wasn’t blueberry, but it was delish, I agree. Looking forward to reading your posts.
Agree – not always easy to find the time to blog with the day job and all – labour of love indeed! Do drop by if you’re interested: theboywhoatetheworld.wordpress.com
hi!
Just read this list and I thought I’d give my two cents worth!
I was wondering if you’ve heard of Fino? It’s the sister restaurant of Barrafina (all the money goes to the same bugger). Fino offers a wider range of food as compared to Barrafina. No doubt the price is more expensive, but they do a 50% offer for lunch on Monday to Friday at the Eating bar! That works out to be way cheaper than Barrafina, and reservations are allowed. The problem I always get with Barrafina is that the queue is extremely long. You either have to go really early or really late to avoid the wait.
Regarding the list of restaurants you would like to try, we haven’t been to most of them, but we’ve eaten at Sushi Hiro and we highly recommend it. Make reservations though. The first time we were there, we were denied a table even though their restaurant was virtually empty, ended up taking away and eating in our car. But it was worth it.
Wonder if you have heard abt atari-ya as well? We read that it’s supposed to be the supplier to Sushi Hiro, Nobu and Zuma. It has a take away shop near Bond street. heh.
We are fans of Japanese food. If you find any good jap place, do let us know!
jiaseemee.wordpress.com
Jiaseemee – that must have been so irritating to have trekked out to Ealing and then been denied the chance to eat at Sushi Hiro (though great you were allowed takeaway). I’ve heard about Atari-Ya but haven’t made it there. I hadn’t realized they were suppliers to so many luminaries of the Japanese dining scene in London!
London is a great destination for foodies.
It has multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society.
When I was in London, I went to Kasturi restaurant.
The Hyderabadi biryani, zeera chicken of Kasturi was very yummy.
It also has a decent wine list – one must try the Rijoja.
Also there is a good restaurant near the office of southalltravel.co.uk
But I don’t remember the name of this restaurant.
[...] roll at Neptune Oyster. And like every other self-respecting food blogger, I generated my “Favorite London Restaurants” list for 2009, and a corresponding list for places outside the UK. I’m happy to see that even today, [...]