Two more London sound bites

(May 22-25, 2008 ) We had two interesting meals on this brief trip to London. The first at Luciano (72-73 St. James’s Street; 020 7408 1440), across the street from our Quintess apartment, was noteworthy for the place rather than the food.

Two “Sound Bites” in London

 (May 22-25, 2008 ) We had two interesting meals on this brief trip to London. 

The first at Luciano (72-73 St. James’s Street; 020 7408 1440), across the street from our Quintess apartment, was noteworthy for the place rather than the food.

Lindsay House, London 4

Continuing our London program of theater and opera with no dinner we wanted to have a significant lunch on April 9, 2008, before an afternoon performance of the new Yasmina Reza play at the Gielgud Theatre. We also needed to pick up our tickets for Carmen that evening at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. So, using CountryEpicure as it was originally conceived by Varian, we found their enthusiastic blogposts for Lindsay House in the neighborhood where we would be about noon.

Hibiscus, London 2

Linda and I had lunch at Hibiscus on April 8, 2008. We had heard very good reports about the quality of the cuisine and ambience. The welcome was warm, but the restaurant wasn’t even half full at our 1:00 arrival.

Le Caprice, London 2

On April 7, 2008, Sally, Linda and I dined at Le Caprice. in St. James’s near the Ritz Hotel.

Hibiscus

29 Maddox Street, 020 7629 2999; www.hibiscusrestaurant.co.uk

(November 20, 2007) On a recent trip to the London Apple Store on Regent Street, we had noticed this restaurant and then read a rave review of it in “Time Out” so we knew our instincts were right. It is a small, calm oasis in a street busy with restaurants.

The Forge

14 Garrick Street, 020 7379 1432;
www.theforgerestaurant.co.uk

(November 21, 2007) We were wandering near the West End with no restaurant in mind, but definitely hungry. One restaurant after another that we passed seemed either too touristy or not interesting enough.

Patara

3-7 Maddox Street, 020 7499 6008
(November 10, 2007)

This is one of four upscale Thai restaurants by the same name in London.

Le Caprice

Arlington Street, 020 7629 2239

(November 25, 2007) On this rather dreary Sunday, we planned to have a very late lunch near our Quintess apartment at 5 St. James’s  St. There are lots of nice restaurants in the neighborhood, but seemingly none of them open on Sunday.

Lindsay House

21 Romilly Street; W1D; 020 7439 0450; http://www.lindsayhouse.co.uk/(January 2006) (for two updates the last in November 2007, see below)

Since our very rainy morning was going to be spent at the National Gallery, I looked for restaurants in the area; and admittedly the search was a half-hearted one. Didn’t search Michelin Guide, nor any other books, I just looked in the local weekly magazines that were on our coffee table. Lindsay House was one that appealed and there was another on Frith Street, around the corner.

Ping Pong

45 Great Marlborough Street (and 5 other locations in London); 020 7851 6969

(January 2007) Seating at this beautifully designed restaurant is at counters that snake through the two-story space. On the ground floor, directly outside is a stunning Japanese garden and pool, which is also visible from the counter at the end of the first floor through its two story windows. The clientele is young and trendy and having a great time.

At each place on the counter (and at the few tables that exist for parties of four or more) there is a list of all the dim sum on offer, with their prices. Just check off the ones you want, and the waitress puts your order in, when each dish is delivered, it is checked off your order sheet. They suggested that we order six dishes, and they were right.

We found it a perfect place for a light but delicious lunch.

@venue

7-9 St James’s Street; 020 7321 2111;

www.egami.co.uk

(January 2007) London’s weather was dreary and cold the day we arrived at our Quintess apartment at 5 St James’s Street. Lunch was our first order of business, and since it was already late, we wanted to eat close by. At 7 St. James’s, @venue was the perfect choice.

Clarke’s

124 Kensington Church Street W8; 020 7221 9225 

Addendum October, 2006: 

Sally Clarke is still at the top of her game, finding unusual seasonal vegetables and cooking them in her fashion.  Early October’s menu offered baked gem squash cream soup, served in the little “gem.” 

Bam-Bou

1 Percy Street, 020 7323 9130;

www.bam-bou.co.uk

(Octber 4, 2006) One of our favorite cuisines is Vietnamese, and we are therefore always searching for newer, better and different restaurants when we visit major cities, not forgetting to stop in at old favorites of course. Bam-Bou is one we read about in Zagat and it sounded as if it were worth a shot.

Zaika

1 Kensington High Street, 0207 795 6533 

 

An Indian restaurant with one Michelin star, Zaika, was on my short list.  The fact that it turned out to be half a block from the Milestone Hotel, where we were staying, made it the first place we ate.  At the Sunday lunch when we wandered in, the only other diners were a young, Indian couple in jeans; but she, with a sari-like top, did eat in Kerala-fashion, with her right hand.

The Square

On February 3, 2006, four of us dined at The Square, one of the four two-starred London restaurants in the Michelin Guide.

Duke’s Hotel

We stayed at Duke’s Hotel in London from February 2 to 7, 2006.  Although we both once knew London quite well, we had not been there in many years and knew little of the St. James’s neighbourhood.  

AMAYA

15 Halkin Arcade, Montcomb Street, SW1   020 7823 1166 

This is our second visit in a year to what may be our favorite Indian restaurant in the Indian restaurant capital of Europe–London.  Happy to report that the ₤45 tasting menu still is entrancing.  Both the welcome and the service at lunch were warm and professional (even if the only Indians in sight were in the kitchen and seated at the tables.  

The kitchen is sort of open plan, with most of the dishes cooked on the grill or in the bread ovens.  The refrigerated drawers where all the wonderful vegetables are kept have glass doors so you can see everything.  The décor is trendy, and the wait staff really helpful in describing dishes and suggesting what sauce to eat with which dish.The variety of dishes on the tasting menu was good, plentiful and just nicely spiced.  This is not the place to go for traditional curries.

A Place Like Home

Source for Apartments all over. London, www.aplacelikehome.co.uk 

Our first experience with this service left us so impressed that we cannot ever imagine anything else.  The apartment we chose, at 38 Onslow Square, couldn’t have been better located.  It was also clearly someone’s home so there was that warm English feel rather than an institutional one. 

The living room, with a fake fireplace but two large windows overlooking the square (from the next to the top floor of the elevated building), was furnished with comfortable seats, good reading lights, and a large dining room table.  Strewn around were framed photographs and bibelots, bibelots, bibelots.  The master bedroom with its large four-poster, canopy bed was comfortable and quiet.  It has a large dressing room and bath. 

The second bedroom, facing the square, had two single beds.  The kitchen was sunny, with two windows overlooking the back of the building, and well-equipped, even with washer/dryer.  As impressive as the apartment itself was the service given by A Place Like Home.  We were met at the apartment at the appointed hour and shown how to work everything, from the security combination to the appliances. 

They provide the linens, which were top quality and plenty of towels.  They also met us at the end of our stay to check us out and then their cleaning service came in and took over.  This was one of their top range smaller apartments but well worth it as it was cheaper than a hotel suite by far.  There are larger, and smaller places; and in various locations around London. 

Minimum stay is a week.  And, the cost for this two-bedroom apartment was about $400 per night.   

St. John’s

26 St. John Street, EC1M 020 7251 0848(November 24, 2005)  Chef/Owner Fergus Henderson has made a name for himself at this former smokehouse just outside the Smithfield Market, turning out dishes with parts of the animal that usually don’t find their way onto many menus. But, don’t let that put you off. The entrance is through a café and bakery, then up some old metal stairs into a whitewashed large room which includes the open kitchen. Butcher-paper tablecloths maintain the feel of the old meat district, but the napkins are linen and the rest of the table setting gracious. Although the atmosphere is a bit casual, the service is very professional and friendly.

While we had come prepared to be offered all sorts of odd bits, the menu was actually fairly tame. We started with an earthy terrine (£6.40) and roasted bones with marrow served on a parsley salad (£6.50) that was out of sight. Gary feasted on the special of rabbit with mustard and bacon (£15.20) and Varian delighted in the partridge with Jerusalem artichokes (£21.60).

The waiter suggested that we try the vegetable special, sprout tops (£3.20) a seasonal delicacy rarely found. New to us, they were a real treat, bright green and firm; evidently just blanched and then tossed in oil and seasonings.

To finish off the meal, Varian had a plate of some English cheese (£7.20) and Gary tucked into the buttermilk Pudding with prunes and cookies (£6.40).

Throughout we drank a very nice 2002 Baron de Brane Margaux (£43)