Hello guys from India! It feels like just yesterday I blogged about reaching London and embarking on my journey at Le Cordon Bleu. What a whirlwind and all-round incredible experience! After being away for 3 months, it certainly feels bittersweet to be back. While I really loved every second of my time in London, I am also looking forward to put all that I learnt towards a newish career path- here’s to 2018!
As I have a few exciting trips planned over the next few weeks, I am only properly starting back with work mid-December. In the meanwhile, I am using whatever days I have in Bombay to get back on track with life. As my past London restaurant round-up posts seem to have been quite well-received, here are a few more highlights worth mentioning:
- Taqueria (Westbourne Grove): Notting Hill is full of fun restaurants and Tacqueria is testament to that. I had my last meal in London here and it did not disappoint. Between the tacos, tostados and fried plantains, the food all taste extremely authentic and the margaritas went down almost too easy. Although they have a variety of non-veg options (think steak, chicken, fish, prawn, the works), the menu is equally veggie-friendly.
- RustiKo (Old Compton Street): While I’m all for making restaurant reservations in advance to ensure a table, part of London’s charm for me is stumbling across a cute restaurant…and where better to do so than Soho. True to its name, RustiKo is a charming, rustic Italian restaurant with a variety of meat, pizza, and pasta dishes at extremely reasonable prices.
- Pizza East (Shoreditch High Street): There’s definitely a positive correlation between cold weather & my carb cravings…especially in the form of pizza. While their pies certainly steal the show, there is a lot to be said about Pizza East’s vegetable side dishes- the ‘Burnt Aubergine with Tahini, Walnut and Pomegranate’ especially had me going back for thirds. I’d particularly recommend Pizza East if you are dining in a big group.
- The Harrison (Harrison Street): Is there anything more quintessentially British than a pub lunch? I think not! Google suggested that this was one of the best Sunday roasts near Kings Cross and we certainly agreed. I went with chicken option with all the trimmings but in future I’d opt for the equally delicious nut roast (I stole a bite from my mum). In case you are wondering, cider and berry crumble were definitely involved because hey, hashtag Sunday roast!
- Honi Poke (Dean Street): I have a thing for restaurants that allow you to customize your meal…even more so when it’s in the form of a poke bowl. Although poke restaurants are nothing new, I was especially impressed by Honi Poke’s offerings. Along with the usuals like brown rice, salmon and tuna sashimi, other interesting options include quinoa, veggie slaw, flame-torched octopus, crabmeat & tofu. I should also mention that the servers are extremely generous with toppings 😉 .
- Half Cup (Judd Street): Between options like ‘Middle Eastern Style Baked Beans’, ‘Chorizo Breakfast Brioche’, and ‘Sweetcorn & Courgette Fritters with Beetroot Hummus’, the menu here is a dream. I initially ordered the ‘HalfCup Full English’ but then our waitress suggested it was too boring of an option ha. She recommended the ‘Quinoa Smashed Avocado Toast with Feta & A Poached Egg’ and I’m SO glad she did.
- Bibimbap To Go (Margaret Street): This is a smaller outlet of the original Bibimbap restaurant in Soho. Nestled off Oxford Circus, Bibimbap To Go offers a smaller selection of the restaurant’s menu including their ever-so-popular bibimbap bowls. After a few cups of kimchi, I tucked into my order of brown rice bibimbap with shiitake, white, black & oyster mushrooms. I’d highly recommend it for a quick lunch in between plowing through the shops on Oxford Street.
- Monkey & Me (Crawford Street): It’s official- if I had to live off one cuisine for the rest of life, Thai would probably be in the lead…Monkey & Me only reinforces that. Given its proximity to my home in London, it’s no wonder that I ate there quite a few times. A few options I would particularly recommend are the grilled calamari, prawn pad thai, morning glory in garlic, tofu green curry and the fresh coconut ice cream (dairy-free).
Here are some earlier restaurant posts I’ve done during previous trips to London:
- London 2017 Restaurant Guide – Part 1
- Yeotown Kitchen (Chiltern Street)
- Granger & Co (Notting Hill)
- Christopher’s (Covent Garden)
- Yorica (Soho)
- Marylebone Favorites
- Opso (Paddington Street)
- Timmy Green (Victoria)
- Eating Out in London
What’s your favourite restaurant in London and/or your hometown?
Khushboo – Honi Poke sounds delightful! I wish you were there when we were there earlier this summer – you have some of the most interesting restaurants on here!