London’s West End district doesn’t get the best rap in the city center when it comes to food. Many locals will say that you need to get out of Zone One to try some authentic food. I disagree.
London has nine million residents, a third of whom were born outside the UK. Thousands of people travel to the West End every day for work and play — and they’ve got somewhere to eat. My immigrant parents certainly knew this, so in the 1980s, we opened a Chinese takeaway in Covent Garden. On weekends we will exchange food with neighboring Indian and Caribbean restaurants. We also held all our big family gatherings in Chinatown. Then on Christmas Eve, Mom would get together for dinner at a fancy hotel to “take photos.”
Admittedly, the West End can be expensive. After all, it is home to some of the city’s liveliest neighborhoods, most popular attractions, museums and theaters. I’ve had decades of fine dining and partying around town, Top Table deals (aka 2000’s Groupon), media invitations when I worked in television, and opting out of a pension plan entirely (recommendation Not done). I like to share tried and tested places, so when my friends visit they aren’t eating at a chain restaurant in Leicester Square or a tourist trap at Buckingham Palace.
Here are my favorite places to eat in the West End right now.
Breakfast
My favorite place for breakfast with company. Riding House CafeOpen from 8am on weekdays. They have three comfortable outposts, including Fitzrovia (Tube: Oxford Circus). If I’m feeling fancy I’ll make the malted deep dish pancakes (£13.50), otherwise it’s always the giant eggs benedikt with Kessler ham (£13.20). Bloody Marys are served from 10 am.
If I’m alone and starting work, I’ll go. The Hoxton, Holborn for run over, their lobby restaurant. It’s a nice place without distractions, so bring a book and enjoy the morning at your leisure. The full English breakfast (£15) is so filling that I’ll skip lunch.
enough
Russell Square is such a lovely stroll, but before you enter, stop at the red phone box at its eastern entrance. Inside is called a cafe. Wakamiso (Tube: Russell Square) It’s only open Friday to Sunday, and the best thing about it is the homemade tiramisu. They have flavors that spin away from the classics, like strawberry and pistachio, and are always under five.
The many museum cafes in central London are worth visiting for a coffee. Try it. Espresso Bar by Morels at the National Gallery (Tube: Trafalgar Square); Cafe bar In the Photographer’s Gallery (Tube: Oxford Circus); either or Courtyard Cafe In the Wallis Collection (Tube: Bond Street).
For something quirky, visit Fitzrovia’s. Attendant (Tube: Gouge Street). A small coffee bar located inside a former Victorian men’s public toilet (yes, really). Built in 1890, it still has all the original porcelain and floor tiles. Don’t worry, it’s all clean – there hasn’t been a pee in over half a century. The team uses seasonal espresso blends from their own roastery and the blend is rich and aromatic. Flat white (£3.50).
Lunch and afternoon tea
I am going Wong’s Since 1990. The Chinatown fixture (Tube: Leicester Square) is notorious for ‘rude’ service, but that’s what I love about it. This is Hong Kong fast food, with absolutely no frills and no frills. Walk in, take a seat (you might have to share a table) and order a huge bowl of their succulent £7.50 one-ton noodle soup. It’s cash only. Craving Peking Duck? Mom and I go Cutting, in the basement of the Hippodrome Casino. The papers say it’s ‘the best roast duck in the world’, and while we disagree (we’ve been to Beijing!), it’s the best we’ve had in central London.
This being London, you can’t go without splurging on afternoon tea. I love it Marriage of brothers (Tube: Covent Garden) Because their first floor, the Salon d’, is very decorative and the view of King Street is great for people-watching. Being part of a tea shop, the wine list is huge, as is the wine list. Try the signature Marco Polo black if it’s your first time, which pairs perfectly with their scones.
Then there is high tea for special occasions. You can’t remember Girl room At the Cafe Royal (Tube: Piccadilly Circus). Frequented by Oscar Wilde and Princess Diana, it is housed in a magnificent Grade-II listed Golden Boudoir. Traditional tier includes sandwiches, scones, cake plus tea (£70), and it’s just £10 extra to add champagne.
of Aperitif
My favorite is the pub. Audley Public House (Tube: Bond St) Built in 1888, this beautiful listed building has a colorful roof designed by London artist Phyllida Barlow. This bar serves beer from an independent supplier in Battersea called Sambrook’s Brewery, but you’ll also find all your booze mains. Do as the locals do, and go with your pint with a Scotch egg (£7.50).
Local Bites: The best places to eat in East London.
Dinner
West End Dining is synonymous with glamor and 5 star hotel. 45 Park Lane (Tube: Green Park) hosts some legendary dinner parties. My friends and I once had chef Wolfgang Puck join us for dinner at his American steak restaurant CUT. I recommend lamb chops (£38) and a table next to Damien Hirst’s Diamond Dust Psalms series. We also love steak. Connaught Girl And Amazonico. Pro tip: For a fancy meal at Mayfair (Tube: Green Park) on a budget, look for the Sunday roast specials.
This part of London has some of the best Japanese food in the capital. For a casual meal, try the adorable bento boxes Tokyo Dinner (Tube: Leicester Square), costing between £19 and £26. Reservations are not required. But you will need one. Roketsu (Tube: Marble Arch), which seats only 12-15 diners. It offers a traditional, 10-course kaiseki dining experience each evening centered around dashi (Japanese soup stock). Dishes change monthly. Allow two and a half hours for dinner.
Bar
I take everyone who comes. Cahoots (Tube: Piccadilly Circus) is a great time, but then who doesn’t love a 1940s-themed cocktail bar in an abandoned train station? You have three rooms including a ticket hall, a signal station and my favorite: a tube carriage. The cocktails are very creative and come in funky mugs, like the Winston Churchill (£15.50). Come on a Friday for live music, and always book.
Friendly society In Soho (Tube: Piccadilly Circus) is a classic LGBTQ+ hangout. As the name suggests, I’ve stepped out with armies of new friends over the years. The crowd is diverse and they play music that makes you smile. The more you drink, the faster the decorations of disco balls and barbie heads seem to go.