Forget what you've heard about British food, London has become one of the world's great centers for fine cuisine.
Soho in London's West End, is in the borough of the City of Westminster. It is an area of approximately one square mile bounded by Oxford Street to the north, Regent Street to the west, Shaftesbury Avenue to the south, and Charing Cross Road to the east. It is primarily known for its nightlife including bars, pubs, clubs, theatres and of course big name restaurants.
Busaba Eathai
[106-110, Wardour Street, Soho, London W1 F0TS tel: 020 7255 8686]
cuisine: Thai
The large tables which you share with strangers (or friends you don't know yet) is a similar format to Wagamama. The menu stretches beyond the norm and was based on dishes the Thai Royal Family used to eat. Expect to pay around £18 per person (for a main, side order and drinks). No bookings taken - just turn up.
Yauatcha
[15 Broadwick Street, Soho, London W1F 0DL tel: 020 7494 8888]
cuisine: Chinese
Acclaimed dim sum, cool decor, but a little on the cramped side and the service is still experiencing some teething difficulties. However, this restaurant is still a cut above most other Chinatown eateries.
Andrew Edmunds
[46 Lexington Street, Soho, Londonm, W1F 0LW tel: 020 7437 5708]
cuisine: British
An interesting restaurant providing an eclectic range of European cuisine. Main courses include marinated tiger prawns with Thai vegetable noodles and also spicy meatloaf with porcini gravy and mash. The crowd is young and the wine list is admirable. You must reserve a table well in advance here. Expect to pay around £25 per person.
Spiga
[84-86 Wardour Street, Soho, London W1 F0TQ tel: 020 7734 3444]
cuisine: Italian, Pizza
This ever popular pizza parlour delivers the goods in the heart of Soho. There are simple grills and a short but good selection of pasta dishes, but the pizzas are the main attraction. Expect to pay £6 for a pizza and £10.50 for a bottle of house wine.
The Chippy
[38 Poland Street, Soho, W1F 7LY tel: 020 7434 1933]
cuisine: British
This licensed café looks as if it’s been here for decades. The dark lino, primrose coloured Formica, wood panelling and bentwood chairs all reference decades past. In fact, it’s only been open a few months, and the retro look and menu are very conscious. There are no desserts, but you won’t need one anyway after tucking into a ‘small’ cod and chips (£7.60) – the freshly fried, hand-cut chips spilling off the plate, the fish encased in a tight, crisp batter.
Chinatown The revolution continues apace in Chinatown, and the future looks bright. Where once we suffered with tired Anglo-Canto greasy spoons in sad need of a makeover, now
the hub around Gerrard Street is a destination for quality food.
Baozi
[25 Newport Court, Chinatown, WC2H 7JS tel: 020 7287 6877 ] Cuisine: Chinese
An excellent purveyor of Beijing and Chengdu street snacks, Baozi ("people's commune" in Chinese), in a kitsch send-up of a Beijing hutong circa 1952, colourful plastic vegetables – symbols of a bountiful harvest worthy of a Great Leap Forward propaganda poster. Delicate dragon dumplings in fiery oil are pleasantly hot and light. Spicy flowering beancurd is composed of the silkiest own-made tofu, covered in chilli and sesame oils, with deep-fried dough and beansprout seeds lending texture
Malaysia Kopi Tiam[67 Charing Cross Road, Chinatown, WC2H 0NE tel: 020 7287 1113]
cuisine: Malaysian, Indonesian
Along Charing Cross Road lies a series of restaurants with seriously short lifespans – but judging by the food, Malaysia Kopi Tiam is one to stick around. Many of the diners around us were tucking into Hainanese chicken rice – tender slabs of poached chicken served with excellent fluffy rice cooked in chicken broth, and a small bowl of chicken soup on the side.
