Savoring London: A Culinary Adventure

Whoever said the food was not good in London? On a recent trip to this vibrant city, we discovered an array of excellent cuisine that caters to all budgets.

Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill

What to do when you arrive in London hungry but know you have a big dinner planned? Stop for oysters of course! We had done our research before, discovering that Bentley’s was just a short walk from our hotel. They have a full restaurant and a cute outdoor space as well. They’ve been in business since 1916. Their website is: HERE

They have their own oyster farms, but on this day they were featuring oysters from Canada. We tried 3 different kinds.

We did share a Foie Gras and Lobster Bisque, both from the starter menus. They were each excellent. This was a great start to our London culinary adventure!

We loved Bentley’s so much we went twice! Part of what there is to love about food and dining is making a connection with people. Max, our waiter both times, was so interesting to talk to, making us feel so welcome. We would highly recommend Bentleys, and not just for oysters!

Rules

If you’re a foodie, the Covent Garden area of London is made for you. There are lots of choices for pubs, bars and fine dining. On our first night we wanted a traditional English meal so we chose Rules. Website: HERE

This restaurant is the oldest in London, opened in 1798 by Thomas Rule, featuring beautiful old world decor.

For dinner, I chose the Duck Confit in a sweet mustard sauce. Steve chose the Lamp Chop that he said was the most mild lamb he ever had. Along with it came our first taste of English Peas. Everything was absolutely delicious. We were tempted with the traditional Roast Rib of Beef for two, but our server admitted it was a lot of food. Maybe next time!

For dessert, we had our first Sticky Toffee Pudding with clotted cream. It is the specialty dessert of Rules. It did not disappoint, as it was wonderful.

A lovely dinner in a traditional English restaurant. The prices, for fine dining were reasonable and the service excellent. We loved our dinner at Rules!

The Ivy Market Grill Covent Garden

This restaurant is part of iconic Ivy Restaurant group. The Ivy Bar and Grill is also located in Covent Garden. The Covent Garden Market has both shops and lively restaurants perfect for a visit on a warm evening. Website: HERE

After a long day of site-seeing, we were looking for an easy dinner and bottle of wine, in a restaurant close by. Our hotel recommended The Ivy just a couple of blocks away. It turned out to be a great choice.

They make a traditional Shepherds Pie that was delicious. In fact, I told the waitress it ruined me for any future Shepherds Pie in England and never had it again.

The White Lion

After dinner, since it was so light, we ventured around Covent Garden for a glass of wine. We found The White Lion, a great pub that happened to be over 100 years old. I wished we were still hungry!

Back to The Ivy Market Grill. We loved the restaurant so much we went back for a proper English breakfast on our last morning.

Harrods

Yes, that’s right, make a stop to dine at one of the oldest department stores in the world. This high end department store is definitely worth trip to ogle at the beautiful building and high end designer wear, even if you don’t buy anything.

While there, one of the most exciting parts of the store is actually in the basement.

There are iconic displays throughout the store, even displays not selling a single thing.

On the basement level is the most incredible high-end food market. The cheese counter, features cheeses from all over the world. The fish market has a wide variety of fresh fish. They even have their own roaster where they roast their own brand of coffee beans.

Across the way, in the basement is the food hall. Like everything in Harrods, it too is very high end. There’s Italian, sushi, steak and more to choose from. Since we were in London, we opted for our first Fish and Chips.

Traditional Fish and Chips

There were several selections of fresh fish to choose from. We opted for the cod, as it was the least expensive. This plate we shared, along with a salad. It was huge and plenty for two.

Like the rest of Harrods, the food is not inexpensive. But we loved the experience and saved by sharing, so we thought it was well worth it!

La Gamba

Another lunch spot we stopped at was along the River Thames. We were excited to find Spanish tapas at La Gamba a riverside restaurant. Website: HERE

There are a wide variety of tapas to choose from on the menu. Since it was lunch, we went a little lighter but still tried a variety of dishes. We started with piquillo peppers and traditional croquets. Then we had a delicious light tomato salad, followed by mussels in a saffron sauce. Everything was excellent.

This was a great stop for lunch in a great setting. I am sure it’s very lively in the evening as well. Of course we had a great bottle of Spanish Albarino wine with our lunch. We would definitely come back to La Gamba.

Oblix at The Shard

For a special occasion we think the Oblix is a great choice. It was recommended to us by a friend and I’m glad we ventured out. The restaurant is located on the 32 floor of the ultra modern Shard building. When the Shard was opened in 2013 it was thought the building was not complete due to its unique architecture.

A good contrast is to see the ultra modern Shard from the perspective of the 11th century White Tower at the Tower of London.

There are two sides to the Oblix, East and West. We dined on the West with a 3 course meal option. The food and service were outstanding. The sommelier helped us pick out a reasonably priced French wine to kick off the evening. We got two different starters, a carpaccio and a unique artichoke dish. My main dish was a wonderful roasted prawns, nduja, verbana & green chili dish in a fantastic sauce. He had a delicious steak and there were sides to share. Then came the dessert, a vanilla ice cream sundae brownie. It was all so tastey and we were stuffed!

Part of the charm of this restaurant is, of course, the views. On this clear evening we were treated to sweeping views of London. Just a couple of cautions: they have a 2 hour time limit at the table and will politely offer to relocate you to the bar after 2 hours. Also, if you want the table at the window be sure request it at the time of the reservation. I did not and we were 3 tables back and quickly took our view pictures in between settings.

East or West, make reservations far in advance, get dressed up and enjoy a special evening at the Oblix.

A final word about tipping in London, for those from the US. The wait staff is paid differently in this part of the world, meaning they don’t rely on tipping for 90% of their pay. Some restaurants have added a “discretionary” 10-12% service charge if you accept, which we always did. Other restaurants clearly state that the price of the food includes any service fees. We felt very comfortable not tipping as in America, as we could clearly see the wait staff was not expecting it.

Some of the best food we’ve had in Europe has been in London. Get out past the markets and the pubs and you’ll find the same, I promise.