Just occasionally you stumble upon a little gem of a restaurant just by chance. This happened to us when we had been to see a fab film at the Curzon in Aldgate and were heading off back to the tube with rumbling tummies. Unexpectedly we came across Smaka, and luckily we decided to give it …
Browns, Covent Garden
There comes a time, really unnervingly early in a new relationship, when you have to emerge from the romantic cocoon and start meeting each other’s friends and family. As a single Mum of long standing, the most important of these would be bringing the two most important men in my life together and having dinner …
Franco Manca, Covent Garden
Need a quick bite to eat that won’t leave you feeling a little bit dirty? You could certainly do worse than one of the fabulous sour dough pizzas at Franco Manca. We went to the Covent Garden branch at peak time on a Saturday evening, and even so there was only the briefest of waits (there’s …
Byron, Central St Giles
OK, so Byron Burgers have nothing at all to do with the poet. But a simple, straightforward and good quality burger is not all that common when eating out in London and therefore something to be celebrated, in verse or otherwise. We dropped in at Byron for a quick lunch before a lengthy walk up …
The German Gymnasium, King’s Cross
Our second foray into the treasure trove of delectable bargains that is the annual Evening Standard/D&D Offer was much more satisfying than our city excursion. This time we picked The German Gymnasium, and just squeaked in before the offer ended. This is a very popular choice, and next year we’ll certainly be booking earlier! London’s …
New St Grill, City
Realising that our wallets didn’t quite match our appetites, and always fans of a good bargain, we took advantage of the Evening Standard/D&D Offer, which runs from January to mid-February. Two courses with an aperitif for only £20 was just too good to miss, and we tried out New Street Grill. The food was gorgeous …
Dalla Terra, Covent Garden
Rushing off to the theatre, we were looking for a quick bite to eat in Covent Garden. Not the easiest of missions on a busy Sunday night. We stumbled on Dalla Terra by chance, it’s tucked away just off Long Acre. The atmosphere was buzzy and the staff were welcoming and friendly. We loved it! …
The Duke of Wellington, High Beech
Is the third date the critical one? It certainly was for this budding romance. We worked up an appetite with a long walk in the magnificent Epping Forest. OK, in January it might not have been as wonderful as I remember, but that’s the rose tinted glasses for you. I do remember washing the clay …
Osteria, Barbican
Early dates are nerve-racking aren’t they? A. hadn’t told me where we were going for our second date, so I met up with Mr Mysterious at Barbican tube station and – not totally surprisingly – discovered we were headed for a restaurant in the Barbican centre. Osteria is a modern Italian created by Searcys in collaboration with …