"WhereToEatInLondon" news and stories

From the Times a list of the top French restaurants in the capital; plus two easily reachable in the Royal county of Berkshire

• Le Cafe du Marche 22 Charterhouse Square, EC1 "conjures up a rustic bistro atmosphere, where Gallic staff take orders from a blackboard that always has something to make the mouth water" [website]
• L'Escargot 48 Greek Street, W1 "one of the best-value dining room sin the West End, offering classy cooking at reasonable prices" [website]
• Forbury's Restaurant and Wine Bar, 1 Forbury Square, Reading "The head chef Xavier Le-Bellego previoulsy worked with Raymond Blanc and John Burton race, a pedigree that comes through in a menu of traditional French dishes with a hint of modernity" [details]
• The French Table, 85 Maple Street, Surbiton "It's rare to find a restaurant working like a well-oiled machine, but this owner-run eatery is such an outfit" [website]
• Galvin 66 Baker Street, W1 "Both the decor and the food here resound with Gallic charm" [website]
• Mon Plaisir, 21 Monmouth Street, WC2 "The pre-theatre menu (£14.50 for three courses including a glass of wine) is great value." [website]
• Papillon 96 Draycott Avenue, SW3 "The cosy, low-lit dining room boasts comfortable chairs at immaculately dressed tables, and the service is fittingly charming too" [website]
• La Poule au Pot, 231 Ebury Street, SW1 "The cosy atmosphere never fails to charm at this celebrated French den" [details]
• Racine 239 Brompton Road, SW3 "This place set out to be a quality neighbourhood restaurant and it has never strayed from that path" [details]
• The Waterside Inn, Ferry Road, Bray, Berkshire "this three Michelin starred yet homely restaurant offers one of the best dining experiences around" [website]

With guide book in hand, another 'must see' location ticked off the list, the hunger will soon descend. But where are the best places to eat near the sites? Step forward the  Times with the Top 10 bites near the top tourist destinations in London and the South East of England:

1. After London Zoo, Regent's Park, Madame Tussauds: Base Deli, 195 Baker Street "A good pit stop" [details]
2. After Buck House, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey: The Phoenix, 14 Palace Street "The cooking is classic and uncomplicated (and all the better for it) while portions are generous" [details]
3. While in Brighton: The Gingerman, 21a Norfolk Square, Brighton: The Gingerman "one of the best restaurants in Brighton" [website]
4. While in Winchester: Hotel Du Vin, 14 Southgate Street, Winchester "set in a renowned Queen Anne townhouse in the heart of this cathedral town" [website]
5. After the London Museums (V&A, Science, Natural History): Hugo's, 51 Prince's Gate "this continental style cafe next to he Goethe Institute has an intellectual vibe with smooth jazz accompanying an international menu" [details]
6. After Kew Gardens: Inn at Kew, 292 Sandycombe Road "informal and friendly public rooms and a pleasant garden" [website]
7. After the London Eye, Dali Universe and London Aquarium: Loco Mensa, 3b Belvedere Road "no-fuss Italian... staff are helpful and children are made to feel more than welcome" [details]
8. While in Oxford: Malmaison Oxford, 3 Oxford Castle "housed in an imaginative conversion of Oxford prison... stylish, but quirky.. good value" [website]
9. After the National Maritime Museum, Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark: The Spread Eagle, 1-2 Stockwell Street "charming, intimate restaurant" [website]
10. While in Cambridge: Venue, 4th Floor, Cambridge Arts Theatre, 6 St Edward's Passage, Cambridge "a modern and refreshingly unstuffy note amid all the history and ancient architecture of Cambridge" [website]

Food related chat forums abound across the internet; so do we need another? Well the Culinary Hags seem to think so and they have a perfectly valid reason for launching their own.

Their blog covers London restaurants, of which there must be thousands across the capital. The Culinary Hags number just two. Covering London's ever changing restaurant scene is a mammoth task so the hags have put out a call to all to participate in their new forum. They write "We are always approached by family and friends who say, 'I know this great place, you should put it on your blog...' If every single Londoner knows of just one great place, one cherished local, one family-run down-to-earth joint serving honest good food...that's a helluva lot of hot-spots. Combine all of that knowledge in one spot...and voila! We have a community of food lovers sharing their passion for stupendous nosh and slosh. It also gives our readers a chance to have their say. We Hags might consider a certain place to have the best sushi train in London. If you think, "No way! Those Hags must have asses for tongues! I've eaten at that place and I know another place with a much better sushi train."

So give them a hand in uncovering the best places to eat across London.

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