Eating and Drinking in Central London and the West End

Pizza Express (Holborn)

30 Coptic Street, WC1 - 020 7636 3232
There are loads of Pizza Express restaurants, but this is my favourite. A bit difficult to find but worth it. Presents the standard Pizza Express menu but they just seem to taste better. Coloured windows and tiles inside help to make the experience. Gets busy so consider booking. Handy for the British Museum

Last visited: November 2007

Malabar Junction

107 Great Russell St, WC1 - 020 7580 5230
Situated just off Tottenham Court Road, Malabar Junction is a huge and excellent Southern Indian restaurant recommended by my friend Prab. The menu is extensive and includes some Goan dishes too.

Portions are generally large so don't go mad. The waiting staff are friendly but try not to sit under the air conditioning - it's cold.

Last visited: March 2007

Melati

21 Great Windmill St, W1 - 020 7437 2745
Busy restaurant serving excellent Malaysian, Indonesian and Singaporean dishes. The menu is therefore quite diverse but all the dishes are reasonably priced and the portions are huge - almost too much!

The table staff are friendly and patient, and are happy to explain dishes if you are not sure. Booking is advisable for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Last visited: 2003

Soho Pizzeria

16 Beak Street, W1 - 020 7434 2480
Styled like a Pizza Express but presenting distinctive pizza variations - check out the Ortolana (aubergines). These pizzas are probably the best in the West End and they're not expensive. Gentle live music most nights.

Last visited: 2004

Wagamamas

10 Lexington Street, W1 - 020 7292 0990
Large modern Japanese noodle bar. Massive selection of dishes and Japanese beers and wines. You can't book here but the turnover is quite quick so you shouldn't have to queue up for long. They also have restaurants in Covent Garden and Wigmore Street but I haven't been to these.

Last visited: June 2008

The Cove Bar

1 The Piazza, Covent Garden, WC2E 8HB - 020 7836 8336
Tiny Cornish-flavour bar in the centre of Covent Garden. Good friendly vibe and with a balcony that overlooks the street entertainers. Struggling to find it? Look out for the staircase behind the Cornish Pasty shop.

Not surprisingly for the area it's prone to get very busy at times but a bit of patience is usually rewarded with a good seat or some standing room on the balcony.

Five cornish real beers are usually available - from Skinners and St Austell. My favourite is the Cornish Knocker. Food is available and most people plump for one of the extensive range of pasties from the shop down below.

Last visited: March 2008

Princess Louise

208 High Holborn, WC1 - 020 7405 8816
Large two-floored pub near Holborn underground station which always seems to be busy. The decor is like nothing else you'll see in London - all deep maroon and gold. Check out the porcelain and marble in the toilets as well.

Has been a Sam Smith's pub for some years now - so enjoy those cheap beers! And unlike several other Sam Smith's pubs they still have the cask bitter.

Last visited: September 2005

The Seven Stars

53-54, Carey St, London, WC2 - 020 7242 8521
Tiny traditional-style pub situated in back streets behind the law courts. This pub is very popular and can get very full. So much so that you may have to stand outside - and even in winter people do. The pub is a free house with Adnams beers and a couple of others available. They all seem to be well kept. Food is available too although I've never eaten there. The newish small room at one end is a nice cosy addition.

The pub is run by Roxy who used to work at Ronnie Scott's and if you visit you'll probably meet her. Just be careful on the stairs up to the toilets - especially if you've had a couple of beers. What an excellent pub!

Last visited: September 2007

The Chandos

29 St Martins Lane, WC2 - 020 7836 1401
Popular two-floored pub at the north side of Trafalgar Square. The downstairs bar is wooden floored and mainly standing but with small booths along the wall. Upstairs, it's much more homely with carpets and even some leather sofas to lounge on. Sam Smith's pub - so cheap rounds. And they still have the cask bitter.

Last visited: September 2005

The Harp

47 Chandos Place, London, WC2 - 020 7836 0291
My relationship with this pub got off to a shaky start when the beer quality was all over the place on my first visit. However I was attracted to the cosy atmosphere of this tiny standing-room-only pub and after another recommendation I decided to risk another encounter. Well it was fine and after a number of subsequent visits it seems as though the problems on my first trip were an aberration.

So to summarise: Good pub with friendly, lively atmosphere. Well kept beers. Hardly any seats - except upstairs. The sausages are very good too.

Last visited: April 2008

The Lyceum

354 Strand, WC2 - 020 7836 7155
Busy upstairs/downstairs pub near north side of Waterloo Bridge. Food available. Also a Sam Smith's pub - so cheap drinking. And they still have the cask bitter.

Last visited: July 2005

Marquess of Anglesey

39 Bow Street, WC2 - 020 7240 3216
Prize-winning Youngs pub in Covent Garden. Favourite with theatre goers due to it's location so can get very busy. I last visited a while ago and the pub was really full but the atmosphere was excellent - although our clothes reeked of smoke afterwards. Not been here since the smoking ban came in. Food available.

Last visited: December 2006

Lamb & Flag

33 Rose St, WC2 - 020 7497 9504
Popular two floor pub around the corner from Covent Garden - set back slightly from Garrick Street. This pub has been one of my favourites for many years as the varied selection of beers is always kept well.

Last visited: Spring 2005

Fullers Ale Lodge

11 Avery Row, W1 - 020 7629 1643
Hidden off streets behind New Bond Street is this friendly Fullers pub. The beers are kept well and they often do really good deals on 4 pint jugs of beer. Food is available but I haven't tried it. Convenient for Oxford Street too. Not open on Saturday night.

Last visited: 2003

The Windmill

6 Mill Street, W1 - 020 7491 8050
Bustling Young's pub just off Conduit Street. Large front bar with more secluded back bar and noted restaurant upstairs (but I haven't eaten there). Snacks are available in the bars though (tried these) as well as the full selection of well kept Youngs beers. Ideal post-shopping meeting place.

Last visited: 2003

Khan's

13/15 Westbourne Grove, W2 - 020 7727 5420
Large, busy Tandoori restaurant. Standard Indian menu but the food is good and reasonably priced, and the service is quick. We always seem to get seats in the back part of the restaurant which consists of a series of long tables where you're rubbing shoulders with other diners. Actually this seems to really work and the atmosphere is friendly.

Last visited: 2000

Magic Wok

100 Queensway, W2 - 020 7221 9953
This seems to be a favourite with American tourists and everyone seems to be on first name terms with the owner - a genial host who obviously loves serving in his restaurant more than anything else in the world. His attitude is infectious and all the staff are obviously having a great time too. All this bodes well for a great meal. The menu has standard printed pages with all the usual suspects, but also then veers off into the extensive hand-written section which is where all the really interesting dishes are to be found. When it arrives, the food is hot and tastes really fresh, and there's usually enough for most appetites. I think this is the best Chinese Restaurant in London.

Last visited: 2000

Pizza Paradiso

50 Westbourne Grove, W2 - 020 7221 0721
Similar format to Pizza Express with a few changes and additions to the menu. Good ambience and nice pizzas with lovely marinated olives provided on the tables.

Last visited: 2000