*dimsumdolly* - the different morsels of the life of a foodie

London Favourite Eats

1) Leather Lane – this lane near my office in Holborn has cheap eateries lining it to cater to the lunch-time office crowd. My favourite stall there is the Mediterranean salad stall Sunny’s Olive Tree. They have the best mixed salad box for a cheap £2.50. A bigger box costs £3.20 but the small one is more than enough to fill you up. It comes with a slice of foccacia too. I love their fresh cherry tomatoes, cous cous and mixed beans. You can also choose to buy a range of olives and nuts that they sell.

2) Food For Thought – A vegetarian organic café in 31 Neal Street, Covent Garden. I’m usually not big on vegetarian, but this one serves really yummy vegetarian food. Everything’s good, but I especially love their quiche and stews. For dessert, try their crumbles.

3) Churreria Espanola – This Spanish eatery at 177-179 Queensway W2 5HL (nearest Tube: Bayswater) has hearty Spanish food at reasonable prices. Try the pork knuckle and meat balls. And if you like thick molten hot chocolate (Spanish chocolate caliente), this is the place to head to. It’s the only one I’ve found in London!

4) Carluccio’s – It may be a chain, but it serves up affordable and pretty good quality Italian food. They have several branches around London in South Kensington, Canary Wharf, Spitalfields etc. They recently opened one in Covent Garden.

5) Masala Zone – Good Indian food at reasonable prices. The Thali set is good value for money. They have several branches, but I've only been to the one near Oxford Circus.

6) Harlem – The service is crappy and slow but the pancakes there are fantastic. It's a great place to go to for a lazy Sunday brunch. Just be really patient. On a nice day, you can walk over to Kensington Park after eating to lounge around some more! They're at 78 Westbourne Grove W2 5RT (nearest Tube: Bayswater).

7) Kowloon Bakery on Gerrard Street, Chinatown. I go there to get my fix of Chinese breads and pastries. My Polo bun, Lo Por Bang (Wife’s Biscuit), Malay Cake (a steamed cake), Char Siew Bao, egg tarts etc. It's not fantastic, but it's good enough to satisfy those cravings for something Asian.

8) Maison Bertaux – a charming French patisserie with rather retro and quirky interiors on 27 Greek Street in Cambridge Circus. Try the chocolate mousse cake, St Honore and raspberry slice with fresh cream. I don't really like the rest, so just give it a miss. It's a nice place to go for tea or dessert after dinner.

9) Marks & Spencer’s Food Hall – love all the ready-made meals. I take ages to decide what to get! M&S is ubiquitous in the UK and their Bureau de Change (in the bigger stores) offer good exchange rates to buy or sell foreign currency. Actually I think they offer the best rates. I've done my homework.

10) Waitrose – love all the ready-made meals. Like M&S, I can never decide what to get. I only wished they had more stores around London!

11) Cornish Pasties – workman’s food which is somewhat like the British version of the Italian calzone. Or you could say it's the British version of the curry puffs in Singapore, except it's not curry. Anyway, it's hearty fare which I love for a snack.

12) Borough Market – In my opinion, the best farmer’s market in London. It's both a visual and gastronomical feast. A must-go for foodies.

13) Duchy Originals – the line of food products endorsed by Prince Charles. Profits from sales of Duchy’s food go to charity. Good for people into ethical eating. The chocolate tart, lemon tart, biscuits, basically everything is really yummy! It’s not cheap compared to M&S but it’s worth the money.

14) Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant - the roast duck and char siew look the best amongst the eateries along Gerrard Street. I think it's kinda the best among the worst. The Chinese food in Chinatown is actually pretty crappy but Four Seasons isn't too bad. They have a branch in Bayswater too. The Chinatown outlet is at 12 Gerrard Street and the Bayswater one is at 84 Queensway W2 3RL.

15) Lisboa Patisserie - a Portuguese cafe at 57 Golborne Road W10 5NR serving fantastic Portguese egg tarts and other pastries. It's always crowded and I think it's best to do take-away. It's near Portobello Market so if you're around the famous flea market, take a short detour and head to this cafe for a snack if you're feeling peckish.

16) Ben's Cookies - Really yummy freshly baked cookies sold by weight. It's the same price across the board. So for example, if you buy a dark chocolate with nuts, it'll cost slightly more than one that's a lemon-flavoured one. On average, each cookie costs £1.35. It's a big cookie but still expensive nonetheless. But it's worth the money especially when eaten fresh!

Posted by DSD at November 10, 2007 8:00 AM