Restaurants
“Yes, the restaurant has a bit of a ‘corporate’ entrance, and we have asked the council about being able to put up plants or something outside to make us more obvious, but they’re not keen on that,” says Ray, the manager of the year-old 108 Marylebone Lane restaurant. I had mentioned over a very refreshing Raspberry Cooler cocktail that, in the dark and despite the awning, we had nearly walked straight past as we came up Marylebone Lane (I hasten to add he had asked me if we’d found it easily enough – I’m not usually that rude).
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Before heading out for a hard Saturday afternoon’s shopping, my partner in crime and I visited 1802 for a spot of lunch. The bar & restaurant is attached to the Museum in Docklands and is part of the original set of buildings that made up a sugar warehouse some 200 years ago. The juxtaposition of the towering modern office buildings across the wharf and the old world surroundings wasn’t lost on us.
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As one of the most recognisable buildings in London, 30 St Mary Axe, fondly known as ‘The Gherkin’, is a sight I’ve long been an admirer of. Since the bar and restaurant at this London landmark are usually reserved for tenants and members, it was something of an occasion to be sitting down to an evening meal with views that tower over London.
Having got through the airport-like security, we were whisked up to the 39th floor.
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Amaya sparkles like the jewel it is, nestling on Motcomb Street in Knightsbridge. Candles flicker and reflect back at you a thousand times from the glass, mirrors and glossy tiles that offset the more grounding, rough-hewn bricks and elegant wooden features.
By 8pm the restaurant was buzzing with a mix of diners: friends, couples and work colleagues occupied the restaurant, which manages to serves as a great choice for any of these occasions.
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One of the great things about eating at the Amphitheatre restaurant is its location: sitting proud within the confines of the Royal Opera House, you get to marvel a bit on the way to your table. Before any of this happens, you get your bag searched as you check in (no-one searched us on the way out, so smuggling the odd bread roll out in your handbag is a possibility). On your way up to the restaurant, the ascent takes you past the Paul Hamlyn Hall Bar, which incorporates the Perrier-Jouët Champagne Bar, and looks stunning - just the place to meet for drinks.
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Review date: 9 April 2015
It all looks very esoteric – the gold, Victorian-style key, the Roman portal with a golden keyhole, the leaping hare, the Eye of Providence… but that’s Balans Soho Society’s website logo, not its eatery outlets. The haunt’s original eatery opened on Old Compton Street back in the late 90s as plain old – well, more ‘flamboyant old’ – Balans, but it has since undergone a bit of a wash and brush up and is opening more doors and its eating heart all over London to lovers of good food and welcoming service.
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SW7 5EX
London
Queen’s Gate
The Gore Hotel
We’re all such time-starved people these days aren’t we? “I can’t possibly chat for a minute longer, I’m just sooooo busy!”. “I’d love to come round for dinner, but I’m booked up until Feb 2012!” In most cases we’re probably just heading off home to wash the cat, but if you really are sooooo busy, then learning of the tapas menu at Bar 190 is probably of some use to you.
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W1T 4NE
London
62 Goodge Street
There are three things Tim Luther, owner of the sparklingly new Barrica tapas bar on Goodge Street, isn’t happy with. There isn’t any Spanish-brewed lager on tap yet, his builder didn’t leave enough overhang on the white marble bar and finally, and most importantly, he would like new bar stools. Perching is a little awkward on the current stools, but perch I did, and the friendly staff and delectable food soon put all thoughts of maintaining good posture to the back of my mind.
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Benja’s inconspicuous location on a quiet stretch of Beak Street only adds to its intimate feel. The ground level at this Thai restaurant boasts around five tables for lunchtime dining. Come evening time Benja expands, housing diners and drinkers in its basement bar and first floor level. Black tables, wooden floors and wooden screened ceilings give this Thai eatery a tranquil atmosphere, easing away the chaotic pace of London life.
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