Restaurant Reviews & Suggestions - Where to eat?

We are up in London on a course in few weeks and are staying in the Holborn Hoxton. To add a bit of excitement to a fairly dry course we already have The Devonshire, Fallow, Kolamba and Ibai booked for the evenings. Does any one have good central ( or out to Southbank) coffee recommendations?
Thinking of a nice setting and vibe and good coffees.

The Penny Drop just off Tottenham court road is amazing.

https://g.co/kgs/dfvW5VY

Ibai

I’m waiting for a business partner with a big expense account to take me. Please report back.

Haha Cazakstan, probably not, just say Ost in Truro :)

Looking for a decent pizza place round Bethnal Green sides, short notice as I’m off over there in 45mins.
Preferably kid friendly.

I remember this place being nice when I went a few years ago
https://www.instagram.com/italina385/

Also very near Young V&A

Looks just what I was think of, pencilled in.

Haha, noted, ta!

Here’s one to get people talking

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/nov/09/if-youre-not-hungry-dont-go-london-restaurateur-fights-back-against-cheap-diners

I can’t say I’m aware of it being new and all but they sort of have a point if parties of four are ordering two mains and a starter between them

Miserly ordering is a pet hate of mine.

Go large or go home.

Sure, but theyre not very good at communicating the business case. Spend Per Head also only becomes a big concern, if you're full (eg: theyre taking up the space from higher spenders).

See the quote from the chef below from his insta. And then you realize that theyre only open for lunch... If your target audience is defined by:

-People who are happy to pay cash only
-People who are happy to book via phone or post card only
-People who will have 2 bottles of wine for lunch and/or £100+ spend per head

You kinda cornered yourself. There are tech solutions in abundance to secure the audience he wants to. Deposits, pre-paid experiences, minimum spend policies that are getting agreed to when booking...etc. Im sure he'll say that it would make the experience "soulless".

I love a good bit of oldschool hospitality, reservations in comically large books on a desk, tableside service...etc, but the world has gone past this concept.

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IMO he just being a shock jock

A really daft one at that then. Ok, say you get all this publicity, and everybody wants to come to your restaurant. How are you going to capitalize it, when you are only equipped with pen & paper? You have "15 minutes" of fame, you have to take those few hundred reservations in that time, manage cancellations and changes via phone, and in the meantime prep and run service. As he said, its 3 of them. I think these really are his convictions.

I have to say though, it is true that all publicity is good publicity, made some reports in the past on booking spikes correlating with X Y or Z being dragged in the papers / social media.

Sounds like a wank. Fergus Henderson has been doing old school dining for 30 years without having to berate and alienate his customers.

I think generally he has a fair point but expecting people to be ordering large amounts whilst also only being open for lunch is probably a bit of a contradiction.

Elwins just off Tottenham court road is a must!

Apotek was decent when I went but that was pre-covid. Tasting menu was good but a bit gimmicky with the whale and puffin. https://apotekrestaurant.is/

The foodhall converted from a bus station had some great food. http://www.hlemmurmatholl.is/english

Great thanks!

Very good batch brew, thanks for the recommendation.

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https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/nov/17/the-yellow-bittern-london-leaves-you-muttering-about-school-dinners-restaurant-review

Jay Rayner, as always, is on the money.

Had lunch at Albers in De Beauvoir on Saturday. Very much doubt there are many places doing better food at more reasonable prices. They have a very limited menu, but everything we had and saw looked wonderful and tasted better. £12 for a pork belly dish with herbed orzo. You pay more than that for a crap burger in a sports bar. Really enjoyable house wines at £6 for a good sized glass. Lovely piece of maple syrup tart for £6 for dessert. Lovely room too, and very friendly with a baby, saw other people dining with well behaved dogs. Just nice vibes.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/6w7BPqLxgTBpcfuz7

Has anyone on here been to Yellow Bitterne yet? I can’t help but feel like it’s all a piece of performance art and wouldn’t wager it will be shut within a year… plenty of places doing old school hospitality (st John, brutto etc) that don’t view their customers as inconvenient shit on their shoes .

Consider the cost of trying to make it known that you've opened a small restaurant without many covers on the wrong end of the Cally Road with a PR agency / social media ads etc here in 2024...

Then consider the earned media value and column inches they've generated on probably not much effort. I bet they're full for the next few months.

Looking at the pictures of the food they offer, I can't say that it looks all that appealing. Strong school dinner vibes.

Agree—I haven't seen any photos that made me want to try the food. There are plenty of places serving decent St. John-adjacent food which you don't require you to take a half-day off work to be able to eat there.