Food Recommendations please. London. Nov.. Wednesday Lunchtime

[Paul J a i n e s]

Dear fine folk of the forum

It is my wife's birthday mid November ... the kids are away ... no school pick up. I can feel a long boozy lunch coming on. So, I need a good restaurant recommendation and I'm lacking inspiration. It will be a Wednesday afternoon.

Limitations:
London (doesn't have to be central)
She is veggie so something that offers something other than chevre-chaud....something cooked with heart and soul
We don't like super fussy places
Good booze list

We are SE London based, but happy to travel to places others would consider "sarf of the river!!"

Last 2 years we went to Boca di Lupo (wonderful sat at the bar) and Trullo (I can still taste the great pasta!!). Our usual hangouts are places like Barrafina, Artusi, Marcella and that ilk.

So please - I enjoy these recommendation threads because they throw up lots of good suggestions.

 

[Richard Ward]

If you like Barrafina, how about Sabor??

 

[Max Preston]

The Palomar, food's great, with a good set of veggie options, and decent booze options for central London. Sit at the counter rather than the tables though, it's a better experience.

 

[Paul Day]

I don't know whether you consider The Ledbury as super fussy. It is especially relaxed at lunch and there is no dress code. They've always taken the vegetarian options very seriously.

 

[George Marshall]

I wouldn’t take a vegetarian to Sabor based on a recent visit. Incredible food but almost entirely meat and fish/shellfish upstairs in Asador.

 

[Nick Amis]

On a similar vibe to Palomar, Rovi - best tomatoes I've ever eaten.

 

[Colin Bradley]

If you enjoyed Boca di Lupo, how about Nopi (Ottolenghi's small plates place)? As well as great food it has an interesting wine list.

 

[Julian Seers-Martin]

I'd also vote for Nopi. They do corkage too. Decidedly unfussy and lots of vegetarian options that are genuinely good. Only caveat is I'm not sure how it would suit a long boozy lunch, but you could always roll into a Barrafina/ Sager+Wilde type place afterwards for some postprandials, or even a forumite might be able to get you into 67PM.

 

[Chris Hambleton]

Chez Bruce. If you've never been then it's a must. very chilled out but superb food and service and well set up for vegetarians. I always feel there's a bit of an Italian vibe to the food too which would seem to fit in with the places you mention above.

 

[Paul J a i n e s]

I was thinking Chez Bruce.... I've never been and heard all you lot rave about it. I'll check out the suggestions above as well - as usual, great stuff!

 

[Thom Blach]

The Ledbury is really a lot better than the other suggestions particularly for vegetarians, and while the food is elaborate I wouldn't call it fussy either in conception or delivery. Not inexpensive now by UK standards but there's no reason why it should be.

 

[Bill Marks]

I wouldn’t take a vegetarian to Sabor based on a recent visit. Incredible food but almost entirely meat and fish/shellfish upstairs in Asador.

Not quite as carnivore downstairs but although Barrafina like still not the best place for a vegetarian even though the food can be great.

 

[Paul J a i n e s]

Other suggestions or things I've looked at are below..."Ayes" and the "Noes" please for any ... I've not been to any of them

Locanda Locatelli
River Cafe
Luca

 

[Hisham Kalam]

Try Ishbilia Lebanese Restaurant - 8-9 William St, Belgravia, London SW1X 9HL
There are numerous tasty vegetarian dishes on the menu and it is one of London's finest Lebanese. With the many Meze dishes a few glasses of Arak will be a great companion to the palate stimulating dishes like Fattoush, Tabbouleh and many more. See if they have Arak Brun in particular it is the best. Enjoy.

 

[Colin Bradley]

I very much like Locanda Locatelli - and they allow corkage too. I've not been to River Café or Luca; I gather that River Café is ruinously expensive.

 

[max.oldfield]

Myself and 3 others had dinner at the Glasshouse a couple of weeks ago. Gael is vegan and I am a pescatarian whilst the other couple are meat eaters. As good as La Trompette and the Ledbury and extremely good service

 

[Simon Wheeler]

River Cafe will deliver the best quality ingredients and prepare them simply, I think you’d like it although prices are a little steep

 

[Andy Leslie]

As one of the forum’s token veggies, but also one for whom the long liquid lunch is a favourite occasional pleasure my thoughts are...

- Club Gascon has a lunchtime veg tasting menu - I’m booked to do it later this month so can’t recommend it yet, but it looks good.
- veg food at WIMPS at La Trompette is always excellent.
- Mrs Leslie’s (also a veg) favourite is Andrew Edmunds.

I like the Ottolenghi places but not sure any of them quite meet the brief.

 

[Paul J a i n e s]

Thanks all - I should mention my wife is French. I love the thought of Club Gascon - although it might be a busman's holiday for her. I will check that place out with another carnivore though.

 

[Colin Bradley]

As an omnivore, I found Club Gascon to be excellent on my one visit there. There was a vegetarian in our party and she was wowed by the vegetarian tasting menu that she had.

 

[Martin Ellory]

Alexis Gauthier has been concentrating on vegetarian food for far longer than most - I haven't been to his Soho restaurant but it seems highly rated by people that know about these things.

 

[Nick Amis]

I was wondering about Gauthier - charming venue and good food, but they seem to offer non-veg and vegan menus - worth a look to see if they are suitable, as it's very good there.

 

[Andy Leslie]

I’ve eaten at Gauthier a number of times, most recently a couple of months ago - I thought their vegan food was interesting more than entirely satisfying or convincing. A waiter mincing carrots at the table was unintentionally hilarious. They didn’t seem to have enough staff for what they wanted to do and the team who were there seemed frazzled and exhausted.

 

[Martin Ellory]

That sounds excruciating/amusing in equal measure...

I liked his very French early iterations of vegetarian food, which seemed to use quite a lot of chicken/veal stock.

 

[Paul J a i n e s]

Just checking back on this.

We went to Luca in Farringdon yesterday - beautiful restaurant, probably the best-looking one I've been to in a long time. Food was decent rather than mindblowing but the pasta was very very good. Excellent wine list that runs to many pages. Made use of the Somm and was pretty happy. All hail long boozy lunches. The post-lunch grappa was probably not 100% necessary.