London Restaurants have improved a great deal in the last decade or so and London restaurants can now compete with those in any other world city. The variety of cuisines available is enormous, reflecting London's diverse population and prices too range from budget bargains to enormously expensive. Below is a selection of the best London restaurants for the budget traveller as well as some restaurants for those on expense accounts! For a more extensive guide to London restaurants, there is a listings guide to hundreds of London restaurants by category on this page.

Budget Restaurants:

My favourite budget restaurant has to be Food for Thought at 31 Neal Street, Covent Garden. Vegetarian (but don't let that put you off); tiny; amazingly good value and they do takeaways too! Be prepared to share a table at busy times. Nearest tube: Covent Garden.

The noodle bar Wagamama (at 4 Streatham Street) is always busy too and well worth a visit for those on a budget. The Salmon Korrok (number 73) comes highly recommended and for those who like spicy food, so does the delicious yaki udon (number 42). Drink Saki beer or one of the tasty juices. Nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road. Branches at 101A Wigmore Street, W1 (Tube: Bond Street/Marble Arch) and 10 Lexington Street, W1.

Kebab fan? Well for the 'Rolls-Royce' of kebabs, try Patogh - an Iranian Grill House at 8 Crawford Place,W1. They serve delicious, chargrilled kebabs made with organic meat and wrapped in hot traditional bread or served with rice. Bring your own booze. Nearest tube is Edgware Road.

For a bargain 3 course meal another favourite is Patio, 5 Goldhawk Road,W12. For a mere ten pounds you get a 3 course set menu, friendly staff and Polish vodka on the house!

If you enjoy spicy food, then the Great Nepalese restaurant at 48 Eversholt Street,NW1 (Euston tube) is a must. They serve Nepalese food, which is similar to what you would find in an Indian restaurant. Especially recommended are the masco bara (black lentil pancakes), a starter that tastes a lot better than it sounds! Also very tasty are the mamoco (steamed dumplings) and for a main course the bhutuwa chicken is an excellent choice. Prices are very reasonable and service is friendly. Recommended.

If you enjoy Greek food, Lemonia at 89 Regents Park Road, NW1 (Tube:Chalk Farm) is well worth a visit.

Cafes:

The Coffee Gallery at 23 Museum Street (near the British Museum) is a small Italian cafe serving good coffee, cakes and pastries as well as some hot meals at lunch.

Marine Ices, 8 Haverstock Hill NW3 (Chalk Farm tube). If you are anywhere near Camden Town or Chalk Farm, head for this fantastic italian ice-cream parlour. The variety of flavours is enormous and the ice-cream and sorbets are delicious! Try the excellent Amaretto ice-cream or one of the many sorbets.

Maison Bertaux, 28 Greek Street in Soho is good place to get delicious sweet and savoury bakery goods - try the tasty hazelnut slices or strawberry tarts.

Monmouth Coffee Company, 27 Monmouth Street, WC2 is an excellent choice for high quality coffee which can be bought in the shop or enjoyed in the tiny cafe.

Neal's Yard Beach Cafe in Neal's Yard, Covent Garden serves delicious homemade ice cream as well as fruit juices; salads and hot meals.

Patisserie Valerie, 44 Old Compton Street, W1 is well known for its delicous patisserie goods and has several branches.

Planet Organic, 42 Westbourne Grove, W2 is a fantastic natural food shop, but also has a good coffee and juice bar - try the delicious Yoghurt drinks. Tube: Bayswater.

British Restaurants:

Visitors looking for good British food should try Rules, 35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, WC2 or for a cheaper alternative the Earl of Bradford's Porters English Restaurant and Bar, described by Fodors as the 'budget alternative to Rules'. For a modern twist on sausages and mash try RK Stanleys at 6 Little Portland Street, W1 which serves good British beer with meat, fish, vegetarian and Thai sausages in huge portions. For a good British restaurant in a spectacular setting near Tower Bridge, go to Butlers Wharf Chop House in the Butlers Wharf Building, 36E Shad Thames, SE1. Anybody hankering for 'traditional' British fish and chips should head towards the Upper Street Fish Shop, 324 Upper Street, N1, who also do an excellent home made fish soup.

More information and recommended sites on London Restaurants:

A guide to London Restaurants categorised by the type of cuisine (everything from African to Vietnamese!) can be found at OneClickTravel.com

Good online guides to London restaurants can be found at The London Restaurant Review and SquareMeal. Other sites worth taking a look at are: London Eats; Top Table and Book 2Eat.com.

	Rough Guide to London Restaurants.  An excellent guidebook written by Glenfiddich "Restaurant Writer of the Year" Charles Campion. The guide reviews 320 restaurants and pubs in London and is an inexpensive and compact book that is highly recommended. The Guardian described it as "The best London restaurant guide yet...comprehensive, sensible, judicious, fair and written with good-humoured directness". Restaurants and pubs are arranged by area, so if you happen to be in the Brixton- Camberwell area you could try Helter Skelter's char-grilled calamari with watercress and lime and chilli marinade (£4.80) or if you are in the mood for posh nosh you could try a £50 carte at Chelsea's Gordon Ramsay. There are a total of 47 areas and only the best restaurants and pubs are included. There's no bias in regard to style as Italian, Thai, Chinese and French restaurants are rated equally highly. A map is included at the start of each section showing exactly where the restaurants are situated. Each restaurant has a price guide which shows the minimum amount per person you are likely to spend "assuming you are not a non-tipping, non-drinking skinflint". Each review shows the prices of various dishes and gives the restaurant's opening hours, address, telephone number, and the credit cards accepted. In the introduction, Campion lists his favourite restaurants, which are: Chez Bruce in Wandsworth (British), Fung Shing in Chinatown (Chinese), The Mirabelle in Mafair (French), Café Spice Namaste in the City (Indian), Zafferano in Knightsbridge (Italian), Singapore Garden in Swiss Cottage (Thai), Rasa in Stoke Newington (Vegetarian), Café Espańa in Soho (Budget), Defune in Marylebone (Extavagance), and lunch at Mirabelle (Bargain Extravagance). One of the best things about the book however, is that it's tiny and fit's easily into the smallest briefcase or glove compartment. This will ensure that you always have it with you when find yourself in Southall and suddenly feel hungry. This book can be ordered online at a discount price from amazon.com for fast delivery in the USA and Canada; or in Europe from amazon.co.uk.
	Harden's London Restaurants. A concise and up-to-date guide to the restaurants of London. Based on an annual survey of 1500 people who, on average, eat out 3.6 times a week, the guide reflects experiences of over 250,000 meals in the course of a year. Includes reviews covering over 1000 restaurants, a free update service, and 17 pages of maps, showing restaurant locations. This book can be ordered online at a discount price from amazon.com for fast delivery in the USA and Canada, or from amazon.co.uk for fast delivery in Europe. Also recommended: "Time Out" London Eating and Drinking Guide 2004.

London Pubs:

Well, in Bloomsbury try The Lamb, 94 Conduit Street, WC1. A pleasant Victorian interior and seating outside. Two good pubs in upmarket Knightsbridge are the Nag's Head in Kinnerton Street, which is one of London's smallest pubs, while the Grenadier in Wilton Row is said to have once been frequented by the Duke of Wellington! For fans of Thai food, the Churchill Arms at 119 Kensington Church Street, Notting Hill serves excellent and inexpensive Thai dishes in their conservatory, from Tuesday to Sunday. In the city, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, off Fleet Street, is a cosy retreat popular with both locals and tourists.

In Hampstead both The Spaniards Inn, Spaniards Road and The Holly Bush, 22 Holly Mount are well worth a visit after a walk on the heath. 'Spaniards' has a great beer garden and is near the heath, while 'The Holly Bush' is in the 'village' and is a cosy pub in a nice area - with good beer. Both Hampstead tube.

If you are looking for somewhere south of the river, how about the only galleried coaching inn left in London - The George Inn at 77 Borough High Street. A great pub with an outdoor courtyard and a fine selection of real ales. Near to Shakespeares Globe Theatre. Nearest tube: London Bridge.

More information on London Pubs:

A good online guide to London pubs can be found at PUBS.COM, a guide to traditional and historic London pubs. If you want to read pub reviews from ordinary people, then we recommend that you take a look at Dooyoo, the UK consumer opinion web site, where you can read pub reviews - as well as opinions on hundreds of other products and services. You can also add your own reviews and opinions, if you wish - click here for more details.

The Good Pub Guide 2004.  This county-by-county guide contains information on over 5000 of the best pubs in England, Wales, Scotland, and the Channel Islands. Principal entries include detailed descriptions of the pubs, all of which have been inspected and assessed for food, drink, atmosphere, prices, and opening hours. This book can be ordered online at a discount price directly from amazon for fast delivery in the USA and Canada, or in the UK from amazon.co.uk.

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