London - Meals for Most Occasions

Some of the Most Memorable Bites From Well-Enjoyed Evenings With Company

The following is a round up of the restaurants that I have most enjoyed in the past three years for the following occasions.

Best for a Group

From Left to Right

• Opso - While there are tables for two or four, there is one long table that runs through the middle of the restaurant. The way to order is sharing plates and this seat is the best for your group. (That said, we accidently picked at the feta cheese from the couple beside us..!) Order the lamb shank and enjoy a walk around lively Marylebone post dinner

• The Ninth - Has to be one of the most inexpensive Michelin star restaurants in London. The French-Mediterranean spot has many small plates and a dark, romantic mood. There was a memorable pasta and fish - and whatever we had for desert, we ate the whole thing embarrassingly quick

• Dishoom - The Shoreditch location is my favourite for the layout, conducive to large group reservations and fantastic cocktails. I still think about the Ruby Chicken and Okra fries. Nearby Soho House is perfect for a post-dinner drink

Best for Health

From Left to Right

• Granger & Co - With numerous locations throughout the city, the one in Chelsea is my most frequented; I have fallen into their booths post-shopping, in desperate need of the Turmeric Chicken Salad too many times

• Daylesford Organic - Sincerely the best scrambled eggs I have ever had, and the juice is so fresh. Post breakfast you have to head to the shop downstairs, I still think of the water glasses and placemats I left behind

• Ottolenghi (Marylebone) - I have gone here twice, once to pick up pastries to eat in Regent’s Park and admire the art installations leftover from Frieze, and once to eat in. As the to-go counter can get quite busy, I would only recommend eating in if you can get there on a weekday, before the lunch rush. The shakshuka was quite good, and an appropriate size

Best for a Work Meal (Lunch or Dinner)

From Left to Right

• La Petite Maison - The first time I went to LPM for lunch I was confused by the tomato and olive oil waiting for me at the table, until I realized that the fresh ingredients were to be consumed upon arrival as you wait for your crisp gin martini. How civilized

• The Barbary (Neal’s Yard) - Best to sit at the lively bar and order a Moroccan Cigar. The restaurant is so close to Soho and Covent Garden for a post-dinner drink

• Bombay Bustle - I’m not sure why I liked this place so much, Indian food is not typically at the top of my list; but the staff were friendly, the decor excellent, and the food was surprisingly light and of course flavorful

Best for a Date Night

From Left to Right

• The Twenty Two - On our most recent trip, I cancelled our reservation here, worried we were too ‘over-scheduled’. I regret it still, I long for the steak tartare

• Dorian Restaurant - There is something about that racing green leather and the fresh seafood that makes me want to order a Chablis and never leave

• The Footman - The more casual spot on the list is a new favourite. At the risk of getting into an upstairs - downstairs row, I can say that the best places to be are either outside with a pint, or upstairs in one of the dining rooms. The burger and fries is the order

Best for Post-Dinner Drinks

• The Connaught — I go here every trip, sometimes more than once. It could be the exhaustive cocktail menu, the memories of great times, or the first class olives that keep me coming back

• The Savoy - The famed hotel is the only place I’d order champagne first, and then see where the night takes me

• Sketch - It is what it is, we all know it. But on a recent work trip we ended the night in the pod room with the DJ and too many vodka sodas to keep track. I would be remiss not to mention its potential

Happy Travels!

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