Places to eat

Recently, in conversation with friends over dinner, it became apparent that I have visited quite a lot of places to eat around the UK and people were interested in what I thought of these places. 

Now... I do like a list. So I thought it would be fun to make a list of places I have been to (a bigger list than I have done TripAdvisor reviews for) and highlight the best ones in each city. So that is what we have here. I shall keep adding to it. 

Disclaimer - Bear in mind that since I visited they may have got better or worse!

London 

• Alloro at Dover St W1 – fancy, expensive but worth a treat now and again.
• Browns at Covent Garden - for tourists.
• Byron at all-over-the-place - pretty good, but no Five-Guys.
• Bodeans BBQ at Soho - best ribs in the city. Fantastic place.
• Bentleys Oyster Bar and Grill at London - pricey for what you get. But fancy.
• Cafe Fish near Leicester Square - good, no complaints, Fishworks is better.
• Dolphin Bar and Grill at Pimlico - Nice little organic restaurant, worth a look, but not very big.
• Dishoom at Covent Garden – superb indian breakfasts.
• The English Pig at Milbank – sadly now closed.
• El Pirata in Mayfair – very good Spanish tapas, again, not fancy, they focus on traditional Spanish food.
• Fable at Holborn - not a bad place for a swift lunch.
• Firecracker at Milbank – amazing Chinese food – inside out chicken wings and Singapore noodles not to be missed.
• Fishworks at London – Fantastic prawn/chilli linguini.
• Five Guys at Charing Cross - best burger in town, or any other town where there is a Five Guys.
• Francos at Jermyn St -  superb Italian food, basics but brilliant.
• Gaucho in Smithfields - Expensive version of Moo Cantina. Better for a business meal, as it is a little more posh, but I would go to Moo.
• Grazing Goat at Portman Sq - Very nice place, traditional British food, a little pricey but worth it. Check the specials.
• Hix in Soho – good steaks, great desserts, and great bar in the basement for predinner drinks.
• Haz in St.Pauls, Waterloo and other locations - bit of a chain, but still pretty good food. 
• Hawksmoor at Guildhall London 2015 – meat lovers, really good menu for a variety of pork, beef and lamb.
• Hummus Bros - a few of these in London, good ideas if you like hummus (I do!) but some of their offerings tricky to eat! Nice though, but don't go for the strong flavoured options as you cannot taste the hummus.
• Herman ze German at Charing Cross - a bit disappointing, but ok.
• Henry's at Covent Garden - several of these around the country and they are ok, but not special. More a bar than a place to eat.
• Inamo at Soho - Unusual and fun, good food too.
• Jamies Italian at Covent Garden - really disappointing!
• KFC
• Loch Fyne at Covent Garden - good fish, nice option, not special though.
• Leon at the Strand - loads of these around, great idea, I always feel a bit underwhelmed though.
• Launceston Place at Knightsbridge - fancy and expensive, but very good food.
• Le Boudin Blanc at Mayfair – best French restaurant that is about the food and not the fancy covers – good basic French fare.
• Miso in Haymarket - good, not great, but fine enough.
• Moo Cantina at Pimlico and Liverpool st – Argentine steak house, definitely not fancy, but amazing steaks – if I want a steak in London, I go here.
• Millbank Spice on VxBridgeRd - if you want a curry in this area, this was one of the best I could find.
• New Jomuna at Pimlico - not bad... I prefer Milbank Spice.
• NOPI at Regent St - very good middle eastern food, brilliant for vegetarians, amazing peanut butter ice-cream.
• The Northall at Whitehall - beautiful room, great for lunch for business clients. Otherwise a bit pricey.
• Polpo near the Strand - very nice, good service, great food, but getting a table is a gamble.
• Ping Pong at Southbank - good dim sum.
• Quaglinos at Pall Mall - another fancy one, great bar too, but pricey for what you get.
• Roko near Tottenham Court Rd – brilliant Asian fusion, expensive but good for the occasional treat.
• Rowleys on Jermyn St. – most expensive fish and chips I ever ate – but if you want to spot MPs quaffing wine on expenses, knock yourself out.
• Rodizio Preto at Pimlico - Not a fan of this Brazillian style place, but even then I was not impressed with the meat.
• Red Fort at Soho - Style over substance, I thought.
• Sophie's Steak House at Covent Garden - great place, not as good as it was.
• Smiths of Smithfield - good steaks, a little pricey.
• Steax in the City in Vauxhall - so expensive, despite the decor, will be surprised if they survive for long with Moo down the road.
• Seafresh at Pimlico - fish and chips, very popular with locals, sit down option too, very nice.
• Texas Embassy at Trafalgar Sq - fun basics, good ribs.
• Three Tuns at Marble Arch - nice pub, food average but good enough if you want to watch the game as well.
• Thai Pot at Covent Garden - very good small thai place, green curry excellent.
• Thai Square at Trafalgar Sq, Fleet Street and others - consistent chain which manages a pretty good set of dishes.
• Veerswarmy off Regent St - fancy, expensive, but flash and fun. Great service and food is good enough.
• Vivat Bacchus - a bit more costly than average, but an original menu and fantastic cheese selection; I would go back for the cheese alone.
• Zilli Fish Bar at Soho - ok, but not as special as I expected.