Eating My Way Around London

How could I blog about London and not highlight my food experiences?  There were many but I'm only touching upon those that were memorable or surprising in some way.   Most of these experiences were with my cousin Walden who was an exceptional host and tour guide.  

On my first night in London, the family took me to Durum.  Durum is a Turkish restaurant located in the Finchley section of London.  The appetizers and my lamb were very good. However, this hot mint tea after my meal was the star.  Made of hot water and mint, this simple tea was soothing and refreshing. 

I visited my first pub in Leicester Square.  By the way, Leicester sounds like Lester.  At the Bear and Staff Pub I had a delightful meal of fish and chips.  It came with mushy peas which I hear is common in these parts.  I liked them but if you don't like green peas or mashed up green peas, you will not like mushy peas.   The cod had just the right amount of batter made from their house ale.

Whilst in London, one should have a traditional afternoon tea.  We went to the Grosvenor Hotel in Central London near the Victoria tube station.  Cousin suspected they would have a good afternoon tea and I was inclined to believe him. The hotel entrance was stunning.

Here's what I learned about afternoon tea straight from the Grosvenor Hotel menu:

Whilst living in Woburn Abbey, during the nineteenth century, Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford is credited as the first person to have transformed afternoon tea in England into a late-afternoon meal rather than simple refreshment. 

I sampled from the tiers of sandwiches, scones and cakes.  My tea was Organic Earl Gray.  In spite of the decor, folks were dressed casually and it was child-friendly.  

Pubs abound in London.  Out of convenience, we went to the Liberty Bounds pub.  The food was decent and the plates were charming.  The pub is close to the Tower of London.  During the 16th and 17th century, prisoners were held at the Tower, walked to the scaffold and lost their heads.   

At the Bengal Lancer on Kentish Town Rd in London, I ate one of my favorite meals.  I had a vegetarian platter (Vegetable Thali).  A few items on the platter I couldn't pronounce but my taste buds were dancing.

My feet were aching as we entered the Royal Oak Windsor.  I had just toured the Windsor Castle. By the way, whenever the flag (top right side below) is flying at full mast, the Queen is home.

Don't let the royal name fool you.  The Royal Oak Windsor is another pub.  I was in the mood for a healthy and satisfying meal which I thought was not pub possible.  On the menu I saw salmon or sea bass with veggies.  I asked my waiter and he suggested the sea bass.  He said it came with a delicious wine sauce with shallots.  He spoke affectionately about dipping their hot bread into the sauce and offered to bring me out a basket of it.  He's also from Portugal so he may know a little about fish.  It was beautifully prepared and exceeded my expectations.  Well done mate...well done.

Have you ever tried baked Camembert?  I hadn't until I went to the Museum Tavern after a visit to the British Museum. It was served with toasted garlic bread and a cranberry sauce.  Simply sumptuous.  

On Thursday, my cousin was at home cooking a lovely Thanksgiving meal.  I went off on my own and visited the Charles Dickens Museum.  First, I went to the cafe and had a tartlet (quiche), salad and tea.  It was unremarkable.  The cafe only took cash but the bookstore allowed payment by credit card.  I had to go there anyway to pay for the museum entrance fee.  I was given a sticky note receipt. Quite remarkable.   

The weekend after Thanksgiving, we toured the Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster. Between the two tours, the security guard at Westminster Abbey pointed us in the direction of food. We found several options on a sleepy side street many blocks away.  I reluctantly selected the Bamboo Basket.  It didn't seem particularly special. Realizing that every experience doesn't have to be extraordinary,  I decided to give it a go.  I was pleasantly surprised and loved the seafood soup and fried soft shell crabs.

A few hours later, after an audio tour of the Palace of Westminster, we stopped by the cafe to rest our weary feet before getting on the tube.  I had the prettiest vanilla latte.

A couple of days before leaving London, the family took me out for Italian at Zizzi Ristorante in the Finchley section of London.  We had appetizers of bruschetta, arancini (fried risotto balls with mozzarella) and calamari.  I also had one of their signature pizzas, the Primavera. The entire meal was spectacular.

 

 Cheers!