We ate out more in London than we normally do because (a) we met a bunch of friends and (b) there was a mouse living in our kitchen. Ew.

• Dishoom (Shoreditch – and Covent Garden): This place calls itself a Bombay cafe, and they say that they specialize in street food. That attempt at casual is also why they don’t allow reservations except for parties over six people, and only a few of those. The hostess said that coming after 6:30 or before 9:30 in the evening was a futile task, and we can attest to that, having waited an hour and a half or so for a table. (The hostess was fun to talk to, our friends took a bit, and B was pretty committed after 15 minutes.) They recommend getting 2-3 dishes per person, tapas style, but I think it very much depends on the dishes: I could have had the chicken curry (chicken ruby) as my only food, but not the bowl of greens, for example. In addition to those two, we also got lamb which was cooked until it fell off the bone (lamb raan), two orders of potatoes, their signature lentils (black daal), naan, and something else lamb-like. We also tried various beers, lassis (rose/ cardamom and mango/ fennel), and chais (naughty and otherwise). Overall, the food was spot-on: delicious, well-balanced, not too greasy or spicy, etc. The prices were definitely higher than expected, though I truly believe that if they didn’t tell you to get so much food per person (and you had one drink or fewer), it would be quite affordable. Also be aware that at least the Shoreditch location is quite loud and boisterous: this is not the place to go for a quiet two-person meal. And lunch and dinner prices are the same, so probably best to come for dinner.
• Hush (City – and Holborn): We came here for breakfast. I got eggs benedict with smoked salmon: I ate the salmon and left everything else for B. (Why don’t they offer sides of salmon in non-Eastern European countries, by the way?) B ordered blueberries with vanilla sugar, which did not taste like vanilla, though it didn’t quite taste like regular sugar either. Our friends had the pancake stack and the poached eggs with pulled pork. All of it was pretty tasty, and only mildly overpriced – especially for being right in front of St. Paul’s cathedral. We also got coffee for free, and they claim to offer free slippers as well; unfortunately, we didn’t take them up on this offer.
• The Cellarium (Westminster): I expected this cafe, which is inside the Westminster Abbey cloisters, to be supremely overpriced and packed. It wasn’t cheap, and we definitely waited, but the latter seemed to be due to poor timing on our part. B’s carrot cake was solid. Many people seemed to get the tea with scones option; our friends, who ordered it, said that the pastry, butter, and clotted cream were all good. The people next to us ordered an actual meal: fish and chips. It looked decent, though the girl who ordered it had performed intricate surgery to remove the breading; she told her companions that they didn’t have that kind of breading in Japan. The atmosphere resembled a school lunchroom a bit, featuring that style of tables and benches. Its location in the Cloisters also meant that it was below ground, with not as much light as I tend to like. Re-reading this, it sounds like I hated it, but perhaps I was just grumpy I couldn’t have pastries.
• The Porterhouse (Covent Garden): This pub had good Yelp reviews. Their drinks did not disappoint: they let us taste quite a few before picking, and they had BOGO cocktails. The food was solid too. I ordered from the ‘snack’ (appetizer) category, thinking to leave room for drinks at the quiz pub we were going to later. However, they were pretty much kidding about the appetizer label on the ‘large bowl of potato wedges:’ it was bigger than the entrees the boys ordered. B had the beef and porterhouse stout pie, our friend R had the shepherd’s pie, and our friend L had the fish and chips. The coolest part is likely the design of the pub itself, which is like a big maze, with six or seven levels and mezzanines and outdoor areas; it’s huge! For that area, quite affordable too.
• Wagamama (Holborn – and all over): Tired, we sought takeout. This was a Japanese chain right near where we were, and it was good for what it was. B got their ramen, which smelled right. I got their donburi, which needed some more sauce of some kind, but was otherwise tasty. We also had a Japanese pickles side, which was tiny – the size of a plastic ketchup container – but good. Our friends had the coconut curry (raisukaree) and the soup with noodles (itame). Good for being a chain!
• Nando’s (Southwark – and all over): We needed a quick bite, so we stopped at this chain. It specializes in Portuguese spiced chicken, with various sides. You order at the counter, but then they surprisingly have people come around to check on you – a bit unusual for this kind of casual business, but nice nonetheless. I thought the food itself was mediocre at best, but the sauces were actually spicy, which is nice after a few blander-spice countries.
• The Tea House Theatre (Vauxhall): This tea house had a great ambiance: they encouraged loitering for hours, had games and books galore, offered comfortable arm chairs, supported breastfeeding, and other such hippy things. Their tea selection was intense, and the vanilla black tea I chose was great. The food was not as successful, but I suspect that had to do with my personal preferences, and not the food quality. I had decided to try kedgeree, a dish described as being made of curry rice, with some fish and cooked egg. So, I imagined rice in curry sauce, with some chopped up boiled egg, and some fish on the side. In fact, it was rice sprinkled with curry powder, with pieces of smoked haddock permeating it, and a poached egg (that I initially thought was sour cream!) on top. Now, I like all of those ingredients, so I have no good explanation for why I didn’t enjoy this British-Indian dish first popularized in the 1800s – but alas, I did not. Go to the tea house, but maybe skip the fish and go for their English breakfasts (served all day) instead.
• The Ark Fish Restaurant (Brent Cross): We went here after a day-long fast! Imagine the look on the hostess’ face when she told us the wait would be 20 minutes, and B told her we hadn’t eaten in a day. The wait was, in fact, shorter, and surprisingly worth it. The restaurant specializes in fish: I ordered the grilled skate, and B had the fried cod. Both came with fries, and we got a side of veggies. It was a lot of food, but the fish was fresh and delicious. The only downside was the long walk back to the subway.
• Pizza East (Shoreditch): We met some friends from home here, at this place they said has a good reputation. It turned out to be well-earned: I had delicious lamb meatballs and a side of mushrooms, and they enjoyed their pizzas. Definitely worth it if you’re in the area, though a reservation may be necessary.
• Curry Capital (Shoreditch): This place was open late! It was also relatively affordable for London, though the price for papadoms in the menu is a bit misleading. I decided to try the shatkora chicken, a Bangladeshi specialty with lemons, and B had the hariali chicken. Turns out that mine was not at all spicy (or salted), and a bit too lemony; B’s was nice though. The waiters were very attentive, and we even got free mini chocolate squares at the end of the meal. A decent enough choice if you’re in the neighborhood, but if you have time, head further south on this particular street (Brick Lane): it’s known for its curries.
• Bamboo Box (Shoreditch): I noticed this hole-in-the-wall earlier in the week because it seemed inexpensive. It primarily serves fresh curries and boxed, refrigerated sushi. I ordered the massaman chicken curry, and B had the beef in (awesome) sauce. Both were pretty good – and even better with sriracha, a rarity in London restaurants. The place itself is quite small, with only four stools along a counter for eating in. The guy behind the counter was great: friendly and easy-going. He made pleasant small talk and let B try four of the different curries, to ensure he got one he liked. Plus, their early 2000s American hits music selection was pretty catchy.
• Byron (Southwark – and all over): I’m not a fan of going to other countries to eat American food. This is a fairly easy guideline to stick to since I hate fast food, and that’s our most-commonly exported food. We ended up at this chain that does ‘proper hamburgers’ because everything else in the area was packed, expensive, or Indian food (we’re a bit curried out). ‘Proper’ in this case seems to mean that: (a) they have American-style French fries, which go by that name, (b) the burgers actually come in varieties other than well done, and (b) they have milkshakes! My sister had an Oreo milkshake, and I heard no complaints. B had nachos (minus the guac I stole) and the Smoky burger, and I enjoyed their chips and Byron special sauce. This concoction consists of ketchup, mayo, diced pickles, and some other things of unknown origin. It was delicious, and putting it on the potatoes made them taste like tapas-style patatas bravas. In a surprising turn of events, we managed to find room to split a strawberry sundae! It had ‘poached’ strawberries, French vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, strawberry sauce, and meringue. I’m a dessert snob, and I thought it was quite well done.
• Benets (Shoreditch): Specializing in crepes and pancakes, this little cafe seems perpetually empty. B had a peanut butter and apple cinnamon crepe, which assuaged his hunger, but wasn’t amazing. They had a big counter of ice creams, but it was too cold for that.
• Bella Italia Cafe (Covent Garden – and all over): The beguiling thing about this place was their ‘Free WiFi’ sign, as I had a work call. The call went long enough that B ordered their appetizer and entree special for us to split: caprese and a puttanesca-style chicken with potatoes. I then had the panna cotta, and he had a sundae – because we are clearly in our dessert period (like Picasso’s blue period, but with more sugar). Decent, especially for being £10 for the app and entree together.
• Shoreditch Food Village (Shoreditch): This place is like a picnic area, with food trucks parked around it – except more permanent. There is everything from Thai and Middle Eastern to BBQ and a Chipotle-like vendor. I had the burrito bowl, which was much like the chain’s, which isn’t a bad thing. B had a meat sandwich, which he enjoyed. Decent space and experience, if a bit pricey for sharing a picnic table with some pigeons.