# Good but cheapish restaurants in central London?



## Mikey77 (Aug 18, 2011)

Does any such thing exist? I want to take a lady out to a restaurant and then maybe a wine bar, but I am an amateur at this kind of thing. I think there are cheaper places dotted about on Charing Cross Road or that kind of area, but I am unsure if they are any good, and I don't want her to think I am a complete cheapskate even if I am. I have seen the odd website with a set price menu, but these usually finish by a certain time and have very little choice. How much can I expect to pay for a meal in a decent restaurant?

And for the wine people among you is it a lot cheaper to order a bottle of wine in a wine bar than to get seperate drinks? I could take her to a plain old bar somewhere near leicester square, but I think these places are jam packed on a Friday evening, and getting a seat where I might cosey up to her will be impossible.  Any ideas??


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## vauxhallmum (Aug 18, 2011)

If you are seeing time limitations on the websites those are likely to be ' before the show' theatre type restaurants. Charing Cross Road is probably not the best place to go- bit touristy as it's too close to Oxford St. If you go to Covent Garden/Soho you may get more choice but you are unlikely to get away with a decent meal for less than £50 for the two of you. Belgos isn't cheap but less expensive than some. Maybe try Dean St/Frith St/Greek St- there's lots there but obviously still pricey, just likely to be better quality. Probably cheaper to buy a bottle of wine than separate glasses but frankly I'm a beer woman so what do I know? Coseying up on a Friday is very difficult but you can sometimes get a seat at the Glasshouse Stores on er..Brewer St which is a normal old boozer and quite cheap for the area.


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## littlebabyjesus (Aug 18, 2011)

What kind of food are you after? There are relatively cheap restaurants around soho - I went to a very good Lebanese for my last birthday where you can have a meal plus drinks for about 20-25 quid a head. It all depends what kind of vibe you want mostly, I think. You pay more for more intimate settings.

Also, worth checking deals. Websites like toptable do genuine deals. I had a great deal at a very posh restaurant in west London from there once.


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## Mikey77 (Aug 19, 2011)

Brilliant advice. Thanks for that chaps. OK, so she had other ideas on where to go in the end, but I will definitely need the above advice at some point because Googling on the interweb is so confusing for restaurants. Yeah, Lebanese food is great. I just remembered being at a Lebanese restaurant a few years back, and will keep that idea in mind.


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## quimcunx (Aug 19, 2011)

I'm sure I replied to this earlier.  

Browns pre theatre?  Somewhere round St. Christopher's place?


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## vauxhallmum (Aug 19, 2011)

Mikey77 said:


> Brilliant advice. Thanks for that chaps. OK, so she had other ideas on where to go in the end, but I will definitely need the above advice at some point because Googling on the interweb is so confusing for restaurants. Yeah, Lebanese food is great. I just remembered being at a Lebanese restaurant a few years back, and will keep that idea in mind.


Edgware Road is the place for Lebanese btw


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## Mikey77 (Aug 20, 2011)

Yeah, Edgware Road is another great idea. I can't believe I didn't think of that.


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## Kanda (Aug 20, 2011)

Yalla Yalla in Soho or Oxford St ain't bad for Lebanese and central.

I'd do Dim Sum, Chinatown or Ping Pong

http://www.pingpongdimsum.com/


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## littlebabyjesus (Aug 20, 2011)

Not been to Yalla Yalla. The Lebanese in Soho I've been to is Kaslik, which I thought was very good.


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## Kanda (Aug 20, 2011)

I haven't either, loads I work with have though, bunch of food snobs and they like it... seems reasonable pricing etc...


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## littlebabyjesus (Aug 20, 2011)

tbh I doubt there are many _bad_ Lebanese restaurants.


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## Kanda (Aug 20, 2011)

littlebabyjesus said:


> tbh I doubt there are many _bad_ Lebanese restaurants.



Depends if you're Lebanese or not I guess


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## Maggot (Aug 20, 2011)

I went to a Spanish restaurant called La Tasca in St Martins Lane last week. Food was good, reasonably priced and great service too.


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## vauxhallmum (Aug 20, 2011)

So Mikey77, have you been? Where did you go in the end?


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## Ms T (Aug 20, 2011)

I am definitely a food snob and Yalla Yalla was good when I went quite a while ago.  I don't rate Ping Pong at all.

A decent meal in Central London with wine will set you back at least £30 these days.


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## Ted Striker (Aug 20, 2011)

Probnably no use, but my standard answer to the op is to suggest Little Bay Restaurants.http://www.littlebay.co.uk/london.html


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## Xanadu (Aug 21, 2011)

Pierre Victoire on Dean Street - great atmosphere, not too expensive, and the food isn't bad either.


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