One of the best parts of living in or visiting London’s West End is the seemingly endless list of diversions, including one of the world’s best theatre districts, a multitude of galleries, exhibits, great nightlife and some of the best restaurants in London.
With such an amazing array of choices for dining, here are some apps and restaurant suggestions that can help make the selection process a bit easier.
Apps
Cakewalk London
London has one of the world’s best assortments of cake shops. The Cakewalk London app shows real-time opening hours, menus and a Google map to lead you to the shop.
Open Table
This is the companion app for the popular Open Table website. It allows you to book reservations, explore menus, and read user reviews. You can search by type of cuisine and price.
Hungry House
The Hungry House app is well suited for finding Chinese restaurants. It includes menus, user reviews and shows those restaurants which offer takeaway and delivery. You can also order and pay directly on the site.
Restaurant Suggestions
Whether you live in the West End or are in the area to attend the theatre (most restaurants offer a pre-theatre menu) the choices are almost overwhelming. Here are some suggestions.
MASH
MASH stands for Modern American Steakhouse, although the restaurant is owned by a Danish company. MASH captures the American steakhouse character well, with thick steaks and fairly heavy sides and desserts. Light eaters and vegetarians will be hard-pressed to find an offering that fits their dining preferences.
Asia de Cuba
The interior is a bit quirky with huge bookshelves, lots of portraits, and a space that is more like a gallery than a restaurant. The food is equally quirky and features dishes which are a fusion of Asian and Central American Cuisine.
Boyd’s Brasserie
Located in a former 19th-century hotel, this is a perfect spot for tourists who are looking to experience a quintessential “British” evening of the unabashedly British menu followed by a night at the theatre.
Hakkasan
Hakkasan is a Michelin-starred, decidedly upscale, modern Cantonese and dim sum restaurant. The massive restaurant is known for its exemplary service and excellent cuisine. The wide array of seafood specialties are among Hakkasan’s main attractions. Hakkasan is very busy year-round and reservations are highly recommended.
Yauatcha
Yauatcha is a contemporary dim sum restaurant known for its crispy rolls, exotic salads that include shrimp, baby asparagus, and blue swimmer crab, and excellent dumplings. The service is not always quite up to par, but the excellent selection and very reasonable prices more than make up for that shortcoming.
Clos Maggiore
The hallmark of Clos Maggiore is its very large and indulgent a la carte menu, and the service is as excellent as the food. The restaurant claims to be the “most romantic” in London. Taking a table on the indoor terrace with its fairy lights and flowering branches gives a bit of credence to that claim.
