How can you stay away from Fish&Chips when you are in London?
You won’t be surprised to know that London is more than Fish&Chips but a reminder is always welcome. This is a selection of some of the trendiest alternatives, with a slight focus on the décor, and ranging from mid to high prices.
Dark, noisy and expensive could be its slogan. This subterranean space with moody illumination and spotlights over each table is an attraction for fashion A-listers, big spenders and business magnates looking for a bit more than the Michelin-starred Cantonese food.
Booming with confidence, energy and noise, Pollen Street Social contrasts with Hakkasan with its dressed-down social vibe. The dining room matches: it’s a beautiful, contemporary space with wood surfaces, leather trim and spherical lampshades. The kitchen offers British cuisine from a chef used to working for the best, and the worst – Ramsay.
Polpo
‘Style and the customer’ is Polpo’s motto. The décor is classic, distressed and artful, which is combined perfectly with the offers of inexpensive Italian snacks, like bread-based cichetti and cured pork panino. For drinks, you can go stay at the zinc bar or go downstairs to the Campari bar and indulge on cocktails.
Viajante – Modern European
‘The most innovative restaurant in London’. Built in Bethnal Green’s redeveloped Edwardian town Hall, a very open kitchen is home to Nuno Mendes’ work, whose down-to-earth approach includes serving some of the courses himself. Matching a contemporary aesthetic is the modern European gastronomy.
Finally, a café for an all-day affair… In this reclaimed, distressed dining areas, the menus roam around Britain and the Middle East. Split into two dining areas and a bar, this is also the place for archetypal cheeseburgers, sticky gingerbread and dense caramel ice cream.
What’s your choice?
