London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [107]
Cha Cha Moon.
£ | CHINESE | Alan Yau’s slump-proof Chinese noodle canteen off Carnaby Street charges under £10 for all mains and sides, so it’s no wonder the communal tables are usually crammed like a Hong Kong rush hour subway train. Pick wisely from the long menu and you can score a tasty meal for £17. Stick to the hand-pulled lao mian noodles, rice-based curries, or the prawn dumplings. | 15–21 Ganton St., Soho | W1F 9BN | 020/7297–9800 | www.chachamoon.com | Reservations not accepted | AE, MC, V | Oxford Circus
Côte.
£ | FRENCH | Where else can you get a surprisingly good three-course French meal for £11.95? The Côte French brasserie—softly lighted and smoothly decked out with grey and white striped awning, banquettes, and Parisian-style round tables—does just the trick, and offers these deals weekdays from 3 pm until 7 pm, and weekends noon to 6 pm. With four choices per course, you’ll find all your favorites: Bayonne ham, beef Bourguignon, Les Landes chicken, moules marinières (steamed mussels with white wine), tuna Niçoise, minced beef steak haché patties, and crème caramel. | 124–126 Wardour St., Soho | W1F OTY | 020/7287–9280 | www.cote-restaurants.co.uk | AE, MC, V | Tottenham Court Rd., Piccadilly Circus
Fodor’s Choice | Dean Street Townhouse.
£££ | BRITISH | It’s impossible not to feel glamorous at this packed and buzzing restaurant, attached to the stylish hotel of the same name. Soft lighting, dark-wood floors, red banquettes, raised bar seats and walls crammed with monochromes by Brit artists Tracy Emin and Mat Collishaw create a hip atmosphere for London’s good-looking media elite. No-frills, no-fuss retro-British favorites include smoked haddock soufflé, fish fingers, or toad-in-the-hole, plus sherry trifle, treacle tart, and bread-and-butter pudding. You’ll find buttered crumpets for afternoon tea, as well as a high tea service, and weekend brunch, plus a few celebrities dotted around the place, too. | 69–71 Dean St., Soho | W1D 3SE | 020/7434–1775 | www.deanstreettownhouse.com | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Tottenham Court Rd. .
Fodor’s Choice | Giaconda Dining Room.
££ | MODERN EUROPEAN | A gastro-landmark with an indie spirit on Denmark Street’s Tin Pan Alley (think Bowie, Marley, and the Clash), the friendly Australian-run two-room dining room may only seat 35, but the eclectic menu is inspired. Chef Paul Merrony sends out mighty starters—creamed shallots with horseradish, crab linguine, or lamb with cocoa beans—and a full range of luscious main entrées at extremely low prices. Try the fish cakes, pig’s trotters, salmon and fennel, or hearty dishes like veal kidneys, Italian pork sausage stew, or ham-hock hash with a fried egg on top. | 9 Denmark St., Soho | WC2H 8LS | 020/7240–3334 | www.giacondadining.com | AE, MC, V | No lunch Sat. Closed Sun. and Mon. | Tottenham Court Rd.
Fodor’s Choice | Hix.
£££ | BRITISH | Hix, a spiffy Soho establishment on Brewer Street that oozes class, style, and panache, serves brilliant but simple British fare: think flat-iron steak with a huge chunk of bone marrow, Aryshire veal with Mendip snails, or gurnard (a white fish) with cockles and sea purslane (green leaves). You can also find epic feasts for the whole table, such as goose, chop, and oysters, or suckling pig, plus riffs on classics, like rabbit and crayfish Stargazy pie. Check out Brit artists Sarah Lucas and Damian Hirst mobiles, plus old-fashioned bar billiards, kilim rugs, and famed mixologist Nick Strangeway’s cocktails in the winning basement bar. | 66–70 Brewer St., Soho | W1F 9UP | 020/7292–3518 | www.hixsoho.co.uk | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | Piccadilly Circus
Koya.
£ | JAPANESE | Is it the hours of foot kneading (albeit under plastic canvas, to allay hygene concerns) that makes the udon wheat-flour noodles here so springy, spongy, and ultimately addictive? Lines of Japanese diners and trendy Soho-ites are a testament to the allure of the dishes served at this no-reservations,