50 AMERICANWAY
JULY 15 2007
E A T L I K E A L O C A L
The past decade has brought
London liberation from its long-
time status as aworld-class city
with second-class food. Long
gone are the days of overcooked
roasts and soggyfish-and-chips.
NowLondon isfilledwith fun,
livelyplaces to eat. Here are a
handful of gems. —GregKatz
London
Dining
An Inside Look
Early-Bird Special
THEWOLSELEY
No placematches theWolseley
for breakfast. This big, beautiful,
high-ceilinged room is home to
one of the city’smost popular
restaurants, and it is particularly
nice to eat here in themorning.
The grilled kippers are excel-
lent, and simpler dishes such as
poached eggs andGreek yogurt
arefine aswell. 160Piccadilly,
011-44-207-499-6996, www
.thewolseley.com
Lunchof theDay
VEERASWAMY
Everyneighborhoodhas its curry
house, but there is onlyoneVeer-
aswamy. Billedas London’s oldest
Indian restaurant, this 1926 land-
markhas been completely redone
but still hints at imperial glory.
Themenuadds a slightlymodern
twist to classicdishes, and the
result is unlikeanyother Indian
food I’ve tastedbefore. The sense
of ceremonyandpleasurewill
linger longafter you’vefinished
themeal. 99Regent Street, 011-
44-207-734-1401,www.veera
swamy.com
FIFTH FLOORCAFÉAT
HARVEYNICHOLS
It’s a bit of a guilty pleasure,
ILLUSTRATIONBYKATEMILLER
but I like lunch at the Fifth
Floor Café at HarveyNichols, or
HarveyNicks, as it’s known to
Londoners. Situated on the top
floor of the high-priced fashion
emporium, the café offers a nice
view of the city and an even
better view of the trendy types
whoworship here. It’s fun to
browse for an hour or so and
then plopdown at the café for a
drywhiteBurgundy and a salade
niçoise. 109–125Knightsbridge,
011-44-207-235-5250, www
.harveynichols.com
RACINE
For a truly pleasurable sit-
down lunch, Racine is a treat.
On a scale, this quiet hideaway
inKnightsbridge ismidway
between the ersatz French bras-
series proliferating in London
and the over-the-topFrench
restaurantswithMichelin-star
pretensions. Themenu is varied,
the flavors are subtle, and I’ve
never had amediocremeal here.
239BromptonRoad, 011-44-
207-584-4477
Dinner Is Served
SAM’SBRASSERIE&BAR
Always fun, Sam’s is set on a
side street just off Chiswick
HighRoad inWest London.
With awide variety of good
food at various prices, a terrific
wine list, and a sense of style, it
exemplifies the best of the city’s
new restaurants. Sam’s is the
opposite of stuffy, and the range
of foods offeredwould have been
unimaginable in London just 10
years ago. 11BarleyMowPas-
sage, 011-44-208-987-0555,
CAFÉBARANDRIVER
TERRACE, RIVERSIDE STUDIOS
London’sweather is far better
than its reputation indicates, and
during the long, mild evenings
of springand summer, there are
fewnicer places than the café
andbar at theRiversideStudios,
a repertorymovie theaterwitha
popular restaurant attached. The
food is simple andmoderately
priced; the cocktails, wines, and
desserts are excellent; and the
crowd is colorful and fun to
watch. But themain sellingpoint
is thebeautiful outdoor terrace
withanunmatched viewof the
River Thames and theHammer-
smithBridge. CrispRoad,
Hammersmith; 011-44-208-237-
1009;www.riversidestudios.co.uk
Afinal tip:
Avoid the
wildly expensive fancy hotel teas.
Buy theater tickets instead.
FifthFloor Café at
HarveyNichols; below,
peppered tuna at Sam’s
Brasserie&Bar
SEE LOCAL
VEGAS
DININGON
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