I received a comment on my last post challenging (in a very polite way) my less-than-positive assessment of food in London and I have been thinking about that ever since. It is true that there are an abundance of Michelin-starred restaurants in London, and, especially over the last decade, the city has gained a reputation as a culinary hotspot. So I admit to, 1) being super confused about why I always have---and have had, in the 20 years I’ve been visiting London---such a terrible time finding a good meal there; and, 2) feeling like a bit of an arsehole for complaining about the food which is supposed to be so good.

So, is it me or is it London?

I think it’s a bit of both. My experience and my research is leading me to believe that, if there is great food in London, it’s served at restaurants I don’t know about or at those whose prices take my breath (and appetite) away. To be fair, I have a pretty low threshold for breathlessness when it comes to restaurants---I don’t like to pay a lot of money for food. I’m also not comfortable with “fancy;” posh places, be they shops, hotels, or restaurants, make me feel unwelcome. I don’t have the clothes, hair, or attitude to fit in, so can never fully relax. What can I say? I grew up in a working-class family and neighborhood that infused my class-conscious view of myself. And I’m proud of that, as it also inspired my leftist political leanings, my deep sense of outrage at unfairness, and my rejection of senseless consumerism.

In San Francisco, Husband and I once celebrated our birthdays by getting all gussied up and splashing out on an incredibly delicious, extraordinarily extravagant meal at restaurant Gary Danko. The food was some of the most special we have ever tasted; it was culinary art, to be sure. Our meal, with drinks and tip, cost $300. We both spent days afterward mired in guilt over having spent that kind of money on food. The guilt almost ruined the experience.

That occasion aside, our motto has always been, “Value for Money.” Can that be found in London? Maybe. On our last visit there, we ate lunch at St. John, a restaurant in the Smithfield Market district; it has one Michelin star. We didn’t know to book ahead---even on Sunday afternoon, the dining room was fully reserved---so we sat in the very comfortable bar area. The food was good, the service was super friendly, the beer was excellent, and the price was way reasonable (£38 for both of us!). St. John is famous for what it calls “head-to-toe” eating, meaning they prepare and serve unique cuts of animals. Since Husband does that on a fairly regular basis, there wasn’t much on the menu I haven’t seen before, but I approve of the “don’t waste the flesh” philosophy. Mostly I’d go back there for the beer, the service, and the ambiance. Oh, and the great prices.



We only knew of St. John because a chef-friend of Husband’s recommended it to us prior to our trip. If we had walked past it on the street, we probably wouldn’t even have recognized it as a restaurant; the exterior looks like the back entrance to a butcher’s shop.


That might be the root of my problem finding good, affordable food in London---you’ve got to do some research and know exactly where to go before you get there, since you’re not likely to stumble upon a gastronomic gem as you amble through the neighborhoods. This is so different to my experience in San Francisco, where good, cheap restaurants are as common as the homeless people you have to step over to get into them (sad, that). Same with Barcelona, where I’ve never had a bad meal and always feel like I get more than my money’s worth. I’ve heard it’s the same almost anywhere in Italy---great food, amazing ingredients, excellent value for money. And don’t even get me started on the truly awesome food of Tokyo. My opinion is that Tokyo has the best food in the world.

So, okay, London is different. Since my last post, I’ve done some looking around on line and right now, I’m digging LondonEater, a food blog written by a guy who clearly does a lot of eating in the city. I’ve already got a few restaurant possibilities in mind for our next trip. Now, can someone recommend a frickin’ reasonable hotel or apartment service?