• Added: 17th of December 2007
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London WC2E 9EB
020 7497 9504

betageek said
Old-school boozer
The Lamb & Flag is a good, traditional pub located in a side street in Covent Garden. However, being slightly off the beaten track doesn't mean that it's quiet - it's usually full both at lunchtimes and evenings, and in warmer weather drinkers spill out on to the pavement outside. Inside, it's an old-school boozer, with a reasonable range of beer and a somewhat stodgy food menu.

• Added: 17th of December 2007
• Area: Lambeth
• Category: Hotels and Travel

London SE1 7JL
020 7793 1010

betageek said
Disappointing
I was booked into the Novotel London Waterloo for an overnight business trip. On the plus side, the room was spacious and comfortable. However, both checking in and checking out took an unconscionable length of time - check in was delayed by missing information, and check out by a graceless member of staff who denied knowledge of the arrangements that I had made less than eight hours earlier. Worse yet was ordering a room service breakfast, knowing that I had to leave early, and it never turning up, despite a phone call to query. When I raised this at check out, I was told that these things happen, and was offered no apology. Walking out of a hotel hungry and irritated is a poor start to the day, and I would not recommend this hotel.

• Added: 17th of December 2007
• Area: Vauxhall
• Category: Hotels and Travel

London SW1P 4DD
020 7630 1000

betageek said
Excellent, affordable boutique hotel
We booked a weekend package at the City Inn Westminster to spend a couple of days Christmas shopping. I was extremely impressed. The hotel was clean and stylish, and though the room was certainly on the small side of cosy, it was perfectly appointed and very comfortable. Our weekend package included bed and breakfast (extremely good), along with complimentary champagne and canapes on the first night, plus a free drink each for every day we stayed, and a few other extras such as newspapers. However, one of the main attractions was a late checkout (4pm) on Sunday which meant that we could make the most of the day. The staff were extremely helpful at all times. It's also extremely convenient for Waterloo, the Tate and other local attractions, and Pimlico and Westminster offer good Underground links. I'd recommend this hotel to anyone - it's head and shoulders above competitors in a similar price bracket.

• Added: 11th of December 2007
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2H 9LJ
020 7813 2233

betageek said
Perfect for a fast working lunch
Belgo Centraal is a favourite lunchtime haunt - it's conveniently situated in the West End, and just the place for a fast working lunch. If one wishes to take more time, the menu has a reasonable variety of choice - especially if one likes moules. The boar sausages are also excellent, as is the lamb shank. However, there isn't the best range for vegetarians. Where Belgo Centraal really comes into its own is the beer menu, which is terrifically varied and offers some really wonderful Belgian beers. Whether all of this leaves any room for the beer-flavoured ice cream is down to the individual.

• Added: 10th of December 2007
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2E 7DD
020 7240 4222

betageek said
Poor service lets it down
Christopher's ought to be perfect. It has everything going for it: an excellent location and stately building, a lovely high-ceilinged dining room, a lively downstaits bar, and good food - the steaks are terrific, and the chowder is superb. There's a good wine list, with an emphasis on the higher end of the scale, but also some moderately-priced but pleasant wines. There's also a very comprehensive cocktail menu - the Martinis are excellent.

What lets it down is shockingly bad service. I've given up going under my own steam, though I've been since as a guest, and every time the service has been quite unaccountably slow - to the point that it becomes untenable if one has somewhere to go afterwards. The nadir was the occasion when an initial drinks order was lost and, despite polite prompting, only appeared with the main course. There's not an ounce of malice or unpleasantness in the service, just what might appear to be a lack of competence. I'm prepared to take a more relaxed view in most restaurants, but if one is being asked to pay expensive prices, it's not unreasonable to expect service to be perfect.

• Added: 10th of December 2007
• Area: Blackfriars
• Category: Restaurants

London EC4V 6DB
020 7438 8052

betageek said
Authentically Italian
Refettorio is practically next door to my office, so an extremely convenient lunchtime haunt. I've always found the food delicious, and authentically Italian. The pheasant ravioli is terrific. The only reason that it doesn't rate five stars is that on a couple of occasions the service has been somewhat inattentive - if the restaurant is quiet, it's fine, but if it's busy, standards seem to slip a little.

• Added: 10th of December 2007
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2E 7BD
020 7240 7529

betageek said
Hands-down excellent
PJ's Grill is my favourite London restaurant. It's got a winning formula of convenient location, consistent food, good wine, friendly service and reasonable prices. I must have eaten there on two or three dozen occasions, have worked my way through the entire menu, and have never been disappointed. It's always busy, but comes across as cosy rather than cramped. The meat is good - excellent pork belly, good steak, and what is in my opinion the best hamburger in London. It's well worth getting to know PJ's - regulars are welcomed with genuine warmth and friendliness, and the brass plaques above each table and photographs on the walls show some of the notable regulars. I can think of nowhere I would rather eat.

• Added: 10th of December 2007
• Area: Belgravia
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London SW1X 7NR
020 7235 3074

betageek said
Good for a drink
This is one of my favourite London pubs, tucked away in a little mews between Wilton Crescent and Knightsbridge, five minutes from Hyde Park Corner. One wouldn't find it without knowing about it, so it has a peculiar clientele of locals and better-informed tourists who've read about the atmosphere - it was once the mess of the Grenadier Guards, and is reputedly haunted by the ghost of an officer. It's dark, wood-panelled and full of military memorabilia. The food is average at best and occasionally dodgy - despite which, it seems to be worth booking at lunchtimes as the dining room at the back is usually full. However, the beer is good and they do an excellent Bloody Mary.

• Added: 10th of December 2007
• Area: Somerstown
• Category: Restaurants

London W1W 5QB
020 7631 3131

betageek said
Excellent, if expensive
Went to Villandry for a business lunch. The restaurant was crowded (it seems to be something of a canteen for BBC Radio staff - saw various journalists/presenters lunching), but didn't feel cramped, and conversation was possible without straining voices. Good range of food on the daily menu. Starter of pear and bleu d'Auvergne rarebit was really super, and main course of cassoulet was good. My lunch companions both had the fish of the day, which was an apparently excellent bass. Given that the total bill was over £100 for three people drinking only fizzy water, I'm glad that I was taken as a guest. However, for a business lunch I'd recommend Villandry, and the attached gourmet grocery looks worthy of further experimentation.