318531 Thu Aug 17 21:32:34 -0700 2006 8 42 U.K./Ireland 0 1815629 Any recommendations? I'm interested in both modern and traditional English fare. And good beer. Thu Aug 17 21:32:34 -0700 2006 26615 Scruncheons 1 1816663 Russell Square is not really an area noted for its food. Its more an area noted for cheap tourist hotels and student accommodation. As far as beer is concerned, there ar many good pubs, do a search at http://www.fancyapint.com/ for many good recommendations. Personally I would head a half mile east to Lambs Conduit Street. There you will find watering holes such as Vats, The Perseverance and The Lamb. Actually, the food at The Perseverance is not bad either. Downstairs is a fairly bog-standard Victorian-style pub, upstairs is a more sedate dining room. Fri Aug 18 09:40:50 -0700 2006 1815629 19800 loobcom 2 1829634 I agree with VATS, the Lamb and The 'Percy'.... all very good local fare. Also, if you want a breakfast then try Sid's Cafe on Lambs Conduit Street..... very good. Thu Aug 24 08:09:00 -0700 2006 1816663 16173 Gastro Al 1 1816668 There is a decent pub on Cosmo Place called The Queen's Larder Otherwise, I agree, the best thing about Russell Square is that it is not far to get to other places of more interest Fri Aug 18 09:52:02 -0700 2006 1815629 12021 Simon Majumdar 1 1818195 Hi, I spent last year living in LSE student housing like two blocks from Russell Square. Aside from Lambs Conduit there isnt much English grub around. Provided you dont mind non-English fare: My favorite place to go for a cheap lunch- On Warren Street, across from the Warren Street Tube station there is a store called 'The Health Food Centre'. In the front of the store they have weird health food supplements and vitamins but in the back there is a small counter with vegatarian Indian take-out. It's a family operation, with a grandma, her daughter and the daughter's husband and everything tastes fresh (not like its been sitting under heat lamps for the past few days). There isn't a place to eat on premises, so I suggest you take your food and go to Gordon Square or back to Russell Square and eat in the park. An added upside is that it won't put you back more than a few quid. Also: I was a fan of Les Deux Amis, a cafe on Marchmont St above Tavistock Place. If you are traveling, its a nice place for breakfast or if you a student like I was, a good place to get some caffiene and study (the tea is just regular Twinning's but the coffee is good). Some tourists come from the hostel around the corner but it's mostly students and locals. I had a small addiction to their apricot pastries. I believe they make all their pasteries and cakes on premises (there's a kitchen in the back I've stuck my head in on the way to the bathroom). I don't know about the rest of central London but generally it's hard to find a quiet non-chain cafes in residential areas, so in that respect I think its notable. I know these suggestions weren't quite what you were asking for, but perhaps they will be helpful. And oh yeah, Bloomsbury Cheeses, which is next to Les Deux Amis is also great for picnic fixings. Get some bread at Les Deux, cheese and olives at Bloomsbury Cheeses, then go sit in Brunswick park and marvel at the hulking monstrosity that is the Brunswick Centre. Fri Aug 18 21:31:23 -0700 2006 1815629 26680 partysmiles 1 1828923 A few years ago I had fish and chips at the little place around the corner from Bloomsbury Cheeses and it was very good. Wed Aug 23 23:24:16 -0700 2006 1815629 12341 vanillagrrl 1 1829016 Are you talking about the North Sea Fish restaurant? I never actually ate there, but I think that's what it's called. And to briefly edit my above post, when I wrote Marchmont I meant Hunter St. Sorry about the mix-up. Thu Aug 24 00:07:34 -0700 2006 1815629 26680 partysmiles 1 5062431 As I live close to Russell Square I'm finding the recommendations very interesting - some old faves and some new ones for me to try, I second many of the places on Lambs Conduit. Try Cigala, Kennards, Ciao Bella, VATS wine bar and The Perseverance pub all on this lovely partially pedestrianised street. They attract regulars so tables fill up quickly at times ... always a good sign. Beware of Sids Conduit Coffee House though as their coffee is very poor (decent Italian brand but made poorly). I haven't been brave enough to try their food or tea, so cannot comment on these. I see loobcom's recommendation is almost 3 yrs old, so maybe things have changed. Sun Sep 27 15:30:04 -0700 2009 1815629 1112380 hhrtmnn 1 5063752 It's a Chinese restaurant, but a very good one at that, called Chilli Cool: http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1p06k8t/chilli-cool Really good Sichuanese food. One half of the restaurant is hotpot (which I criminally haven't tried yet given I ate hotpot at least 1-2 times a week when I lived in China), the other half standard Sichuan dishes. They have some great offally stuff too. I had chicken hearts and pig's trotters last time, both excellent. Mon Sep 28 08:33:49 -0700 2009 1815629 280761 chief1284