Short London stay - solo diner

[mbro]

Will be in London November 8th and 9th staying at Marriott Marble Arch. Need recommendations for dinner both evenings.

Recently read, in LA TImes, a good review of Morro.

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/...

Any and all suggestions welcome. I have no allergies or other restrictions. Bar dining is fine too. Just really looking for something tasty and different.

Thank You

[Harters]

You may need to be a bit more specific about your tastes and budget for the locals to help out (other than doing a search of the board).

I've never eaten at Moro although I own a couple of their cookbooks - I gather its offerings of Spanish dishes are pretty reasonable interpretations (gets Good Food Guide score of 4 - from 10 - so very fair)

Bear in mind that facilities to dine at the bar is a rarity in British restaurants. I understand that there are a few London places that offer it - never seen it anywhere else in the country.

[limster]

I've not been to that many pub, but several that I've been to let you dine at the bar (e.g. The Eagle in Farrington, The Charles Lamb in Islington).

[mbro]

Thank you for all for the quick replies. Regarding cuisine I'm not picky. Budget is also not a concern. I'm more interested in great execution of a dish. Maze looks like an option for the first night since I'll be tired and it's close to my hotel. They have online booking and I see an early reservation is available so I may go ahead with that. I liked Morro simply based on the article. Ishbilia sounds interesting too.

[zuriga1]

Good news about Maze! If you do go there, don't feel compelled to eat as many plates as they will probably suggest, especially if you're jet-lagged. Save room for dessert.

[Harters]

In that case, I'll give a plug for Rules. Classic British cookery and should be particularly good at present as we're in the middle of the game season. If I was having one of my infrequent trips down south, that's where I'd be heading. They cater well for solo diners.

[mbro]

So many choices...so little time. The menu at Rules is intriguing.

[Harters]

Make time for Rules :-)

I always find it rather sad when visitors to my country end up missing out on eating our own seasonal cuisine because they're focussed on wanting to try south asian, middle eastern, etc, etc - good as that might be.

[mbro]

I agree. One should alway sample the local cuisine...my wife dined at Rules in the 80s during a summer she worked in London. She enjoyed it very much.

[zuriga1]

You could cross Hyde Park and have a good Lebanese meal at Ishbilia. I'd book a table soon no matter where you decide to eat. It's only a week away. I think you're probably too late for a table at Maze which is within a short walking distance from the hotel, but it's worth a try. The food is well worth the cost. Or take the Central Line straight down to Soho - lots of options there... food of every description.

[helen b]

Maze is a great choice, Rules would be lovely too (have a cocktail before in their new bar!) If you can't get in, good places nearby for solo dining are Bocca di Lupo in Soho (Italian tapas, sit at the bar, I LOVE this place!), Terroirs off Trafalgar Square (French small plates, again, sit at the bar, you MUST have the duck scratchings) or J Sheekey's newish oyster bar off St Martins Lane (classic British seafood, 1/2 dozen oysters and champagne offer for £15, try their classic fish pie, smoked eel and razor clams are both good too).

[pj26]

Moro is very good - one of my favourite restaurants in London. Great cooking, friendly service and pretty good value, and a good place for solo diners.

[mbro]

Thank you all for your suggestions...can't wait to get there...thanks again !

[mbro]

Back from my trip...Maze was disappointing but Moro was fantastic !.

At Maze I had the Octopus, Monkfish, Pork trio with a flight of reds. The octopus was very tough and chewy. The chef even conceded it needed some sort of sauce...his words. Pork was the best of the 3 but really nothing exceptional. Also, even though the place was not half full the waiter kept warning the threesome next to me, that were waiting 10 minutes for a friend to show, that they only had 2 hours to dine. Waiters mumbled alot and didn't seem to know what they were doing.

Moro more than made up for Maze. At Moro I had the Bessara (fava bean soup) followed by the wood roasted breast of pheasant. I then enjoyed the Revueltos followed by yoghurt cake. Couple of glasses of wine too. All good and roughly 2/3 (59 pounds) the price of Maze (94 pounds).

I'll return next year and have some other places to try.

[zuriga1]

I guess your experience at Maze goes to show that any place can have a bad night. We've never had anything but excellent, very professional service, and that seems to be the majority opinion. I'm sorry you found the opposite. Did you eat anything besides the pork?