One of the best ways to find something special when traveling is to ask someone who lives there where they eat, what museum they like, or what do they do for relaxation.
While visiting London last weekend, I did just that and found two great discoveries, one very nice pub and a pretty good place to eat Indian cuisine.
We were strolling through the Portobello Market on a blustery day. Having exhausted our shopping needs, we asked one of the vendors if there was a place nearby to get a warm drink. She suggested we stop in Alexeeva & Jones at 297 Westbourne Grove, right there in the Notting Hill part of London.
This is a store that makes high end chocolate treats. We are not talking about supermarket stuff, here. These are exquisite chocolate delights, more expensive than run of the mill pralines, but so worth the difference in price. We each had a hot chocolate, just what the brisk London weather called for. I added a shot of chocolate from Italian chocolate maker Guido Gobino, who hails from Torino (Turin) and is one of the finest chocolatiers in the world. Yum.
Once we were enjoying our chocolate buzz, we asked if there was a nice pub nearby. Hey, it’s London, right? The suggestion was to walk over to Walmer Castle (58 Ledbury Road, across the street from an Ottolenghi deli). We did so and were thrilled to find an excellent Thai kitchen serving upstairs. It is quite common in London for a pub to hire out the kitchen to a specialty chef, and I have found through extensive research that Thai cuisine pairs quite well with a cask aged English bitter. Three of us enjoyed a very nice lunch, followed by going downstairs to watch the England vs Italy rugby match.
The next day, we were strolling through the National Gallery and asked one of the employees if they knew of a good Indian restaurant nearby. She sent us to Masala Zone (48 Floral Street, Covent Garden). Decorated by hundreds of folkloric dolls hanging from the ceiling, I was a bit worried at first it would be touristy and not so great. To my pleasant surprise, the food was pretty good (not the best Indian I have had in London, but five of us ate for less than 90 pounds). We were all quite happy with the quality and the service.
Finally, and in my mind, the best find was Lupita (13-15 Villiars Street – not far from the Embankment underground station). They serve authentic Mexico City cuisine. Anyone who has visited Europe knows how difficult it is to find really good Mexican food. Well, the problem is solved! They had home-made tortilla chips, the Margaritas were excellent, and I ate a vegetarian burrito with roasted mushrooms that was simply fantastic. Bonus: they make fresh guacamole right at your table!
This place is going to be on my itinerary every time I visit London.
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