Delicious Britain & Ireland
When you take your tongue out sightseeing in Britain or Ireland, what are its favorite taste treats? (Or does it just want to go back home?)
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London-Regent's Park
While in Regent's Park area of London, I highly recommend the family run, small, La Vigna Ristorante at 110 Great Portland Street...wonderful food and great service.
Jeff
Minneapolis, MN USA 12/18/2011
Italian
L'Arco Ristorante Italiano on Buckingham Palace Road, just down from the Royal Mews. Small, family operated. Marvelous food, beautifully presented. You'll be family friends before the first visit is over.
Joe
Mabank, Texas USA 12/07/2011
Cheese
Try the farmhouse cheeses in Ireland. Yes that is an order, not a suggestion. We were in Dualla, a small community on the edge of Cashel. Went to the local pub for supper and my wife had the cheese plate, Large portions of 3 types of local cheese. It was so good and so much we were eating it for the rest of the week.
Ron
Halifax, NS can 09/03/2011
Irish Stew
The Pub Food in Ireland was surprisingly fantastic! Be wary of the Irish Stew and always ask for second oppinions because it is hit or miss---sometimes great and sometimes not....(hint: the irish don't even eat the stuff)
Our travel club just got back and had a blast! http://photoflytravel.com/
Steve
San Francisco, CA USA 07/25/2011
York-Sunday roasts
When in York try the Royal Oak Pub for their Sunday roasts and Yorkshire Pudding for 8.95 GBP.
A great value rarely avail these days in Britain.
JS
USA 07/23/2011
Dinner at Ffiona's
Thanks for recommending Ffiona's in Kensington. We went there during the Royal Wedding and had some really good traditional English food. Ffiona herself is quite a character too.
Catherine Richards
Savannah, GA USA 06/27/2011
Great food on Oughterard, Ireland
Breathnachs bar, on the Square in Oughterard (north of Galway) had delightful food, pleasant people, and a surprise of impromptu musicians at 10:30pm on Saturday night (By the time they all arrived there were 11 musicians, with 20 instruments, they were great!)
Karin & Tom Lager
Neenah, WI USA 06/14/2011
York
I went wandering around my hotel in York (The Monkbar) this afternoon to find some lunch, and I happened upon a lovely traditional-looking place called The Royal Crown on Goodramgate. It's been rainy and cold here in York, so it looked like the perfect place to duck into for some warmth and sustenance. Everything about this place is excellent. From the decor and the staff to the food and the beer. Andy, the proprietor is welcoming and kind. I felt like he was inviting me into his home to get out of the weather. The food was splendid; I had the chicken breast stuffed with "Old Peculier" (no, that's not a typo) black pudding and spring onion sauce and a pint of the local brew, Leeds Pale, to wash it all down. The menu is filled with local goodies, and everything they use is locally sourced and quite affordable for the quantity and quality of food. An older English lady sitting a few tables away from me put it perfectly: "I'm famous for not cleaning my plate, but I'll be damned if I didn't clean this one!" I already wish I had scheduled my stay in York to be longer, and going to this place seconded that. Highly, highly recommended!
Katherine Kelly
New Orleans, LA USA 05/30/2011
A wonderful traditional Irish meal
We spent a delightful evening at Molly Gallivan's Cottage & Traditional Farm Center. The evening includes tasting the drink potcheen, followed by a delicious traditional Irish dinner of brown bread, salad, lamb stew (vegetarian options also available), apple crumble and wine. The setting is cozy in the 200 year old cottage. The evening concludes with music, story telling, singing and dancing with audience participation, as well as a nightcap of a delicious Irish coffee. We felt as if we had stepped back into time and we thoroughly enjoyed the dinner and the entertainment. I highly recommend this place and will return again the next time I travel to Ireland.
Megan
Highlands Ranch, CO USA 05/24/2011
Ireland
Ireland's brown bread is to die for - and agree heartily with other posters on Irish beef! Delicious. Other favorite is Irish cheese. I do think there must be something in that lovely Irish grass the cows graze on!
Jane
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA USA 05/05/2011
Irish food
It had been 10 years since we visited Ireland. Last time hoof and mouth disease was going on. Needless to say they weren't serving much beef. Just got back a couple of weeks ago. What a difference. Besides a better choice of dishes, the Irish have made huge strides in presentation and an overall interest in food. In one little town we stopped in the local pub. Five Irishmen were sitting at the bar. When a food show came on the TV they all stopped talking and watched enthralled as the chef prepared a quiche. I thought they were going to take notes! Down the road afew miles we had a great meal at the Oarsman pub in Carrick on Shannon. The town is barely on the map and not listed in any guide book but well worth a stop if you're in the Roscommon part of the country. Traditional Irish music several nights a week at the pub a couple of doors down the street. Six musicians performed. It's the real deal and free to boot!
Connie O'Daniel
Cinnaminson, NJ USA 04/18/2011
Bunratty Banquet
The midevil banquet at Bunratty Castle is a must do. We did it 10 years ago and then again 2 weeks ago on our second visit to Ireland. It is one of the most fun things I have done in my life! The performers dressed in 1400's garb perform music and traditional songs as well as performing as the wait staff. Amazingly, the food was great. The only utensil is a knife but it works fine for eating the potato soup, soda bread, ribs, roasted chicken with vegetables, a wonderful desert along with a Mead reception and wine with dinner. Use the Shannon card (available on line) and save 25%. Don't be discouraged if the web says they're sold out, as both times we visited we were able to book the day of our visit. After the show go next door to Durty Nelly's and have a drink. You'll feel like it's 1620 all over again. If you're flying into Shannon, do this the first night you're in Ireland. It will set the tone for your visit to the Emerald Isle!
Connie O'Daniel
Cinnaminson, NJ USA 04/18/2011
Restaurants in London
The March 11 edition of the Guardian (guardian.co.uk) has an article on inexpensive but good restaurants in central London. I wish I'd known about some of these when I was there.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/london+restaurants
Karen
Minneapolis, MN USA 04/02/2011
Tasty Bites in Britain
Maggie Dickinson's in Edinburgh had the best steak pie I've ever eaten, and had a traditional pub feel.
Carluccio's is everywhere, but is very affordable and had the best Italian food this side of the Mediterranean.
The Fox Goes Free near Goodwood race course near Chichester was the best meal I've ever had. Not exaggerating!
Vicky K
SLO, CA USA 03/16/2011
Taxi houses
Here is a backdoor even the rickster I bet hasnt been through! In London there are about 17 resthouses for taxi drivers many of them have someone offering a nice budget meal . the one at the nothwest corner of Russell Sq has a 4 item Thai menu. a friend has tried several happily and always been welcome-Enjoy this backdoor
John Brangwin
Bellevue, Wa USA 03/03/2011
Gordon Ramseys Restaurant
At Terminal 5 Heathrow GR has a restaurant Plane Food convenient and only 1/3 full at lunch. No fault with food, not good value but I can I say I ate at Gordys and killed some time . I could reccomend a glass of wine and starter as a name drop kind of occasion
John Brangwin
Bellevue, WA USA 03/03/2011
Ffiona's and Tittle Tattle
I went to Ffiona's in Kensington thanks to this last review. We went for dinner and it was very good in a very British style. We had steak and kidney pie and roast lamb. Also tried Tittle Tattle and enjoyed it as well. Thanks for the ideas.
Elaine Roberts
Oceanside, CA USA 02/21/2011
British Restaurants
I really agree with Charlie Paton about Ffiona's. It's a great British restaurant in Kensington and there aren't that many in London that feel so personal. At the other end of London, I'd recommend S&M in Spitalfields near Liverpool Street Station. It's more of a cafe but equally good in its own way and excellent for lunch.
Jack Reynolds
New York, NY USA 12/20/2010
Irish beef: It's what's for dinner
I can not stress enough to fellow travelers to eat beef in Ireland. They have their own kinds of beef cows there (the name eludes me right now) and it is just so much better than beef in the states. Must be all that Irish grass that they eat. Anywhoo, I had the best steak in Dublin at a random pub that happened to serve food, and the best burger at a place called The Townhouse on the Quay in Galway.
Laura
Seattle, WA USA 12/10/2010
Eating your way across the UK
Rick doesn't say much about Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. I just spent some time there and really enjoyed meals at Thatchers and Andersons. Both are small, locally owned restaurants and offer great British food. The Grille is an excellent Turkish restaurant in Cheltenham. The White Monk Inn just outside the carpark at Tintern Abbey serves wonderful Leek and Potato soup and terrific Welsh Rarebit. If you want to put together a nice "picnic" meal you should try the food hall of any Marks & Spencer store. If you need a reliable place for a quick coffee or cup of tea with "something cakey" or a warmed sandwich or cup of soup Caffe Nero is a chain, but they really get it right. The service is nice whether you're in Cheltenham or just off Trafalgar Square and the food is good.
Susan
Indianapolis, IN USA 12/07/2010
Afternoon Tea - Tea and Tattle near the British Museum
Been travelling around Europe and the UK for the past two months and wanted to end my trip experiencing something very British. About 7 of us went for the traditional afternoon tea. It was the perfect place and we all had a great time. Had to wait a bit in between sandwiches and scones arriving, but a few of us couldn't finish it all anyway so to the cakes away. Would recommend it to any travelers visiting London.
Isabella
USA 11/26/2010
Wonderful Food in Canterbury
Almost everyone that visits England will spend some time in Canterbury -for the history and the spiritual experience. Safe to say you can add "for the Food" to the experience. Deeson's is a great restaurant in downtown Canterbury, near the entrance to the Cathedral and to the city information center. The food was excellent and there was a lot of it. I had a wonderful Beef Stew with sage dumplings and my wife had the fish and chips. She thinks hers was the best, I think she is wrong. Both were the best. You need to try this fabulous restaurant if you are in Canterbury.
Rae Brown
Rae Brown
Lexington, KY USA 11/18/2010
Ffiona's Restaurant - London
Just had a fantastic brunch at Ffiona's on Kensington Church Street in London. The place is completely different from most of the more regular chain restaurants. Ffiona herself greeted us and entertained us with some great stories. We had a great brunch including bacon and eggs and eggs benedict, followed by waffles and pancakes. I would really recommend this place. It's unusual, very British and feels local too.
Charlie Paton
Atlanta, GA USA 11/08/2010
O'Neills
I agree, O'Neills in Dublin is first class Irish fare, good wholesome cooking at a reasonable price. Great atmosphere too.
Mario Swansea
USA 10/27/2010
Bocca di Lupo - Soho (London)
It was the worst dining experience in my 50 years of life! A special dinner completely ruined by a terribly rude waiter. Our dinner at Bocca di Lupo was our last dinner in London and supposed to be the most special. Our London friend made the reservations weeks in advance for the three of us to sit at the bar and was informed that we needed to be finished dining by 10pm because they had another reservation arriving at 10pm.
We arrived a little before 8pm and were seating promptly then we were greeted by a woman and we ordered a bottle of wine. The three of us were looking at the menu when our waiter, Antonio approached us asking if we were ready to order. We said that we were not ready, but we had a few questions for him to clear up.
Neither bread nor olives had been placed at our table when Antonio approached to take our dinner order. We were feeling quite rushed. When we asked Antonio to point out on the menu a certain appetizer we were watching the chefs prepare in front of us. Antonio pointed out the wrong item on the menu. Another waiter named Pasquale was able to point out the correct appetizer. Given the fact that the menu is partially in Italian I would imagine that it is not unusual for some of their customers to have questions. Antonio told us that one of the menu items was a salad which we later found out was grilled endive (Not Salad) and literally dripping in vinegar. We asked him if the Small portion of Ravioli was large enough for a meal (which it was not, more like an appetizer for one person). Never once did Antonio offer any suggestions. When we asked if there were any specials or recommendations he said in a rushed tone "No." Before he walked away he asked us again if we were ready to order. My daughter stated that we needed a few more minutes since we just learned what half of the menu items actually were and Antonio proceeded to tell her "when are you going to be ready? This is a place of business", Imagine our surprise, when we have prepared for this night by not only, making a reservation but arriving early since we knew that someone would be waiting for our table at 10pm. My daughter looked down at her watch and informed Antonio that it was only 8:15!!! We had only been seated 15 minutes and in that short time already ordered a bottle of wine and appetizers! We were in no way preventing this "business" from reaching its expected gross income for the night.
The experience was horrible and we were insulted. It really doesn't matter what the food tasted like because the only thing we can remember is how terribly we were treated!
Of course when the bill was presented to us Antonio had added the gratuity. We paid the bill only asking what his name was. His response was "why do you want to know...in a good way or a bad way?"
We should have walked out (15 minutes after arriving) when Antonio was rude to us but we didn't want to hurt the feelings of our London friend who made the reservations and felt somewhat responsible for this awful experience. We kept telling her it is okay, we will make the best of it. As a side note, we were finished and leaving by 9:15pm.
What a waste of money this was!
Rebecca
Jacksonville, FL USA 10/19/2010
Blacksmiths Arms Pub Westow
Just back from two great weeks in Yorkshire, the Lakes and North Wales. We can't say enough good things about the Blacksmiths Arms in Westow near York. Fabulous food with a broad menu and great ambiance, we returned two nights and felt like old friends with the owner Mark and staff. If you want a Yorkshire countryside experience consider the nearby Low Penhowe B&B. Five stars in all respects.
R&R
Stillwater, OK USA 10/14/2010
Dublin bus tour
2 adult tix are available for the Dublin bus tour. I bought these for myself while in Dublin, but could not use due to a change in plans. Valid until June 2012.Email me for details: arubarkh@yahoo.com
Alex
Richboro, PA USA 09/06/2010
afternoon ter
DON'T GO TO THE CAPITAL HOTEL AT 22 BASIL IN LONDON for afternoon tea. First, if you aren't Anglo Saxon, they'll look at you like you are some aliens. Next, if you ask for extra of sandwiches or scones, expect to be charged without them telling you so. DON'T GO!!
doris
san mateo, ca USA 08/06/2010
Tea and Tattle
Across from the British Museum is a unique little tea room called Tea and Tattle. It just opened recently in the basement of Arthur Probsthain Oriental and African Bookseller, and is a great find! The food is delicious (we had jasmine tea and fresh scones with homemade jams--yum!), the chinese-themed decorations make for a delightful east-meets-west atmosphere, and as an added bonus you can go upstairs to peruse the bookstore before or after your meal. Here's the website for further information: http://www.apandtea.co.uk/index.html
Emily E
Valencia, CA USA 07/28/2010
Cafe No. 8 in York - 4 stars
Here is a link to my review of Cafe No.8 in York. We agree with Rick. It is a really nice restaurant. http://nourishthethought.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/eating-out/
Lynn Dille
Washington, DC, USA 07/09/2010
Tip your B&B breakfast server !!!
I tip my server at a B&B . I have found this tip leads to pots of tea, lots toast,eggs bacon, fruit, cereal.
John Brangwin
Bellevue Wa, USA 06/26/2010
Excellent restaurants in Dublin
In Dublin, I tried Dobbins, Shanahan's on the Green, and Chapter One. All were excellent. In terms of value for money, Dobbins was best. Its location is obscure, on a back street, but near Merrion Square. You'll swear that you're headed into an alley, but persevere! The cuisine and service are excellent.
John Hayes
Berkeley, CA USA 06/14/2010
Molly Gallivan's Cottage - The Homecoming Experience
Molly Gallivan's Cottage and Traditional Farm (Bonane -near Kenmare, County Kerry) is a MUST see and do if you are in the area. After a fantastic tour that will take you through the farm and it's history that spans from 3000 BC, to the famine, to the early 20th Century, stop in the cottage for the best vegetable soup and the creamiest ice-cream ever! Better yet, stay for a traditional Irish night of food, music and storytelling. You can experience The Homecoming...a traditional "party" for welcoming home a community member back from the United States. The owners, Stephen and Frances O'Sullivan are enthusiastic, knowledgeable and welcoming. Don't miss out on this opportunity to become a part of Irish heritage.
Noel
Avon, CO USA 06/11/2010
vegetarian restaurants in London
I love O'Neill's in Covent Garden, London (http://www.oneills.co.uk/oneillscoventgardenlondon/). I think it's a chain, but they have delicious vegetarian sausages, colcannon and gravy. That and a pint of cider = pretty much the best dinner ever. Leon (http://www.leonrestaurants.co.uk/), which is right next door, is good too and has plenty of vegetarian options.
Tracy
Salem, MA USA 06/08/2010
Great food value in Edinburgh
We found two great places to eat in Edinburgh last week, May 19th. The Tolbooth Tavern on the south Royal Mile was delicious and priced very reasonable. We ate there two nights during the week we were there. Also, the Whiski Pub on the Royal Mile was an excellent choice. The haggis tower was wonderful and the salmon was a great choice too. Deacon Brodies was just okay but the price was good.
Coralee Nichols
Homosassa, FL USA 05/23/2010
Excellent and Affordable Meal in London
If you're looking for an affordable and tasty meal in London, look no further than Prix Fix in London's Soho. 2 course dinner for 10 pounds if you arrive before 7. They serve French food in a cute atmosphere. Nice place for couples.
Shirin Vakharia
Napa, Ca USA 05/21/2010
Delicious lunch in Cobh, Ireland
Cobh is delightful seaside village! Our lunch at Eleven West (harborfront cafe, 2 blocks from the Heritage Center) was elegant and absolutely delicious -- the best meal value we found in Ireland. A beautifully presented light lunch plus drinks for two and a tip was a splurge treat and only 20 euros.
KP
Saratoga, CA USA 05/07/2010
O'Neill's pub in Dublin
The carvery at O'Neill's in Dublin was impressive. Each meal (sans drink) was around 10 euros. My daughter chose the ham and I chose the Guiness stew. The meat selection was placed in a wide, shallow bowl and the servers behind the counter then piled on the vegetables to our specifications: roasted carrots, turnips, parsnips and potatoes - also cooked greens. SO-O-O good. To top it off, we were thrilled to discover that there would be live traditional Irish music that night(offered every night from the beginning of May until the end of September; Sunday and Monday nights from October to the end of April). This turned out to be one of the highlights of our three-week trip. "No Time For Tea" was the name of the threesome and they were excellent!
Lori Baldwin
Citrus Heights, CA USA 01/13/2010