Looking for some casual restaurant ideas for Edinburgh and London. It will be for a group of 5 traveling. So far, the only definite is to eat at Nandos.
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Any vegetarians? We had the most incredible vegetarian meal at David Bann in Edinburgh. Glorious food. Great vibe too…
Nopi or any of the three Ottolenghi restaurants in London. Buzzy and incredibly delicious fusion Mediterranean.
My D lives in London. Lots of good Indian restaurants - Dishoom is where she recently got takeout from on her birthday.
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Dishoom is a great Indian restaurant (franchise locations in both London and Edinburgh). Doesn’t accept reservations for groups under 6 people after 5:45pm.
Din Tai Fung in London if you like soup dumplings.
Candella Tea Room - Kensington area, reasonably priced afternoon tea, not fancy
The Drawing Room at Brown’s Hotel - very fancy afternoon tea, expensive treat
Blacklock - Sunday Roast dinner
Shinwari - Pakistani food, nearish Grassmarket area in Edinburgh
The Dome - gorgeous building, fantastic bar, good food, excellent afternoon teas
I’ll try to remember others we’ve enjoyed…
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Milnes in Edinburgh- the have live music, great pints and pub food.
Veeraswamy, the oldest Indian restaurant in London. Excellent!
The Lamb and Flag in London. Every corner seems to be a casual pub! Rea
One really unique place is Gordon’s Wine Bar. You can eat outside, but the cool part is inside. They don’t have meals per se, but things to eat before a meal. Appetizers. We went for that.
Gunpowder for delicious modern Indian food with terrific cocktails. The Tower Bridge location is the largest and best for groups. https://gunpowderrestaurants.com/
We lucked into this place, not far from The London Eye and Waterloo station. Interesting architecture, excellent food and drinks and service. There was live jazz music the evening we dropped in, and we found that it wasn’t too loud when sitting in the upper level that overlooks the stage area.
The best high tea I’ve had by a mile is at the Mandarin Oriental in London. The food is great, but what really makes it exceptional is that they brew the tea to perfection so it never arrives weak or gets too strong. They have a huge selection and will have suggestions for pairing the tea with the different courses.
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Two cool spots in Edinburgh that we loved:
TILES Bar/Cafe:
The Ivy on the Square for Brunch cannot be beat:
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I was in Edinburgh for business in 2017, and the locals I was working with took me to Nanyang Malaysian Restaurant. It was my first time at a Malaysian restaurant, where the cuisine is influenced by Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Javanese, and Sumatran cultures. Looks like it’s still there - thinking back, it was one of the more memorable meals I had.
Second Lamb and Flag and Dishoom. Red Lion on Parliament Street is fun. If you have a special occasion and want an amazing meal, Clove Club is spectacular.
If you’re looking for a somewhat less expensive afternoon tea option in London, we had tea at Westminster Abbey. Their cafe is in the cellarium, which is where the monks stored their foodstuffs. Old vaulted ceilings, very neat atmosphere. Two years ago it was about 37 pounds. Again, not cheap, but cheaper than lots of places in London, and great setting. Contained the 3 courses, (finger sandwiches, scones, sweets). The Earl Grey we had was the BEST we’ve ever drank.
At that time they closed at 3PM.
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This crowd has no interest in afternoon tea. Thanks for the suggestions.
If you don’t have an afternoon tea crowd, then this is a must:
Pub built in 1585 and one of my favorite spots in London near Hampstead Heath.
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What are the ages and interests in the group? Are you primarily interested in a foodie experience or does an interesting atmosphere or historical location carry weight?
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30 year olds, some dietary restrictions (allergy, not vegan or vegetarian), group of 5, will not be travelling with any dressy clothes (so casual is a must), they like good food, and are not big drinkers.
They like to enjoy authentic experiences. However, in a large city like these, they will like to have some quality “ethnic” food experiences also.
Atmosphere is nice, historic location not so important.
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Lots of the suggestions so far have been great.
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