March 2, 2007

• oooooooooooooooooooh

   

  According to Fodor's! This makes me really want to go to London. Someone come with me please.

   

   

  Canteen. It's all posh pies and trendy British classics at this ultra-modern diner in Spitalfield's finance district. With booths and communal oak tables, a lunch crowd wolfs down pies of chicken and tarragon or steak and kidney. The hearty dishes are coupled with mashed potatoes, greens, or mushy peas, and completed with a treacle tart or Eton Mess (strawberries, meringue and cream). There's also Coronation chicken, Macaroni cheese, and everything is reasonably priced. 2 Crispin Place, The City, 0845/686-1122. ££

  The Table. Close to Borough food market, the Table is the smartest self-service salad bar in town. Help yourself to a spread of Mediterranean-inspired salads, pastas, bakes, and garnishes, laid out on a long table at this first-floor modern canteen in an architects' office on Southwark Street. Self-service never looked or tasted so good. 83 Southwark St., South Bank, 020/7401-2760. £-££

  Arbutus. Award-winning serious cooking at mid-range prices has boosted Arbutus into the winner's circle of favorite Soho eateries. The £17.50 three-course, pre-theater special is the steal of the year. Chef Anthony Demetre might surprise with Cornish sardines or pork belly carpaccio, and lead off with a Valrhona chocolate soup. All 80 wines are offered in mid-size carafes, a cool way to match different wines with grub. 63-64 Frith St., Soho, 020/7734-4545. £££

  Acorn House. London's top eco-friendly restaurant in resurgent King's Cross has only been open a few months but it's already leading the trend toward green dining. All ingredients are seasonal, sustainable, organic, and fair-trade. The water's purified on site, the packaging is biodegradable, and all waste is recycled. London's ethical eaters love the concept; they get to choose the size of their portions to help reduce over-consumption. 69 Swinton St., Bloomsbury, 020/7812-1842. £££

  Original Lahore Kebab House. London's best budget curries draw droves to this kebab house in insalubrious Aldgate. It may be BYO, no-frills, and feel like Karachi inside, but -- wow! -- the Pakistani home-style cooking is brilliant and cheap. Mutton tikka, grilled lamb chops, tarka daal, and karahi chicken are all fiery and super spiced. A meal's nothing at £15 a head, and knocks spots off anything on offer in nearby Brick Lane's Curry Mile. 2 Umberston St., The City, 020/7481-9737. £

  L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. London's A-listers sit side-by-side at the counter and graze tapas-style at French legend Joël Robuchon's super seductive outpost. Decked out in plush red and black, counter seating frames the ground-floor open kitchen, creating a spectacle that is pure culinary theatre. Navigate exquisite French tapas -- from frog's legs to veal rib and quail with truffle mash. The £80 six-course tasting menu is a neat way to experience multiple flavors. There's also a smart cocktail bar, and a sit-down restaurant, La Cuisine, on the first floor. 13-15 West St., Covent Garden. 020/7010-8600. ££££

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