Dining & Design: London's Restaurants

In the past London had a reputation for bad cuisine. Well, that couldn't be further from the truth nowadays. Seeing as it is a very cosmopolitan city, you can find any type of cuisine your heart desires. During our stay, we enjoyed several good meals, but what most stood out to me were the fabulous interiors of so many London restaurants.

The interior of the Prince Regent on Gloucester Road in Kensington where we enjoyed drinks one evening. I love the light fixtures and mirrors.

Pret A Manger was our favorite lunch spot. Let's face it. London is a very expensive city and the dollar does not fare well in the exchange rate. Pret, as we called it was a perfect lunch option because they are everywhere (like Starbucks) and offer fresh, made from scratch sandwiches, soups, and salads using high quality ingredients. Seeing as how London is extremely fast paced, this concept abounds in the city. You have fresh, ready-made, inexpensive meals that are ready for busy Londoners to take away. We would often get a take away lunch and would enjoy it in the park while people watching. I wish we had Pret A Manger in Houston. I could eat there everyday!

I loved the leather chairs in Pret A Manger.

Byron was just down the road from our hotel. It immediately caught my eye because it looked so cute and chic. One evening, Fabian was in the mood for a burger so we decided to give it a try. They honestly have the most incredible burgers. Everything is super fresh and high quality. Fabian said it was the best burger of his life and I would have to agree.

The cute interior at a different Byron location

I would love to design a kitchen around the design theme at Byron. I loved the chic black, white, and grey palette at the Gloucester Road location.

So, we ended up eating at Byron twice! One of the nights we sat next to a couple who looked like they were on a date. He was British, she was Italian. It's a small restaurant, so our tables were literally eight inches from each other. In the middle of dinner, the girl leaned in to say something to her date and her hair landed in the candle on the table and her hair caught on fire! It was crazy, but she had a good sense of humor about it. Anyway, I wanted to take pictures of the inside so badly, but felt like it would be obnoxious of me to snap pictures in such a tiny place that was filled with people. The morning before our departure, I stopped by in hopes that I could take some pictures while the place was empty before the lunch rush, but it was closed. This was the best I could manage through the window. I will have to muster up the courage to take more pictures there next time. If you're in London, it's definitely worth a try!

The afternoon that we went to Spitalfields, we decided to pop into Leon for an early dinner. The food was okay, but the décor was bananas!

I love the rustic tables and industrial chairs and lighting pendants.

Vintage Posters, Subway Tile, and Fabulous Lighting

How amazing is this table?

If Anthropologie were a restaurant, it would be Leon.

Cute Table

So Many Great Details

If you click on this to view the large version of the image, you'll see the fabulous baker's racks lined with beverages behind the subway tiled area in the background.

Love It

This is how much I love my readers. I took my camera where it had never been before, just for you! I paid a second visit to the bathroom so that I could snap pictures of the various antique mirrors and plumbing fixtures. Isn't it fabulous?

A Very Cool Antique Trunk in the Unisex Bathroom

Seriously, who loves you more than I do? I was praying no one would walk in!

And now, the piece de resistance...dinner at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's.

Images from Gordon Ramsay's Website

This dinner was truly an experience. The service, attention to detail, and food were all outstanding. It was truly, truly incredible. For our first course, Fabian had the lobster and salmon ravioli in a lemongrass and coconut bisque. I had the tomato and saffron risotto with langoustines.For the second course, we both had the lamb rack and loin with French beans with almonds and shallots and dauphinois potatoes. For dessert we had the apple tarte tatin for two with pecan praline ice cream. Before the first course, the chef sent over an amuse bouche that was some sort of basil-infused foam and they had a delicious assortment of fresh-baked breads and before dessert they brought over a really refreshing amuse bouche with banana custard and strawberries.We washed it all down with a nice bottle of wine. Oh, it was so good! Now I am craving the risotto again!

Gorgeous Dining Room

Again, not wanting to be obnoxious with the flash.

The Beautiful Lobby at Claridge's

Stunning Art Deco Details

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