London: Exploring & Dining

It's been too long since my most recent London chronicle. I've been busy with visiting friends, my short trips, and my current assignment, an update of EuroCheapo's London city guide.

I am continuing to explore London, of course, and doing lots of walking. The southern end of Islington has been a focus over the last week, and I've also been moving eastward into Shoreditch and Bethnal Green and westward into Mayfair, Fitzrovia, and Bloomsbury. There are still so many neighborhoods I haven't seen yet, especially in South London, and I'll be continuing my explorations by foot over the next several weeks.

On the dining front, one recent highlight was dinner at Bistroteque with Matt, Molly, and Alex. Bistroteque is in a sparse, beautiful warehouse space—Alex likened it to an abattoir, though, she clarified, not in a stomach-turning way—and boasts a good menu. I found the starters to be especially satisfying, if microscopically portioned. The restaurant feels like a secret, which always instills a cozy feeling.

Another highlight, and a splurge to boot, was lunch last weekend at the Wolseley, an over-the-top pavilion of posh English food. Matt had an eggs benedict that he claimed to be the best of his life, as well as cause to rethink the dish altogether. My meal was also fine, though not quite so mindblowing.

And lastly, having sampled many of the gastropubs in our part of Clerkenwell—and finding most of them to be quite good—I've settled on my favorite of the bunch, a place called The Coach & Horses. Just thinking about it makes me wonder if I should finally leave the apartment for a late lunch.