 It’s the same old story, every year. The first hints of spring are on the horizon, yet many of us are still reeling, financially, from the pounding that our credit cards took over Christmas and New Year. We also have to contend with the inevitable flurry of bills that descends upon us, with such indecent haste, once the festivities are done and dusted.
Now, tightening our belts is becoming an increasingly unpopular pastime for the majority of modern Brits. We prefer to live a little and to carpe diem, as it were. And, if this involves eating out, upon a whim, at our favourite restaurants, then so be it!
Mindful of the British population’s penchant for eating out on a regular basis, restaurateurs, far and wide, seem keen to fulfil our need to indulge. This opportunity is just too good to be missed. Promotions are rife, at this time of year; it is up to us to ferret them out. From chalkboard “come-ons” to local and national media promotions, there are great deals available that are exceptionally good value for money.
Take for example, the return of the “Eat out for £5” promotion launched by The Times newspaper to coincide with what is generally a quiet period for the catering trade. The Times guide to eating out for a fiver lists more than 900 participating restaurants, across Britain. Each restaurant offers a quality two-course lunch for just £5, accompanied by a voucher and three tokens. Some of the restaurants extend the offer to a two-course dinner, for a mere £5, provided that you have collected the necessary voucher and tokens. Even without these incentives these eateries serve up top-notch food at affordable prices. No less than 165 of the restaurants listed are in and around London. The following list is but a random sample of what the city has to offer:
Bistro 1, 33 Southampton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2 7HE
Citronelle, 21 Lowndes Street, Belgravia, London, SW1 9ES
Destino, 25 Swallow Street, London, W1B 4QR
Don Pepe Restaurant, 99 Frampton Street, London, NW8 8NA
Eco Brixton, 4 Market Row, Electric Lane, Brixton, London, SW9 8LD
Food For Thought, 31 Neal Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9PR
Greig’s, 26 Bruton Place, Mayfair, London, W1J 6NG
Home, 100/106 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4RH
Kasturi, 57 Aldgate High Street, London, EC3N 1AL
La Brasserie Townhouse, 24 Coptic Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1NT
Le Cadre, 10 Priory Road, Priory Park, Crouch End, London, N8 7RD
Medea, 561 King’s Road, Fulham, London, SW6 2EB
Mr Frascati, 34 Spring Street, London W2 1 JA
Tentazioni, 2 Mill Street, London SE1 2JE
Thai On The River, Unit 4 Chelsea Wharf, 15 Lots Road, London, SW10 0QJ
The Quality Chop House, 92-94 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3EA
Rock Garden, 6/7 The Piazza, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8HA
Woodlands Restaurant, 77 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2PS
Woodlands Restaurant, 37 Panton Street, Piccadilly, London, SW1Y 4EA
Yum Yum Thai Restaurant, 30 Church Street, Stoke Newington, London, N16 0LU.
The bottom line is that we’re loath to give up on the finer things in life - those little niceties, such as regular meals out at our favourite restaurant, or a spur-of-the-moment dash to our nearest gastro pub for a “bite to eat”. But, the downside is that many of us are pretty skint, at this time of year. The question, therefore, is can we afford to have our cake and eat it? Well, apparently so; it is possible to eat out, in London, without eating a hole in our pockets.
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