The United Kingdom’s stylish city centre shows no signs of slowing down its quest to be the reigning kingdom of cool.
Le Café Anglais (lecafeanglais.co.uk)
Awarded by Restaurant Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Restaurants in the UK” (2008), Le Café Anglais is the antithesis of Sketch. Clean, modern and elegant, this French bistro – with its curved ivory leather banquettes and crisp white linens – is a nod to art deco design with a distinctive Parisian flair. The crowd, a mix of business-types and ladies who lunch, gives the restaurant a nice buzz; a mood further enhanced by sipping the house’s signature Campari and soda cocktail. The carefully curated menu offers your palette beautifully balances dishes like the Seared Mackerel with Gooseberry Sauce and Chocolate Soufflé with Pistachio Ice Cream. The service is impeccable: You feel as comfortable as home; that is, if your home were fit for the Queen.
Gilgamesh Restaurant & Lounge (gilgameshbar.co.uk)
San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury, New York’s Greenwich Village and Toronto’s Kensington Market have got nothing on London’s inner-city district Camden Town. The village is a heady mix of hippies, artists and indie musicians, so it comes as a bit of a surprise when you stumble upon the monolithic restaurant that is Gilgamesh. A 15,000 square foot space is not easily filled, but the house has managed to cover every inch with Babylonian references; from the marble pillars inlaid with Lapis and Mother of Pearl to the friezes adorning the walls and the hand-carved tables decorated in rich fabrics; all this to appease the Mesopotamian god in which the restaurant is dedicated to. Head chef Ian Pengelley serves up his take on Pan-Asian cuisine. Sushi is their signature, like their mouth-watering Crispy Tuna and Spicy Spider, but their house dishes are really where its at: Grilled Foie Gras with Miso Daikon and Crispy Duck with Fresh Plums. The cocktail menu is just as opulent. Our favourite? The Caipirinha of Fire: A mind-buzzing mix of Cachaca, Fresh Raspberries, Lime and Chili. Cheers!
Eight Moorgate EC2 (eightclub.co.uk)
There is VIP, and then there is Eight Moorgate. Set over two floors, including 150 metres of wrap-around terraces, this über-exclusive club is near impossible to find, and even harder to get into. A members-only society (rates start from £800, per month), the facility is as slick as the clientele it caters to. City stock market traders mix and mingle with A-list celebs, while the Veuve and the flirting is a-flowing. Memberships always have its perks: Eight members can book a “Bespoke Dinner” with guests (you are granted 3 guests, per visit, so choose wisely) whereby the head chef and sommelier create a feast of Peppered Venison and Cabbage with a Gevrey-Chambertin Vielles Vignes.
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