Dining in London, more places!

At the corner of Gloucester Rd and Queen's Gate Terrace, just across from the Gloucester Arms Pub you'll find an incredible eatery with a storied history in DaMario. Once the favorite pizzeria of Princess Diana, the only difficulty you'll have here is getting a table. Fortunately the kitchen is open late, so if you plan accordingly a late arrival is to your advantage. Our rental flat was just a few doors down so we ate here twice during our recent trip. First, we dined-in and were overwhelmed by the bruschetta. When something so simple leaves even non-tomato lovers stunned then there is magic in the kitchen. The pasta dishes were near perfection, with harmonious flavors and generous (but not gluttonous) portions. This is authentic Italian and a delightful change of pace for the over-commercialized and adulterated pasta dishes that pass as Italian in the States. The dining room is alive with conversation and the staff dodges between the tables efficiently as they attend to the customers. Tune your ear for an accent, because the food isn't the only thing authentically Italian here. If you have to wait for a table your patience will be rewarded. Later in the week a long day with an irregular schedule found us sitting in the flat at 8pm completely exhausted with appetites on the rise. Pizza held an attraction, so we ordered takeaway (and more bruschetta!) In our opinion Princess Diana had impeccable taste in pizza. A crispy -but not crunchy- crust with amazing cheese and toppings filled the gaps in our appetite and left us quite sated.

For the third visit to London in a row we had dinner at Côte and for the third time we were completely satisfied. From starter to dessert absolutely nothing was lacking. This time we visited the location just off of High Street Kensington and arrived a bit past the evening rush, so our lack of a booking was not an issue. We enjoyed a leisurely dinner accompanied by a delightful and economically priced bottle of wine. Service was on par with our expectations from past visits, as was the food. We discovered that some of our local friends were also fans of the Côte chain and visited various locations on a regular basis. If you're looking for a solid choice our experience indicates that you can't go wrong choosing Côte. Consistency across three locations in a span of two years is a strong indication that their success is not left to chance.

Any trip to London is incomplete without a visit to Borough Market, even if it's only for lunch or a heavy snack. Even if you're not in the market for groceries you can find amazing items to take home such as infused oils and packaged foods. Our favorites are the toasted cheese sandwiches and Scotch eggs, but there are any number of other vendors to choose from. To borrow a well-known phrase, "This ain't your momma's grilled cheese sandwich!" I think there are three kinds of cheese (not that it matters) and some member of the leek/onion family mixed in there, trapped between two slices of amazing bread slathered in butter and toasted to perfection. (If my cardiologist is reading this, I only had one bite, promise!) Later in the day demand can out-strip supply, so arrive early to avoid disappointment. Just look for the green tents adjacent to the churchyard for an assortment of hot foods. The danger of Borough Market is your eyes being MUCH larger than your stomach and buying more of something than you can comfortably consume during your time in London. Most of the bulk foods are not packaged in a manner compatible with travel, so choose wisely.

We discovered The Port House on a previous visit and simply had to return. Their tapas menu is extensive, with plates to satisfy every conceivable taste and dietary requirement. An expansive wine list (heavy on Spanish selections) and, of course, a variety of fortified wines, can keep you occupied for hours and hours. Located on Strand just down from Trafalgar Square and just a couple of blocks south of Covent Garden, this is a great place to have dinner after an afternoon spent in either the National Gallery or strolling through Covent Garden. Early arrivals are generally not a problem without a booking, but if you'd like to arrive later in the evening a booking is highly recommended. Service is on a team basis and is generally solid, but don't be shy if it seems that your request is taking a while to deliver. The staff is eager to discuss menu selections and has extensive knowledge of the wine list, so there's no reason you should suffer an unpleasant surprise if you know what you like. The restaurant is primarily candle-lit, so I don't have any good photos to share.