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We're heading upto London in a few weeks time for a weekend for my Birthday and was wondering if any of you city slickers know of any good resturants that we could go to for dinner. Last year we went to Rhodes W1 near to Marble Arch which was really nice and I wouldn't mind going back there but it'd be nice to go somewhere different. I like quite modern places, perhaps an Eastern fusion type resturant?

Any suggestions?

Royal China on Baker Street is very good. Sakura, a Japanese restaurant on Hanover Street (behind Oxford Circus Tube station), is superb. We go there a lot and it's always packed. I've never been, but The Blue Elephant (Thai) in Fulham is supposed to be good. There's a Spanish restaurant called Goya in Victoria, which is excellent. I know a few more but they are outside central London and I assume you want to stay central.

If you wanted recommendations of posh, celebrity chef-type restaurants with Michelin stars, then I can't help I'm afraid.

Simpsons is lush, its the sister resturant to the Ivy...its lush....have dined there once and still in debt lol

or jamie olivers place, best food ive ever tasted

neither of which are eastern lol

Rules on the Strand but book in advance.

It's the oldest restaurant in London and was once owned by Charles Dickens. It's often frequented by actors from the theatres close-by and there are dozens upon dozens of pictures of the famous that have dined there. Superb atmosphere and it's very well priced too.

They deal in traditional fayre and I highly recommend them to you - although it's not modern or minimalistic.

It's one of London's hidden gems

Wagamamas? you can't book though...

i can tell you that there's a curry house called Sitar, which is posh, but very tasty...thats Aldwych way...

if you dont want posh - go down brick lane instead....

if you want unusual pizza - fire and stone in covent garden, plus two doors down is La Perla which does half price booze...

absinthe in the Ten Bells near shoreditch...thats the original Ripper pub...

The Bodean near soho is good for ribs....

Kaslik down greek street, superb - lebanese food, hookah pipes and a lovely, interesting place...plus it leaves you near a few other interesting places too...thats my top recommendation...

Sarastro Restaurant
126 Drury Lane
TheatreLand
London
WC2B 5SU

www.sarastro-restaurant.com

Great restaurant, fantstic food & a setting you won't see anywhere else.

Skylon is really nice...it is in the Restival Hall building...great views of the river and nice menu...

Zilli Fish in Soho is excellent and it's got it's own website you can check out.

Forgot to mention the 2 restaurants with the best views in London.

OXO Tower: fantastic panoramic views from an iconic London landmark (bit pricey)

Tate Modern Restaurant: On top of the famous art gallery, windows all the way round, superb views of the city and the Thames.... followed by a romantic walk along the south bank (it'd be my pick of the bunch)

Both of these have good websites.

Have fun...

There is this place in Waterloo station, I forget the name, it has a big yellow M outside and a guy with red hair and a white face on the inside..... Absolutely wonderful food, though....

Lebanese food is delicious. There are lots of Lebanese restaurants on Edgware Road; I've been to several of them and they were all very good.

Some of my personal favourites

For Mussels and Frites - Belgos Centraal in covent garden. Cheap and yummy

Masterchef Judge John torodes restaurant "Smiths of Smithfield" is excellent food and at a fairly reasonable price. It has several floors in which the ground floor is quite a nice bar so you can have a few bevvies first. I highly recommend the pork belly on mash with Salsa Verde.

Souk Medina - Morroccan cuisine in the heart of Covent Garden. Very nice

For a bit of a different experience there is "Dans Le Noir" where you are served a surprise menu in complete darkness by blind waiters. This was actually my girlfriends favourite restaurant. the food was pretty good and you can tell them beforehand if there is anything you dont or wont eat.

mmm thanks everyone, some lovely sounding suggestions, I'll have to do a little bit of Googling on those. I do love North African and Middle Eastern food too so some of those do sounds really good.