London Calling: where to eat and play during the Olympics

Going to the Olympics this summer?

Got your hotel resos? Check.

Event tickets? Check.

Dinner reservations? Gahhhh!

To prevent the convenient but boring prospect of falling into the nearest Prêt a Manger or the perfectly dreadful idea of a burger at Wimpy, we asked two London food journalists to give us the goods on their fave spots.

From Dinner, Heston Blumenthal’s London outpost, to vegan eatery Counter Café close by the stadium, journalists David Constable and Qin Xie offer their takes on where, and what, to eat to guarantee you a full-on London experience.

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Suspend the stereotypes, because once you get beyond the medieval notion of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, there’s an entire universe of culinary delights to discover in London during the Olympics.

A new enthusiasm for food has developed in the UK that takes the best parts of European aliment, a dose of international flair, and melds with British traditionalism. The result is the reemergence of great British food and the resulting product is one of the finest food destinations in the world.

With the Olympics fast approaching, London is promising a tastier, healthier, greener Games, endeavoring to enhance the experience by ‘celebrating the great diversity and quality of British food, and delivering it at affordable prices.’

London’s reputation as a food capital no longer rests on the say-so of Londoners. Indeed, up until very recently you’d be hard pressed to find a punter wax-lyrical about anything food-related. In addition to a more precise focus on local ingredients, visiting chefs — and the gospel according to Jamie Oliver — London has emerged from its post-war grey nation into colour and vibrancy; with exotic flavours and a destination in which culinary wizardry blossoms.

Famed historical destinations such at The Ritz and The Wolsely (Piccadilly), Le Gavroche (Mayfair) and The Ivy (Covent Garden) remain staples in the capital; however new, hipper locations have caused a food storm in recent years, and the likes of The Ledbury (Notting Hill), Pollen Street Social (Hanover Square) and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (Knightsbridge) have gained world recognition (as well as Michelin stars).

The culinary trail extends to the home counties too: forty-minutes train journey from Paddington and you can be in Bray (Berkshire), home to Blumenthal’s three-star restaurant, The Fat Duck plus another trio-star boaster, The Waterside Inn, founded by the famed Roux brothers. In Marlow (Buckinghamshire) is Tom Kerridge’s pub, The Hand & Flowers which recently became the only pub in the world to be awarded two Michelin stars.

Back in the hubbub and pockets of London, you’re spoilt for choice. The culinary output is immense, channeling all prices and from across all cuisines. The capital is now devoted to its position of gastronomic excellence, pushing beyond humdrum pub grub and fish & chips, and into the fireworks of the twenty-first century.

The likes of Polpetto and Duck Soup (Soho), and Great Queen Street (Covent Garden) are focused on seasonal dishes such as Cornish cod cheeks, and roasted pork shoulder and rhubarb. They are the essence of British cooking: traditional, slow cooked, strong in flavour; using tasty and cheaper cuts of meat with the addition of herbs and spices (an education learnt from the country’s multicultural inhabitants).

London cuisine picks from the smorgasbord of earthy, ethical ingredients presenting adventurous, enthralling dishes. Take Nuno Mendes, the Portuguese chef of Viajante (Bethnal Green), whose food synthesizes the warmth of the Mediterranean with British ingredients. And local to Stratford and the Olympic stadium, Counter Café which serves a veggie breakfast that has the East End ceremonialising: balsamic mushrooms, spicy beans and Bürgen toast.

Dip-in-dip-out, and give the fruit a miss this Olympic year. Head for more pleasant treats: bone marrow at St John (Farringdon), roast rabbit cottage pie at Arbutus (Soho) or pizza at Franco Manca (Stratford).

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There has never been a better time to visit London, home to some of the world’s best restaurants and bars, as well as host of the 2012 Olympic Games.

This year, the city’s culinary landscape, bolstered by a whole score of new openings, is as international as its visitors — from the Russian Mari Vanna to the Peruvian Lima and Ceviche, there’s bound to be something for everyone.

Visitors don’t have far to go either. Right outside the main Olympic Stadium is the recently opened Westfield Shopping Centre, offering a small cluster of eateries. The likes of Franco Manca, Pho and Comptoir Libanais, all part of small chains, wave the flag for good food at accessible prices.

For something more unique in London, visitors should head west on the Central Line.

Stop briefly at Bethnal Green to sample Nuno Mendes’ creative fare at Viajante and Corner Room. Mendes, previously of El Bulli, never fails to plate up interesting flavour combinations. Close by is Shoreditch, more easily accessed via Old Street Station, the area of London where some of the trendiest bars paint a unique map of cool. Callooh Callay and Nightjar are some of the East End’s favourites.

A constellation of gems can be found around Soho, where eating and drinking integrate seamlessly. Oxford Circus is your portal to this gastronome’s paradise. This is where you will discover Italian wine bar and restaurant Dego with its unusual Champagne and Franciacorta list. If wine is really your thing, do stop by Terroirs near Charing Cross for some of the most interesting natural wines around.

Proceed further south to discover NOPI, the restaurant that’s a unique Yotam Ottolenghi blend of Mediterranean, Middle-eastern and Asian cuisines, where the restrooms are as much a talking point as the food. Nearby is Hix, the bar and restaurant that feeds London with some of the meatiest feasts and the most potent cocktails.

Just to the east of NOPI is where you’ll find Polpo, part of Russell Norman’s mini-empire of small plate eateries. Always busy, this bacaro offers Venetian décor matched to Italian cichetti and Aperol Spritzes. And across the road from Polpo is Bob Bob Ricard, described by some as a “pleasure palace,” where sumptuous delights await in the form of champagne and caviar. But, interestingly, it’s often celebrated for having the most accessible wine list in London with some of the lowest mark up rates.

Further east still is Yauatcha, known for dim sum, tea and faultless Michelin meals at a fraction of the price you might expect.

Speaking of Michelin, The Ledbury, St John and Hibiscus are all worthy of that detour and all are named in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Equally, Roganic, a two-year pop up by Michelin-starred Simon Rogan, and Dinner, Heston Blumenthal’s London outpost, also require your attention. But make sure you’ve left enough room and time for a reservation at Rules, London’s oldest restaurant, before you leave.