Sophie's

Sophie's steak house has caught my attention a couple of months ago. I've been told they do really good steak. My first attempt at the steak was unsuccessful. We went to their Chelsea branch and found it utterly packed. Sophie's operates on no bookings, first come first serve basis so declining to wait for an hour we went off elsewhere in Fulham.
My second effort was rewarded with success. We visited the Covent Garden branch after the theatre and had plenty of room to sit as the place was huge. Huge and modern. Wooden tables, organic style. And high tech lamp structures. It was okay. I was most impressed by the opening hours. .. 1 am is very good for a West end restaurant.
As for the food - the steak we had and indeed the steak was good. However I did feel the pang of regret in letting those 20 quid go.... Oh yes of course on could order the 27oz porterhouse T-Bone and that would probably taste even better. .. as good as 3o quid. Okay you can have a girlie option of £10 fishcakes or a burger for a fair price... but the name says steakhouse. I want a steak from a steak house and I want it for a fair price. Pizza hut doesn't put a surcharge on their classic Margarita does it? Liked the free mustard though.

Gilgamesh

"The Epic of Gilgamesh is, perhaps, the oldest written story on Earth. It comes to us from Ancient Sumeria, and was originally written on 12 clay tablets in cuneiform script. It is about the adventures of the historical King of Uruk". (www.ancienttexts.org) The story centres around Gilgamesh's or "king of all kings" adventures and quest for immortality.
Gilgamesh Restaurant and Lounge Bar live up to the legend. The design is intricate and exquisite. The legend of Gilgamesh is carved on the wooden columns and the wooden bar table. The cocktails are complicated and professional. The view is equally interesting as the lounge is located on top of Camden lock and you can see the freight trains speed by. The retractable roof can open in summer for some solar power.
There is a tea house during the day, the lounge for the evening and the restaurant for the hungry. The cuisine is Pan Asian and worthy of attention. But trust me you eyes will have trouble feasting on the food as they will be busy taking in the richness of Mesopotamian surroundings. I do suggest you ignore the predictable options of ordering sushi and dim sum and instead go for Lobster wonton followed by beef penang. A definite must see in London.

In the Joury.

Joury is like a multi talented person. There are many good sides to it; each person would find something of his own that appeals to him most. This Lebanese restaurant is just off Oxford street, nestled between Marble arch and Bond Street Tubes. 72 Duke Street is a magic number. By the time you have travelled that far up Oxford Street - one of these things would have happened to you; you 're loaded with shopping, your feet hurt and you're tired and hungry. What you'd love most is a relaxing atmosphere away from the human traffic you've already spend so long fighting. For years I could not find a place like that in the area. A place that's right near the shops so I don't have to walk much further and a place that's not too "Mayfair" because I'm just not dressed for the occasion. Joury is my oasis, my safe haven.

There is a big pink rose drawn at the storefront window. Inside is a chilled out atmosphere with mellow music and traditional, colourful Arabic decor. The shisha was excellent. You can judge a place by the shisha - if they take good care of it then it will always taste nice, if they don't wash it you get a vile after taste. That just means bad maintenance. So yeah - Joury - good maintenance - good food. Actually the best Arabic I've had in London. Tabouleh, Crunchy pastries, marinated chicken and grilled lamb skewers, humus, aubergine dip... it's a place to try everything and pig out.

Chu Chu Train

It is not easy to guess the location of St Pancreas Grand......... it just might be near the champagne bar on the upper floor of St Pancreas station. Basically it's where the Eurostar is. A fun place. I happened to be there during the opening of their whisky bar and the friendly staff let me inn on the free cocktails. It was a surprise that lead to a pleasant evening.
The Grand has a very romantic atmosphere, it makes you think you're in one of those black and white movies where gentleman in a hat runs after the train. Despite its nostalgic touch it's quite modern inside and has a massive clock that lets you know the time so you can avoid repeating the gentleman chasing the train scene.
The cuisine is British old school with modern presentation. Smoked haddock with mash, poached eggs and hollandais was a real discovery. The wine list looked interesting but I was concentrating on whisky and decided to give it, its due attention another time.
Whether you want a memorable "last supper" in London or you want a quiet evening meal the Grand should do it.