Friday, 31 July 2015

I Ate Like A Tourist In London For A Week

Table for one at the Aberdeen Angus Steakhouse.

Novelty cafés open and close on the regular but Spaghetti House continues to please its punters with the food its been serving since 1955. Peruvian flavours might come and go, but Garfunkel's stands tall.

What is about these chains that makes them so successful? Is the food that good? Are they that good value? Is the atmosphere warm and charming? And if so, why is it no Londoner ever thinks, "Yeah actually, Angus Steak House looks like a nice little spot for dinner".

Here's my list of destinations:

Spaghetti House: A popular know-what-you're-getting option for visitors with various locations across the city.
Hard Rock Café: An international site of pilgrimage for many fast food fans.
Rainforest Café: Shaftesbury Avenue's most remarkable restaurant that's half-zoo half-restaurant.
Garfunkel's: A proper classic West End institution.
Angus Steak House: The most ubiquitous steak house in London, and the true corner stone of Piccadilly Circus.

I'd approach each restaurant with an open mind. I'd visit for dinner after finishing a day's work, bringing my boyfriend along to help me test the menu. We'd order modestly, as we usually do when out for dinner, with probably a wine or beer each, a main each and the odd side for share.

How would we rate the restaurants? Success in our eyes is good food, enough food, and affordable food.