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European Restaurants In London

When we started compiling this guide to central and eastern european restaurants in London and the Home Counties in SE England we hoped to encourage people to visit the 29 countries featured in the euromost.info guide to europe. It was also intended to give those that have already been to this part of the world an opportunity to taste the great range of cuisine once again. To an extent we have succeeded but we have come across a few restaurants who's national dishes are not representative of good cuisine from the country they claim to represent so in true euromost style they are listed as well !

Listing are alphabetical by country:

 

Albanian Restaurants

Lisi, Malvern Road, London, NW6 5PS. Telephone 020 7625 8932. (Albanian +)

Seemingly Interesting restaurant also serving traditional Greek and Turkish dishes. Not yet reviewed but popular with locals. Reasonably priced.

The Souk, Adelaide Street, London, WC2N 4HZ  (Albanian +)

Very plain daytime Mediterrean style establishment furnished with stools and cushions making it more like a bar than a restaurant. The food is (served on a Mezze basis) includes chicken, lamb kofta , beans, falafel, beans, rice,sweet potato. Both the chicken and lamb were well prepared. Good healthy lunchtime food complimented by upbeat Arab music

 

Austrian Restaurants

Cafe Mozart, Central European Cuisine, London N6 6QX. Tel 0208 348 1384.

Day & Evening Restaurant has a hardcore of affluent regulars.

Tiroler Hut, Austrian Westbourne Grove, London W2 4UA

A decent establishment but not reviewed in the last two years.

Austrian One Aldwych Hotel, London, WC2B 4RH. Tel: 0207 300 0300

not reviewed

Czech Restaurants

Czech & Slovak House, 74 West End Lane, London NW6 2LX. Tele 0207 372 1193 (Slovak +)

If you can't get to Prague tonight this has to be the alternative night out. You do not have to travel to Prague to sample some of the best dumplings recipes Eastern Europe has to offer. The menu includes Czech and Slovak dishes such as pork with sauerkraut and dumplings, meatloaf with sauerkraut and myet more dumplings, svickova, roast duck, goulash and Wiener schnitzel.

Deserts (not suitable for those dieting) includes pancakes, apple strudel or apricot dumplings, which are the restaurant's speciality. The apricot dumplings rest proudly on the plate, lapping at their edges a small amount of melted butter while on their top lies an enticing crust of sugar.

There is a bar area offering of course Czech beer and a selection of wines and spirits. The restaurant's atmosphere is very relaxed and in review terms its greatest attribute is that many Czechs & Slovaks are amogst its patrons.

 

Hungarian Restaurants

The Gay Hussar, 2 Greek Street, London W1V 4NB. Telephone 0207 437 0973. (Hungarian +)

Possibly the only Hungarian restaurant in the UK offering authentic Hungarian food and other dishes from Eastern Europe. It is renowned for serving extremely tender Roast Duck prepared in red cabbage and complimented with Hungarian potatoes which are a delight in their own right.

Food aside, this wood panelled restaurant has a distinct Bohemian atmosphere with its bookshelves and black and white photographs. It is popular with academics and would bve academics, celebrities, journalists and solicitors and politicians.

 

Polish Restaurants

Posk, Restaurant & Seperate Cafe 238 King Street, London W6 0RF Telephone 0208 741 1940 (Polish +)

These establishments are within the Polish Community Centre. The centre also includes an art gallery, book shop, libary and theatre. It also offers Polish lessons. The restaurant is comfortable quiet and spacious. As the centre is supportive of the Polish community in London it serves many traditional home made Polish dishes. The servings are generous. The cafe, which has a very relaxed almost laid back atmosphere i serves tea coffees and a range of polish cakes.Both establishments have bilingual staff.

Cafe Grove, 65 The Grove London W5 5LL 0208 810 0364

Inexpensive Polish cafe with several good examples of Polish cuisine. The red borscht and zurek were very spicey and accompanied by herbs and really good value: Many higher class restaurants would do well to compete with this meal. Other dishes include beef stroganoff and blinis. There is also Golabki - spiced meat and rice wrapped in cabbage leaves, served in a creamy tomato sauce which was also notable.Efficient service in a very laid back and arty but friendly environment - oh and don't miss the cheesecake either!

Zamoyski Restaurant and Vodka Bar, 85 Fleet Street, London NW3 2QY. Telephone 0207 794 4792

This highlight of this ultra friendly Polish restaurant is its nine course Mezze which offers a range of authentic Polish food.It is popular with parties and has the added attraction of a seperate vodka bar.Not expensive and has a very cosmopolitian client base most of whom are regularts. Good, filling food for all!

Wodka's Restaurant, 12 St. Albans Grove, London, W8 5PN. Tele: 0207 937 6513

This establishment is extremely popular and at weekends is rammed. It offers authentic Polish food which in its nature is fairly simple. It is however a restaurant that uses only quality meats and vegatables. The Oso Buco here is quite famous. All dishes have a definite home made air about them.The wines are not especially expensive and there is a fairly wide but not definitive choice in vodkas. They have an interesting range of flavoured vodkas- including apricot honey and plum after which the memory becomes a little unreliable. Good service Advance booking is strongly advised.

Na Zdrowie, 11 Little Turnstile, London, WC1V 7DX. Telephone 0207 831 9679

.Very tasty Polish food at this hard to find restaurant at the back of Holborn Station It is very popular at lunchtimes when the Potato placki, filling pierogi and a good selections seem to dominate the tables.The food is surpringly cheap. It has a selection of vodkas some of them flavoured. The cherry and apple juice flavours should be appreciated even by light drinkers.It is open in the evening but last orders are taken around 9.30 so be warned. and during the day it is usually extremely busy.

 

Russian Restaurants

Firebird, 23 Conduit Street, .London, W1R 9TB, Telephone 0207 493 7000.

Franco-Russian restaurant which is frequented by wealthy Russians and has become even more fashionable since it opened a 'Room of Luxury' .This is a very sophisticated establishment and with an emphasis throughout on quality.

Recommended dishes include the Lamb Kazakhstan the famous Potato Cake and the Roasted Venison. The caviar is also palatable and this is in relative terms not highly priced. A good selection of wines and spirits - especially vodkas - and one 'sweet honey is especially agreeable.

Soviet Canteen, 430 King's Road, London, SW10 0LJ. Telephone 0207 795 1556

Probably one of the most intriguing foreign establishments in Britain. This walls are adorned with cold war propaganda and pictures of people queuing for bread!

Authentic Russian recipes are the order of the day and they include standards like beef Stroganoff and caviar. Other dishes include 'barshok' (sweet & sour beetroot soup) as a starter. For the main course the mushroom pastry 'pirog' is very very tasteful The canteen has over 30 vodkas so read the propaganda before sampling! Very unusual!

The Tsars Bar, 1C Portland Place, (Langham Hilton), London, W1B 1JA Telephone 0207 636 1000

A Russian restauarant in a very English wood panelled enviroment which is ameriolated by oil paintings on the walls. Fiiling food from a menu which offers several dishes including 'borscht' - a traditional Russian soup made out of beetroot and the equally Russian 'cavair'.

The bar probably has one of the largest selections of vodkas in the UK which is rumoured to run into three figures. To ensure that youare motivate to appreciate some of these they also offer a range of vodka cocktails! Gently does it.

Nikitas, 65 Ifield Road London, SW10 Telephone 0207 352 6326

Not as expensive as some of its competitors and definitely on the cute side with it decor - mementos from Russia's Imperial past and Byzantine designs. This establishment offers a range of traditional Russian dishes (including caviar) with the 'savoury pancakes' and 'beef stroganoff'. savoury pancakes especially tasteful. A good restauarant for group outings though it can become a little lively if the ample choice of vodkas are exploited. For party people rather than romantics.

 

Slovak Restaurants

See Czech section above

 

Former Yugoslavia Restaurants

Rasputin, 265 High Street, London W3 9BY. Telephone 0208 993 5802. Croatian Serbian Russian.

A healthy choice of food here in a very friendly and culturally cosmopolitian restaurant. Starters include Siberian pelemeni meat dumplings in sour cream and borscht of beetroot, cabbage, carrots and herbs. The house speciality for the main meal is 'Bigos' which swamps several pieces of meat and is crowned with divine sausage. It is accompanied by a pepper packed with more meat, rice and dressed in sour cream and tomato sauce. These dishes are served with an abundance of vegatables.

The desserts if you can manage to finish them are very enjoyable - cream cheese pancakes have to be tasted to believed.

The Sava Restaurant, 358A Fulham Road, London, SW10 9UU. Tele: 0207 376 7370

This is a good place to eat, with good service and generous portions and about 20 choices of vodka to ensure you leave content.Situated above the Black Bull pub it serves a variety of Yugoslavian dishes It has a reputation for fairly priced lunch time offers.

 

General East European Restaurants

Caviar Kaspia, 18 Bruton Place, London, W1X 7AA. Tele: 0207 626 1000 Various

Caviar is the main feast of this very comfortable establishment. There are alternatives or supplements in the form of some very delicate and finely prepared seafood. The caviar includes Beluga, ossetra, sevruga in small or larger forms and all come with a garnish of your choice. Expensive but very much a place for conniseurs of this accquired taste.

Abacus, 24 Cornhill, London EC3V 3ND. Telephone 0207 337 6767 Various

Abacus is one of those chill out places you need to know if you had a hard day handing out honours, hugging hoodies or moving international currency etc. It is stylish, with very comfortable seating and three different bars it also boast a club. The menu is very international and offers good quality food in the form of a buffet. . It is not expressly east european but it is in european terms good cosmopolitian fayre.

Patio, 5 Goldhawk Road London W12 8QQ, Tele 0208 743 5194. East European

Patio should be on everyones short list as it is an example of good old dependable home cooking. The food is predominantly Polish The set menu (£14.90 for three courses) is exceptional value. . Amongst the starters were bigos, herrings, potato pancakes, herrings, and and smoked salmon blini ). The choice of main courses incluhe Beef gulasz, chicken, duck and Polish sausage with complimentary vegatables. Deserts on offer include cheesecake, pancakes, fruit and szarlotka - apple cake. Included in the price is complimentary vodka, fruit and a rather delicious coconut cake. Very friendly service.

Baltic, 74 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA. Tele 0207 928 1111 Eastern European

This establishment provides eastern european food in a unique way. It relies on traditional ingedients but combines them with more recent ideas. Saffron marinated saffron-marinated halibut and beetroot- and vodka-cured salmon are a couple of the notable opening dishes. Another dish (commonly available in Gdansk) was roast cod lemon dumplings and wild mushrooms. This was a delight and the roast duck with apples and red cabbage on the adjacent table was appreciated as well.

They also offer a vodka inspired cherry ice cream dressed with chocolate sauce which is 'the business' in desert terms. Another attribute is the extensive 'cocktail list and the general ambience of the establishment which in part is down to the decor - see it to believe it.

Erebini, London Guards Hotel, 36-37 Lancaster Gate, London W2 3NA. Telephone 0207 402 6067 East European

Visiting this establishment is a challenge as it is situated in the morning room of a very English hotel that no one seems to know! The predominantly Russian menu which claims to offer dishes from Armenia & Georgia was having a bad 'off' day as many dishes were 'not possible today'. We were co-ersed into trying cheburekhi -fried lamb dumplings and a salad of garlick flavoured courgettes served with a spicy salsa. The food was fresh and enjoyable as was the Ukranian lager. One to consider but check before setting out that the dishes are actually available!

 

Review A London Restaurant

There are numerous restaurants which offer dishes from Eastern Europe and they are not only found in the centre of London or trendy places like Upper Street N1. For example the Mozart Cafe in Highgate (see the 'a taste of Austria'. Restaurants that offer East European dishes can be found all over London and the Home Counties in SE England. Euromost welcomes contributions from visitors who have eaten in these restaurants and would like to review them.

Contributions which reflect positively on the restaurant are preferred but the bad reviews will be also be considered! Please email reviews to post@euromost.info

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