How about Persian restaurants?
I'll kick it off with Behesht in Kensal Rise, London. Take a big appetite because the selection of starters, freshly made naan and mouthwatering kebabs will leave you bursting at the seams. Before the smoking ban they also used to offer a large pot of persian tea and an exquisite jasmin scented shisha as a way of rounding off the evening. This really is as authentic as it gets, always full of Iranian expats (you just have to look at the signage to know that they don't pander to Western tastes )

This thread is torture. Maybe we could hire a car and go up to bonnie Scotland as well and I could take you to some nice places there

I'm sorry to say I've never had a good meal at a Persian restaurant in London . . . and this is despite being taken places by Iranian friends. Also, should these be bracketed in with curry places?

Love this thread. I would suggest to create an "EF Gourmet Club".
Organize low-cost trips (transport) to selected places in europe for a good week-end of pure gastronomical pleasure. Put me on the list for the trip to London!

I like this idea...I'm up for it!

These might not be attractive for a visiting tourist as they lie a bit far out and you'd have to take a tube back afterwards to head for decent nightlife. Still . . .

Kastoori is a vegetarian Gujerati (via East Africa) restaurant in Tooting. The tomato curry is a thing of wonder.

Dosa n' Chutney serves exactly what you might suspect. Very nice indeed.

GG, have you been to Behesht or even Patogh (Crawford Place, off Edgware Rd)? These are the real, authentic Iranian restaurants and I've never had a bad meal at either. There are a lot of really naff (80's Kitsche) restaurants in and around Kensington which are over-priced and poor in comparison (you can also tell because native born Iranians don't eat there).

The Diwana Bhel Poori House in Drummond Street, NW1, always used to be a brilliant restaurant. I haven't been there for a couple of years but it is apparently still going strong, and has been since the early 80s, serving light, tasty vegetarian dishes at remarkably good prices. Would obviously be less appealing to die hard carnivores...

This trip would be worth it if only to see the group try to clear H.M.Customs

"purpose of the trip?"

curry

"length of stay?"

3-4 hours

so next stop, the far east no?


(we have plenty of KFC's here!)

To be honest I was so put off by the places my Iranian friends took me to (they said it was authentic and thought it was good) that I didn't explore further. It may just be that this is one cuisine which isn't for me.

Nevertheless, I definitely would't include a Persian restaurant in a guide to London curry places . . . those should be from the subcontinent, right?

My apologies, this place is now closed while it relocates.

On the return leg.

"Just passing..." brrrppppp

when you guys do a trip to Cornwall for some "proper" pasties gimme a call.

Me too!!! Simply cannot beat them

Alright folks, who's in for January?

Don't do it to me man

oh yes. i love cornish pasties. esp. with the peas inside :runs:

The 'West Cornwall Pasty Co.' have outlets all over London... yet another mountain that has come to Mohammed

come to think ya, I've run into a couple of these.. but they are not Oggy Oggy.


( the best pasties tho come from a little store front just down the Fore St. in Looe )