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Things to do

Welcome to The Research House, London, the place where the historic past and the vibrant present come alive. A blend of history, ground-breaking architecture and culture has created an amazing and constantly evolving city.

The following is a listing for food, sights, and shopping in and around The Research House. It is not by any means all-inclusive. If you are looking for something that you do not see here or a little further afield, please feel free to call us and we will help you.

Restaurants

Modern Eclectic

Black & Blue

90-92 Wigmore Street, London W1
020 7486 1912
www.blackandbluerestaurants.com
Black & Blue reflects an American steakhouse experience offering a good selection of steaks, including sirloin, T-bone, fillet, rib-eye and côte de boeuf, as well as burgers, fish dishes and vegetarian options - all served in an elegant dining room.

The Wallace

The Wallace Collection
Manchester Square
020 7 563 5905
Restaurateur Oliver Peyton, who recently launched The National Dining Rooms at The National Gallery, has successfully repeated the trick at the Wallace Collection. The gallery’s wonderful, glassed-over courtyard has been reincarnated as a sort of rococo picnic party, complete with wrought iron chairs, rectangular parasols & convincing artificial trees. The cooking is very good.

Blandord Street

5-7 Blandford Street                       
Blandford Street                                   
020 7486 9696
Modern British/European menu, exciting with discreet service. Delicate décor with pavement terrace. 

The Union Café

Marylebone Lane
020 7486 4860
Nearly always full, this plain, brasserie-style place on the Lane is a favorite meeting place for locals. Its lively atmosphere is complemented by straightforward, well-cooked food & great-value wines,

English

Langan's Brasserie

Stratton Street, W1J 8LB
020 7491 8822
Detractors who call Langan’s ‘a bit old hat’ & think the food ‘pretty basic’ are missing the point: it’s the very fact that the ‘posh school dinners’ style of meals are ‘delicious & safe’ that keeps the regulars coming back for more.  The crowds who come here also enjoy the high ‘celebrity quota’ & the ‘friendly’, ‘non-intimidating’ service.

Rules

35 Maiden Lane WC2
020 7 836 5314
 (a little further away  in Covent Garden but worth the trip)
A genuine piece of the capital’s dining history, Rules began life in 1798 & more than two centuries later continues to thrive as a gentlemen’s haunt replete with rich, upholstered decor, cartoon-cluttered walls & a hushed air of maturity. Die-hard fans affirm that the likes of Stilton & watercress soup, steak, kidney & oyster pudding & roast loin of rabbit with bacon & black pudding are ‘traditional English fare at its most refined’.

Italian

Carluccio’s Cafe

5 Barrett Street, off Street Christopher's Place,
020 7935 5927
Good for lunch. Never less than heaving, particularly in summer when the pedestrianised area round the fountain is at a premium for shoppers & coffee drinkers, Carluccio’s brings a hint of the Mediterranean to the back of Oxford Street. The reason for this is clear: good value, nicely chosen food, which ranges from excellent plates of antipasti, pasta & bruschetta, to more substantial dishes of calf’s liver or Milanese chicken

Locanda Locatelli

Seymour Street
020 7935 9088
(eve bookings 1 month in advance – lunchtime 2 weeks)
In Celebrity Chef, Giorgio Locatelli’s much-hyped & Michelin-starred Italian eatery food is generally reckoned to be ‘exquisite’, as typified by char-grilled mackerel wrapped in pancetta, tagliatelle with kid goat ragu & chocolate & banana doughnuts. The Italian wines win points, as does the discreet service; the sommelier is particularly helpful.

Pizza

Zizzi

110-116 Wigmore Street
020 7224 1450
Just a few doors down from The Research House, Zizzi’s pizza restaurant served wood-fire pizza and a casual selection of pasta dishes and salads.  Pavement seating available in the summer.

Asian

Wagamama

101a Wigmore Street
020 7409 0111
This Japanese noodle canteen was the first of its kind. The concept is simple: good-quality noodles cooked to order – in generously portioned soups, curries or stir-fries – at affordable prices, washed down with fresh juices or beer. For Wagamama virgins, the queuing, hi-tech order pads & out-of-sync arrival of dishes can take a little getting used to, but it’s all part of the experience & while service can be ‘impersonal’ & ‘rushed’, at least the speediness makes Wagamama a ‘safe bet’ for in-&-out working lunches.

Tamarind

20 Queen Street
020 7629 1450
Tamarind is one of just three Michelin-starred Indian restaurants & for the many fans of this ‘brilliant’ operation it’s an accolade fully deserved for its ‘excellent food’ & ‘top-notch’ service. Thankfully, a wide-ranging wine list & ‘attentive’ service assist with the tricky challenge of finding a good vinous accompaniment, & though there’s the odd dissenter who grumbles that it’s ‘overpriced’ & ‘overhyped’, most diners agree ‘everything is so good it’s worth every penny’.

Zen Central

20 Queen Street
020 7629 2167
Zen Central is a classy affair. Mirrored walls decorated with striking glass sculptures dominate the room. Szechuan, Peking & Cantonese chefs are all present in the kitchen & familiar favourites such as aromatic crispy duck & sweet & sour chicken are as good as they get. If you feel like splashing out, there are exotic luxury options such as spicy jellyfish with julienne abalones, prawns & scallops, or lobster in a South Sea curry sauce. Pricey but memorable.

Fish and Chips

The Golden Hind

73 Marylebone Lane
020 7486 3644
If fish and chips is what you want, then fish and chips is what you get. Very good, with just the right amount of batter. One of the best fish and chips places in London. Friendly service, authentic atmosphere and all very reasonably priced too.

FishWorks

89 Marylebone High Street,
020 7935 9796
At first glance, FishWorks’ Marylebone branch looks simply like a small, upmarket fishmongers,. But past the wet fish counter is a long restaurant, jauntily decorated in nautical blue. Owner Mitch Tonks’ belief in the quality of his daily delivered fish & shellfish leads to a menu offering simply executed, classic dishes, from shellfish on ice to excellent taramasalata (a house speciality) & sea salt-baked bream.

Kosher

Reubens

79 Baker Street
020 7486 0035
The glitzy decor may look towards modern Tel Aviv, but the salt beef steamers & buffet-style mains hark back to the East End of old at this traditional restaurant. All the kosher favorites are here, served in an extensive ground-floor deli diner.

Six-13

Wigmore Street
020 7629 6133
The food is an interesting mix of traditional and modern.  The cool contemporary interior features solid marble, Mocassar ebony and velvet seating.  Six-13 will also deliver to The Research House with advance notice on the day.

French

L'Artiste Musclé

1 Shepherd Market
020 7493 6150
This pocket-sized French café is always packed with regulars, who rub shoulders at the tightly packed tables in winter, spilling out onto the street of Shepherd Market in summer. They come here for old-school Gallic classics such as snails in garlic butter, Boeuf Bourguignon & Toulouse sausage, all served at a ‘great-value’ price.

Also see the following on-line services  

www.squaremeal.co.uk
www.toptable.co.uk  

Must See Attractions in London

The Big Bus Company

The big bus is the best way to see and enjoy London.  The fabulous tours have live commentary and you can stay on the bus for the full circuit, or hop on and off at dozens of world famous attractions.
Details;
020 7233 9533
www.bigbus.co.uk

Buckingham Palace

Besides being the official residence of the Queen, Buckingham Palace is also the busy administrative headquarters of the monarchy and has probably the most famous and easily recognizable façade of any building in the world.  Visitors are allowed access by an organized tour to some areas of the palace. The interior of the palace is open throughout August for tours unless, of, course, you have a personal invitation from Her Majesty.
020 7766 7300
www.royal.gov.uk

British Museum

The imposing British museum exhibits the works of man from prehistoric to modern times with collections drawn from all around the world.  Famous objects include the Rosetta Stone, sculptures from the Partheon and the Portland Vase.
Details;
020 7323 8299, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

Tate Modern

The impressive Tate Modern is Britain’s national museum of modern art.  Housed in the former Bankside Power Station on the banks of the River Thames, the gallery displays major works by Matisse and Picasso as well as contemporary work and exhibitions.
020 7887 8888, Bankside London, SE1 9TG
www.tate.org.uk

The London Eye

The British Airways London Eye forms a major feature of London’s skyline.  It is the world’s highest observation wheel and offers passengers spectacular views of over 55 of London’s most famous landmarks in just 30 minutes.
0870 220 223, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7PB
www.ba-londoneye.com

The National History Museum

As well as the permanent dinosaur exhibition, the gallery boasts a collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world.  Don’t miss the life size model of the blue whale, the 40 million year old spider, the earthquake simulator and an elephant bird egg.
020 7942 5000, Cromwell Road, SW7 2DD
www.nhm.ac.uk

The Tower of London

Take a free-guided tour with one of the Yeoman Warders around one of the most famous fortified buildings in the world.  Discover its 900-year history as a royal palace and fortress, prison and place of execution.
 0870 756 6060, Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB
www.tower-of-london.org.uk

Shopping

The Research House is lucky enough to be situated in an ideal area for shopping!  Whatever you are looking for, we can point you in the right direction. 

Oxford Street

Oxford Street has long been a prime shopping location.  The main attraction is its 300 shops and landmarks stores such as John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, House of Fraser, HMV, Gap, Top Shop etc.

Selfridges

We are just behind Selfridges, which is one of Oxford Street’s most famous stores and is definitely worth a visit.  It has a well-deserved reputation for contemporary designer clothes.  The store also has an extensive men’s section, a great food hall, 19 eateries and a giant cosmetic hall!  You are guaranteed to find everything that you need under this one roof.

Marylebone High Street

Marylebone High Street is where The Research House began.  It is a lovely street to wander up and down with lots of different shops such as The Conran Shop, The White Company, Brora, Aveda, Agnes B, Whistles.  It also has lots of lovely cafés to stop at along the way.

Old & New Bond Street

Iconic designer names run throughout Old and New Bond Street such as Louis Vitton, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Miu Miu, Hermes, Tiffany & Co and wandering up and down this calmer street is always a pleasurable experience.

Regent Street

Regent Street is an impressive street that was elegantly constructed in the 1820’s.  Today it has a good range of mid priced stores to choose from including some of the cities oldest and most famous shops.  Some of the shops you will find are; Molton Brown, French Connection, Levi’s, Zara.

Liberty

On Regent’s Street Liberty has been a fixture of London’s retail scene since 1875 and it has evolved into an impressive modern department store stocking the largest names in fashion design.

Hamleys

Hamleys is one of the other famous stores on Regent Street with seven floors and over 30,000 toys it is every child’s dream shop!

Covent Garden

Covent Garden is one of London’s main theatre and entertainment districts.  It is also a great place to shop with dozens of cobbled streets packed with specialty and quirky shops.

Other Shopping

Kings Road

The Kings Road is legendary.  It was the hippest place to be in the 60’s and these days the road is bursting with new shops and cafes and has a good blend of high street and designer shops.

Knightsbridge

Visitors from around the world flock to Brompton road to see the illustrious shops and department stores that inhabit the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Harrods

One of the worlds most famous stores, Harrods started life as a modest grocer’s in 1849, it has since grown into a store stocking every possible item and has a vast range of departments!