Cheap Places to Eat in Temple Bar

"Branches of the growing chain of Sushisamba restaurants can be found in New York, Chicago, Miami and beyond. London’s outpost is found on the 38th and 39th floors of the City’s Heron Tower so it’s likely you’ll see deals being brokered at nearby tables, but the atmosphere is kept in check by personable staff and the spread of dating couples out to have a good time. The menu’s an eclectic mix, too, featuring a blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisine, alongside one of the most comprehensive sake selections in the city."

"Situated in one of the city's tallest buildings you find this amazing London rooftop bar and restaurant. Magical views over virtually all of the city, delicious Asian / Peruvian / Brazilian food and a wide selection of creative cocktails and sake are some of the highlights at Sushisamba. Trendy venue where people are well-dressed and the prices quite high, but also offering an experience really out of the ordinary."

"Unashamedly fusion, this restaurant and bar at the top of the Heron Tower mixes Brazilian, Peruvian and Japanese influences. One of the coolest things about the experience is being whisked up in panoramic glass elevators, Willy Wonka–style, to what are the highest dining terraces in Europe. There’s probably no better place in the city to drink in the sunset."

"Sample Chef Tong Chee Hwee's contemporary take on Cantonese cuisine at elegantly designed, Michelin-starred restaurant Hakkasan, a celebrity haunt in Mayfair. The dim sum are particularly scrumptious. Other highlights include the roasted silver cod with champagne and honey and the black truffle roasted duck."

"If slick and sexy is the date vibe you’re going for, the low-lit labyrinth of Hakkasan’s Mayfair restaurant is one of London’s most seductive spots. Head underground via the waterfall-lit stairs to find tables flanked by peek-a-boo wooden panelling and a gently thrumming soundtrack."

"Another Michelin-starred spot, Hakkasan champions modern Cantonese food, with world-class drinks to match. Make your way through freshwater prawns, cuttlefish shui mai and king crab dumplings, in what promises to be some of the best dim sum in London."

"This modern Chinese restaurant on Broadwick Street, slickly designed and eagerly staffed, is a great option for all-day dim sum year round, and their seven-dish Chinese New Year menu (on ’til March 4) is pretty special. The sesame balls filled with a salted egg-yolk custard are a real treat, the braised pork is ludicrously tender and melty, and the golden fortune prawns are mouthwatering too. The cocktails we tried were just the ticket to sharpen the senses (the Black River Martini is a punchy, purple Scotch + blackberry delight) and although I wasn’t wholly sold on the admittedly very pretty petit gateau that concluded the meal, my companion eagerly demolished both of ours, so what do I know?"

"Restaurants Chinese Soho. If romance is on your mind, you need to bypass Yauatcha’s frenetic ground-floor canteen and head down to the brick-lined basement with its illuminated fish tank, twinkling lights and nightclubby vibe (bass-heavy beats included). Luxe dim sum (and some dazzling larger plates) are offset by spectacular East-West desserts, while heady teas, exotic cocktails and jet-setting wines complete a sexy Michelin-starred package."

"If you're looking for a Michelin-star Chinese takeaway in London, then Yauatcha is a guaranteed winner. The Chinatown restaurant is known for serving up some of the finest dim sum in the biz, with a tempting cocktail list to match. Add a touch of luxe to your next night in by selecting one of their gourmet set menus, available to order online."

"You’ll probably smell David Carter’s barbecue joint well before you see it; while the signage is discreet, the tang of smoke meets you halfway up the street. Behind two heavy, metal-riveted doors, it’s a temple to certain ideas of masculinity and to meat—all concrete walls, steel paneling, and rough-planked tables and banquettes (subtext: real men don’t need cushions). The meat comes in many forms here: 15-hour smoked brisket, superb pastrami, and generous portions of ribs."

"When to go:When you and your mates have something to celebrate – even if that something is just a shared love of barbecued meat. What to have:Haven’t yet tried Smokestak’s signature beef brisket?. Prepare yourself for moist, smoky meat heaped into a bun and topped with barbecue sauce, bone-marrow butter and pickled chillies."

"Sitting on level 33, Hutong is the highest of the restaurants in the Shard. Hutong showcases the very best of northern Chinese cuisine and culture, with its stylish interior sporting traditional red lanterns, hand-carved ‘Moon Gates’, silk curtains and epic views over London, a menu based on the ‘Lu school’ cuisine of China’s Shandong Province and cocktails inspired by ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine. While all of the restaurants in the Shard certainly come with an inflated price tag, popping in for a cocktail and small bite could still prove better value than forking out £32 for a ticket to ‘The View from The Shard’ viewing platform."

"Restaurants Contemporary Asian London Bridge. Like the original Hutong in Hong Kong, this offshoot halfway up the Shard is a glitzy rendezvous with amazing views, ersatz Old Beijing decor and a Sichuan-Northern Chinese menu. Tuned-in service and high prices come with the territory, but Hutong is a City date restaurant par excellence serving carefully rendered, offbeat food that’s guaranteed to jangle and soothe curious palates."

"Take the romance to another level – or 33 – at the Shard’s sky-high northern Chinese restaurant, where the panoramic views of the city are simply astounding. Inside, the restaurant is low-lit, dotted with glowing red lanterns, and intricately decorated with antique wooden panels. Things really heat up when you get to the menu: Sichuan spice peppers most dishes, so it’s aphrodisiac-central."

"Restaurants Cafés Putney. Outdoorsy folk who like cycling can stay outside and eat alfresco at this laidback cycling caff in Putney. A big terrace dining area out front soaks up the sunshine (if any), and it’s regularly packed with punters."

"Wembley Park Boulevard, Wembley HA9 0FD EnglandChinese, AsianLunch, DinnerTakeout, Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service[email protected]+44 20 3696 0090http://www.pingpongdimsum.com/restaurants/wembley-london-designer-outlet"

"The Burgh House & Hampstead Museum is a London historic house and museum. Burgh House was first built in 1704. Famous inhabitants include Dr. George Williamson, Captain Constantine Evelyn Benson, the daughter of author Rudyard Kipling, and, in the late 1800s, the Royal East Middlesex Militia, who used it as their headquarters."

"Visitors to the Burgh House & Hampstead Museum can try on period costumes|© Ethel Davies / Alamy Stock Photo. The Burgh House & Hampstead Museum is a popular place for families with young children. This historic property has period costumes visitors can try on, a reading corner and a museum trail to explore."

"North of Oxford Street, there’s no missing the striking buildings of the Wallace Collection, one of the most interesting free art museums in London. Inside the buildings, you’ll find paintings from the 15th to 19th century, with a particularly impressive collection of 18th century French artworks said to rival the collection at Versailles. This free museum is the only place you’ll ever be able to see these masterpieces – when Sir Richard Wallace’s widow bequeathed the collection, she made it a condition that not a single piece should ever leave the imposing building."

"The Wallace Collection, in Hertford House, a grand 19th-century townhouse on Manchester Square and the former residence of the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, now plays host to the family’s extraordinary collection of art and artefacts. It features exquisite examples of Urbino maiolica and Sèvres porcelain, miniatures kept in covered cases and imperious armoury on the ground floor. But the star attraction is the collection of works by European artists such as François Boucher, Anthony van Dyck, Peter Paul Rubens, and Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn."

"Wallace collection displays magnificent artworks in the historic London town. It has some of the most amazing old paintings, decorative arts, and world-class armouries. This stunning London museum is free and also has a glazed courtyard restaurant."

"Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare is a small garden temple built in 1756 on the River Thames. The temple was built by actor David Garrick to honor William Shakespeare; it has since turned into a museum meant to honor Garrick, as well. The temple displayed Garrick's extensive personal collection of Shakespearean artifacts."

"A chain on a mission, Leon wants us to eat healthily when we’re on that fast-food treadmill. Ok, lunch comes in a cardboard box with plastic cutlery, but the ingredients are seasonal and eco-friendly, right down to the last green pea. Leon’s worthy message is even easier to swallow when the bill arrives."

"Natural and delicious fast food specialising in hot boxes, wraps and salads, inspired by the flavours, variety and healthiness of Mediterranean cooking."

"Restaurants Bakeries Soho. Crosstown’s delightfully chewy sourdough doughnuts are handmade, fresh every day. Classic flavours such as chocolate truffle are presented alongside more creative additions, like rhubarb, raspberry and ginger – and a vegan’s delight: there are dairy-free offerings that have been perfected (so much so that Crosstown actually have a completely vegan shop in Marylebone)."

"You don't actually have to cross town for these, not now they've got vans, bars and stockists all over the place. You would, though, if you had to — for somewhere among the Standards, the Mini Bites and the Seasonal Specials is the doughnut of your dreams. They use sourdough for a denser, chewier doughnut at Crosstown, one thing which sets them apart from the doughnut masses."

"Vegan 'Peanut Butter and Blackcurrant Compote' from Crosstown Doughnuts. Crosstown Doughnuts in Marylebone. Crosstown Doughnuts' vegan 'Lime & Coconut' doughnut"

"This family-run coffee house and bakery, based out in Battersea, is who you should be visiting if you want to get a taste of a real-deal Filipino panaderia. Kapihan does the business on a range of sweet and savoury Filipino-style pastries with light and airy pandesal bread being the real hero item on the menu. The pan de coco (a pandan-infused brioche with a coconutty sweet cream filling) and chocolate Spanish bread (a fluffy pandesal filled with a slightly molten mixture of 75% South Cotabato chocolate and hazelnut raw creme) are perfect for pairing with a cup of freshly brewed coffee."

"I’ve already shouted about Kapihan as one of the best bakeries in London, but it’s also one of the best coffee shops, too. The family-run business – founded by brothers David and Nigel Motley – is one of the few places in London brewing specialty coffee sourced from the Philippines. Those Filipino beans are then roasted and brewed in Battersea alongside a handful of guest coffees that have been selected from the team’s favourite roasters from around the world."

"Down in Battersea, this family run neighbourhood cafe on the corner specialises in staples from the Philippines, which is where all its beans come from. The online shop sells six different blends to try, alongside a taster pack to get an idea of their three best sellers. Coffees can be ordered to ordered to suit however you do it at home, and they’ve a subscription service too."