Top Spots For Refuelling When Christmas Shopping

Shopping’s a tiring business. Be it browsing through the many London markets for a special hand-crafted gift for a loved one, traipsing the streets for the essential accessory for a party outfit, or dedicating a day to hauling in all the Christmas presents on your family’s list, one thing is guaranteed – you’ll need refuelling at some point. And while a plethora of fast-food outlets adorn the city’s streets, what you really want is to sit back, relax, and be waited on by good staff, served good food, and enjoy an hour away from the crazy chaos of pre-Christmas consumer mayhem. We’ve totted up the best go-to venues for a recharge of the batteries and fill of the stomach so you can head back out fully energised and ready for battle!

The Gilbert Scott – Kings Cross

The ultimate grand dining experience from Marcus Wareing, showcasing the finest British seasonal produce in the 19th-century surrounds of St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. The Gilbert Scott offers an indulgent menu perfect for shoppers expending energy at nearby Coaldrops Yard, or on their way into or out of town for a busy day’s Christmas shopping. Serving classic British dishes, in a spectacular grand dining room, the à la carte menu showcases the very best of seasonal produce while there’s also a £30 set menu co,prising smoked salmon paté, Chargrilled hanger steak, and herb gnocchi, amongst other tempting and tasty dishes.

Neptune – Bloomsbury

Nestled conveniently in the heart of Bloomsbury, just a stone’s throw away from the bustling streets of London’s shopping districts, Neptune is the perfect pitstop for any hungry Christmas shopper. The seafood-focused restaurant, proudly owned by the renounced restaurateurs Brett Redman and Margaret Crow has a range of delicious dishes to delve into and the bar snacks menu is a great way to sample a whole selection of them. For a well-deserved mid-shop snack tuck into the fresh buttered Crab Roll, or nibble on a bowl of gooey Cheddar Cheese Puffs, great alongside an array of Olives, Pickles and Curried Almonds. To dine in full Neptune style, sit back and relax for an hour or two on one of the comfortable stools positioned against the restaurant’s show stopping centrepiece, the Oyster Bar. While you’re there why not treat yourself to a decadent helping of Caviar complete with Hash Browns and Crème Fraiche or cleanse the pallet with half-a-dozen of only the freshest Oysters, sourced from UK coastlines and perfect served with a glass of Neptune’s organically farmed wine. See all Neptune menus here.

 La Tagliata – Spitalfields

Just a stone’s throw from historic Spitalfields Market, in Sandy’s Row, this newly opened Italian eatery is a breath of fresh air for diners fed up of wading through menus as long as the Jubilee line just to pick a perfect dish. Named after, and specialising in, the steak dish of the same name, La Tagliata offers just a handful of dishes, based on what fresh produce manager Carlo Palumbo and executive chef Antonio Tonelli source that week. There’s a carefully chosen Italian wine list to accompany the dishes, and service is second to none.

Having sampled both the steak and the vegetarian option – a delicious baked scamorza stuffed with porcini mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and truffle paste – we can assure you that these dishes really are top draw. Starter is a choice of three or four freshly cooked tagliatelle dishes, and there’s a sumptuous dessert menu guaranteed to tempt you into three courses, without leaving you too stuffed to head back to Spitalfields for round two of shopping! La Tagliata is open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner. To book see www.la-tagliata.com or call 020 7247 2818

Lady of the Grapes – Covent Garden

Found on Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, Lady of the Grapes shines a spotlight on women in the wine industry. Shoppers can drop in for a delicious glass of wine or two made by female winemakers (all organic, biodynamic or natural wines) and enjoy food from a menu curated by Victor Garvey of Rambla and Sibarita which includes small sharing charcuterie or cheese plates as well as more filling options such as chicken roulade, honey glazed quails and apricot skewers, or an indulgent cheese fondue.

Lazeez Tapas – Oxford Street

Meaning tasty  in Lebanese, Lazeez is all about enjoying food with family and friends. For the Lebanese, there’s nothing better than sharing food and drink with friends while surrounded by music and great ambience and that’s what you’ll find in this Duke Street eatery, set in the shadow of shoppers’ heaven Selfridges. Serving up a variety of tapas dishes from falafel to humous, and hearty wraps with a variety of fillings, all dishes use the freshest ingredients, and it shows. Key spices and particular produce is imported from Lebanon and other ingredients such as olive oil and meat are sourced more locally. The meat is cooked over a charcoal grill and sprinkled with herbs, to give it a mouth-wateringly intense flavour. When it comes to cocktails, there are some fantastic Lebanese-inspired concoctions using fresh mint, lime, lemon and arak, which sit alongside an impressive choice of classic and modern mixes. Situated less than a minute’s walk from Oxford Street, this is a perfect pit-stop venue for hungry shoppers in search of tantalisingly tasty food.

HipChips – Soho

Hip Chips in Soho’s Old Compton Street is a completely unique approach to snacking on the go, with a menu focusing solely on crisps. Here they offer nothing but big boxes of vegetable crisps with a selection of sweet or savoury dips for a dunking feast. It’s a fun and easy place to pop into for a quick refuel during a busy days shopping. And just for December there’s a uniquely festive Crispmas Dinner Box! featuring a festive feast in crisp and dip form with Smoked Salmon & Pickled Cucumbers to start, a traditional Turkey Dinner with Stuffing & Cranberry Sauce for main and for that ultimate festive finish – a sweet Christmas Pudding & Brandy Butter. Serving is quick and easy so the whole HipChips experience can be enjoyed in under half an hour, leaving more time for shopping!

At the other end of the spectrum, but just around the corner, is Bob Bob Ricard, serving champagne and caviar lunches for those looking to escape the chaos and relax in salubrious surroundings for an hour or two. BBR serves a luxury English and Russian menu to its eclectic clientele in London’s most glamorous all-booth dining room. With an exotic menu offering oysters, truffle and caviar dishes, all accompanied – if you so wish – by a Belvedere or two, BBR will recharge and refuel you, but the problem is you may not want to leave! It’s worth noting that the dress code for BBR is ‘elegant’. No trainers or comfy Uggs to be worn at this stop off!

What The Pitta!

Found in Shoreditch Market, Camden, Croydon Boxpark and now Brighton too, the specialist vegan kebab chain is ideal for veggies, vegans, or just those in search of something a little different. Their speciality vegan doner kebab pleases meat eaters and herbivores alike. Service is fast and friendly, and options include the doner kebab or doner box with chips; and falafels with couscous. The doner ‘meat’ comes with a delicious spicy sauce, good quality fries and a tasty side salad with red cabbage and tomato served with hummus and tsatsiki on the side. The one dessert option, Baklava, is delicious.

Novikov – Mayfair

A two-in-one eating affair in Berkeley Street in the heart of Mayfair, Novikov offers a sophisticated space to unwind after a morning’s work wandering the boutiques of Mayfair. The Italian restaurant offers regional Italian fare with a contemporary twist. The menu comprises a superb assortment of antipasti, Tartare di Salmone o Tonno and Carpaccio di Manzo, followed by a selection of homemade pasta.

The Asian Restaurant specialises in Chinese and Pan Asian cuisine, with a menu designed by highly skilled and experienced Japanese-trained Head Chef Jeff Tyler. Tyler is known for his love of experimenting with different textures, flavours and ingredients, a talent that is much in evidence in dishes such as King Crab with Penang Sauce and Pork Belly with Spicy Glaze. Also on the menu is an extensive range of sushi, dim sum and barbecued and charcoaled dishes, Spicy Lamb Cutlets and Miso Black Cod.

Where’s your favourite stop-off for refuelling when shopping in town? Comment below or join the conversation on our Facebook page. Unless you’d rather keep it our little secret, of course. Sssshhhh!