Linger in London

8 places for Linger in London, picked by creators — with what they said.

• Brown's Hotel, a Rocco Forte hotel — Doobydobap
  Called the scones "amazing scones" for being buttery and crumbly rather than bread-like, and loved the live piano and the historic hotel atmosphere.
  Heads up: Strongly recommends booking well ahead of your trip.
• The French House — Condé Nast Traveler
  Everything — stocks, sauces, even the brioche — is made from scratch in a kitchen smaller and less equipped than this room; declared it London's best madeleine, with a chocolate mousse that's also light and excellent.
  Heads up: Getting a table is famously difficult — 'everyone says they can't get a table, even I can't' — and it's a conversation-focused space that doesn't welcome photography.
• Brasserie Zedel — Harrison Webb
  Raves about the lavish, film-set-like basement space, the live music, and the great value of the £19.95 three-course menu, calling the steak bordelaise a 'phenomenal dish.'
  Heads up: There's no phone signal underground (free wifi is available). The set menu is much better value, making the £27.50 à la carte relatively expensive, and the bordelaise sometimes comes with a skimpy amount of sauce, so it's worth ordering extra peppercorn sauce on the side.
• Portobello Road Market — Suitcase Monkey
  Said antiques, curios, fashion, bookshops, and food stalls stretch all the way to Golborne Road, with the colorful surrounding houses also worth seeing.
  Heads up: Takes more than 2 hours to see properly, and note the colorful houses people photograph are actual residents' homes.
• Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese — 육식맨 YOOXICMAN
  Praised for its stunning medieval-fantasy-like atmosphere and 'seriously delicious' stout, and enjoyed the genuine pub experience of people gathering and forming a real community.
  Heads up: The upstairs is reservation-only seating with per-person food orders, and downstairs fills up quickly; the steak and kidney pudding had more mushroom than meat, so they suggested 'you might want to skip meat pudding dishes,' the fish and chips lacked seasoning, and the ale was bland.
• Friend at Hand — 육식맨 YOOXICMAN
  With its old-fashioned interior and elderly gentlemen and grandmothers calmly watching football, it felt like a true neighborhood living room, free of the usual 'pub intimidation,' and the chips were so good they called it 'the main event.'
  Heads up: The fish and chips weren't seasoned, and in reality far more customers just drink beer without ordering food; British IPA was noted as watery and low in alcohol.
• Sol's — Harrison Webb
  Praises the cosy, intimate feel of sitting inside the wine cellar, the well-judged music volume, and the croquettes, which are wonderfully oozy inside with great smokiness alongside the mustard aioli.
  Heads up: A glass of wine plus one small plate already comes to £29, so it's not cheap, and the good seats (the side tables) can be hard to snag. Next door, Sol's Sister isn't a restaurant — it's a florist.
• The Grocer — Suitcase Monkey
  Said it's a nice pub with comfortable outdoor sofa seating.

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