145 Praed Street London W2 1RL
LHRC is located in Central London by Paddington Mainline and Underground Station

 Only 15 minutes by the Heathrow Express direct from the Airport to Paddington Station.

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Places To Eat

Bargain

Cafe Espana, 63 Old Compton Street, W1 (0207-494 1271). Rock-bottom prices, simple but delicious Spanish dishes right in the heart of Soho. Dive in and don't stand on ceremony.

Lee Ho Fook, 4 Macclesfield Street, W1 (0207-734 0782). There's no booking, no frills, and only the smallest of bills at this barbecue house. The short menu delivers duck rice, pork rice, crispy pork rice, mixed meat rice. This is food as fuel.

Shirrefs, 15 Great Castle Street, W1 (0207-580 2125). This is a real find. Good, home-style, South Indian and Keralan dishes at absurdly low prices in a wine bar within a hundred metres of Oxford Circus!

Wagamama, 4 Streatham Street, W1 (0207-323 9223). This is where the noodle craze got going. Queues, refectory tables, big bowls of good cheap food and philosophy as well.

Mid Range

Andrew Edmunds, 46 Lexington Street, W1 (0207-437 5708). Laid-back and comfortable wine bar turned restaurant, much beloved by Soho regulars. Good-value, well-cooked dishes.

Aroma II, 118 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1 (0207-437 0377). Although sounding like a dodgy Hollywood sequel, this restaurant is run by Ken and Kitty Lee (formerly at Harbour City), and the food is good.

Bank, 1 Kingsway, WC2 (0207-379 9797). Bustling brasserie with a particularly busy bar. The food is Modern British with a good sprinkling of brasserie classics. Somewhere to see and be seen.

Belgo Centraal, 50 Earlham Street, WC2 (0207-813 2233). Mussel mania in Covent Garden. A splendid range of Belgian beers. This restaurant is very keen on special offers which can mean bargain prices.

Le Caprice, Arlington House, Arlington Street, SW1 (0207-629 2239). Definitive St James's restaurant. The kind of well-cooked, familiar dishes that act like a magnet on the good and the great. If you can't get a reservation, sit at the bar.

Chez Gerard, 8 Charlotte Street, W1 (0207-636 4975). 'Allo, Allo', resolutely French in a middle-class, English sort of way, but still the best steak frites this side of Paris. Go for the 'onglet' - skirt steak to Brits.

Chor Bizarre, 16 Albemarle Street, W1 (0207-629 9802). Bizarre by name, and bazaar by décor - this restaurant serves authentic Indian food in a room crowded with Indian antiques.

The Criterion, 224 Piccadilly, W1 (0207-930 0488). Perhaps London's most beautiful dining-room. Sound, modern food and insistent service.

The Fifth Floor, Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, SW1 (0207-235 5250). Chef Henry Harris cooks very good, genuine food that's dependent on fresh seasonal ingredients. Service is very smooth.

The French House Dining Room, 49 Dean Street, W1 (0207-437 2477). Perched over one of Soho's most famous pubs, the Dining Room serves unpretentious Modern British food at good-value prices.

Ikkyu, 67A Tottenham Court Road, W1 (0207-636 9280). Small Japanese restaurant hidden away down some stairs off Tottenham Court Road. Good Nigiri sushi, and grilled dishes. Some of the best-value Japanese food in London.

India Club, 143 Strand, WC2 (0207-836 0650). Over a hotel, dogged by obscure drinks-licence arrangements, the India Club is an old-established restaurant where low prices, amazing ambience and vintage attitudes more than make up for old-fashioned Indian food.

The Ivy, 1 West Street, WC2 (0207-836 4751). This is Showbiz Central. Decorous, discrete and packed-out. The food manages the trick of being both good and familiar at the same time.

J Sheekey, 28-32 St Martin's Court, WC2 (0207-240 2565). Modern re-incarnation of old-time fish restaurant. Good fresh fish, well-cooked. High quality explained by shared heritage with The Ivy and Le Caprice.

Livebait, 21 Wellington Street, WC2 (0207-836 7161). Restaurant serving ultra-fresh fish. Notable fruits de mer and crustacea. Dishes are well-judged and the atmosphere is lively.

Malabar Junction, 107 Great Russell Street, WC1 (0207-580 5230). Two restaurants in one! Two separate kitchens, one does good South Indian food, including fish, shellfish and meat, and the other turns out excellent totally vegetarian dishes.

Mirabelle, 56 Curzon Street, W1 (0207-499 4636). At the moment the Mirabelle is the jewel in Marco Pierre White's crown. Very busy, very good food, very much in vogue.

Momo, 25 Heddon Street, W1 (0207-434 4040). Homage to all things Moorish in this backwater off Regent Street. The restaurant is ferociously trendy, and the bar is trendier still.

Mr Kong, 21 Lisle Street, WC2 (0207-437 7341). This place may have the world's longest menu. It's certainly got brilliant, unpretentious, authentic Chinese cooking. Not expensive but the service is not tailored to the shy or unconfident.

Quaglino's, 16 Bury Street, SW1 (0207-930 6767). There's no better place than the staircase at Quag's to make a grand entrance. The food is sound, the room is spectacular.

RK Stanleys, 6 Little Portland Street, W1 (0207-462 0099). An innovative restaurant concept is on offer here - beer and sausages. The sausages are very good. So is the beer. And - joy of joys - the prices are reasonable.

The Red Fort, 77 Dean Street, W1 (0207-437 2115). This is Soho's serious curry house. Authentic Indian food with a succession of regional festivals and a good-value lunch buffet.

Richard Corrigan at Lindsay House, 21 Romilly Street, W1 (0207-439 0450). Amazing stuff from Irish ace Richard Corrigan. Eccentric dishes, rich dishes, obscure dishes, award-winning dishes.

Stephen Bull, 5-7 Blandford Street, W1 (0207-486 9696). Stephen Bull was one of the first exponents of Modern British food - you'll find sound and simple dishes with an admirable emphasis on cooking what is in season.

The Sugar Club, 21 Warwick Street, W1 (0207-437 7776). Peter Gordon brings a dash of Kiwi iconoclasm to Pacific fusion cooking. Often brilliant, but never straightforward, good combinations of tastes and textures.

Vasco & Piero's Pavilion, 15 Poland Street, W1 (0207-437 8774). This has been something of a Soho institution for over 20 years. Very genuine Italian food, which favours dishes from Umbria. Glorious, comfortable, old-style atmosphere.

Veeraswamy, Victory House, 101 Regent Street, W1 (0207-734 1401). London's oldest surviving Indian restaurant in full cry after a complete and painstaking makeover. Authentic Indian food in smart surroundings.

Zafferano, 15 Lowndes Street, SW1 (0207-235 5800). Very good Italian food. Sophisticated dishes but with a genuine feel to them. Grand risotti. Very busy.

Aubergine, 11 Park Walk, SW10 (0207-352 3449). William Drabble took over as chef at his famous site and foodies waited to see what would happen next. Good, classical food that's what. One to watch (and enjoy).

Chez Nico At Ninety Park Lane, 90 Park Lane, W1 (0207-409 1290). One of London's classiest class acts. Fine food, beautifully presented. Your chance to eat a work of art on a plate.

Defune, 61 Blandford Street, W1 (0207-935 8311). An amazing place to eat sushi, but do not visit if your wallet isn't on peak form. You will seldom see such ultra-fresh fish or consummate artistry.

Fung Shing, 15 Lisle Street, WC2 (0207-437 1539). For more than 20 years, the Fung Shing has been turning out consistently good, well-cooked and authentic dishes. This is one place where you should try the unfamiliar dishes, they can be a revelation - crispy spicy eel, fried milk, cold herb boiled chicken with jelly fish. Outstanding.

Roussillon, 16 St Barnabas Street, SW1 (0207-730 5550). Alexis Gauthier brings his own sophisticated and complicated take on Modern French food to Pimlico. Some very good and innovative dishes.

Sartoria, 20 Savile Row, W1 (0207-534 7000). Elegantly designed restaurant with interesting Italian food cooked by an alumni of the River Cafe. Some fine traditional specialities teamed with serious prices.

The Square, 6-10 Bruton Street, W1 (0207-839 8787). Philip Howard's cooking goes from strength to strength: strong, well-matched flavours and a stellar wine list. Seriously good.

La Tante Claire, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, SW1 (0207-823 2003). Now getting to grips with his new establishment, Pierre Koffman's genuinely French disheshave an intensity that is to be relished.

Class

Langan's Brasserie Attracts the rich and famous, as well as ordinary mortals who find the prices affordable and the constantly buzzing atmosphere relaxing and informal. The co-owner is Michael Caine. Wide choice on regularly updated French/English menu; the spinach souffle is famous. Monday-Friday 12:30 to 2:45 pm and 7 to 11:45 pm. Saturday 8 pm to 12:45 am. Average £32. Credit cards. Stratton Street, Piccadilly W1, phone 491-8822.

Le Gavroche The haute-cuisine establishment of Albert Roux. Exceptionally high standards recognized by numerous awards. Monday-Friday noon to 2 pm and 7 to 11 pm. Reservations. Average £60. Credit cards. 43 Upper Brook St., Mayfair W1 (near the U.S. Embassy), phone 408-0881.

The Dorchester Grill Room Holds its place at the forefront of the hotels for dining excellence. Quality British cuisine in surroundings of pure elegance. Breakfast Monday-Saturday 7 am to 11 am, lunch daily 12:30 to 2:30 pm, dinner Monday-Saturday 6 to 11 pm, Sunday 7 to 10:30 pm. £36. 55 Park Lane (facing Hyde Park), W1, phone 629-8888.

ITALIAN AND FRENCH

Bibendum British design guru Terrence Conran's flagship restaurant serves British interpretations of French cuisine in a high-style setting. Lunch Monday-Friday 12:30 to 2:30 pm, Saturday-Sunday 12:30 to 3 pm; dinner Monday-Saturday 7 to 11:30 pm, Sunday 7 to 10:30 pm. Around £50. Michelin House, 81 Fulham Rd., Fulham SW3, phone 581-5817.

L'Escargot This well-liked establishment has a reasonably priced brasserie at entry level with a pricier French restaurant above. The impressive menu is changed regularly. Lunch Monday-Friday 12:15 to 2:15 pm, dinner Monday-Saturday 6 to 11:15 pm. Around £25. Credit cards. 48 Greek St., Soho W1, phone 437-6828.

Al San Vincenzo Tiny and plainly decorated restaurant run by a Neopolitan family -- acclaimed by Londoners as one of the best Italian restaurants around. Monday-Friday 12:30 to 2:15 pm and 7 to 10 pm, Saturday 7 to 10 pm. £30. Credit cards. 30 Connaught St., W2, phone 262-9623.

Asian

The Bombay Brasserie carries diners to the Age of the British Raj. Yards of space between tables, potted palms, overhead fans and fine cuisine deliver an authentic (if expensive) taste of India. Daily noon to 3 pm and 7:30 pm to 11:30 pm. Around £28. Credit cards. Courtfield Close, Courtfield Road (South Kensington), SW7, phone 370-4040.

The Oriental Located at the Dorchester Hotel, this is the premier Cantonese restaurant in London. Sumptuous, carved decorations, low lighting and private rooms provide the setting for a sublime dining experience. Monday-Saturday 12:30 to 3:30 pm and 7 to 12 pm. Closed August. £50. The Dorchester, 55 Park Lane (facing Hyde Park), W1, phone 629-8888.

The Red Fort Upscale Indian restaurant, tastefully decorated, with a regularly changing menu of North Indian foods. Daily noon to 2:30 pm, 6 to 11:30 pm Monday-Saturday, 6 to 11 pm Sunday. Around £25. Credit cards. 77 Dean St., W1, phone 437-2525.

Additional Dining Experiences

Atlantic Bar & Grill A much-talked about restaurant popular with trendy media types. Serves modern British cuisine from a long, imaginative menu. Loud rock music and a bouncer at the door. Monday-Friday noon to 2:45 pm and 7 pm to 12:30 am, Saturday 7 pm to 12:30 am, Sunday 7 to 11:30 pm. Around £25. Credit cards. 20 Glasshouse St., W1, phone 734-4888.

Cranks A chain of vegetarian restaurants that have become firm favorites in the capital. This year sees the opening of a large flagship restaurant in Covent Garden, with simple wooden floors and a relaxed, elegant atmosphere. Choose from a wholesome food bar of salads, stuffed vegetables and tasty baked goods. There's a ground-floor take-out. Open Monday-Thursday 9 am to 10:45 pm, Friday-Saturday 9 am to 11:15 pm, Sunday 10 am to 7:45 pm. Lunch £9, dinner £15. Credit cards. 1 The Market, WC2, phone 379-6508.

Wagamama One of the most fashionable and popular places to eat cheaply. This designer diner offers Japanese noodle soups and main courses alongside Japanese beers. Open Monday-Friday noon to 11 pm, Saturday 12:30 to 11 pm, Sunday 12:30 to 10 pm. Around £7. 4 Streatham St., WC1, phone 323-9223.

Down Mexico Way Central, lively and fun. Music bar on entry level, azulejo-tiled restaurant above. Standard Mexican fare. Restaurant open Monday-Saturday noon to midnight, bar open until 3 am; Sunday 6:30 to 10:30 pm. Around £15. Credit cards. 25 Swallow St. (off Piccadilly Circus), W1, phone 437-9895.

The Cafe Royal Founded by a Parisian wine merchant -- and it shows, especially in the heavily gilded baroque of the mirrored Grill Room. Royals and celebrities sometimes appear at this intimate complex of wine bar, cocktail bar, brasserie and restaurant. Reservations. Around £27. Credit cards. Monday-Saturday 6 to 11 pm, Sunday noon to 3 pm. Brasserie open Saturday noon to 4 pm and for afternoon tea, 3 to 5 pm. 68 Regent St. (near Piccadilly Circus), W1, phone 437-9090.

Simpson's- in-the-Strand Atmosphere of an exclusive gentleman's club. Excellent traditional English meat and fish dishes; wide choice of fine wines and ports. Breakfast Monday-Friday 7 am to noon, lunch daily noon to 2:30 pm, dinner Monday 5:30 to 11 pm, Tuesday-Saturday 5:30 to 1 am, Sunday 6 to 9 pm. Reservations. Around £27. Credit cards. 100 Strand, WC2, phone 836-9112.

Rock Garden At Covent Garden, this is a young, noisy, small venue in a very lively area. Bands every night of the week, plus club nights with disc jockeys. Admission £5 for those not dining. Monday-Thursday and Sunday noon to midnight, Friday-Saturday noon to 1 am. Around £18. Credit cards. The Piazza, Covent Garden WC2, phone 836-4052.

The Ark Intimate, atmospheric spot serving English and French dishes. Monday-Friday noon to 3 pm and Monday-Saturday 6:30 to 11 pm. Around £17. Credit cards. On a back street between Kensington and Nottinghill Gate. 122 Palace Gardens Terrace, Nottinghill (North Kensington) W8, phone 229-4024.

World Food Cafe Vegetarian and vegan delights from around the world. Located in Neal's Yard, the New Age hippie quarter of Covent Garden. Colorful window boxes and a horseshoe-shaped bar surrounding the visible cooking area ensure an interesting eating experience. It's often packed, so be prepared to share tables. Hours vary according to the season, but generally noon to 5 pm in winter, noon to 7:30 pm in summer. Light meals only. Around £11. No credit cards. Upper floor, 14 Neal's Yard, Covent Garden WC2, phone 379-0298.

Fatboy's Diner Burgers served from a trailer; sidewalk tables along the street of ever-fascinating Covent Garden. Monday-Saturday 10:30 am to midnight, Sunday 10:30 am to 10:30 pm. Around £7. No credit cards. 21-22 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden WC2, phone 240-1902.

Rock & Sole Place Traditional British fish and chips in simple surroundings with outside tables. Daily 11:30 am to 10:30 pm. Around £12. 47 Endell St., Covent Garden WC2, phone 836-3785.

LATE NIGHT/BREAKFAST

Bar Italia One of the liveliest late-night coffee bars in bustling Soho -- an authentic blast of Italy, complete with sports TV, frothing cappuccinos, snacks and formica-top tables. There's a small selection of meals available (around £6) and, starting in late 1996, cooked breakfasts. Always packed. Monday-Thursday 7 am through to 5 am, Friday-Sunday open 24 hours. No credit cards. 22 Frith St., W1, phone 437-4520.

Ed's Easy Diner A mock 1950's American diner, with mini juke boxes. Centrally located on a prominent corner of Soho. Burgers, fries and milkshakes cost around £8. There are also veggie burgers on the menu. Sunday-Thursday 11:30 am to midnight, Friday-Saturday 11:30 am to 1 am. Credit cards. 12 Moor St., W1, phone 439-1955.

Fox & Anchor This pub traditionally served the meat porters in the Smithfield Market; now it's a regular haunt for tourists, local lawyers and stag parties. Two hundred years old, this place turns out huge, traditional English breakfasts, and it's perhaps the only place in London where you can buy a pint of beer at 7 am. Monday-Friday 7 am to 8:30 pm. Average breakfast price: £6.50. Credit cards. Charterhouse St., EC1, phone 253-4808

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