London brims with gastronomic possibilities, from the trendiest bars to the liveliest pubs. Whether you are planning a trip, or simply wish to bring a little taste of this culinary capital into your own home, this guide by one of Britain's best restaurateurs is sure to please. More than just a directory, it tells all about the food itself and the people who make, sell, cook, and care about it. Along with a journey from the markets of East London to haute cuisine in Mayfair, more than 60 recipes are included from the very people and places featured. Recreate a recipe for Sea Bream as it's cooked in Bloomsbury, or sample the best vegetable curry that Brick Lane has to offer.
Sir Terence Conran was educated at Bryanston School, Dorset, and trained as a textile designer at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. Hand in hand with his much-publicized career as an arbiter of good taste for a whole generation goes a career in cookery and restaurant management. Having learned the basic skills in the kitchens of a two-star Parisian establishment, he opened several small restaurants in London.These were later sold to finance his fast-expanding furniture business, from which grew the hugely successful Habitat stores. No-one has had a greater influence on contemporary living style than Conran. From the outset of his career, in the brilliant era of the '60s, he devoted his talents to interpreting the home-making aspirations of the bright, busy people of his generation - and to providing them with an excellence of craftsmanship and design at a price they could afford.