Indian and Greek in London

On our trip to London in May ’05, we enjoyed the following restaurants.

• For a good Indian meal in London, we would highly recommend the Punjab Restaurant (80 Neal St., Covent Garden, London WC2H 9PA, U.K.; tel. 020 7836 9787 or 020 7240 9979 or visit www.punjab.co.uk).

It has been in the same family since being founded in the 1940s and has been at the current location in the Covent Garden area since the 1950s. We had methi murga (chicken with fresh fenugreek), pudina gosht (lamb marinated in fresh mint and cooked with herbs and spices) and nowrattan korma (mixed vegetables cooked in cream and dry fruits), along with rice and naan.

Most dishes on the menu ranged in price from £5 to £9 (near $6-$11) and, including a bottle of wine, we spent £50 for three people. The restaurant is divided into smoking and nonsmoking sections and service was very good. We arrived around
7 p.m. and were seated immediately.

• In the Bloomsbury area of London, close to the British Museum, is Konaki Greek Restaurant (5 Coptic St., London, WC1A 1NH, U.K.; phone 0871 332 1386).

While there was an extensive full menu, we ordered from the set menu at a price of £10.95 ($13) per person. This included an appetizer, a main course and a dessert. There were several items to choose from for each course, and all of the items we ordered were delicious.

The restaurant is fairly small, and smoking is allowed. When we arrived around 7 p.m. we got one of the few remaining tables, and not long after we were seated people were being turned away, so reservations could be useful. Service was very attentive.

NEIL JOHNSON
San Jose, CA