Icy Jewels Pizza Party
(and some shopping)

What with folks touring and arriving in London and whatever, we’re “calling a party for 7 p.m. and beyond” at Pizza Express (on Millbank, behind the City Inn) on Friday, Sept 3rd, the night before embarkation. Mike and I will be in the City Inn lobby at 7, for the short walk to Pizza Express, figuring to get there around 7:10. Everyone is welcome to show up in the lobby or directtly at Pizza Express. Being on this list is not any kind of commitment, merely an idea of who might come along.

Names	Cruise Critic Avatar	Number of folks
Elenor and Mike	MsArchangel and Archangel	2
Maryanne and Herb	Cruising Fool	2
Ray and Janet	Ray in NH	2
Katherine and Georges	KGW123	2
Trudy and Martha	redktz and Finely Retired	2
Patti and Jim	cruisenfever	2
Tim and Terhy	TIANDTE	2
Christine and Don	mct1230	2
Katherine and Georges	KGW123	2
Kim and Eric	kewcruiser	2
Barb and Dick	bgneal	2
Don and Judy	CAlady	2

Pizza Express

Walking directions:

Head south on Thorney St toward Millbank/A3212	256 ft
Turn right at Millbank/A3212	46 ft
Continue straight to stay on Millbank/A3212 Destination will be on the right	390 ft

I’ve posted a larger map showing more of the area.

And here’s a satellite picture of the same area.

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Recommendations from Cruise Critic

If you go out through the back entrance towards the car park there is a Pizza Express restaurant overlooking the Thames.

The hotel had a nice restaurant and there’s a Pizza Express (very good) right next door along the river.

There is a Pizza Express around the corner and a couple of restaurants near Pimlico tube, but it is not a thriving restaurant area.

There is a Pizza Express on Millbank which was also good

You do have to leave immediate area to get to restaurants but there was a lovely Pizza Express on the corner of the City Inn Hotel – more upmarket than most PE I have seen – food was good and the wine is reasonable for London (£3 glass) and it had some very good wine on the menu. Staff were excellent too.

City Inn Westminster has a Pizza Express restaurant right next door which I used when the weather was bad – and they do take away if you want to bring it back to your room and eat it while watching a DVD like I did.

There is a Pizza Express and deli right out the back door and they were very good.

We did enjoy the Pizza Express which is behind the hotel on Millbank and a one minute walk. Very quiet and safe neighborhood although some areas of nearby Page St are a bit dodgy.

I also finally had a chance to eat at the Pizza Express behind the hotel, and they did a good job of taking care of this single diner, and the food was fine.

There’s a restaurant out back that makes wicked pizza.

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Convenience Markets

There’s a Tesco Metro (convenience market) just opposite to the Churchill statue in Parliament square. A great place to get a quick pastry and milk/juice for breakfast and not get ripped off. Go past the Pimlico Underground station and take your first right.	Click for map for Tesco Express
This will lead you up past some row houses for about 3 or 4 blocks and take you to some restaurants, pubs, cafes, supermarkets (Tesco and Sainsbury’s) and a coin-op laundry. There is a little supermarket on Horseferry where we were able to get bottled water.	Click for map for Sainsbury’s

Costcutter

31 Horseferry Road
Westminster SW1P2AA
Tele: 02072337737

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Other restaurants
(recommendations from Cruise Critic)

If you find that the hotel’s restaurant is a bit expensive, there’s a Pizza Express restaurant right at the back, and just a short walk away on Horseferry Rd is a pub, and there’s even a Gregg’s Bakery (it was closed when we were there; 111 Lupus Street, Greater London, SW1V 3EN Tel: 0207 8342025) about a 10 minute walk away. We didn’t want anything in the mini-fridge, plus it was too expensive, so we went to Costcutters instead. It’s a convenience store just a 5 min walk away. (See map above.)

The hotel restaurants are a bit spendy but there are a few great restaurants in close proxemity, as in walk around the corner. There was a great spot called (can’t remember the name, but started with an “S” like Saporros?) that I walked to one morning and picked up a take out full English breakfast for under 4 GBP’s and they were very nice- threw in some fruit too. Right next to the hotel was also a great pizza-place which I ate at, and that was also very good. There is Cost Cutters grocery 2 blocks up, also a great place to stock up to avoid mini bar charges. Next to the Cost Cutters is Pret A Manger

Hotel is really central for all the sites; the only fault could be that there are not many restaurants close by. However, the concierge sorted us out with a really nice Chinese restaurant – Kim’s, about 5 minutes away by taxi, and we walked back afterwards and it only took us around 15 minutes. (El’s note: can’t find it on Google.)

We were also then given great advice on where to eat, 1st night an Italian called Gran Paradiso, which was great, 2nd night we ate at the Gaucho Grill in Picadilly. Both excellent.

It’s in walking distance to … many restaurants. There’s also a little convenience type store about 2 blocks up which was awesome for late night snacks.

This was important because it was difficult to find a family restaurant within 30 minutes walking distance of this hotel.

There is an excellent Italian restaurant just around the corner from the hotel. Eat there or at the Tate Britain just out the front door.

There is a local pub nearby, The Morpeth Arms where staff were very friendly and the beer was good too.

We found two good restaurants nearby – the White Swan Pub (serves English food at reasonable prices) and Millbank Spice (Indian food-a little more expensive).

If you’re walking back from the Pimlico station to the hotel, you’ll pass an Indian restaurant, called Millbank Spice on Vauxhall. It was good and reasonably priced.

Avoid Restaurant chain Grand India 1 & 2 near Trafalar Square – food is awful, staff is even worse. We got ripped off big time and the waiters were like salesmen trying to bump up what you order but were not interested after that.

Highly recommend Busaba Eathai restaurant on Wardour Street in Soho, fantastic food. Been there twice now and its just fantastic. (106 Wardour Street, Westminster, W1F 0, 020 7255 8686?)

(2006) Also discovered a pub/restaurant called The Riverside, which is within walking distance and also serves excellent value meals. Walk across the Vauxhall Bridge and just on your right hand side there is stairs that you take and walk along the front of the apartment buildings and you will come up The Riverside.

Shepards Restaurant two blocks away, excellent.

A five minute walk in either direction brings you into contact with some good commercial establishments, coffee shops and restaurants (there is an excellent coffee and pastry shop in the direction of Parliament).

If you want to eat out somewhere nearby, ask the concierge for directions to the nearest Indian restaurant – excellent food at reasonable prices. Or try the pizza place just around the corner.

City Inn restaurant
(recommendations from Cruise Critic)

City Inn restaurant: We didn’t book a table in the restaurant for our dinner as we weren’t sure what time we would be back. However on our return we just went down to the restaurant and were able to get a table straight away. The food and service were absolutely excellent and even when my son wanted a pudding which was only on the room service menu and not on the restaurant menu they were happy to oblige. Service was polite and not overbearing. We both opted for the steak offer and we weren’t disappointed (especially with the bearnaise sauce!)

The hotel had a gorgeous restaurant the food was first class. Breakfast which was hot and also provided continental was superb. From the freshly grounded coffee, to selection of food from traditional english to loch fyne kippers and smoked haddock was first class. Once again the service was prompt, pleasant and professional.

Avoid the restaurant and bar at all cost. I was served fish so rotten that the smell of ammonia was almost overwhelming. A subsequent order took over an hour to arrive and I had to remind wait staff. The food is beautifully presented but the ingredients are not the best. The hotel and restaurant may not be under the same management. Service in the bar is also slow even on uncrowded evenings.

We ate in the restaurant on the Friday night and this was very nice indeed, staff very friendly and prompt service. Breakfast on the Saturday morning was wonderful, every conceivable item you could possibly want for breakfast! I would recommend that you don’t leave it too late for breakfast especially if you are staying at the weekend, as it does get very busy.
Breakfast was very well cooked. A lovely choice from the menu and just enough on the plate to satisfy but not over-facing. A good range of fruit and cereals, plus bakery items was on offer. If you can head down early (pre-9am) you will beat the rush. As we were leaving there was a very long queue. Waiting staff at breakfast were very good, especially considering how busy it was.

Although we didn’t eat at the hotel restaurant, City Cafe, we learned it’s very highly rated by the locals in and around central London.