A lot sticks with me when I watch The Bear (mostly, the roaring chaos), but it was a line in the first episode of the new season that rang home when I think about going out, eating out and drinking out.
In an intimate but teetering on the edge of a physically tense moment between Carmy and his late brother Mikey, Carmy talks about how restaurants are not only there on the good days, but you want to go to them on the not-so-good days, too. I felt that. When I've had a rubbish day? I want someone to cook dinner, I want someone to appease me, and I want to eat, like a lot. Who does that better than a restaurant?
So here are 5 restaurants in London that I think help solve a shitty day, inspired by the new season of The Bear. These work for me, so where works for you?
1. Gerry's Hot Subs
Where is it? Clerkenwell.
What cuisine? Sandwiches and subs, mostly American.
Why does this restaurant help solve a shitty day? I'd be wrong not to include a sandwich stop on here in homage to The Bear, and Gerry's does American sandwiches very well. Canteen-like, meaning you're not going to be overwhelmed to dress up, they're casual, personable and chatty. You're going to need a Philly Cheesesteak on a not-so-great day, with pillowy bread wedged with grilled onions, sweet red peppers and Provolone cheese helping to melt all your worries away. I reckon Mikey would have been a big, big fan of this one too.
Solve a bad day with a sandwich at Gerry's.
2. Din Tai Fung
Where is it? The West End.
What cuisine? Taiwanese.
Why does this restaurant help solve a shitty day? Look, I don't actually like the phrase 'hug in a bowl', but how can you not have a rubbish day, and want to finish it with dumplings? The sentiment is honest and true. Therefore, the xiao long bao at Ding Tai Fung in the West End (aka, soup dumplings) will hold you like you need to be held. And you'll pair your dinner with some mildly overpriced cucumber in a spicy sauce, but you'll be eating vegetables, and you'll feel achieved.
Dumplings at Din Tai Fung are a day-saver.
3. Decimo
Where is it? King's Cross.
What cuisine? Spanish and Mexican.
Why does this restaurant help solve a shitty day? This one is a personal problem solver for me. And while Decimo in King's Cross isn't cheap, I almost think that's why it made the list. Drenched head to toe in crimson, 70s wood panelling and cacti, for me, it's inspiring. It makes me feel cool, and I want to be consumed by it all. Chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias serves up a tortilla on the Spanish and Mexican hybrid menu that truly changed how I saw the dish, and it's that level of food jacking for me that warrants its inclusion on a list like this. Reminding you why food excites you and surprises you in the first place. Also, a margarita is going to fix a rubbish day quite quickly too.
Just a peek at the interiors at Decimo can calm.
4. La Nonna
Where is it? Brixton.
What cuisine? Italian.
Why does this restaurant help solve a shitty day? When I say this place is magic. I mean it. An intimate little bolt-hole of a restaurant in Brixton Market, La Nonna is somewhere that I haven't just treated as a fleeting visit, but have been to more than a handful of times. Not only is this a damn affordable spot, with plates of pasta coming in from £8 upwards, the quality of food is almost unmatched for that price in London, in my opinion. It's a polite restaurant, and I've always found that the staff are just the right amount of chirpy and hands-on, but their care for the food extends to the service, and I need that on a bad day. Have the cacio e pepe bucatini, you'll happy cry. Just let it out.
Pasta at La Nonna in Brixton, need I say more?
5. Barge East
Where is it? Hackney Wick.
What cuisine? Seasonal cuisine, varied.
Why does this restaurant help solve a shitty day? To me? Being by the water cures all ailments. And while I wouldn't necessarily swim in Hackney Wick, just the calm of being by the canal on 19 19-degree day with a soft breeze is enough to calm my nervous system. Barge East really help with that. This 125-year old Dutch barge is moored on the water, and brings a sense of calm to quite the bustling Hackney Wick these days. Try and get a table up top if you can, and prepare to be embraced by a menu of seasonal and honest ingredients. If it's on the menu when you get there? Try the English asparagus with whipped goats gurd, it does no wrong.
Barge East in Hackney is a restaurant that will give you a chance to breathe on a bad day.
