When Siobhan Wall’s book Quiet London was first published in 2011 , it seemed to strike a chord with many people who live in London who may like the hustle and bustle of city life but crave a quiet corner to unwind and reflect.
The success of that first book has led to the production of three new Quiet London Books that explore many more places to sit and relax without excessive noise.
In the book Quiet London (Food and Drink) , the author explores peaceful places to eat and drink which forego the modern trend of having a constant background of music.
In a response to quickening speed of life in London, the author recognises that the past decade has seen the principles of the ‘Slow’ Revolution especially regarding food gaining footholds in many of London’s neighbourhoods.
The book after an introduction is split into sections which explore different Food and Drink choices for the quiet orientated customer. The sections include Restaurants, Cafe’s and places for afternoon tea, Small shops, Pubs & bars and finally Food Markets.
The Restaurant section offers quite an eclectic selection ranging from Hazuki , a small Japanese restaurant to the historic Rules restaurant in Covent Garden. Regardless of size or expense they all offer the opportunity to enjoy your own company or the company of friends without the distraction of loud music .
Amongst the Cafe’s and places for afternoon tea, there is perhaps a wider selection of places to visit and offer a greater opportunity to interact with the people who work in the establishments. From a Turkish Bakery in North London to the Orangery in Kensington Palace, the wonderful diversity of London is explored and preference given to those who show passion and commitment in their trade. Many of the establishments have been around for years but there are also plenty of newcomers who are making a name for themselves.
The same could be said of the Small shop section, the authors preference for organic and natural products means that Wholefood shops are well supported but there a number of interesting specialist shops like R Garcia and Sons delicatessen which stocks Spanish delicacies or I Camisa and Son the legendary Italian Deli in Soho.
Finding a quiet pub or bar can represent more of a challenge, however quiet does not mean empty but a place where you can have a conversation without shouting . There is a number of well known London pubs selected like the Coach and Horses , the George and the Fitzroy Tavern but there are also a number lesser known pubs like the Knights Templar, the Goodman’s Field and Penderel’s Oak.
The final section of Food Markets is probably the main area of change in the last few years, as well as some markets getting a new lease of life, Farmers Markets have become established in many London neighbourhoods. The temporary nature of such markets often means they are in quiet and pleasant settings such as Horniman Museum Gardens, Kew Village or the Imperial College Lawn.Each market tends to have it own specialities with high quality products often the prerequisite to being allocated a stall.
Quiet London (Food and Drink) is a guide to quiet places to drink, eat and shop. It is a well written and informative with short descriptions for each venue, alongside travel and contact details and attractive photographs in colour and black and white.
This book offers something quite different in London, peace and quiet is a valuable commodity in the hustle and bustle of city life. To find places to sit and enjoy food and drink in pleasant surroundings is one of the pleasures of city life, this book fulfils a valuable task by providing a large number of establishments for us to explore.
Visiting London Guide Rating – Highly Recommended
If you would like to find out more about the book or buy a copy , visit the publishers website here
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