I completely empathise with that quote. When I go to e.g. New York or Paris, I have a long "hit list" of places I want to eat at and always have some outstanding experiences. This also adds to the sense of occasion when on my travels.

However, I don't see the point of trying to go out for "cheap eats" in London as it's always atrocious/way too expensive for what you get. There are some good restaurants here, but you end up paying through the nose and I've still to find the reasonably priced neighbourhood restaurant where I can get a decent meal for little money. Most of the restaurants in London I've been to end up straddling the terrible middleground of being semi-expensive and serving bad food... That's why I tend to eat out at great places around the world, but I would find it difficult to suggest good restaurants in London and instead tend to scour the markets and cook myself.