I'm back from London, and found that I only had one real opportunity for dinner. I arrived on Friday in the late afternoon, still happily stuffed from an LAX-AMS Business Class flight on KLM, so I just got settled, took a long walk from South Ken to the Leicester Square/Covent Garden neighbourhood and back, and went to bed early. Right before I left for London, I discovered that Matthew Bourne's brilliant "Swan Lake" was playing at Sadler's Wells, so I scheduled that for Sunday night instead of a big meal.

On Saturday, though, I tried La Bouchee, as recommended above. It was just the sort of place I like. The food--a goat cheese terrine, steak frites and a tarte tatin aux poires--was delicious, as were the recommended wines by the glass. The staff were fun and reasonably attentive, especially once the French waitress and I switched from English to French. There was a table of Dutch yuppies on a spree next to me, so I got to use my few words of Dutch, as well. Thanks, apudme, for an excellent suggestion.