Reply to: I've just got my first gig in the City

[KentPhilip]

He was gone by then ...

Three golden opportunities missed to twat someone famous.
But don't worry I've missed more. See my thread on that..

[NickFitz]

Did you get Chris Tarrant's autograph?
One bloke who seems pretty sound to me..

He was gone by then; we had Johnny Vaughan instead. One time I'd nipped out and was heading back upstairs, and I saw this bloke coming downstairs who I realised I knew from somewhere, so I put on that face you do when you're about to say hello to somebody but you can't remember who they are; and just then he saw me looking at him as if I was about to say hello to him, and put on that face you do when you're thinking "Oh God, this guy's recognised me and is going to talk to me and I'll have to pretend to be all 'Yeah, alright mate' when I just want to go home 'cos I've been here since 5 in the morning" and I realised I didn't know him at all, I only recognised him because it was Johnny Vaughan on his way home. So I averted my gaze, and we passed each other without exchanging a word.

I also saw Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen shaking hands on his way out after signing a contract to do a show on Classic FM (who were on the 1st floor) and then a few weeks later encountered him arriving on one of those Virgin motorcyle taxis; he looked a right cock riding on the back of that with a light brown overcoat billowing around him and a Virgin motorcycle helmet, as they rode across Leicester Square.

I saw Rick Wakeman turning up a couple of times, but then they sold off Planet Rock (on which he had a show) so he didn't come there any more.

Oh, and that voice in the lift that tells you what floor you're on, and what the doors are doing? That was Johnny Vaughan again; really ******* irritating. I used to console myself with the thought that he signed this big contract, and turned up on his first day feeling really important, and they said "OK Johnny, first things first: get in that studio and record the announcements for the lift."

[KentPhilip]

WSY01S

When I was at Capital Radio a few years ago, permies used to stop as they passed my desk and gaze in awe upon my Fuzzy's roast dinner sandwich.

Did you get Chris Tarrant's autograph?
One bloke who seems pretty sound to me..

[NickFitz]

Next week try that lot in a doorstep

WSY01S

When I was at Capital Radio a few years ago, permies used to stop as they passed my desk and gaze in awe upon my Fuzzy's roast dinner sandwich.

[suityou01]

Well thank you.
But I've already made over 1600 of them on this site so far, so I kind of know what I'm doing by now..




Thanks too.
There was one just around the corner.
So yesterday lunch I had the beef "roast" takeaway for £5.75. Beef, roast spuds, veg, yorkshire pudding, and a dollop of horseradish sauce on top.

Horseradish sauce for horse. Who'd have thought it..

Next week try that lot in a doorstep

[KentPhilip]

Congratulations on your new post.

Well thank you.
But I've already made over 1600 of them on this site so far, so I kind of know what I'm doing by now..

It's "Fuzzy's": they did go into administration several years ago, but appear to be trading again at several of their previous sites, and their website - which had disappeared, naturally - has been back for a while: Fuzzys Grub - Home

Found a review (on Qype) of one of their places that was written in January this year, so have a hunt

Thanks too.
There was one just around the corner.
So yesterday lunch I had the beef "roast" takeaway for £5.75. Beef, roast spuds, veg, yorkshire pudding, and a dollop of horseradish sauce on top.

Horseradish sauce for horse. Who'd have thought it..

[norrahe]

According to the website Houndsditch is one of eight locations

They've shut down a lot of them. There used to be one on Cornhill but that is now a place called The Wurst Club and highly recommended by a German friend.

I also forgot to mention the counting House on Cornhill for excellent pies ( try the pie tasting plate) and also Simpsons Tavern off Cornhill if you want history and good food

[norrahe]

Good call. So that's where I went today.

I said to the woman next to the lift at the ground floor that I just wanted a quick drink, and she let me in.
Up the lift to the 30th floor, bottle of diet coke (£3.50) and then a scout around taking photos from all angles with the phone.

The east side was a little challenging because I had to go into the restaurant area - cue garcon saying "Can I help you sir", in a voice meaning "feck off you geeky chav".

Which reminded me that I hadn't actually achieved the purpose of my trip - to have lunch.
Never mind. No more time. A Chicken and sweetcorn bap from a newsagents: £1.49

Here's a couple of the photos, to exercise your scroll bars..

West over the City + the west end:



South East (Gherkin):

The lunch at the Duck and Waffle is amazing and yes they do serve Duck and Waffle, as well as the foie gras all day breakfast mmmmmmmmmmm

Check out spitalfields and Devonshire square, there's loads of restaurants there, I can also recommend the following:

St John Bread and wine
Androuet
Hawksmoor
Wagamammas
Poppies - great fish and chips
Planet of the grapes - Leadenhall market
Cheese at Leadenhall
Tortilla - Leadenhall market
Itsu is always good
The factory house
Lahore Kebab house
Tayyabs
Cinnamon Kitchen
Cafe Spice Namaste
The wine library
Haz
La Relaise de Venise
Moshi Moshi Sushi - Liverpool St station
Byron burger

[Troll]

Sweetings on Queen Vic street was always good for extended lunches & reassuringly expensive should your agent be paying

I recall having an oyster breakfast there on the morning of the "Big Bang" (no not the IRA)

[KentPhilip]

You haven't lived till you've been taken up the heron tower

Good call. So that's where I went today.

I said to the woman next to the lift at the ground floor that I just wanted a quick drink, and she let me in.
Up the lift to the 30th floor, bottle of diet coke (£3.50) and then a scout around taking photos from all angles with the phone.

The east side was a little challenging because I had to go into the restaurant area - cue garcon saying "Can I help you sir", in a voice meaning "feck off you geeky chav".

Which reminded me that I hadn't actually achieved the purpose of my trip - to have lunch.
Never mind. No more time. A Chicken and sweetcorn bap from a newsagents: £1.49

Here's a couple of the photos, to exercise your scroll bars..

West over the City + the west end:



South East (Gherkin):

[NickFitz]

They are part of Temples now and based on Houndsditch

According to the website Houndsditch is one of eight locations

[norrahe]

I like these

Japanese Canteen

Chicken Katsu curry FTW

[Bunk]

Congratulations on your new post.

If you like your sushi, Itsu is good - better than wasabi imo.

If your working late and fancy a special dinner - Gaucho is great for a steak.

There's only one place for steak (well, there's a few of them actually), The Hawksmoor

[Martin@AS Financial]

I've done a fair few contracts in my time, but never within the square mile.
I have to say it seems fairly "normal", in that the pace of work seems reasonable, and fellow workers aren't at your jugular all the time, which I thought was emblematic of working in the City.

I'm between St Pauls and Mansion House tube.

Any recommendations for semi-decent semi-healthy semi-fast eat-in lunch places there? I've already tried Wasabi in the One New Change shopping mall, and a "Ping Pong" sushi place that looked like it had cheap portions (until it became apparent that the portions were tiny and you're supposed to have four of them - a £18 quid bill )

Found the Bow Bells church, famous as the place where if you are born within earshot of its bells you are classed as a cockney, and the Guildhall, which I never knew existed.

Taking the circle line from Mansion House to Moorgate seems to take longer than walking it!

Is there anywhere you would recommend I avoid?

Congratulations on your new post.

If you like your sushi, Itsu is good - better than wasabi imo.

If your working late and fancy a special dinner - Gaucho is great for a steak.

[Jubber]

I like these

Japanese Canteen