London Restaurant Festival opens today

England has an unfair reputation for bad cuisine. While this is the land of jellied eels and mushy peas, things have changed in recent years and now there are a lot more choices, especially in the nation's capital.

From October 8-13, the London Restaurant Festival will highlight the amazing range of eateries in the city. You can find literally any kind of food here from familiar favorites such as French and Italian to more exotic choices such as Nigerian and Afghani. And of course there are countless Indian and Chinese restaurants.

But don't forget British food! Celebrity chefs will be showing off at different venues throughout the festival, and will get together at London's Leadenhall Market this Sunday, October 11, to host the city's largest Sunday roast.

If you make it to only one event in this festival, make it to this. Sunday roast is an age-old British tradition and shows the national cuisine at its best. Celebrity chefs such as Richard Corrigan and Fergus Henderson will be cooking up beef, lamb, pork, wild roe deer, and game birds along with the usual trimmings such as vegetables, gravy, and pudding. British game such as quail and grouse is especially good.

Even if you can't make the festival, try out a Sunday roast at a carvery or pub, but be careful because some venues serve pre-prepared meals they only heat up. A good Sunday roast made from scratch like I get at my local pub in Oxford is heaven for meat lovers.

Filed under: Festivals and Events, Food and Drink, Europe, United Kingdom, Nightlife