Wed 29 Dec 2010

Restaurants Luton

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Hello and welcome to Restaurants Luton

I know you must be thinking that this is a strange name for a website. And the reason you will probably be thinking that is because why would anyone want to make a site about the restaurants in Luton!?

Well I have been a Luton local all my life and I love my food. Despite the bad reviews and lack of tourism in Luton we do have a very diverse culture and if you know where to look and get past the fast food and cheap eats you will find some genuine cuisine cooked by professional chefs.

Eating out is a past time that most of the country do and love. Unfortunately in Luton a lot of people will jump on a train and head out of town as opposed doing a bit of research and realising that there is some amazing kitchens cooking some of the best cuisine right here!

I will be the first to admit that Luton is at times not very easy on the eye and is hardly the tourism capital of the country but if people don’t realise the special things Luton does have then it will never get better. One of the things Luton does do well is food, you just have to go look for it.

I have built this site as a complete neutral and have no affiliation with any local businesses in the area. But I hope that having this site open will help people choose a more local restaurant and not travel out of town.

Myself and a few friends have been eating out in Luton for years and haven’t found it better for the price you are paying anywhere else. One of our main haunts is Wellington St which can be found right next to the town hall and then leads away from the centre for a good mile and a half.  There is all kinds of cuisine to be found in many different restaurants and due to Luton’s diverse culture most of the chefs that cook your food are native to that region of the world. If you are a curry person then you are in for a treat as Wellington street and Luton has a huge amount of restaurants and curry houses.

On this site I will be giving you restaurant dining tips, different types of food to be found in Luton and letting you know of any more areas of the town which you would be spoilt for choice.

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Thu 16 Jun 2011

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Fri 8 Apr 2011

Eating Out On A Diet

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If you look around any given busy restaurant Luton has to offer you should know that the people sat at the tables are there for a number of different reasons. Most are for a social event of some kind and others for convenience or just because they ran out of time to cook. What ever the reason this can be quite challenging when trying to stick to a diet.

Below is a short guide and some tips to help you eat healthy in restaurants and but still have a great experience. Its common knowledge that restaurants don’t take peoples diets into consideration when serving their food but if you eat sensible portions that you like it should be no problem.

If you know you are going to be eating out that night then your food portions beforehand should be spaced out throughout the day and make sure to drink plenty of water with every meal.

When eating your food make sure to stop eating when you feel that your stomach is half full or less. This creates good movement and food can be digested easier. Its is a good rule of thumb to remember that for every two mouthfuls of food you should take a gulp of water.

When sat with friends in a restaurant make sure that you have plenty to talk about as this will help space out the intake of food and give your belly a break to digest what is coming its way. Having a couple of breaks whilst eating is a very good way of keeping the weight off.

At some restaurants in Luton and London, there are some meals where the single portions could feed a family of four. Do not make comparisons to other people. Eat to live and enjoy your food, but do not use someone else’s over indulgence as an excuse for your own.

Establish control over your appetite. Most of us feel guilty if we don’t finish a plate. This is usually conditioning from your childhood. Bury your guilty past and have the rest “wrapped to go.”

Always eat something for breakfast and never “skip it.” When you skip breakfast, you will over-consume for it, later in the day.

Eat slowly and thoroughly chew your food.

Make sure your last meal, or last “snack” of the day, is small and nutritionally dense. Examples: Cereal with fruit, vegetable salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, rice with vegetables, and light popcorn, without the extra butter and salt. For those who eat meat or fish: turkey, chicken, or salmon salad on top of fresh greens.

In the later part of your day, skip desserts, sugary cereals, bread, and second portions.

If you absolutely must have sugar: Eat fruit, strawberries with yoghurt or low fat cottage cheese, fruit with rice, or almonds with yoghurt.

If you must have coffee or alcohol, beware that these should be consumed in extreme moderation. Both substances will dehydrate your body, and you will have to drink extra water to make up for it. Wine is much better than hard alcohol, but one or two glasses a day is the limit.

But above all make sure you are happy and enjoying yourself!

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Wed 29 Dec 2010

The Definitive Guide To Eating Out In Luton

Posted by under The Definative Guide To Eating Out In Luton
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In this section of Restaurants Luton we are going to look at what makes a good restaurant and what you should look out for before parting with your hard earned cash.

Here are some points for you to consider.

Food Quality

This is by far the most important factor when choosing your restaurant. How do I know what the food quality is like if I haven’t been to the restaurant I hear you cry! Well there are a number of things I look at before heading through the door. If the food is any good then someone will recommend it too you. Personal recommendation is a very good sign. Internet reviews are also good, most restaurants are on Google Maps and people have the ability to review them on there.  Also just walking to your table, look at other peoples meals.  If it looks like someone has emptied a bin onto there plate and they don’t look happy about it then plan your exit strategy.

Service

The service in a restaurant can make or break a meal out. When you dine out you are not just paying for the food you are paying for someone to cook it for you and for it to be served to your table. If any of this is done badly or not at all then its just not worth your money.

The most common problem is the waiter/waitress. That may sound unfair but the chefs normally keep a tight ship in the kitchen and are proud of what they do. The table staff on the other hand are over worked and under paid.

Another thing to worry about is if they can speak English well enough. Its common place that table staff are foreign students or just new to this country and probably have no idea what is going on. This can make your night very frustrating.

Restaurant Ambiance

After reading the first two sections im guessing you are thinking that there will not be much ambience in the restaurant anyway. Ha! Well I don’t blame you.

One of the key things to having a good meal is the surroundings you eat it in.

I know of some people who don’t like a certain food but have something small just so they can sit in a place.  Things that effect a restaurants ambiance are: sound, lighting, furnishings, music, even the way the food is presented and brought out to you.

There is a Lebanese restaurant in Luton that looks nothing special from the front but when you go inside its like a mini oasis with waterfalls, huge cushions and is extremely tranquil. Its somewhere you can sit for hours and I often do.

Cleanliness

Last but by no means least is how clean is the place? Everyone knows that a dirty restaurant has unsanitary preparation methods which can lead to infection and disease.  Always do a little recce of the place.  Before you go inside have a little walk round the back of the building if you can.  If there are rats and dead animals everywhere then that place is probably worth a miss! ;0)

When you walk in have a look at the walls and floor.  If the front of house is dirty then what does the back look like!?  The toilets are another good indication of cleanliness.  If they cant be bothered to clean the customer toilets what must the kitchen look like?

Also observe how the staff are presented. If the the man taking your order is sweaty and covered in filth and blood I would advise you ask for a glass of water and then head for the door at the earliest opportunity.

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Wed 29 Dec 2010

Pub Food

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In this post of Restaurants Luton website we are going to cover another very popular and essential part to dinning out in Luton.  Pub food, aka pub grub.

Back in the days gone by pubs were purely drinking establishments that just sold ales, beers, wines and spirits.  The only food that could be found was snacks such as pork scratchings crisps and peanuts. Maybe in the Irish pubs you might have got yourself some stew if it hadn’t already been eaten.

In the past couple of decades however pub food has grown into a huge part of pub and dining out culture. The food menu in a pub is now almost as important as the beer menu. With landlords competing for trade by offering up the best meals at the cheapest deals.

If you are like me then you don’t mind paying a little more if your going to get a good hearty meal that has been home made. Unfortunately some pubs large and small think they can get away with selling poor over priced food.  But with it being such a buyers market out there these places normally come unstuck.

In the last decade, pubs that take pride and focus on serving good quality fine food have become known as “Gastropubs”. Gastropubs have a relaxed and vibrant atmosphere and offer food that can often be compared to that of a fine restaurant….with a pub grub twist.  In my eyes you are getting the best of both worlds.   Gastropubs are still very much a new breed to Luton but there are a few to be found with excellent food

Smaller one man pubs share the high street with the national pub chains, such as Bewsters and JD Wetherspoons.  Their menus and themed nights stay standard across the country which takes some of the adventure out of eating there but you do know what you are getting for your money.  These pubs are very family orientated and cater for kids with special menus. They also have regularly changing specials.



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