What a load of old bks. You spend half a day in London and take your missus to a cheap Chinese buffet and on this basis you write off the Capital city in your first visit in 30 years.
The reason you didn't enjoy your stay is, in true scouse style you tried to do it on the cheap. How on earth could you expect the good lady to enjoy herself in London in half a day. If you had any class you would have booked a decent hotel got some tickets for a good show and treated her to a slap up meal in China Town.
There's nothing wrong with London it's a fantastic City with a multitude of places to visit and it needs to be enjoyed in more than half a day. If that was your wife's first visit to the capital then shame on you.
Londons only problem nowadays is the some of the shed loads of scum that have been allowed to inhabit the city and those that are attracted to it.
Les as for the Taxi drivers not knowing where Tottenham Court Rd is, I can only say you never travelled in a Taxi you travelled in a mini cab probably driven by a non tax paying illegal. Everyone of the 30,000 London Taxis on our streets know exactly where it is and much more beside.