BEST SPOTS TO EAT IN LONDON - London RESTAURANTS & Drinks Guide
To be honest, I would have been perfectly fine with eating at one of London’s countless traditional pubs for every dinner. More numerous than a Starbucks in Seattle, you can find a quaint pub with beef stout pies and classic lagers on just about any street. And that is for good reason. The pub is ubiquitous with British culture (for better or for worse). In the evening, no matter the day of the week, it is common and expected to see a quiet and quaint pub turn into a bustling crowd of men in business suits, a group of girlfriends, or two American tourists coming for a pint and some grub.
As with any long held tradition, there is of course room for change, and the London food scene has evolved tremendously from its pub days. You can find just about any cuisine here, which appeals to the ever diversified population that is moving to the UK. For tourists, it makes planning reservations extremely difficult, with seemingly endless world class food options. We hope this guide helps simplify the searching process, by offering a slew of restaurants, markets, and bars to add to your list.
#1: Any Traditional Pub
It would almost be criminal to not try at least one pub during your stay in London. While there may be a bunch of pubs that are world renowned, that also means they can get jam packed with tourists and locals alike. My requirements were minimal: a pint, some chips, and a beef stout pie. You can find these offerings at just about any pub, which made picking a one super easy - we just found one on the street (The Nags Head in Covent Garden) and walked in! To be fair, the next time we go to London we want to do a pub tour, where you visit a bunch of historical pubs that world renowned politicians and authors frequented. If you have more time in London, maybe book one of these tours, and learn more about the city pint by pint.
#2: Fortnum & Mason
If you have some space in your budget, we would highly recommend an afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon on Piccadilly (open in Google Maps). Famous for their stately tea shop, Fortnum & Mason’s Afternoon Tea offering is one of a kind. Keep in mind this is an experience first and foremost, costing about £75 per person. Do not make our mistake - try to save room and come hungry, baked in that price is unlimited sweets and mini sandwiches. Take your time, enjoy some sweets, and sip on the classic earl grey tea that the late queen herself drank with every breakfast.
#3: The Wolseley
A block down from Fortnum & Mason, you will find the ornate and high class Wolseley (open in Google Maps). Get up early, put on your finest garb and stroll down Piccadilly for a splendid Full English breakfast. We had never tried a full English breakfast, but wanted to make sure we got it from one of the nicer establishments (it's a vacation, you gotta splurge a little bit). While on the pricier side, you definitely get what you pay for. A pot of earl grey, toast, eggs, sausage, baked beans, mushrooms, tomato, and black pudding. Brenna was not the biggest fan, but I honestly think it may be my new breakfast tradition. Everything was presented beautifully, and the food was top notch, especially the black pudding.
#4: Borough Market
Across the River Thames in Southwark, is one of the oldest fresh food markets in London dating back to the 12th century, the Borough Market (open in Google Maps). It was one of our favorite places we visited in London and came back several times for lunch in between exploring. You will find everything from coffee, beer, fish & chips, paella, burgers, donuts, curry, and everything in between.
#5: Arcade Food Hall
Food halls are becoming increasingly popular and for good reason. It’s a casual setting to go and grab food and drinks with friends and the variety of cuisines means that anyone will find a meal that they enjoy. On our arrival day in London, after taking the long tube ride from Heathrow to Holborn, we finally ventured out to explore the surrounding area around Oxford Street. The pangs of hunger finally hit us and we just stumbled upon Arcade Food Hall (open in Google Maps). The vibe of the food hall was fun and lively, and the food options varied from burgers, shawarma, Nepalese, and many others. One thing that distinguishes Arcade from other food halls we have been to is that it is a sit down restaurant, with different rotating restaurants occupying the food stalls. It was fun and we ate more than we should have. Great first stop!
#6: Market Halls
Another food hall worth visiting is Market Halls, which has three separate halls in Canary Wharf, Oxford Street, and the one we visited in Victoria (open in Google Maps). This multi-leveled food hall was packed and had a great variety of food options. We grabbed a pint, some dumplings, and a shawarma platter and grabbed a seat on their rooftop terrace overlooking the nearby train station. Next time we are in London, we plan to visit their other locations.
#7: Sachi at Pantechnicon
Pantechnicon is an amazing conceptual space featuring several restaurants, a coffee shop, bottle shop, and studios. We were craving some quality Japanese food and made our way to Sachi after a walk in Hyde Park (open in Google Maps). The building and restaurant were constructed and designed in a Nordic/Japanese fusion, as was the food at Sachi. Their attention to detail was exceptional and the sushi was some of the best we have had. High quality fish and ingredients makes this place a must visit if you like sushi.
#8: Dishoom
We had heard that London has the best Indian food outside of India. Though we can’t say we are Indian food experts, the food at Dishoom (open in Google Maps) was some of the best Indian food we have had. Be warned, this place can get crazy busy. Plan accordingly and get a reservation, so that you don’t have to be starving looking at other people slamming down samosas. We had this amazing milky and fruity cocktail, but after getting drinks at DUKES we honestly could not remember what it was called.
#9: DUKES Bar
If you are at all into famous cocktail bars, then you probably have heard of Dukes. The supposed inspiration behind Ian Fleming’s 007 “shaken, not stirred” vesper martini, Dukes makes for a perfect, relaxing cocktail hour (open in Google Maps). We heard the place gets fairly busy in the evening, so we decided to visit in the late afternoon before dinner at Dishoom. You can’t help but feel a bit on edge as you walk in. You think to yourself, am I dressed up enough? I really should have packed a blazer. Why didn’t I wear my top hat? Wait, I don’t have one! The place oozes with cool sophistication and the price is therefore reflected in the cost per cocktail (about £20 for a Vesper Martini). It’s an expensive experience, but in the end, you wouldn’t be dressing up all nice to not spend a bit of cash. Just know, the drinks are very strong, so take your time and enjoy the ambience.
#10: Rooftop at One Hundred Shoreditch
For a more laid back/younger vibe, head over to the Rooftop at One Hundred Shoreditch (open in Google Maps). After sightseeing and exploring some great thrift shops and coffee shops in the Shoreditch neighborhood, we made our way over to this aptly named rooftop bar for some pre-dinner drinks. It was a balmy day and the view was great. The bar felt like a classic Cali bar, boho chic, with some fun drinks to boot.
#11: Rochelle Canteen
This famous luncheon establishment was repurposed from a bike shed of an old school and has maintained the old charm of the surrounding buildings. A bit removed from the busyness of Shoreditch, Rochelle Canteen (open in Google Maps) offers a fresh seasonal menu in an open air environment. As it is seasonal, the food changes constantly, which is both impressive and also saddening. The food we had was exceptional, with the dessert tart being the star of the show. Make sure you get a reservation at this place as it is particularly popular.
