Anyone who remembers London food as dreary and bland will have to think again. Over the past thirty years London has become one of the world's culinary capitals, thanks to a new generation of British chefs, a rediscovery of local produce and above all the cuisines brought by communities from every continent. Here is what to eat and where.
British classics
- Full English breakfast: eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, toast and sometimes black pudding. Found in neighbourhood cafés, the popular "caffs", and in pubs.
- Fish and chips: cod or haddock in batter with chips, mushy peas and malt vinegar. Best eaten from a traditional chippy.
- Sunday roast: the Sunday joint (beef, lamb, pork or chicken) with roast potatoes, vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy, a Sunday ritual in pubs.
- Pie and mash: meat pie with mashed potato and parsley liquor from the old working-class East End, where jellied eels were also sold.
- Afternoon tea: tea with finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam and small cakes. Famous at grand hotels such as the Ritz, the Savoy and Claridge's, and at Fortnum & Mason; it must be booked and costs from £60-90 per person upwards.
- Puddings: sticky toffee pudding, crumble, trifle and Eton mess.
World cuisines
London's real strength is variety. Curry is almost a national dish, and chicken tikka masala is said to have been invented in Britain: eat it in the curry houses of Brick Lane, refined Indian restaurants in the West End and places recreating the cafés of Bombay. Chinatown, around Gerrard Street, is the place for dim sum and roast duck; Edgware Road for Lebanese food; Brixton for Caribbean and African; Southall for Punjabi; Stoke Newington for Turkish; Peckham for the Nigerian food scene.
Fine dining and new chefs
London has dozens of Michelin-starred restaurants, with some of Europe's most decorated names, especially in Mayfair, Chelsea and Knightsbridge. Alongside them, a generation of chefs launched the fashion for nose to tail cooking, using the whole animal, and seasonal dishes with British produce. Many restaurants offer set lunch menus, the cheapest way to try them.
Markets and street food
To eat well on a budget, markets are the best choice: Borough Market, Camden Market, Spitalfields, Brick Lane, Mercato Metropolitano, Seven Dials Market and neighbourhood food halls offer cuisines from around the world a few steps from each other (see markets and shopping).
Italian food in London
Italians have a long culinary history in the city, from the 19th-century ice-cream makers of Clerkenwell to the post-war cafés of Soho, such as the historic Bar Italia on Frith Street, open all night. Today Italian food is among Londoners' favourites, with Neapolitan pizzerias, regional restaurants and delis.
Practical tips
- Prices: a quick lunch costs £10-15, dinner in a mid-range restaurant £30-50 a head, much more in fine-dining places.
- Service: a 12.5% service charge is often already included in the bill; if not, leave a similar tip.
- Bookings: for the most popular restaurants book days or weeks ahead; many trendy places take no bookings and you queue.
- Allergies: restaurants are legally required to declare allergens, and staff are used to requests.
See also pubs and nightlife, British food and the London guide.