Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
British food hasn't always had the best reputation, but nowhere in the country is that reputation being completely upturned more than in London. The city has zoomed up the global gastro charts, and can now seriously compete with the world’s top culinary heavyweights. The truth is that no other city—barring New York—has the immen
British food hasn't always had the best reputation, but nowhere in the country is that reputation being completely upturned more than in London. The city has zoomed up the global gastro charts, and can now seriously compete with the world’s top culinary heavyweights. Th
British food hasn't always had the best reputation, but nowhere in the country is that reputation being completely uptur
British food hasn't always had the best reputation, but nowhere in the country is that reputation being completely upturned more than in London. The city has zoomed up the global gastro charts, and can now seriously compete with the world’s top culinary heavyweights. The truth is that no other city—barring New York—has the immense range of global cuisines that London has to offer. Standards have rocketed at all price points, and every year it seems like the London restaurant scene is better than ever.
Feel like eating the most-tender Kagoshima Wagyu beef on planet Earth? It can be yours for £150 at CUT at 45 Park Lane. Want to try old English gastronomy from the time of Henry VIII with an ultramodern twist? Ashley Palmer-Watts is your man at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Do you only eat Sri Lankan hoppers? No worries, we’ve got just the thing: Hoppers in Soho will give you a taste of the Sri Lankan pancake, for £4.50 a pop. Can’t stand any more snobby culinary nonsense? The low-key British wild game is so good at The Harwood Arms in Fulham that they’ve earned London’s first gastro-pub-based Michelin star.
To appreciate how far London has risen in the food game, just look back to the days of Somerset Maugham, who was once justified in warning, "To eat well in England you should have breakfast three times a day." Change was slow after World War II, when it was understood that the British ate to live, while the French lived to eat. When people thought of British cuisine, fish-and-chips—a greasy grab-and-gulp dish that tasted best wrapped in yesterday's newspaper—first came to mind. Then there was always shepherd's pie, ubiquitously found in smoke-filled pubs, though not made, according to Sweeney Todd, "with real shepherd in it."
These days, standards are miles higher and shepherd’s pie has been largely replaced by the city's unofficial dish, Indian curry. London’s restaurant revolution is built on its extraordinary ethnic diversity, and you’ll find the quality of other global cuisines has grown immeasurably in recent years, with London becoming known for its Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Thai, Spanish, Italian, French, Peruvian, and west African restaurants. Thankfully, pride in the best of British food—local, seasonal, wild, and foraged—is enjoying quite the renaissance, too.
Locals are keen to proclaim the virtues of their favorite Brick Lane bagel emporium, but to be perfectly honest, there's not much true competition aside from this spot and its two-doors-down neighbor, the Beigel Shop. Both serve delicious fresh beigels (the traditional European spelling) 24 hours a day, seven days a week (at just 40 pence each); both date back to when Brick Lane was home to a largely Jewish immigrant community, and both are family-owned (two branches of the same family, in fact). When it comes to picking between each establishment's excellent value (£6.50) hot salt beef sandwich (with sweet gherkin and tangy English mustard optional extras), however, always go for Beigel Bake.
155 Brick La., London, Greater London, E1 6SB, England
It's all Cockney banter and full English breakfasts at this tiny family-run café and onetime gangsters' lair near Brick Lane and Columbia Road markets. The atmosphere may be rowdy, but it's all good-natured, with greasy fry-ups (think eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, toast, tomatoes, fried mushrooms, black pudding, and cabbage and mash) served alongside homemade Italian dishes like lasagna and cannelloni and British classics like pies and roast dinners, all courtesy of matriarch Mama Maria. With the ornate food-paneling (installed in 1946 by local carpenter and regular customer Achille Capocci) as a backdrop, a visit to E. Pellicci feels a little like a wonderful performance of East End life being staged for your benefit.
332 Bethnal Green Rd., London, Greater London, E2 0AG, England
This bakery, which supplies bread to many of East London's top eateries, has a friendly café and deli on-site, where you can sample some of the tastiest toasted sandwiches in the city. The shop also stocks a concise range of elegant household items.
Mentmore Terr., London, Greater London, E8 3PH, England
Eschew the myriad copy-and-paste curry houses of Brick Lane and opt instead for this broom cupboard–size Spitalfields restaurant serving flawless small-plate Indian cuisine. The charming waitstaff is happy to offer guidance when it comes to the menu, with its highly original takes on authentic flavor combinations from the subcontinent.
11 White's Row, London, Greater London, E1 7NF, England
Globally acclaimed Brit chef and co-owner James Lowe forsakes heavy sauces and sorcery at this stripped-back, informal British dining mecca in Shoreditch. Stark but highly inventive locally sourced dishes may include house-cured cod with radiant nasturtium flowers or 24-hour Cornish Helford Estuary monkfish with wood sorrel and pick-your-own East Sussex greengages. A firm slice of treacle tart comes with a blob of raw double cream. All the sourdough bread, butter, charcuterie, pickles, and preserves are made in-house. Look for the Neal's Yard cheese plates (try Tymsboro and Stichleton). Dinner is served as a six-course set menu, while lunch is an à la carte small plates affair.
56 Shoreditch High St., London, Greater London, E1 6JJ, England
If you've ever wondered what the future tastes like, it might just be the 11-course tasting menu here at Silo, a sleek zero-waste restaurant opened by pioneering chef Douglas McMaster in this on-trend area of East London. Clever use of techniques like smoking and dehydration will change how you think about everyday ingredients like carrots and potatoes, while the occasional meat dishes—game and offal feature often—are melt-in-the-mouth delectable (those not in the mood for the full 11 courses can go à la carte with the small plates menu). The local neighborhood may still be a bit rough around the edges, but Silo, with its beautiful high-ceilinged dining room, black-clad staff, and wow cooking, is one of the chicest dining experiences in town.
Unit 7 Queens Yard, London, Greater London, E9 5EN, England
You'll need some help finding this East End fashionista headquarters located down a side alley in happening Bethnal Green. Once inside, check out the striking loft dining space and the bar, Manchichi, in its postindustrial chic setting, before polishing off light French and English dishes. Choices range from steak tartare and Croque Madame to cod and clams and Longhorn beef with red wine sauce. Be sure to catch the resident pianist at weekend brunch, camping up everything from Katy Perry to Girls Aloud on the baby grand.
23–27 Wadeson St., London, Greater London, E2 9DR, England
Welsh chef Tomos Parry brings his signature wood-grilled, whole roast Cornish turbot to this Basque-inspired hipster restaurant. Expect other live-fire smashes like aged Jersey beef chops and seared leeks. Even the grilled bread is something special.
4 Redchurch St., London, Greater London, E1 6JL, England
This unpretentious neighborhood restaurant serves inventive modern European cuisine—think rabbit, pork, and pistachio terrine or brill, mussels, and fennel in a bouillabaisse sauce. Enjoy your meal with some of the best natural wines you'll find in London.
49 Columbia Rd., London, Greater London, E2 7RG, England
The legend on the front of this Hoxton restaurant reads "Merchants of Good Fortune," which neatly sums up the exceptional, smart-casual dining experience you'll encounter within. Seasonal, veg-focused hits from France, Italy, and Britain emerge from the open-counter kitchen housed in a former Victorian warehouse and onetime apothecary. The rare-pink venison with braised red cabbage, Alsace bacon, and celeriac is sublime, as are other dishes like roast lamb with "forgotten" carrots, quail with foie gras, or wild partridge with sage polenta. Enjoy the vanilla panna cotta with unstoned damsons, and note the £20 two-course set lunch.
38 Charlotte St., London, Greater London, EC2A 3PG, England
This eatery strikes a balance between trendy and traditional with retro-diner style and efficient service. The specialty is fish-and-chips, but if fish isn't your thing, try the free-range grilled chicken.
6–8 Hanbury St., London, Greater London, E1 6QR, England
You feel like quite the foodie insider once you finally track down the quirky Rochelle Canteen—it's set in a former bike shed at the Victorian-era Rochelle School. Ring the buzzer next to a blue door, go through the "Boys" entrance, and enter the long white canteen, where you'll enjoy gloriously understated British fare ranging from deviled kidneys on toast to Yorkshire ham and parsley sauce. Bump along with the Frieze London art crowd, and enjoy guinea fowl with bacon or skate and capers, and finish with quince jelly or lemon posset.
Arnold Circus, London, Greater London, E2 7ES, England
Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:
There are no results for {{ strDestName}} Restaurants in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions:
Try increasing the mile radius or searching near one of these popular suggestions:
Casse-Croûte
Silo
E. Pellicci
Oak & Poppy
Enter a sight, restaurant, hotel, or other place to find restaurants nearby.
Neighborhoods Some neighborhood filters have sub-neighborhoods that can be selected individually in a dropdown by clicking on the icon to the right of the name.
I want emails from Fodor's Travel with travel information and promotions. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails.
Thank you for your interest!
Look out for our newsletters with travel tips and special offers.
Sign up for Travel Tips & News
By signing up for the newsletter, I agree to the Privacy Policy. You must check the box to subscribe
Thank you for your interest!
Look out for our newsletters with travel tips and special offers.
