Perhaps a weird question, but I'm going to London on Monday and would love to hear your favorite London/UK "chain" restaurants that I couldn't find in the US... ie. Wagamama, Basuba Eathai, Nandos, etc. Just curious what I should try and what's overrated! I like all kinds of food. I'm trying to keep the eating budget cheaper and I'm also traveling solo so won't be eating out at sit down restaurants by myself. So excited for my trip! Its my 2nd trip to London and then on to Paris for the 4th time.

Not much a restaurant person but you may want to try Garfunkels, kind of an imitation of an American restaurant I believe:

http://www.garfunkels.co.uk/

https://www.pret.com/en-us/ - Check out Pret as it is called I believe - a big popular chain with quick if not fast food.

But it is a sit-down restaurant. For take-outs try the ubiquitous Chinese restaurants like in China Town, in the heart of the West End.

Pizza Express.

McDonalds - no lie - cheap and for London at least good coffee and can sit there all day - maybe a ice cram sundae or a salad - for those on a budget.

Grafunkels is awful.

Try Eat, Pret, Abokado, most burrito chains like Tortilla, Chilango, or Poncho 8. Vital Ingredients is good for salads. Leon has good choices. Pod has some nice hot and cold options. There are tonnes of great sandwich shops where locals eat lunch...just look for the queues.

Sit down - Pizza Express, Wahaca, Byron burger.

You can also sit at Costa, Cafe Nero, Starbucks all day...

EAT. is a serve-yourself salad and sandwich place, with tables and chairs if you care to sit down and eat instead of take-away.

https://eat.co.uk

Mori, which serves bento-box type, quasi Japanese food, including soups, and the location I was in (Marylebone) had open tables in a pleasant setting

http://mori.uk.com

The international Belgian chain of le Pain Quotidien, although their prices can be annoying. Still, if you want soup or an omelette or a pastry, they can be very tasty.

http://www.lepainquotidien.co.uk

You should probably head to the markets as well to do some grazing.

Also, in a higher price range but still very favorably priced for London, is the chain of Turkish restaurants called Tas, serving very fresh and good food if you like Turkish

http://www.tasrestaurants.co.uk

Pret-A-Manger - now Pret - and EAT are direct competitors. The various Pizza Express outlets are decent.

There are plenty of The Slug and Lettuce restos, saw them but didn't try them.

Yo! Sushi if you need both a quick sushi fix and no need to even sit alone at a table - just grab it when it comes by on the conveyor belt at the sushi bar.

Hi SANDERSKN,

I agree with SURFERGIRL and others - PIZZA EXPRESS is decent. Really liked their fresh salad with avocado and who knows what else. Reasonable price on wine by the glass and open later in the evening.

Also agree with Pal, that MCDONALDS in London is better than over here. I often had a 'McFlurry" ice cream in mid day instead of lunch - just to keep up my strength.

http://westcornwallpasty.co.uk/

West Cornwall Pasty has some coffee shops in London and food wagons last I knew scattered about.

I live far from Boston so look for Wagamama. I love their Korean bbq ribs.

Pre Theatre specials can save you a bundle, for Italian Carluccios is ok and for French Cafe Rouge or Cote brasserie are reasonable

Second the rec for TAS.

Pret is usually good and dependable. I also like Cote Brassserie. Cafe Rouge can be good but quality varies as to location. ZiZi can be good too again depends on which one. All of these except Pret are sit down restaurants though very casual. I've been eating solo at a variety of " sit down" restaurants for over thirty years. Try it.

Sometimes it seems everything in London is a chain.

If you're looking for something on the healthier side I'd say Leon and Itsu, I agree with jamikins's recommendations and the key point which is (sorry PQ) avoid Garfunkeles.

On our last trip to London we went to a chain called Angus Steakhouse. That cow must have done something horrible in a previous life, because we were being punished.

We did not know it was a chain and it was busy, but maybe they were mechanical people in the windows. The service was forgetful, the check was wrong, the sides were overpriced and besides that I am sure someone had a jolly time.

>>On our last trip to London we went to a chain called Angus Steakhouse<<

OH -- Tell us you didn't!??! Bad BAD decision! It has been awful for decades and the decor hasn't changed.

We like ASK Pizza, but it's much more than just pizza.

Thanks everyone! I'm totally fine with sitting down alone in a casual place, just don't want to eat at a formal place by myself.