There is no doubt: London is one of the gastronomic capitals of the world. From fine dining to scrumptious street food, this diverse city is designed to please all palates. This is what is cooking:
Best Afternoon Tea: The Wolseley
Direction
160 Piccadilly , London W1J 9EB , United KingdomGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 7499 6996
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The much loved Wolseley in Piccadilly Circus is the pinnacle of British refinement and elegance, which is why it is precisely the ideal place for tea. Serving fluffy scones and the right toppings of jam and clotted cream, as well as traditional sandwiches and sweets, afternoon tea at the Wolseley is not just a meal, it is a large-scale event. The gorgeous old world European setting and affordable price (cream tea starts at just £ 12.75 per person) makes this tea time a must.
The best cheap and cheerful dishes: Bao
Direction
53 Lexington St, London W1F 9AS, United KingdomGet directions
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Bao is a simple, minimalist restaurant with locations in Soho and Fitzrovia that draws long lines for two main reasons: it’s cheap and it’s good. Expect fluffy, stuffed Taiwanese buns with your choice of braised or confit pork, fried chicken, shoulder of lamb, or daikon radish and sides like fried rice with eggplant and scallops sautéed with yellow bean garlic. There is even a fried bao dessert with malt ice cream.
Best Indian: Dishoom
Direction
7 Boundary St, London E2 7JE, UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 7420 9324
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Indian food in London is not to be missed as it is one of the best cuisines in the city. Dishoom features fun and energetic versions of Indian street food that will even have purists. With a few locations around London (the Shoreditch store is the original and best outpost), Dishoom’s affordable prices, low-key staff, and great interiors make it one of London’s most consistent hotspots, especially for groups.
Best Farm to Table: The Shed
Direction
122 Palace Gardens Terrace, London W8 4RT, United KingdomGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 7229 4024
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With an emphasis on sourcing ethical, seasonal and local ingredients from across the UK, the farm-to-table movement is trending in London and shows no signs of slowing down. The Shed, a rustic hipster hideaway in Notting Hill, showcases the best of the spirit of the movement with dishes like gin-cured brook trout. Other hits with the farm-to-table fare include Plot in Tooting and Craft London in Greenwich.
Best Blast Food: Hélène Darroze in The Connaught
Direction
Carlos Pl, London W1K 2AL, United KingdomGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 3147 7200
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With two Michelin stars and tons of French sophistication, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught is one of London’s finest fine dining establishments. Although the city serves haute cuisine by the load of the cube, Hélène Darroze wins by its charm, consistency and sheer style. Instead of a menu, guests in the creamy, luxurious dining room are given a solitaire board with sixteen marbles labeled with the plates and are asked to choose their dishes by placing the marbles on the solitaire board. The menu changes seasonally, giving you an excuse to return each time you visit London. Yes, it is expensive, but yes, it is worth it. Finalists in this category include Gordon Ramsay’s protégé’s new restaurant, Core by Clare Smyth, which also has two Michelin stars, and the highly praised and extremely decadent Michelin-starred French restaurant, Galvin La Chapelle.
Best Roast Dinner: Simpson on the Chapter
Direction
100 Strand, London WC2R 0EW, UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 7420 2111
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Simpson’s in the Strand is a historic British institution that recently upped its game with a respectful makeover that covered traditional interiors and traditional menu. Since 1828, Winston Churchill and Arthur Conan Doyle have been frequenting Simpsons regularly, and the restaurant retains a classic British vibe, although most will agree that the food has come a long way. The divine roast dinner, whether lamb or beef, is carved and served table-side on silver-domed carts and comes with all the trimmings: roast potatoes with duck fat; horseradish sauce, thick sauce, and of course a Yorkshire pudding (baked flour dough; similar to a popover).
Best Street Food: Borough Market
Direction
43 Borough High St , Londres SE1 9AH , Reino UnidoGet directions
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With a history dating back over 1,000 years, Borough Market is London’s most popular artisan food market. The market offers everything from fruits and vegetables to cheeses and meats, as well as prepared food and is open every day (although some stalls are closed on Monday and Tuesday). Stop by for lunch and visit vendor booths – try Brindisa’s delicious grilled chorizo and rocket roll or Kappacasein’s “cheese tostada” (grilled cheese), and don’t miss out on award-winning donuts at Bread Ahead for dessert.
Best Full English Breakfast: Dean Street Townhouse
Direction
69-71 Dean St, London W1D 3SE, UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 7434 1775
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The full English classic generally includes eggs; toast; bacon slices (back bacon); chorizo; blood sausage (blood sausage); baked beans; mushrooms; and roasted tomatoes. Needless to say, it is very filling. Soho’s cool, creative and stylish Dean Street Townhouse does top-notch full English, which will keep you hungry for the rest of your trip, or at least the rest of your day. Another full English breakfast worth trying can be found at the kitschy and always bustling Breakfast Club.
Best Unexpected Plates: Osh
Direction
14-15, Beauchamp Pl, London SW3 1NQ, United KingdomGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 3935 9555
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Serving up adventurous and contemporary riffs on Central Asian dishes (like Uzbek Plov and Bulgarian cabbage rolls), Osh is exciting, unexpected, and unlike anything else in London right now. The plates are small, so you can try many things, but don’t skip the eponymous osh, a hot, silky plate of rice and lamb. (The cocktails are creatively delicious, too.)
Best for a sweet tooth: Ole & Steen
Following the trend for all things Scandinavian, Ole & Steen is a simple but well-made Danish bakery with a few locations in the capital. Although they serve savory items like open-faced sandwiches, the magic happens on the sweet side. Try the addicting Cinnamon Social, a cake with cinnamon and vanilla cream, or the Raspberry Slice, which is like an adult version of Pop Tart, made with puff pastry, raspberry jam, lemon frosting, and a dash of freeze-dried. raspberries Other notable sweet stops include the exclusive champagne and dessert house, Cakes & Bubbles by famous pastry chef Albert Adrià, and the Mediterranean-influenced pastries at Ottolenghi Notting Hill.
Mejor Gastropub: The Harwood Arms
Direction
Walham Grove, London SW6 1QP, UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 7386 1847
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Don’t let the laid-back, rustic atmosphere fool you, the Harwood Arms serves some really good pub grub; in fact, it is the only Michelin-starred pub in the city. Expect homegrown British fare like wild game and seasonal fruits and vegetables. Although it costs a bit more than average pub food, the prix fixe lunch and dinner menu options offer a good deal.
Best for a celebration: Bob Bob Ricard
Direction
1 Upper James St , Londres W1F 9DF , Reino UnidoGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 3145 1000
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While luxurious (priced accordingly), Bob Bob Ricard is a den of Art Deco debauchery (or at least champagne and caviar), making it the perfect place for a great night out on the town. Yes, she’s elegantly dressed in midnight blues, creamy velvets, and sparkling gold accents, but British meets Russian food is sensational too. Chill out with lobster or champagne dumplings and humble truffle tart (which is vegan, by the way), and if you need more bubbles, just hit the button at their booth labeled ‘push for champagne’.
Best Steakhouse: JW Steakhouse
Direction
86 Park Ln, London W1K 7TN, United KingdomGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 7399 8460
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The competition for the best steakhouse is fierce in London, and while Hawksmoor and Wolfgang Puck’s Cut at 45 Park Lane are top-notch, JW Steakhouse takes the steak, er, pie. Not only are their Creekstone Kansas Black Angus and Aberdeen Angus cooked to perfection on their 1,200 F (650 C) Montague’s Legend Series grill, but their ultra-creamy cheesecake may be worth a trip to London alone.
The best fish and chips: Toff’s
Direction
38 Muswell Hill Broadway, London N10 3RT, United KingdomGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 8883 8656
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For some old-school fish and chips (and the digs to match), head to Toff’s in Muswell Hill. The fish (cod, haddock, skate, plaice, salmon, sole, halibut or bass) is fried or grilled to order and served with chips (thick-cut French fries). Don’t forget to add on a side of mushy peas (mashed up cooked peas) to make the meal truly British.
Best Burgers: MEATLiquor
Address
74 Welbeck St, London W1G 0BA, UKGet directions
Phone
+44 20 7224 4239
The heart wants what it wants, and if what you crave is a hamburger, go to MEATLiquor. Devouring dirty bar food like burgers, chicken wings, and deep-fried pickles in a punk-rock setting in Marylebone, MEATLiquor has long lines but cheap and delicious food, making it a cult favorite. Try the crowd-pleasing Dead Hippie Burger consisting of two beef rices fried in French mustard and served with lettuce, cheese, pickles, white onion and a special sauce.
Eating with kids in London
