• London

  The capital of England and 2012 Olympics host is celebrated for many reasons—its colorful history, stretching back two millennia; its drama-courting royal family; its countless famous cultural sights and rituals. Food is not typically among them. Sure, you can find great diversity in London’s restaurants; this is a global city and it’s reflected in many a good, Michelin-starred continental and Asian restaurant. But English cuisine in London? The longstanding belief is it’s downright bad—except it isn’t. “Stick to ethnic food” is common advice. We say: Don’t follow it. To the complaints about bland, overpriced foods? We say: You must be eating in the wrong places. People love pontificating about why British food is bad—untimely industrialization, hard-to-get fresh food, a habit of rationing. We say: Less talking, more eating!
  
  Knowledge is power, and that’s true in the pubs, restaurants, and markets of London— the ones you should be eating in. As in many tourist-friendly cities, a random restaurant selection in a high-traffic area will likely yield disastrous, pricey results. For this section, we’ve tried to find British dishes in restaurants, pubs, and markets where Brits still eat, shop, and drink. We considered both tradition—the wonderful pie-and-eel shops of the East End; sweet and buttery 18th-century breads—and prominent ethnic influences; the typical things our local friends eat regularly as well as those dishes every visitor really must try. We’ve paid close attention to those chefs, producers, and pubs making an effort to rewind the country’s gastronomy back to its core basics—wild game, local/seasonal ingredients, nose-to-tail preparations—and we sought out the new wave of local artisanal gins and microbrews alongside that old-school pub standard, real ale. The resulting spread, we hope, is as appetizing as it is reputation-busting. Now dig on in.

  Find local foods in London.

  Pie and mash, with liquor

  Jellied eels

  London dry gin

  Kippers

  Full English breakfast

• User Content

Below is user-submitted content for this region. Have something to contribute? Upload your regional-food photo or food memory.

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  Fish 'n Chips

  36 Duke St London
  liaht
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  Outstanding Premium Ale

  36 Duke St London
  liaht
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  English toffee pudding

  145 Fleet Street, City of London
  julieaube
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  Cornish pasty

  12 Oxford Street London, England
  lsr