• 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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  Pimm's Cup

  London
  liaht
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  Pasta and Local Salad Bar Buffet

  London
  india8
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  Mock Turtle Soup

  Maidenhead
  mrsfry
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  Aerated Beetroot With Horseradish Filling

  Maidenhead
  mrsfry

• • Chelsea Physic Garden

    mitchell
    London
    

    The random tour of Chelsea Physic Garden for homemade lavender scones turned out to be a rather interesting ingredient lesson. The convenience of supermarket shopping means most of us haven&rs…    Read more