• 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.

  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…   Read more

   

  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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  Salt beef sandwich

  lsr
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  Devils on horseback

  lsr
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  Elevenses

  lsr
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  Fruits and vegetables

  cajunheart

• • East London Walking Tour

    travelsofadam
    Spitalfields Market, London
    In September I took a walking tour with Eating London Tours which included stops at local restaurants and markets so that we could enjoy not just the East London history but also the local, traditi…    Read more

  • London’s Borough Market: Unexpected Food Encounters in an International Setting

    francesknguyen
    Borough Market, 8 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1TL
    

    The thunderous sounds of the trains could be heard above as I entered the Borough Market. Opened since 1755, the Borough Market is one of the oldest food markets in London. It has become synon…    Read more

• Blog Posts

• Brighton, UK: A Food Lover’s Paradise by the Sea

  Seafood platter at the Salt Room (courtesy of the Salt Room) A mere 47-minute train ride from London, Brighton, on the south coast of England, combines traditional seaside fun with an artistic, free-thinking vibe. Its proximity to the capital…   Read more

• The 6 Best Indian Restaurants in London

  A spread from Dishoom. Photo courtesy of Yasmin Fahr/LokaPack In this guest post, our friends at LokaPack, an expert-curated food and travel guide, spill the beans on where to score the best Indian food in London. “The only good…   Read more

• Top 10 British Foods in London

  We’re avoiding the news during the day and spending an inordinate amount of time on the couch most nights, which can mean only one thing: We’re in the thick of Olympics fever! Does the TV coverage make you want to take up swimming…   Read more

• A London Lunch, at Dinner

  Our London EYW section—some 40-plus traditional foods and drinks in England’s fabulous capital—is under construction while we travel to India, but you can read about our absolute favorite Brit dining experience, at the new,…   Read more