Top Foods To Try In London In 2024

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I’m a London expert, born in London and lived here all my life, so I can guide you through food I know you’ll love. British cuisine is very different from other European foods such as Mediterranean or Nordic, but no less delicious. Hopefully, this list will give you a meaningful introduction to our national favorite dishes and highlight the best eats in London.

F Cooke Hoxton

Traditional chip shops (or “chippies”) may be disappearing, but fast food stores and even fine restaurants continue to serve this national favorite. The name suggests this: cod is usually fried in a thick golden batter, then served with fried potato chips. However, other white fish such as haddock and pollock are also commonly used.

You’ll find classic British fish and chips in hot spots like Leicester Square and Tower Hill. Local chip shops away from these centers serve bigger fish at cheaper prices and pride themselves on their large size.

Fish & Chips

Stories vary, but it is widely believed that the dish got its name from the British military commander and prime minister Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington. The dish is a whole fillet steak covered in pâté with mushrooms or duxelles – a combination of mushrooms, onions and shallots. The mixture is baked into a shortcrust pastry that complements the tender pieces of meat.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay revived its popularity by promoting its culinary qualities and featuring them on his menu. What’s more, many customers say it is his greatest dish!

Gordon Ramsay Bar And Grill

This doughy pudding dish has a very strange name but contains no amphibians—frogs, toads, or anything else. It originated in England in the 18th century but no one is sure how it originated. What we do know is a delicious and filling mix of sausages in a Yorkshire pudding mixture (Yorkshire pudding is another British classic).

Like many historic British dishes, toad in the hole was a useful way to make food last longer in poor working class communities. Today, it is a much-loved treat with well-preserved serving rituals, such as soaking the crispy dough in onion sauce. It is eaten more in the north of England, where its Yorkshire pudding originates. In southern regions, the dough is usually softer and more buttery.

Union Bistro

Some London historians claim that the bubbles and squeaks got their strange name from the sound you hear when frying ingredients. It’s basically a vegetable cake made from a mixture of mashed potatoes, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale, all cooked in a skillet. Londoners use leftover vegetables to make this dish.

The combination of healthy vegetables and reduced waste makes it quite appealing to the environmentally conscious, but really all diners owe it to themselves to try this classic British vegetable cake. Because of its smaller size and ingredients that are easy on the stomach, it is often found on breakfast and lunch menus and click here