Good Food in London - Here is Better than its Reputation
Okay, okay, I admit it, I was sceptical about London. I worked for an English company for a few years and have been to the UK a few times for that reason. What I came to know as English food was borderline. Way too greasy, powerful and not always top quality. But when we were in London again for a short trip, I was proven wrong.
London is an absolute foodie metropolis. On TripAdvisor, there are almost 20,000 entries for various restaurants in London. In addition, there are an incredible number of street food stalls, food trucks and great markets. If you can't find something great to eat, you're really out of luck. Of course, you can also get a typical English breakfast in London.
But if, like me, you can do without it, you'll certainly find some excellent alternatives in the following recommendations. And above all, you will be reassured that food in England is not bad everywhere. Especially not in London.
At the end of the article you will find a map to save offline on your mobile phone. We have summarised all the locations and many other tips for London for you.
Enjoy our tips for good and often cheap food in London. Our food guide with restaurant tips, great cafés and street food.
The Breakfast Club
z. e.g. 12-16 Artillery Ln, Spitalfields, London E1 7LS, United Kingdom
With 12 branches in London belongs to The Breakfast Club is one of the most popular restaurants in London. And what can we say? Quite rightly. We had breakfast at the Breakfast Club twice, that's how much we liked the concept.
Basically, there are two different types of branches. Daytime Cafs and All Day Cafs. The Daytime Cafs are open until 5 pm and serve breakfast and lunch, the All Day Cafs are open until late in the evening. You can also have dinner here.
But if you think the menu changes depending on the time of day, you'll be disappointed. The concept of the Breakfast Club is: breakfast all day. An absolute dream, especially for late risers and breakfast lovers.
The menu includes the breakfast classics: Avocado On Rye, Pancakes & Bacon, Granola & Yoghurt and Eggs Benedict. But there are also unusual dishes like the Disco Fries or Cauliflower Fritters & Chimichurri.
Whether you opt for a classic or something fancy. Hearty or sweet, breakfast, dinner, whatever the time, the Breakfast Club is always worth a visit.
Vegan options are also on the menu, of course.
An institution when it comes to good breakfast in London: The Breakfast Club!
Duck and Waffle
110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY, United Kingdom
Breakfast with a breathtaking view, that's what you can do at the Duck and Waffle. A glass lift takes you up 40 floors on Bishopsgate. The ride itself is a real experience.
When you reach the top, a beautiful bar awaits you, serving delicious creations from morning to night.
The fancy interior and the bar in the entrance area give you a warm welcome. A mix of pompous and street art makes the Duck and Waffle not too stuffy and still conveys a certain high quality.
We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast here in one of the seating areas and devoured savoury and sweet waffles. The seats are in high demand, though, so if you want to sit right by the window, you'd better book in advance. If you want to enjoy a sunset over London, book a dinner reservation.
Vegan options are also on the menu, of course.
Sweet waffles with banana and vanilla ice cream. Exmouth Coffee Company
83 Whitechapel High St, Algate East, Shadwell, London E1 7QX, United Kingdom
Small but mighty. The Exmouth Coffee was a spontaneous discovery and won us over with its lush shop window and delicious baked goods on display.
In East London, near Brick Lane and the Whitechapel Gallery, you'll find this small independent café. No chain, no system gastronomy. Just a small café with an incredibly delicious breakfast, which we tested.
We especially liked the sourdough bread with avocado and the oatmeal with fresh berries. By the way, the time of dreary white bread in England has been over for a few years now. In most places you can now get sourdough bread with a crispy crust and a hearty taste. Just like we know it from Germany.
Exmouth also has an abundance of delicious pastries. So if you just want a snack on hand, this is just as good a place as any.
Exmouth Coffee has a very personal wall design. Leave a note too.
Avocado bread on sourdough with a poached egg.
Beigel Bake
159 Brick Ln, Shoreditch, London E1 6SB, United Kingdom
Probably London's most famous bagel is. Beigel Bake. The 24-hour bakery opened on Brick Lane in 1974. To this day, up to 7,000 bagels are baked there every day using a traditional Jewish recipe. Don't be fooled, the interior is functional and a bit outdated. But that doesn't detract from the taste.
The Salt Beef Bagel is the shop's flagship. It is already considered the London version of the Katz pastrami sandwich from New York. Beigel Bake is especially a tip if you want to have a tasty snack at a reasonable price! And best of all, Beigel Bake is open 24 hours a day. No matter when you're hungry for a bagel, you can always get a fresh treat here.
We stopped here on our first day and could hardly tear ourselves away, it tasted so good. Before our return flight, we stocked up on bagels here again. Absolutely top recommendation for good and cheap food in London!
DF/Tacos
The OldTruman Brewery, Hanbury St, Spitalfields, London E1 6QR, United Kingdom
Viva la Mexico. This recommendation came from our favourite foodie On your fist. At DF/Tacos American diner meets Mexican cuisine. A perfect fusion. By the way, DF stands for Distrito Federal, which refers to the federal capital districts of Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela.
At DF/Tacos, you order at the counter and then get a number with which you can pick up your food. The menu includes the Mexican classics tacos, nachos and burritos. But also typical American dishes like fries and cup of corn. To wash it down, there's Mexican beer and margaritas. And if you still haven't had enough, you can order an ice cream sandwich.
Why don't you want to taco about it? Because I'm Nacho friend anymore.
Vegan options, no problem here.
Tacos to share at DF/Tacos. The Blues Kitchen
134-146 Curtain Rd, Hackney, London EC2A 3AR, United Kingdom
You have to be able to indulge yourself sometimes. Where does that go particularly well? At The Blues Kitchen. The recipe for success is a mixture of restaurant and live jazz. On the menu is everything that belongs to a good BBQ. Buffalo wings, fried chicken, burgers and brisket. No one should count calories here, and besides, it's so dark in the restaurant that you can't see them anyway.
It's really nice and cosy with a lot of personal charm. The restaurant is relatively large, but that doesn't mean the service suffers. We were more than satisfied after our visit and all took home a little food baby.
By the way, you can also have lunch or brunch at The Blues Kitchen. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time for that, but we'll definitely make up for it.
If you can't make it to Shoreditch, you can also find a Blues Kitchen in Camden and Brixton.
You'll also find vegan dishes on the menu here. (Unfortunately it was too dark for photos).
Seafresh
80-81 Wilton Rd, Lillington and Longmoore Gardens, London SW1V 1DL, United Kingdom
What is typical for England? Fish and chips.
We were also keen to eat the traditional dish locally. Just about every fish and chip shop in London claims to be the best. Of course, it's hard to choose. After asking the locals, we decided to go for the Seafresh Seafresh.
Fish fillets deep-fried in batter and thick potato chips are the unofficial national dish of the English. Traditionally, fish and chips are eaten with the hands, often sold as fast food to go. At Seafresh, however, you can sit down comfortably and choose from a variety of fish.
There are a few side dishes to go with it, so be sure to try the mashed peas. If you're brave, you can also use a little vinegar on top. Don't like fried food? In this restaurant you can order fish and chips as well as oysters or mussels. Super tasty!
Borough Market
8 Southwark St, London SE1 1TL, United Kingdom
The Borough Market is London's oldest food market and a pilgrimage site for all foodies. It's a meeting place for London's foodies. You can't decide what to eat first. The choice is simply enormous.
Food has been sold here since the 13th century. In the past, they were simple stalls. Today, in addition to the usual stalls, there are a multitude of cafés and restaurants. There are also a large number of stalls that sell you the delicacies directly, ready-made, on your own.
Whether you're into BBQ, seafood, gluten-free cakes or sushi creations, you'll find it all here. There are no limits to taste here. It's best to just let yourself go and discover the market at your own pace. The only important thing is to bring a good appetite, it's worth it.
The Borough Market is open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. We can't recommend a perfect time of day, there's always something going on here.
Food paradise Borough Market. Boxpark Shoreditch
2-10 Bethnal Green Rd, Hackney, London E1 6GY, United Kingdom
What can you make out of old sea containers? That's right Boxpark. In Shoreditch, numerous containers have been stacked on top of each other and now form an amalgamation of shops and a huge food hall.
Hip designers and small labels have taken up residence in the lower shop containers. Here you can buy beautiful souvenirs that are definitely not available at home. On the upper floor, culinary needs are satisfied.
The motto of the Boxpark is: EAT, DRINK, PLAY. Take a seat at one of the long wooden tables and then choose something delicious from the kitchens of all the countries in the world at the surrounding small stands. The selection is perfect and the motto here is also to share several things so you can try more.
We ate our way through the food and can confirm that everything tastes great: Everything tastes great and you should definitely try it.
So many delicious things in one place. The Boxpark in Shoreditch. Bar tips for London
The Ten Bells Pub
84 Commercial St, Spitalfields, London E1 6LY, United Kingdom
On the corner of Commercial Street and Fournier Street in the Spitalfields district you will find The Ten Bells. A pub by any other name, even with its own Wikipedia entry.
However, the historic establishment is not the reason for its fame. At the end of the 19th century, the pub gained sad notoriety because two of Jack the Ripper 's victims regularly frequented it. Annie Chapman and Mary Jane Kelly, victims No. 2 and No. 5, were regular guests at the Ten Bells.
Today the pub is a listed building and there are no more shady characters hanging around. The Ten Bells is a meeting place for all walks of life and convinced us above all with its delicious gin selection. And of course, there was a bit of creepiness too, whether Jack the Ripper was a regular at the bar here?
The Ten Bells Pub in London is linked to the story of Jack the Ripper.
The Shard
32 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG, United Kingdom
We are always asked where we took our great sunset pictures in London. The answer is: at The Shard.
The Shard is a skyscraper in the Southwalk district. The imposing glass construction rises 310 m into the sky.
In The Shard you will find several bars and restaurants, all of which are highly praised. If you don't want to squeeze into your finest clothes right away, you should drive up to the viewpoint in time for sunset. At the top there are a few small stalls serving drinks and snacks. That's all you really need at this sunset. You can find more information about the visit in the article about the Top Sights in London.
Sunset from The Shard, one of the top sights in London.
Lounge Bohemia
Have you ever visited a Secret Bar? A bar that you can't find on Google, that doesn't have a sign and that even the locals on the street don't know about? No, then it's high time you did.
The Lounge Bohemia is such a secret bar in the Shoreditch district. Between a kiosk and a restaurant, a small staircase leads to a bar with only a few seats. This is where the molecular cocktail experience is celebrated.
The interior is somewhat reminiscent of a mixture of urban chic and grandma's living room. The owner probably raided all the second-hand stores in the area to furnish his bar. The cocktail selection is just as unusual as the décor. We have never tried such extravagant cocktails before. It steamed and smoked, one glass was a glass skull, the next cocktail was served from a teapot. Some cocktails don't even come in liquid form. The Bearllinis are gummy bears filled with Bellini.
Of course, we don't want to reveal the exact address of the bar here. Part of the experience is calling the number on the website and getting an appointment. Have fun discovering the place.
General information about eating out in London
Cost of eating and drinking in London
First things first: London is expensive. But don't worry, if you plan ahead a bit, you can eat out here on a normal travel budget. Currently, the English pound is doing relatively poorly and prices have leveled off somewhat. The cost of London is a little higher than in Germany, but no comparison to Copenhagen, for example.
As a guideline, we have converted a few things into euros to give you a feeling of what you should expect to spend:
Coffee: 4.50 euros
Sandwich: 4-5 euros
Dinner: 30-40 euros on average
Pint of beer: 5-6 euros
Gin and tonic: 17 euros
Pizza: 18 euros
How much do you tip in England?
Tipping is the same as in Germany. 10-15% is considered appropriate for good service. In pubs, tipping on drinks is not common. In our experience, the service staff are even happier if you round up a little.
Beware, some restaurants automatically add a 15% service charge to the bill. Check your receipts carefully to see if the tip has already been calculated.
Our tips for cheap eating in London
As mentioned earlier, London tends to be an expensive place. Especially if you want to eat very high quality food. However, we can give you a few tips on how to save money on your holiday.
Eat at street food markets: These are great places to eat at fair and reasonable prices.
Indian: London has a huge Indian community, dating back to Commonwealth times. There is a particularly high density of Indian restaurants in the Mayfair district. Here you can get a sumptuous meal for less than 10 pounds.
If you want to treat yourself to something special once a day, save on the other meals. There are plenty of bakeries and small to-go stores, such as Pret-a-Manger, where you can also stock up on salads, wraps and soups.
Want to try as much as possible? Then book a food tour. In many cities we have already used the offer of Secret Food Tours in many cities and were thrilled every time. Secret Food Tours also offers various tours in London. In addition to great food, you always meet great locals who lead the tour. Some of the places we visited we wouldn't have discovered without a food tour.
China Town is located in Leicester Square. Here you can find culinary bargains. The Chinese restaurants are much cheaper than the English alternatives. If you're in the area anyway, take the opportunity to eat here for cheap.
London map with all tips for eating out
You can save all our restaurant tips and other sights to your smartphone offline for free with our Google map.
Conclusion on eating out in London
We were all absolutely thrilled by London. Once again, we had a perfect culinary trip where nothing was lacking. A hearty "Mhhhhh" came from each of our lips at least once a week.
London is simply a great place to eat. And even for those with a phobia of baked beans and fish and chips, there are many delicious alternatives. We will definitely be back to try more. In a metropolis of millions like London, new restaurants, bars and cafés are added every month to discover.
