my food guide to London

Fact: this was supposed to be part 2 of the “Ultimate food guide to Paris” I wrote some time ago but the word “ultimate” didn’t feel quite right here. Perhaps because by now I’ve spent only half the time in London than I did in Paris, or because going out here is much more expensive so we don’t do it as much. Or because (in my opinion) the food scene in London… sucks. Sad but true.

Restaurants here are mostly overpriced and rather low on quality. Or perhaps it feels like this because anywhere else I would expect a £15 meal to be covered in gold, whereas here it’s just average.

I don’t mean that all the food everywhere in London is bad so excuse my dramatism. And I do understand why that is… London is so expensive in general, I can only imagine what the costs of running a restaurant or simply renting a space for it must be - this, of course, reflects in prices. Secondly, most of the produce has to be imported and I would think this has its toll too, even if importing from Europe (yeah, let’s wait for Brexit though!). Oh, and you have to keep in mind that the service charge of 12.5% is added on top of your bill so you’ll always pay more than you expect!

On top of that, it feels like the general trend here is for the food to be, what we like to call it, in your face. Nothing like the simple of really ingredient-focused cuisines I appreciate the most. What I love most are real places, no fuss no frills types, with just good food. No fancy interiors or plate arrangements and often it seems like London is all about it. It’s a real challenge to find those gems of just quality and nothing else.

So in order to save my family and friends from this very disappointment, here’s a list of places we’ve tried and enjoyed.

cheap eats in London

Meaning: London-cheap (around £5-£6/person) and of good quality. Otherwise, there are plenty of other cheap eats in London, such as different chain restaurants etc., but I can’t imagine anyone coming to London for this.

Salt beef bagel on Brick Lane, Shoreditch

Pizza Union
After being spoilt in Paris with oh-so-many good quality and affordable pizza choices (and God knows I love pizza), it was quite a challenge to find something meeting our expectations but Pizza Union is it. It’s VERY cheap and very good so win-win. £3.5-£5.5 per pizza.
Home Slice Pizza
Another pizza place but with a slightly different concept and more fusion-type choices. But most importantly, these pies are HUGE. I’m not joking, you can split one between 3 people and you’ll leave full anyway. £6.5 per person.
Cafe 338
The real deal English Breakfast which we did struggle to find in London. There are no beautiful interiors and no flower arrangements on your toast, just food. Full English Breakfast (incl. coffee or tea) £6, special pancake menus £6-7.
Bagels on Brick Lane
You’ll notice the queue so it’s hard to miss. The oldest bagel joint in London and the salt beef one is on point. Plus the gherkin. £3/person but make sure to bring cash.
Padella
Very hype but affordable Italian restaurant next to the Borough market. Prepare to queue though. Pasta meals start at £4 (not sure if you can get full with just one of them though?).
Most of the food markets
And there’s no shortage of that in London. Most food stalls will get you full for no more than £6/person and the choices are pretty much limitless. OK, the quality here is often questionable but there are gems that won’t give you a stomachache. Check the famous Borough Market, Brick Lane Market, Broadway Market, Old Spitalfields Market or my favourite Maltby Street Market.

good, fine and finer eats in London

Meaning all the renown places with their Netflix shows, Michelin stars or fancy locations. The ones you have to book well in advance, queue for hours or where you won’t spend less than 50£. I do think that this is where London food scene really shines but let’s be honest, these are for special occasions. Well, at least for us.

Darjeeling Express
Yes, the one from Netflix. If you want to go on a weekend, prepare to book at least 3 months in advance but you can book for a week-day quite easily a week before. It’s well worth the wait and the money as the food was absolutely amazing and the vibe is very homey.
We shared a starter, 2 mains with a naan and rice on the side, split the dessert, plus some drinks - all for £75.

Duck & Waffle
This place is mostly known for its location at the top of the famous Salesforce tower in the City are of London and another one you have to book well in advance. However, the brunch is surprisingly affordable considering the hype. We had their special Duck Benedict, coffee and some drinks. All for around £45.
Sushi Samba
Same as Duck & Waffle, Sushi Samba is mostly known for its fancy location (top of the exactly same tower as the above). You can come in for a drink without reservation or book for a meal couple of months in advance. It’s a Latin America meet Japan type of fusion so definitely something special and the prices are higher too. Dinner for 2 with drinks on the site won’t cost you less than £100-150 (unless you fill up starters).
Jose Pizarro
Spanish tapas joint by a renown chef with several other locations in London. Booking is not possible in the Bermondsey Tapas Bar so prepare to queue. The vibe is very Spanish-tapas-place like so expect a crowd of cheery people and standing tables. Tapas for 2 and a bottle of wine to share will cost you around £75.
Santo Remedio - Cocina Mexicana
A place I found in the Michelin guide and one we chose for our wedding anniversary because: a) tacos, b) tacos. It’s not the cheapest of the taco options in London (hence its place in this section) but it was definitely some of the best Mexican food we ate outside of Mexico.
Barrafina
I wish we had a chance to get there before the whole covid drama (can we please call the global pandemic just this from now on?), but we didn’t - mostly because at the time you couldn’t book a table and who feels like queuing for hours in the rain? Well, something to look forward to during our next visit!

good value for money (aka my own BIB gourmand)

Honest Burgers
I was never that much into burgers before but Honest Burgers changed the game. My god are they good and the fries… I’m not sure if you can imagine the best fries in the world but this is it. They have a monthly special burger too and it became our tradition, every month, to try it. I guess we know now where all the extra kgs came from (guilty as charged).
Pizza Pilgrims
Aka London’s favourite pizza (am I going too far?).
Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar
Not a very central location but worth stopping by if you’re in the area. I’ve never had laksa before so can’t tell you from experience but we enjoyed the food a lot and it was very reasonably priced.
Xi'an Biang Biang Noodles
Yum yum noodles if you’re around Aldgate. No fuss no frills (=just how I like it) just good food.

Indian food in London

Because it deserves its own section. I’ve never been to India (not yet at least) and know only the European version of Indian cuisine but I do imagine that in London, it must get pretty close. And the choices are endless.

Horn OK Please at Borough Market
I’ve heard so much about this Masala Dosa that it was on top of our must-try list when we moved to London. Horn OK Please is a stand in the middle of the Borough Market and one the most queued for so expect at lest a 150minute wait. £6/person
Dishoom
Another one from the top of our list, Dishoom is said to serve the best Inidian in London and I wouldn’t disagree. They have several locations in London and do take reservations but good luck getting one for the weekend! You can always go and queue for an hour (which we did) but it’s definitely worth it. We visited for lunch but apparently their brunch menu is also amazing. Good quality, simple yet rich taste and quite affordable prices. Win, win, win.
Our lunch to share: grilled chicken tikka, famous black daal, lamb biryani, raita, 2 naans and drinks - £50 total (we definitely over-ordered though so you can drop one of the mains and still be plenty satisfied).
Tandoor Chop House
You must have seen it on Instagram. This Thali Sunday Lunch is world-famous and rightfully so as it is JUST SO GOOD. Served on weekends only and requires reservation. £25/person (2 ppl minimum) + drinks.
Darjeeling Express
Yes, the one from Netflix. If you want to go on a weekend, prepare to book at least 3 months in advance but you can book for a week-day quite easily a week before. It’s well worth the wait and the money as the food was absolutely amazing and the vibe is very homey.
We shared a starter, 2 mains with a naan and rice on the side, split the dessert, plus some drinks - all for £75.
Hoppers
Practically not Indian but Sri Lankan, Hoppers is just it. Very flavourful dishes (mutton kothu roti and the chicken kari we tried were absolutely delicious). Plus, they have these impressive insta-friendly hopper breads which go well on the side. £50 for two.
Babba G’s
Indian-style burgers? You tell me if it’s worth it.
Gunpowder
Another place on my list that we waited to visit for a long time and got interrupted by covid. Highly recommended by all my friends though so if you have a chance - give it a try.

the ultimate insta-friendly locations

This last section is also the last time I’ll mention the pandemic and how I didn’t get to visit all the places I wanted to. One day when' we’re back to London for a few days, I promise I’ll tick them all off and share my honest opinion. Until then, go ahead, eat the cakes, take the photos.