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She reports for AfroTech, Lifewire, and The Plug. TripSavvy's fact-checking Share Pin Email There’s no doubt about it: London is one of the world’s gastronomic capitals. From knock-your-socks-off haute cuisine to finger-licking street food, this diverse city is designed to please every palate. Here’s what’s cooking: 01 of 15 Best Afternoon Tea: The Wolseley The Wolseley View Map Address 160 Piccadilly, London W1J 9EB, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 7499 6996 Web Visit website The much-adored Wolseley off Piccadilly Circus is the pinnacle of refinement and British poise—which is precisely why it’s the ideal spot for a spot of tea. Serving well-fluffed scones and the proper accompaniments of jam and clotted cream, as well as finger sandwiches and traditional sweet treats, afternoon tea at the Wolseley isn’t just a meal, it’s a full-scale event. The grand, old-world European setting and the accessible price point (cream tea starts at just £12.75 per person) makes this teatime treat a must. 02 of 15 Best Cheap and Cheerful Dishes: Bao BAO View Map Address 53 Lexington Street, London W1F 9AS, UK Get directions Web Visit website Bao is a straightforward and minimalistic eatery with locations in Soho and Fitzrovia that attracts long lines for two main reasons: it’s cheap and it’s good. Expect jazzed-up, fluffy Taiwanese bao buns plugged with your choice of braised or confit pork, fried chicken, lamb shoulder, or daikon radish and sides like eggplant fried rice and sautéed scallops with yellow bean garlic. There’s even a fried dessert bao with malted ice cream. 03 of 15 Best Indian: Dishoom Dishoom View Map Address 7 Boundary Street, London E2 7JE, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 7420 9324 Web Visit website You can’t miss out on Indian food in London, as it’s some of the city’s best cuisine. Dishoom dishes out fun and feisty versions of Indian street food that will have even purists coming around. With a few locations around London (the Shoreditch shop being the original and best outpost), Dishoom’s affordable prices, unfussy staff, and cool interiors make it one of London most consistent hotspots, especially for groups. 04 of 15 Best Farm-To-Table: The Shed The Shed View Map Address 122 Palace Gardens Terrace, London W8 4RT, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 7229 4024 Web Visit website With an emphasis on sourcing ethical, seasonal, and local ingredients from around the UK, the farm-to-fork movement is trending hard in London and showing no sign of slowing down. The Shed, a rustic hipster hideaway in Notting Hill, shows off the best of the movement’s ethos with dishes like gin-cured stream trout. Other hits with farm-to-fork fare include Plot in Tooting and Craft London in Greenwich. Continue to 5 of 15 below. 05 of 15 Best Blowout Meal: Hélène Darroze at The Connaught Hélène Darroze at The Connaught View Map Address Carlos Place, London W1K 2AL, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 3147 7200 Web Visit website With two Michelin stars and tons of French sophistication, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught is one of London’s best fine dining establishments. Though the city serves haute cuisine by the bucket load, Hélène Darroze wins for charm, consistency, and sheer style. Instead of a menu, guests in the creamy, plush dining room are given a solitaire board with sixteen marbles labeled with the dishes and asked to pick their courses by placing the marbles on the solitaire board. The menu changes seasonally, which give you an excuse to return every time you visit London. Yes, it’s costly, but yes, it’s worth it. Runners-up in this category include Gordon Ramsay’s protégé’s new restaurant, Core by Clare Smyth, which also has two Michelin stars and the highly praised and extremely decadent Michelin-starred French restaurant, Galvin La Chapelle. 06 of 15 Best Roast Dinner: Simpson’s in the Strand Simpson’s in the Strand View Map Address 100 Strand, London WC2R 0EW, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 7420 2116 Web Visit website Simpson’s in the Strand is a historic British institution that recently upped its game with a respectful renovation that covered the traditional interiors as well as the traditional menu. Dating back to 1828, Winston Churchill and Arthur Conan Doyle frequented Simpson’s with regularity, and the restaurant retains a classically British feel — though most will agree that the food has come a long way. The divine roast dinner — either lamb or beef — is carved and served tableside off of silver-domed carts and comes with all the trimmings: duck fat-roasted potatoes; horseradish sauce, thick gravy, and of course, a Yorkshire pudding (baked flour batter; similar to a popover). 07 of 15 Best Street Food: Borough Market Bread Ahead Bakery & School View Map Address 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 7407 1002 Web Visit website With a history that spans back over 1,000 years, Borough Market is London’s most esteemed artisan food marketplace. The market offers up everything from fruit and veg to cheeses and meats, as well as prepared food and is open every day (though some stalls are closed on Mondays and Tuesday). Stop by during lunch and hit the vendor stalls: Try the mouthwatering grilled chorizo and rocket roll from Brindisa or the “cheese toastie” (grilled cheese) from Kappacasein, and don’t miss the award-winning doughnuts at Bread Ahead for dessert. 08 of 15 Best Full English Breakfast: Dean Street Townhouse Dean Street Townhouse View Map Address 69-71 Dean Street, London W1D 3SE, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 7434 1775 Web Visit website The classic full English usually includes eggs; toast; bacon rashers (back bacon); sausage; black pudding (blood sausage); baked beans; mushrooms; and roasted tomatoes. Needless to say, it’s very filling. Soho’s cool, creative, and classy Dean Street Townhouse does a top-notched full English, which will keep you hungry for the rest of your trip—or at least the rest of your day. Another full English breakfast worth a try can be found at the kitschy and always buzzing Breakfast Club. Continue to 9 of 15 below. 09 of 15 Best Unexpected Plates: Osh Osh Restaurant View Map Address 14-15, Beauchamp Place, London SW3 1NQ, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 3935 9555 Serving adventurous, contemporary riffs on Central Asian dishes (like Uzbek Plov and Bulgarian cabbage rolls), Osh is exciting, unexpected, and unlike anything else in London right now. Dishes are small, so you can try lots of things, but don’t skip out on the eponymous osh, a hot, silky rice and lamb dish. (The cocktails are also creatively delicious.) 10 of 15 Best For Sweet Tooths: Ole & Steen Ole & Steen Following the trend for all things Scandinavian, Ole & Steen is a simple-but-well done Danish bakery with a few locations around the capital. Though they serve savory items like open-faced sandwiches, the magic happens on the sweet side. Try the addictive Cinnamon Social, a pastry swirled with cinnamon and vanilla custard or the Raspberry Slice, which is like a grown-up version of the Pop Tart, made with shortcrust pastry, raspberry jam, lemon icing, and a sprinkling of freeze-dried raspberries. Other notable sweet stops include the upscale dessert-and-champagne house, Cakes & Bubbles by world-famous pastry chef Albert Adrià and the Mediterranean-influenced pastries at Ottolenghi Notting Hill. 11 of 15 Best Gastropub: The Harwood Arms The Harwood Arms View Map Address Walham Grove, London SW6 1QP, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 7386 1847 Web Visit website Don’t let the relaxed and rustic setting fool you, the Harwood Arms serves some seriously good pub grub — in fact, it’s the only Michelin-starred pub in the city. Expect homegrown British food like wild game and seasonal fruits and vegetables. Though it costs a bit more than your average pub food, the price-fixed lunch and dinner menu options present a good deal. 12 of 15 Best For A Celebration: Bob Bob Ricard Bob Bob Ricard View Map Address 1 Upper James Street, London W1F 9DF, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 3145 1000 Web Visit website Though it’s lavish (with the price tag to match), Bob Bob Ricard is an Art Deco den of debauchery (or at least champagne and caviar), making it the perfect spot for a big night on the town. Yes, it’s gorgeously dressed in midnight blues, unctuous velvets, and shimmery gold accents, but the British-meets-Russian fare is also sensational. Stuff yourself with lobster dumplings or champagne and truffle humble pie (which is vegan, by the way), and if you need more bubbly, just hit the button in your booth labeled “press for champagne.” Continue to 13 of 15 below. 13 of 15 Best Steakhouse: JW Steakhouse JW Marriott Grosvenor House London View Map Address 86 Park Lane, London W1K 7TN, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 7399 8460 Web Visit website The competition for best steakhouse is fierce in London, and though Hawksmoor and Wolfgang Puck’s Cut at 45 Park Lane, are both first-rate, JW Steakhouse takes the steak—er, cake. Not only is their Creekstone Kansas Black Angus and Aberdeen Angus cooked to perfection on their 1,200 F (650 C) Montague's Legend Series grill, but their ultra-creamy cheesecake may be worth a trip to London alone. 14 of 15 Best Fish And Chips: Toff’s Toff's of Muswell Hill View Map Address 38 Muswell Hill Broadway, London N10 3RT, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 8883 8656 Web Visit website For some old-school fish and chips (and the digs to match), head to Toff’s in Muswell Hill. The fish (cod, haddock, skate, plaice, salmon, sole, halibut or bass) is fried or grilled to order and served with chips (thick-cut French fries). Don’t forget to add on a side of mushy peas (mashed up cooked peas) to make the meal truly British. 15 of 15 Best Burgers: MEATLiquor MEATliquor View Map Address 37-38 Margaret Street, London W1G 0JF, UK Get directions Phone +44 20 7224 4239 Web Visit website The heart wants what the heart wants, and if it’s a burger that you’re craving, head to MEATLiquor. Dishing up down-and-dirty bar food like burgers, chicken wings, and fried pickles in a punk-rock setting in Marylebone, MEATLiquor has long lines but cheap and delicious grub, making it a cult favorite. Try the crowd-pleasing Dead Hippie Burger made up of two beef paddies fried in French’s mustard and served with lettuce, cheese, pickles, white onions, and a special sauce. Eating With Kids in London Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit