London has one of the world’s best food scenes, with thousands of restaurants, cafes, bakeries and food markets. This is by no means a guide of where you must eat in London, but simply a few places that you might wish to look into from the experiences of a one-off visitor. The below is some of the food that I’ve enjoyed during three trips – in 2015, 2022 and 2023, consisting of bakeries or other dessert spots and coffee shops, eateries in Borough Market and, finally, restaurants (no fine dining spots); in that order. I hope to return with a larger budget to try some of the more refined offerings of the city.
Bakeries, sweet spots and coffee shops
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Maple & Bacon Danish from Pophams –
What all my dreams are made of. Flaky swirl encasing that sweet & salty combo made in heaven that is bacon and maple.
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Cinnamon Bun from Fabrique –
The popular chewy Swedish cinnamon buns are not my favourite type of cinnamon bun, but if that’s your jam these make some great ones.
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Krambulle/Vaniljbulle from Bageriet –
Wow. wow. wowow. This might be one of the best desserts I’ve ever heard. Luscious custard cream generously stuffed into a soft cardamom bun. Heaven.
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Valrhona Chocolate Chip Cookie & Pistachio and Chocolate Swirl from Miel –
Damn, London has some great bakes. The cookie might be one of the best I’ve had, but the swirl, with ample pistachio butter (not cream), is quite simply a work of art. Get yourself some of these.
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Chocolate-Almond Croissant and Honey-Butter Toast from Arome –
This super-popular French-Japanese bakery offers up some truly fantastic bakes. The croissant was absolutely fabulous, but the toast was particularly impressive in its delicious simplicity (a great accompaniment to a morning coffee – make sure to dip it!).
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Baklava Ice Cream Sandwich from Darlish –
If you are both a baklava and ice cream lover, make sure to check out this spot for one special sandwich. They also have some unique ice cream flavours if you’re not up for the baklava option.
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Chocolate-Orange Cinnamon Bun and Sausage Roll from Fortitude Bakehouse –
This bakery offers a wide variety of sweet and savoury baked goods (including bread), all sourdough products. I tried a delicious, chewy chocolate-orange cinnamon bun, as well as an enormous sausage roll which was also lovely (I would have loved if it was warm, but it is served cold – great for takeout if you have somewhere to warm it up).
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Sugar Cinnamon Morning Bun from The Flour Station –
I came across this stall in a market set up in King’s Cross Square. The morning bun, made with laminated brioche dough, was both beautiful and delicious.
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Matcha latte from Omotesando Koffee –
This simplistic, chic Japanese coffee shop is the London outlet of an Asian boutique coffee chain. Their coffees are said to be great, but I tried the matcha latte. I am a matcha snob, but this was lovely – one of the best ones I’ve had outside of Japan or my home.
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Vanilla cream donut from St. John Bakery
The bakery-sister to the London institution St. John Restaurant, this small spot offers bread and other baked goods, including their popular doughnuts. I had a (generously) vanilla cream-stuffed one; one of the few remaining options in the afternoon – it was absolutely lovely.
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Earl Grey Scone from The Cheeky Scone –
This cheerful Notting Hill spot offers some lovely (and large) scones, in various flavours, together with excellent clotted cream and jam. The perfect comforting British treat.
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Borough Market:
The popular food market has countless savoury and sweet options to dig your teeth into, not to mention beverages to quench your thirst. The below are some that I tried during two visits a few years apart.
Pistachio doughnut from Bread Ahead –
I was there early morning so I got to try this fresh, and it was fluffy and luscious, if overpriced.
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Duck confit brioche from Le Marché du Quartier –
Crispy shredded confit duck in a fluffy brioche bun; this was all sorts of rich, unctuous deliciousness.
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Scallops with bacon from Shell Seekers –
A good lighter option for seafood lovers, this was fresh and bright.
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Latte from Monmouth Coffee Company –
Coffee aficionados might wish to check us out this popular roaster and retailer.
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‘The Best One’ sandwich from The Black Pig –
slow roast pork shoulder, honey truffle mayo, salsa verde, fennel & apple slaw with parmesan and a peperoncini oil on toasted ciabatta – very satisfying for those who like heat; if you’re not too big on that, go for the Honey Truffle Parmesan option.
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Salt beef bagel from Nanna Fanny’s –
a good spot to try London’s traditional salt beef, although it’s not my favourite thing
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Crumble pot from Humble Crumble –
I chose the apple, rhubarb and strawberry base topped with shortbread and hot custard – YUM! This was heavenly.
So heavenly, that I recently returned and tried the Christmas-time toffee apple special – oh so delicious.
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Toasted cheese sandwich from Kappacasein Dairy –
These fantastic British cheesemakers serve up a toasted cheese sandwich that is synonymous with Borough Market. This might a pricey toastie, but the lovely sourdough slices sandwich a combination of Montgomery cheddar, Ogleshield, London raclette, comte, onions and leeks and are perfectly toasted to provide a crusty, decadent, soul-warming couple of bites.
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Rhubarb Cider from The Cider House –
If you’re a cider lover, stop by this stand for a tasting of their gorgeous ciders. I tried a few and loved the rhubarb cider best.
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Prawn paid thai from Khadom Krok –
I tried the prawn paid thai from this authentic Thai street food stall; good, but I’ve had better.
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Restaurants:
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Bao (Soho)
I love this little eatery serving up some of the best steamed milk buns I’ve had along with other inventive Taiwanese eats & drinks.
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Eggbreak
This popular, casual breakfast / brunch / lunch spot is focused on egg dishes. I had their hit Egg, Bacon & Cheese Toasty – indulgent and comforting, although I’m more of a crust sourdough toastie kinda gal.
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The Andover Arms
If you want some great, comforting pub food in a super cosy environment and don’t mind traveling out of very central London, check out this spot. I visited in 2015 and seem to be missing some photos, but I remember the huge, succulent lamb shank I had very vividly.
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Dishoom (King’s Cross)
What a fantastic spot for some hearty Bombay fare; one that I’ll keep returning to. You feel quite transported by the fantastic decor in this bustling, sprawling multi-level space.
First time I visited with friends, we feasted on a variety of breakfast and lunch dishes, all washed down by bottomless chai tea – everything was delicious. Note of caution: many of the dishes were quite spicy.
I recently returned and tried the ruby chicken curry, garlic naan and raita (plus chai, obviously) – fantastic.
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Patty & Bun (Soho)
This very popular burger joint served us some great burgers when we visited in 2015.
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On the Bab
This small, uber-casual eatery is a great spot for Korean fried chicken lovers looking for a quick lunch. I tried a lunch box with rice, coleslaw, a side of wakame salad and, of course, the delicious, crispy, sweet and spicy fried chicken.
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Burger & Lobster
I visited in 2015 and although I can’t remember which outlet I visited, I remember I really enjoyed my lobster roll. This might be a better option that having the burger or the full lobster, although it still comes at a steep price.
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Le Bab (Covent Garden)
This is a casual, but cool spot for gourmet Middle Eastern bites and kebabs. The flatiron hummus was pretty good (steak was delicious, hummus just ok), the lamb adana was very good (although the pita itself was not the best I’ve had), and the fried chicken was fantastic (it stole the show).
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Duck and Waffle
This high-end 24/7 restaurant is as much enticing for its location as it is for its food. Located on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower, we enjoyed the view and a delicious brunch back in 2015.
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Burger & Beyond (Soho)
This trendy joint is another popular burger spot in the city, also serving up some decadent sides and cocktails. We had an early pre-theatre dinner on a weekday and got our meal at a discounted price. Burger was very good, but not particularly memorable.
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Chet’s
This fashionable, retro-style restaurant at the Hoxton Hotel in Shepherd’s Bush serves up Thai-Americana food; an interesting concept if you’re not set on something authentic. While the restaurant was very busy and service a little touch-and-go, we really enjoyed our dinner, particularly the plentiful, flavourful pineapple rice and the luscious fish curry.
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Marugame Udon
This Japanese fast-food spot provides a great concept – essentially, you line up with your tray and select your bowl of handmade udon noodles (a number of options are available, from plain broths or sauces to full-on ramen bowls) and then move on to help yourself (if you wish) to your tempura sides and drinks before paying. The star is definitely those chewy, fresh noods.
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Happy eating!