Dining in London
London restaurants, pubs, cafes, typical dishes and everything else you need to know to keep yourself well fed
By Category
By Interest
London is chock-a-block with restaurants, but perhaps the neighborhood with the densest concentration of inexpensive eateries (Indian, Italian, Asian, and more) is in no-longer-so-seedy Soho.
Some of the cheapest (but still excellent) Indian and Asian restaurants now cluster just south of the British Museum in the south end of Bloomsbury (around, although usually not on, New Oxford Street).
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Recommended restaurants, pubs, cafes, and other dining options in London
Battered and fried fish served with french fries—the ultimate greasy British fast food
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Raising your pinkies at a proper British afternoon tea in London (preferably with scones)
Culinary tours links
- Gastronomic London - This walk is a great way to see some of the most famous neighborhoods of London from a different perspective. In the company of a food historian, or an art historian with a background in gastronomy, we generally start near Green Park, at the quintessential British food oasis: Fortnum & Mason. We will pay extra attention to the artistry of the cuisine and the aesthetics of the display, while taking in the history of this institution; all while tasting some local favorites, like scotch eggs and violet creams (the Queen’s favorite!)...Partner
- London Market Walk - This 2.5-hour walk will lead us through and around one of London's best markets. We will start at Southwark Cathedral by discussing the history of farming in the area and the significance of the Thames and London Bridge to the growth of trade. Following a look around the surroundings, we will dive into the market to talk about—and sample—the great number of foods on offer, from chocolate made by Italian monks to scallops dived off the Devon coast to exquisite truffle oils...Partner
- Evening Food Tour of Soho in London - The evening food tour takes you away from the tourist traps to the cafes, restaurants and shops that are truly shaping the city’s culinary reputation. Explore Soho’s best-kept secrets on this tour, your guide will redefine what you think of British cuisine. The area’s international influences are so diverse that you’ll try everything from Spanish Jamón to Chinese dumplings...Partner
- Traditional British Ale and Food Tasting Evening in London - Sample some of the fine food and beer for which Britain is famous on this 2-hour British ale and food tasting evening in London. Taste six ales with your host, hear about the brewing process and learn how to pull a pint. Enjoy dishes such as steak and ale pie, fish and chips and wild boar burgers, and see how the beers and food complement one another...Partner
- Tea Tasting Walking Tour in London - Along this walk you will learn about when and how tea smuggling flourished in the UK. Your guide will tell you all about how the English Tea Ceremony looked like in the 18th century, also when and how it was created and how Monument and Charles II (who you can see on the Monument itself) are related to tea. End this tour at a beautiful location with the exceptional tea tasting of 3 or 4 traditional British teas which are carefully paired with sweets and snacks...Partner
- London East End Food Tour - Get to know the East End’s burgeoning food scene and its fascinating history on a 3.5-hour London walking tour. With a friendly local guide, explore the eclectic neighborhoods of Shoreditch and Spitalfields and discover the places where in-the-know Londoners choose to eat. Wolf down a bacon sandwich at the award-winning St John Bread and Wine restaurant, discover the legendary salt-beef bagels of Beigel Bake and sample artisan British cheese. Traditional fish and chips at Poppies are also included, as are curry samples on Brick Lane and more...Partner
- London's Chocolate Walking Tour - This chocolate tour in London is a chocoholic’s heaven! Explore the glamorous area of Mayfair with your expert guide and learn about the history of chocolate while sampling six chocolate delights. This 2.5-hour guided walking tour will take you to some of the finest chocolatiers in London including Paul A Young, Hotel Chocolat and Ladurée. You'll also visit some famous department stores, like Liberty of London and Fortnum & Mason. This is a great way to get to know London while enjoying some delicious treats...Partner
- London Food Walking Tour: Brixton Markets - Visit Brixton Market on this exciting 3-hour small-group food tour, led by a friendly local guide! Your tour visits its best delis and stalls, while introducing you to Brixton's bohemian buzz and its thriving pop-up restaurant scene. Enjoy an Afro-Caribbean breakfast, cakes, a cupcake and local beer. You'll also learn about the history of this vibrant market on a walking tour and discover where to find the best treats in town...Partner
- Notting Hill to Kensal Rise Food Walking Tour - This tour from Notting Hill to Kensal Rise explores Portobello Road market and the Golborne Road market. Generous food samples include Turkish tea and the freshest baklava in London, as well as a main meal in a test kitchen at the back of a cookbook shop. Try Jamie Olivers' preferred chippie, followed by Moroccan harira soup and a Portugese pastel de nata and end with award winning brownies in Kensal Rise...Partner
- Borough to Brixton Food Walking Tour in London - Enjoy a tour for foodies and lovers of authentic cultural cuisines. Your private tour starts with a visit to the 32nd floor of the The Shard, and is followed by the best parts of the Borough Market and the insiders guide to trendy Brixton. This 3 to 4 hour tour will have you sampling the best of British cheeses, Israeli bourekas, handmade Scotch eggs, famous fresh custard doughnuts, handmade Beijing dumplings and Neapoli style sourdough pizza...Partner
- Chef-Led Foodies Walking Tour of Soho in London - Let a local chef show you the foodie delights of one of London's most exciting culinary hubs: Soho. Each walk is led by a local chef giving you an alternative London foodie tour, focusing on contemporary food trends and current gastronomic influences. The small group eating and walking tour uncovers fabulous culinary finds in the quirky laneways and hidden alleys of London's most colourful neighborhood. Discover foodie spots and secret 'those-who-know' outlets that are hard to find on your own...Partner
- London Food Walking Tour: London Bridge and Borough Market - Firstly, your local London guide will take you to the exciting Borough Market to soak up the atmosphere, see the 100 different stalls and eat some English fudges/chocolate. This eating paradise was not even on the tourist foodie radar a few years ago.Still in the market, you will try award winning Lincolnshire sausages followed by the best and most fresh fish and chips in town (and you will get to see the difference between ‘chips’ and ‘French fries’). Next will see local chocolate and cheese shops and try freshly baked homemade bread from the famous Bread Ahead Bakery. Your tour will continue to a historic pub where you can try the best of British cheeses, served with grapes, fig cakes and chutneys washed down with real London Beers, Ales, or delicious ciders (or non-alcoholic options)...Partner
- International Food Tour of Soho in London - Discover London’s diverse culture and cuisine on this 4.5-hour food tour of Soho, one of the oldest and most vibrant districts in the city. Follow a guide along the highways and byways of Soho while learning about the neighborhood’s international influences, and pass famous theaters, elegant boutiques and quirky cafes. As you walk, enjoy up to 10 food samples plus tastings of wine and beer in some of the most eclectic and historical eateries in town...Partner
- Bankside and London Bridge Food Walking Tour in London -
Discover a thousand year old market, a hidden roof top cafe with a seasonal menu, captivating urban forests and mouth-watering pie made from local ingredients. Sample British charcuterie and cheese made from a family with recipes that are centuries old.
Partner
Foodies with a sweet tooth will love the education on Fair-trade chocolate with tastings of delectable hot chocolate and a visit to an authentic gelato store with flavors sourced from Borough Market... - Candy Making Class in London - This is your chance to learn the science and craft involved in bringing to life one of the most iconic British candy traditions. Working alongside a Master Candy Maker you’ll take a journey through making your own candy. You’’ll choose your designs, mix in the flavors, roll and create an array of personally handcrafted candy. At the end of the class you’ll get to take home some of your creations to impress your friends and family...Partner
Afternoon tea links
- Afternoontea.co.uk - Descriptions and booking service for 250+ tea spots across London
- Afternoonteaonline.co.uk - Descriptions and booking service for 152 tea options in London
- Timeout.com - Excellent editorial selection and honest reviews of top 30+ venues, ranging from "Good Value" to "Treat Yourself" to "Special Occasion"
- Yelp.com - The Yelp list—a bit muddled as any place with "tea" in the review gets into the mix, so there are lots of cheap caffs and other venues that aren't really the "veddy British" afternoon tea–type place you are probably after—but handy,
Tea tours links
- London Tea Tour - Experience traditional afternoon tea in one of London's finest restaurants. Drink in the history of possibly the world’s first truly global product and dunk yourself into a full-bodied blend of kings, queens, pirates and plague. Tea may hold its roots in lands far away, but it remains a drink that has flowed through every aspect of English life, from Victorian high society to wartime ration books, and has established its home in the bubbling metropolis of London...Partner
- London Afternoon Tea at Grosvenor House - sandwiches and tea on this must-do afternoon tea experience in London! Choose between one of two different types of afternoon tea – one with Champagne or one with just tea – both taking place at London’s 5-star Grosvenor House Hotel...Partner
- London Combo: Westminster Abbey with Changing of the Guard, Buckingham Palace and Afternoon Tea - Experience two top London sights and one of Britain's best traditions on this full-day combo tour. Visit Westminster Abbey; get an inside look at Buckingham Palace, the Queen's official London residence; and watch the Changing of the Guard, a wonderful display of British pageantry. Then, cap your day with an indulgent afternoon tea at a luxury London hotel...Partner
- Afternoon Tea at The Rubens at the Palace Hotel in London - Treat yourself to that quintessentially English tradition, afternoon tea, in an elegant lounge with views of Buckingham Palace's Royal Mews. Over the 2-hour experience that's fit for a queen, feast on finger sandwiches, fresh-baked scones, and mouthwatering sweet treats at The Rubens at the Palace hotel, a classically English boutique hotel. The Rubens can accommodate most dietary requirements: please advise in advance...Partner
- Afternoon Tea at The Milestone Hotel in London - Treat yourself to that quintessentially English tradition, afternoon tea, at Kensington's 5-star Milestone Hotel, with a history dating back to 1689. Over the 2-hour experience, feast on finger sandwiches, tartlets, cupcakes, macarons, and fresh-baked scones with clotted cream and homemade preserves, while sipping your choice of single estate tea. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available: inquire in advance...Partner
- London's Sights and Secrets and Afternoon Tea - This tour brilliantly combines sightseeing with the most passionate of English pursuits, afternoon tea. So sit back in style and enjoy tea, cake and a charming piece of London’s history. Yes, we have done it again. We are the FIRST Taxi Tour company to offer this wonderful unique tour. The Original Black Taxi Tour - Bespoke London Sights & Afternoon Tea - is the first of its kind...Partner
Pub & ale tours links
- Ales and Pubs: Sipping the history of British beer - Pubs and beer are a symbol of British society and tradition as much as tea and cakes and fish and chips . But beyond the well-known , and often stereotypical beliefs, do you know what lies behind the tradition of beer and public houses? This three-hour tour will give you a new perspective and appreciation of beer as you enjoy ample tastings at various pubs and breweries located in the East End London area. Led by a trained food anthropologist with expertise in the beer and brewing industry, we’ll focus on the history of brewing in London, highlighting beer’s evolution from a dietary staple, to the almost lost tradition of cask ales, to today’s renaissance of craft beer and brewing...Partner
- Traditional British Ale and Food Tasting Evening in London - Sample some of the fine food and beer for which Britain is famous on this 2-hour British ale and food tasting evening in London. Taste six ales with your host, hear about the brewing process and learn how to pull a pint. Enjoy dishes such as steak and ale pie, fish and chips and wild boar burgers, and see how the beers and food complement one another...Partner
- Private Tour of London's Historic Pubs - Arrange your private pub tour and let the charismatic pub tour leader take care of the rest! The tour normally starts around 3pm. Your guide is an expert on the London pub scene, beer and alcohol history as well as local architecture and British customs (having written books on all five subjects). The guide is a former Beer Sommeliers of the Year and makes regular appearances on British television and radio to discuss the subject...Partner
- Historical Pub Walking Tour of London - Discover ancient ale houses and literary drinking dens on a 3-hour afternoon pub tour of London! Centered on the area in and around the City of London, the tour visits at least four of London’s finest historical pubs, your guide will recommend different ales in each (not included). Hear the history of the pubs, learn the differences between Elizabethan coaching inns and Victorian gin palaces, and visit the watering holes frequented by legendary British novelist Charles Dickens...Partner
- Pub Tour of London's West End: Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and Soho - Check out London’s best ale houses on a 4-hour historical pub tour of the West End! Led by a friendly local guide, your tour includes visits to five traditional pubs with beer samples in each. Visit locals’ favorites at Trafalgar Square, Soho and Seven Dials – the epicenter of London’s theater scene -- and discover atmospheric pubs down blink-and-you'll-miss-it alleyways near Covent Garden. Hear the history and culture of beer in England, get tips on London's pub scene and enjoy drinking like a local...Partner
- Greenwich Pub Tour in London - The tour starts at 6pm at the Sir Walter Raleigh statue in Greenwich. At each of the four lovely pubs on the tour, stop to flavor the ambiance and to enjoy a complimentary half pint of beer/ale as well. One of the pubs on the tour is the famous Trafalgar Tavern, on the River Thames. It is not the only riverside pub on the tour, but it has a fantastic location with outside patio. On tap are some wonderful ales from Cornwall and elsewhere in the U.K. The remainder of the evening is spent at the other three charming pubs on the tour...Partner
- Haunted London Pub Walking Tour - Discover murder most foul, the address of Sweeney Todd, public executions gone wrong, poltergeists, witch hunts, grave robbers and Harry Potter. Hear of England's worst serial killer and end the evening in the spine chilling cells of a Victorian prison. There is also plenty of opportunity on route to calm your nerves and pluck up a little Dutch courage...Partner
- Historic London Pub Tour - Discover London’s oldest drinking establishments as you explore the winding streets and back alleys of the historic city centre. Visit where Dylan Thomas drunkenly misplaced his manuscripts, learn how Victorians fed their gin cravings and stand in the secret alleyways where one of England’s most notorious poets faced a duel. Learn about London’s seedy drink-obsessed past, whilst taking in the splendor of modern day London and sensing the ghosts of yesteryear at some of the city’s top landmarks. This tour promises drama, intrigue and a good glug of history, before you relax in one of Charles Dickens’ regular watering holes with the world’s favorite drink (half pint included)...Partner
