London mixes grand hotel dining rooms with a deep bench of chef-led restaurants drawing on every immigrant cuisine. Its best cheap eats are often counters and cafés run by communities from across the world.
London at a glance
What to eat
Fish and chips; Sunday roast; Pie and mash; Full English breakfast; Afternoon tea.
When to go
Best: April–May and September–October. Also good: March and November. Hardest: July–August.
Top tables
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Michelin 3★ (2026); CORE by Clare Smyth, Michelin 3★ (2026); The Ledbury, Michelin 3★ (2026); Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Michelin 3★ (2026). This guide lists 14 award-winning restaurants in all.
Where locals eat
Local favorites off the prestige lists include M Manze, Indian YMCA, Baban's Naan and Paul Rothe & Son.
Markets
Borough Market, Broadway Market and Maltby Street Market.
95 award-winning39 critic-reviewed4 local favorites6 hot right now3 markets6 walking tour stops10 chef's picks5 sandwich shops10 romantic dinners5 breakfast spots10 new openings25 dish spots28 more in our database
Food walking tour: Borough to Bermondsey: a London Saturday5 hours on foot, 6 stops, in eating order. Add the whole tour to your trip, then give it a day.
Photos: Borough Market: Øyvind Holmstad, CC BY-SA 4.0; Broadway Market: Dr Neil Clifton, CC BY-SA 2.0; Maltby Street Market: William Harold Amos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Chef Amazing picks: where to eat in London
The well-known five cover two Michelin-starred rooms (Indian in Mayfair, Italian on the Thames) and three places that work on a normal budget: a Bethnal Green fry-up cafe, the Tower Bridge pie and mash shop, and Dishoom's King's Cross queue. The discoveries are small, mostly cheap counters: a Fitzroy Square canteen, a Finsbury Park bakery, a Marylebone Lane deli, a cash-only chippy and a Borough breakfast cafe.
A Mayfair Indian restaurant with two Michelin stars, best known for game dishes like muntjac biryani. It reopened after a fire closure in 2019-20 and has since expanded abroad.
Best for: celebration dinner · Reserve: book ahead (booking details not confirmed in sources)
Order: The sea bass; check the daily-changing menu.
A Thames-side Italian restaurant that has held a Michelin star since 1997, praised by Michelin for traditional Italian methods and one of the best Italian wine lists in the city. Time Out found the prices as towering as its reputation.
Best for: long lunch, occasion · Reserve: book through rivercafe.co.uk or by phone (020 7386 4200) · Hours: Mon-Sat 12-2:30pm and 6:30-9:30pm; Sun 12-3:30pm (per Time Out, Nov 2024)
Order: The full English breakfast (the Infatuation singles out 'Have The Lot (Meat)').
A family-run East End cafe whose breakfast is the thing to order; the January 2025 Infatuation review rated it 8.4 and found the lasagne and bolognese less convincing. The ham and cheese roll is serviceable.
Best for: breakfast · Reserve: walk-in
332 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 0AG
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
Order: Single pie, mash and parsley liquor; a scoop of ice cream after.
The original Tower Bridge Road pie and mash shop, with almost-smooth mash and liquor, rated 7.0 by the Infatuation. A different, Deptford Manze branch announced it was closing in 2024, so check this branch's status.
Best for: cheap traditional lunch · Reserve: walk-in
87 Tower Bridge Road, London SE1 4TW
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
Bombay cafe food in a big King's Cross room; the queue is part of the draw. Groups of any size can book until 6pm, after that only parties of six or more can reserve (policy per a 2022 review).
Best for: group dinner, book daytime · Reserve: book for lunch or early; walk-in queue in the evening
5 Stable Street, London N1C 4PW
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
A student-hostel canteen on Fitzroy Square where set menus run under 20 pounds. Time Out says the egg curry wins hands-down, and the best deals are at lunch and supper.
Order: Cheese, sesame, za'atar, garlic or falafel flatbreads; the minced lamb lahmacun-style bread when available.
A Kurdish bakery selling flat naan-style breads at knockdown prices, recommended by Time Out in February 2025. Good for a takeaway bite near Finsbury Park.
Best for: cheap takeaway · Reserve: walk-in
51A Blackstock Road, London N4 2JW
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
Order: Egg mayo with anchovies on white, pastrami with Swiss and pickle on brown, Scotch broth.
A Marylebone Lane deli where you order, then sit, first come first served. The Infatuation rated it 8.5 in 2023 and called the egg mayo with anchovies excellent.
Best for: sandwich lunch · Reserve: walk-in
35 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2NN
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
New places change fast. “Provisional” means a guide or directory lists it as new but we have not confirmed the opening date. Check hours and book ahead before you go.
Memorable breakfasts in London
The top pick here; the rest are on their own page.
Dishoom
Covent Garden
Order: Bacon naan roll and chai
A Bombay café-inspired breakfast that has become a London classic.
Picks come from romantic-dinner lists on booking and review sites. Confirm dinner service, menus and availability before you book.
Food walking tour
Borough to Bermondsey: a London Saturday
A caff fry-up, Borough Market, pie and mash and the Maltby Street stalls south of the river.
Start 9:00 at Terry's Cafe, 158 Great Suffolk StreetTime 5 hoursDistance about 3.2 kmBest days Saturday (Maltby Street Market is open 10am-5pm), or Sunday from 11am. Friday only has a 5:30-9pm evening market.
South of the river is where London's market food, cafe fry-ups and pie and mash sit within a few streets of each other. This route runs from a Borough cafe breakfast through Borough Market and the original M. Manze to the weekend traders on Maltby Street, and only works on a Saturday or Sunday.
↓ 14 min · 1000 m on foot (approx.): Walk north-east toward Borough High Street and the railway arches by London Bridge station; the market is just by the station.
2
Borough Market
Market Borough
Order: Graze: British cheese, oysters or something from an artisan baking stall; pick what the traders are cooking that day.
The covered and open-air market known for British cheese, oysters and artisan baking. A short browse here sets up the rest of the route.
Around 10:10 · 50 min
Borough Market, Southwark, London SE1 (exact entrance worth confirming)
Hours: Worth confirming before you go; Saturday is usually the busiest day
↓ 18 min · 1400 m on foot (approx.): This is the one leg that can be a metro hop: from London Bridge station take the Jubilee line one stop to Bermondsey, then walk about 8 minutes along Jamaica Road to Tower Bridge Road. Walking the whole way takes about 18 minutes.
3
M. Manze (Tower Bridge Road)
Classic Bermondsey
Order: A single pie with mash and parsley liquor, then a scoop of ice cream.
The original Tower Bridge Road pie and mash shop, with almost-smooth mash and liquor, rated 7.0 by the Infatuation. A different Deptford Manze branch announced it was closing in 2024, so check this one is open.
↓ 8 min · 550 m on foot (approx.): Walk north-east from Tower Bridge Road toward Druid Street and the railway arches, then follow the signs to Ropewalk off Maltby Street.
4
Maltby Street Market
Street food Bermondsey
Order: Eat whatever the grill and oyster traders are serving; past stalls have included bao, empanadas, gyoza and oysters, and the line-up changes.
A weekend street-food market of around 30 independent traders under the railway arches. Time Out advises going early, and not every trader is there on Sundays.
Around 12:30 · 45 min
Ropewalk, Maltby Street, London SE1 3PA
Hours: Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11am-4pm; Fri evening 5:30-9pm only; closed weekdays (per the market site and Time Out)
Pacing: Share the Blowout and graze rather than sit down at Borough Market. If you are full at the pie shop, skip the ice cream and have the crumble to share.
Plan B: Rain is manageable: Terry's, M. Manze and the Maltby Street arches are covered or indoor. On a weekday, skip Maltby Street and walk from Manze to Masters Superfish (191 Waterloo Road) for fish and chips instead.
Avoid: Weekdays, when Maltby Street Market is closed. Borough Market is very crowded by midday on a Saturday.
Bring: A card is fine at most places, but bring some cash for Terry's and the market traders. Wear comfortable shoes; the arches are cobbled.
Skip it if: You need a weekday plan: Maltby Street Market only runs at weekends, and you do not eat meat or shellfish on a route built around pie and oysters.
Ends at: Malt Bar at Maltby Street Market, Ropewalk. Nearest stations: Bermondsey and London Bridge.
Walking times and distances are approximate, and opening hours change: confirm before you go.
Guided food tours
Take a guided food tour in London
4 small-group tours led by local guides, run by Eating Europe. Prefer to go on your own? The self-guided route is above.
London East End Food Tour: Special 10 Year Anniversary Edition
From £933.5 hoursUp to 12 guestsWalking tour
Walk from Spitalfields Market through Brick Lane to Shoreditch with street art and a varied food scene.
You will taste: bacon brioche bap, Chinese custard tart, cod fish and chips with mushy peas, three curries with rice, salt beef beigel, seasonal crumble.
Meet: East End / Spitalfields (meet at 111b Commercial St, Old Spitalfields Market)
Guided tours are run by Eating Europe, a small-group food tour company in 23 European cities. Chef Amazing earns a commission on bookings made through this page, at no extra cost to you. Prices are per person, from the operator, and can change: we confirm the date, price and availability with you before you pay.
Crazes move fast. “Just spotted” means one report so far, and most entries rest on a single source: confirm hours and expect a wait.
The London food map
Every place in this guide, pinned. Tap a pin to see what to order, then add it to your trip.
Open the full London food map: every place on our lists too (pizza, ice cream, romantic, where locals and the famous eat, cooking classes), searchable by dish.
· Pins are placed by address or name and can be a little off; always confirm in your maps app.
Plan my days in London
Tell us what you like and we will line up the places on this page into a day-by-day plan. Only places from this guide, never anything else.
What to eat in London, and where
Each dish comes with the places that do it best. Tap Add to my trip on the ones you want, or find them on the map above.
Pie and mash with liquor
East End working-class classic
The 5 best places to eat it in London
1
Maureen's Pie & Mash
Poplar · $
Order: Pie, mash and parsley liquor
Ranked top by The Infatuation for its minced-beef pie and herby liquor.
Peak Apr–May, Sep–OctShoulder Mar, NovHard Jul–Aug
Why these months
Saily (Jul 2025): best in spring (Mar-May, April/May for clearer skies) and fall (Sep-Nov) with easing crowds and lower prices; advises avoiding the height of summer rush (Jun-Aug); December busy around Winter Wonderland; Jan-Feb quietest/cheapest; Oct usually wettest. Peak/shoulder split is our reading; avoid=[7,8] is the source's 'height of summer' (it names Jun-Aug high season).
In season
Native oystersJan–Apr, Sep–Dec'months with an R' rule: September to April (Table Journey)
British asparagusApr–JunStarts late April, ends mid-June
Jersey royalsMar–JulMarch to July
Spring lambApr–JunApril to June
StrawberriesMay–AugMay to August per the monthly list
GrouseAug–DecSeason opens 12 August, to about 10 December
Partridge and gameSep–NovPartridge from 1 September
Seville oranges / forced rhubarbJan–MarSeville oranges Jan-Feb for marmalade; forced rhubarb to March
Food events
London Cocktail WeekMarExpected late March per Table Journey (page also lists it under 'expected' 2027 dates; verify)
London Coffee FestivalMayMid-May (expected 13-16 May 2027)
Taste of LondonJunMid-June (expected 17-21 Jun 2027 per Table Journey)
London Restaurant FestivalOctRuns through October (Table Journey; dates 'expected', check year)
Meal costs and tipping (GBP)
Casual: about 13 each for cheaper lunches
Mid-range: about 20 each for a pub meal
Tipping: VisitLondon: customary 10-15%; many restaurants add a 12.5% service charge (check the bill so you don't tip twice); not customary for fast food/takeaway.
From published guides and tourism boards. Months are our mapping of how guides describe the seasons; 2027 event dates are expected, not confirmed. Prices come from single sources of varying age, so treat them as a rough guide. Compare cities by month
What the critics said (last 24 months)
Recent reviews from London. The summaries are ours, in our own words; follow the link for the critic's full take. Some London dates come from roundup columns, so check the date on the review before you book.
Awards come from the guides named on each listing (Michelin Great Britain 2026; World's 50 Best 2025). Researched October 25, 2026. Restaurants change; confirm hours, reservations and current stars before you go. Some addresses, phone numbers and websites come from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), so call ahead to confirm. Local favorites are editorial picks, not rankings.
Chef Amazing’s lists for London: where locals eat, new openings, romantic dinners, ice cream, cooking classes and more, each place with what to order. Cooking classes in London: who teaches, what you cook, how long and how to book.
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