Yahoo News The best food in London: 55 must-try dishes in the capital’s restaurants
London is not short of restaurants, and excellent ones at that. Knowing which to try and what to order can be tricky, but there are some dishes that simply can’t be missed.
From decade-old classics to hot new arrivals, intricate creations to simple preparations and Michelin-starred fare to kebabs and pizza, these 55 plates are each perfect in their own way.
The selection is a microcosm of London’s diversity, taking in cuisines from across the globe and embracing both tradition and fusion along the way. How many have you tried?
1. Bone marrow on toast with parsley salad at St John
Neither restaurants or dishes get more iconic than this. Fergus Henderson’s best-known creation has been much emulated over the years, but never bettered.
2. Polenta at The Palomar
There’s a high chance that there’s more butter in this than polenta, along with plenty of mushrooms, truffle and parmesan. This is the highlight dish on a menu of highlights. Watch how The Palomar makes its polenta here.
3. Croquetas at Barrafina
When the original Barrafina launched in Soho in 2007 — modelled on Barcelona tapas bar Cal Pep — it helped introduce the city to both Spanish food and counter dining. Croquetas are among the most popular items on the menu at all three Barrafina restaurants, with different signature serves at each. They might just be the best in town. See how they whip them up in our video here.
4. Anchovies and lardo at Sabor
Sabor, the Spanish powerhouse from former Barrafina chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho, has lots to offer across its tapas bar, restaurant and upstairs asador. This simple plate of salty, oil-rich anchovies laid on bright white sheets of shaved lardo is as simple as it comes, but all the better for it. Best eaten counterside with a sherry in hand and southern Spain in mind.
5. Chorizo roll at Brindisa
Prepare to wait in line for this Borough Market classic: a ciabatta roll stuffed to bursting with smoky chorizo fresh from the grill, roasted red peppers and rocket. It’s a good to start the day as it is to soak up a few pints later on.
6. Al pastor tacos at El Pastor
These soft corn tortillas filled with cured pork that’s been cooked doner kebab-style are the salty, saliva-inducing highlight at this Borough Market taco joint. Find more of the best Mexican restaurants in London.
7. Meat Fruit at Dinner
This canny creation from Heston Blumenthal takes inspiration from c1500. It combines mandarin, chicken liver and foie gras in a pâté, and resembles a mandarin.
8. San Daniele at Santa Maria
For pizza traditionalists, Santa Maria do it like in old Napoli. The San Daniele doesn’t have any tomato sauce, but is topped instead with cherry tomatoes, rocket, parmesan shavings and generous amounts of excellent quality San Daniele Parma ham. See more of the best pizzas in London.
9. Brick Lane bagel at Beigel Bake (or Beigel Shop)
People have been known to fall out arguing which of Brick Lane’s two neighbouring all-night bagel shops is best, but we have no definitive answer. Both offer superbly moist salt beef and sweet, chewy bagel perfection. Have one of each.
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10. Lamb chops at Lahore Kebab House
Leave your airs and graces at the door at Lahore, where it’s all about you and the amazing things they do with that grill. Lamb chops is the star dish at the worthy cult favourite.
11. Spiced lamb, savoy cabbage and sumac yoghurt pizza at Homeslice
Once you get over the fact that the pizzas are a whopping 20 inches, Homeslice’s exciting toppings get their own gawping rights. This middle eastern creation is fresh, crunchy and served on their wonderful garlic base. Purists need not apply.
12. Ari Gold at Patty & Bun
There’s plenty of cheeseburgers in London, but there’s also the Ari Gold: a 35 day aged Aberdeen Angus patty dripping with gooey American cheese and smokey P&B mayo, topped with salad and home-pickled red onion rings. See more of the best burgers in London.
13. Venison Scotch Egg at The Harwood Arms
The British beauty that is the scotch egg has to be the ultimate pub snack. And this well seasoned, gamey, reliably runny-yolked version served at London’s only Michelin-starred gastropub is the leader of its kind.
14. Steak at Hawksmoor
When it comes to steak, Hawksmoor is the daddy. It doesn’t matter what cut you go for or which accompaniments you choose, it’s almost impossible to go wrong. Oh, but do get some bone marrow.
15. Bacon naan at Dishoom
A bacon sarnie, Indian style. A London breakfast classic, especially well-received when a hangover lurks.
16. Beef brisket at Smokestak
The fat strips of tender, slow-cooked beef are a highlight among many high points at the smoke-filled Shoreditch base of David Carter’s Smokestak. They come either straight-up, with a punchy homemade ketchup, or crammed into a bun.
17. Oysters at Wright Brothers
Seafood supremos Wright Brothers are all about the oysters. Think this snack is only for the fanciest of folks? Head there between 3pm and 6pm, Monday to Friday to pick them up for just £1 a go.
18. Mushroom, pearl barley and truffle risotto at Pollen Street Social
Yes, vegan food can be high end. Jason Atherton proves this with gusto at his flagship Mayfair restaurant, where this autumnal dish is the star of his Michelin-starred all-vegan tasting menu. See more of the best vegan dishes in London.
19. Jackfruit Taco at Club Mexicana
Vegan food can, however, get down and dirty with the best of them. This punchy, spicy jackfruit taco from Club Mexicana gives pulled pork a serious run for its money. Find more of the best vegan junk food in London.
20. Cauliflower shawarma at Berber & Q
Vegetable dishes don’t come much more thrilling than this smoky, richly-spiced whole cauliflower charred on the grill and adorned with tahini, pomegranate seeds and pine nuts. A match for any meat dish.
21. Lamb offal flatbread at Black Axe Mangal
Spicy, rich and intense, the lamb offal flatbread created by Lee Tiernan at haute kebab spot Black Axe Mangal in Islington is as fabulously full-on as the heavy metal-playing restaurant itself.
22. Pies at Holborn Dining Room
You can take your pick from Calum Franklin’s pies at Holborn Dining Room, because they are all outstanding. The chef is pastry wizard, who works his magic across a range that includes an anything but humble pork pie, and seasonal specials such as curried mutton pie with mango chutney. Find more of the best pies in London.
23. Fried courgette flowers at Salt Yard
These picture-perfect deep-fried courgette flowers stuffed with goat’s cheese and drizzled in honey are full of Mediterranean splendour.
24. Sausage roll at The Blue Posts
When pub food comes from the team behind The Palomar and The Barbary, then you know you’re going to order more than a bag of nuts. This roll is robustly meaty, with fabulously flakey pastry – served with a dollop of Colman’s, naturally.
25. Lamb shish kebab at Tarshish
Tarshish recently won a particularly well-coveted gong. The reigning champion of the British Kebab Awards fine dining accolade serves up marinated lamb shish, available with a side of mac and cheese.
26. Sloppy Joe at Jikoni
Delicious fatty juices add unctuous backbone to a richly spiced mutton keema which can barely be contained within a toasted brioche bun in this clever take on British-meets-Indian-meets-wherever from Ravinder Bhogal.
27. Beef fat tacos at Temper
There’s a translucent glisten to these indulgent tacos at Neil Rankin’s Temper, where a zero-waste policy means that its tortillas are made with leftover beef fat from the grill - a move which isn’t just good for the environment, but for flavour too.
28. Pressed duck at Otto’s
The pressed duck at this Clerkenwell institution isn’t for the faint-hearted. The multi-course canard fest involves the duck first being brought to the table for inspection complete with its head, while the bones are later crushed to produce an epic-tasting jus. Breast meat, chopped liver and grilled legs all feature in what is a delicious if deathly dish.
29. The English at The Wolseley
This grand Piccadilly Brasserie from Chris Corbin and Jeremy King not only does the best breakfast in town, it pretty much invented the notion of breakfasting out. The English features a choice of fried, poached or scrambled eggs with bacon, sausage, baked beans, tomato, black pudding and mushroom. It’s the quality of ingredients - plus the atmosphere - which makes it really special. Find more of London's best breakfasts.
30. Shakshuka at Ottolenghi and Nopi
A bright, North African breakfast staple mastered and popularised by Yotam Ottolenghi, ideal for brunch.
31. Cacio e pepe at Padella
Few dishes are as splendidly simple as this one from the London Bridge pasta gurus. It is simply spaghetti with parmesan and black pepper. But oh boy, is it good. Find more of the best Italian restaurants in London.
32. Beef dripping candle at Restaurant Story
As it melts, the dripping is collected in the candle holder’s base ready to dip your bread in. It’s been on the menu since the restaurant opened in 2013 and is still one of London’s cleverest dishes.
33. Duck and waffle at Duck & Waffle
A warm, chewy waffle topped with crisp-skinned confit duck and a runny egg, drizzled in maple syrup. Convinced yet? Naturally there are some pretty impressive views, too...
34. Shepherd’s Pie at The Ivy
This Shepherd’s Pie has been a favourite at The Ivy since virtually the beginning, and thanks to the continued roll-out of Ivy brasseries just about everywhere across town, it’s now more accessible than ever.
35. Whole fried sea bass (nam dtok pla thort) at Som Saa
This fiery, aromatic dish became a favourite at Som Saa’s early residencies and pop-ups, and is now a highlight of the menu at its Spitalfields restaurant. Find more of the best Thai restaurants in London.
36. The classic bao at Bao
For steamed buns, you can’t beat Bao. Their classic sees a pillowy-soft bun filled with slow-braised pork belly, coarse peanut powder and shredded coriander. Worth queuing for.
37. Zucchini fritte at Sartoria
On the addiction scale, these crispy strands of fried courgette are class A. They come overflowing in a large bowl at Sartoria as well as Francesco Mazzei’s other two restaurants Radici in Islington and Fiume in Battersea. When at any, they should be ordered on the side of absolutely anything.
38. Buttermilk fried chicken at The Clove Club
This fried chicken dusted with pine salt is a well-deserved classic, and not just because of its interesting, pine-flanked presentation.
39. The Dead Hippie burger at MeatLiquor
This well-known burger is the signature serve across Yianni Papoutsis’ burger empire. It’s dirty and drippy, featuring two beef patties fried in mustard and slathered in melted American-style cheese adorned with pickles and minced raw onions. The creamy, mustardy secret-recipe Dead Hippie Sauce seals the deal.
40. Egg hopper at Hoppers
This Sri Lankan sensation which made its name in Soho and has since expanded to Marylebone isn’t just named after the hopper, it does them very well indeed. Pair an egg hopper with the restaurant’s intricately spiced curries.
41. Hiramasa Tiradito at Coya
London has gone loco for ceviche in recent years, but what about its sashimi-like cousin. Coya serves up silky slithers of kingfish come swimming in dashi, chives and an elegant dollop of truffle.
42. Bhel puri at Kricket
Now settled in Soho after outgrowing the Brixton shipping container they started out in, Kricket offers more dishes than ever to please spice fans. This light and bright exemplary version of bhel puri is still top of the pile. Find more of the best Indian restaurants in London.
43. All In at Blacklock
Chops, glorious chops. That’s what Blacklock does and it does them very well indeed. Don’t choose between them, opt for the All In option and enjoy a mixed grill of varying beef, lamb and pork chops.
44. Miso aubergine at Chicama
This is as close to a pudding that a vegetable gets. Aubergines lathered in miso sauce and topped with sweet, crunchy pecans. Sweet and savoury, you’ll want to order it again for dessert.
45. Ham Egg and Chips at Max’s Sandwich Shop
A legend of the sandwich scene, Crouch Hill’s lunchtime lot are in luck with Max’s Ham Egg and Chips. Slow cooked ham hock is topped with oozing fried egg, matchstick fries, piccalilli and malt vinegar mayonnaise. Our own Fay Maschler can’t resist this place. Find more of the best sandwiches in London.
46. Red Lantern soft shell crab at Hutong
For somewhere so high up, Hutong is pretty warm. Looking down from the 33rd floor of the Shard, this dish of fried soft shell crab is left warm in a bowlful of dried Sichuan chillies, soaking up their smokey spice. Find more of the best Chinese restaurants in London, and read up on the best regional Chinese cooking in London.
47. Cronut at Dominique Ansel Bakery
When New York master baker Dominique Ansel opened his first European site in Victoria, this hybrid Franken Pastry that merges a croissant and a doughnut led to queues of several hours. Bite into its fluffy, buttery, flaky goodness and you’ll instantly understand the appeal. Find more of London's best bakeries and cake shops.
48. Sugar-cured prawn omelette at The Modern Pantry
Anna Hansen’s Asian-influenced signature dish, served at The Modern Pantry restaurant in Clerkenwell.
49. Venison puffs at Yauatcha
Flaky buttery pastry encasing tender venison, a highlight of the dim sum at Alan Yau’s Soho restaurant.
50. Deep-fried olives at Mele e Pere
These plump green olives stuffed with chilli and deep fried might just be London’s most noshable nibble. They are juicy, spicy, slightly salty and endlessly addictive. Wash them down with some of Mele e Pere’s homemade vermouth.
51. Galician beef at Lurra
The beef at this Marylebone Basque restaurant is something special. It comes from cows which live until they are at least eight, often 10 and sometimes 14. These cows are fatter, which leads to more marbling in the meat and a lot more flavour.
52. Chicken Kiev at The Game Bird
Playful takes on British classics are a signature of this restaurant set in Mayfair’s The Stafford hotel. Top of the pile is this retro Kiev of tender chicken that oozes with ultra-garlicky, truffle-laced butter. The accompanying mash is dreamily creamy, too.
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53. Jamon at Bar Tozino
More a ham cave than a bar, Maltby Street’s Bar Tozino is so full of hanging hams that you’ll likely smell the ageing meat even before walking through the door. Settle in and gorge your way through slice after slice of the varying options, washing it all down with sherry ideally.
54. Kid goat methi keema at Gymkhana
A deep, smoky mince curry served with bread rolls — an example of less is more at this Mayfair Michelin-starred Indian.
55. Mince and potatoes at Dean Street Townhouse
Iconic in its defiant simplicity, this signature dish is ultimate comfort food. Comfort food made with A-listers in mind, naturally.
So, how many have you tried?
