Hey guys, nice to have you back on my blog reading this new post. You know, I’ve been to London at the end of April and we went to a lot of food spots. Since London is such a huge city it is also home to a lot of really good and hip food hotspots. I thought, why not create my own food guide about our experiences? I’ve already written a blogpost about our London trip. You can read about what we did here. I also gave some tips and tricks. So make sure to check it out!
I’ve decided to separate this post into two categories: breakfast/sweets and lunch/dinner. I guess this way it is easier for you to find whatever you are looking for.
Breakfast & Sweets
The Grains
Website: http://www.26grains.com/shop-1/
Location: 1 Neal’s Yard, London
Recommended: Rhubarb Cardamom Granola, Banana Cocoa, Mint tea
Veggie/vegan option: Yes
This is a small café located at Neil’s Yard. It’s a bit hidden, but still worth a visit. They mainly offer porridge, which we both had. It was seriously the best porridge I had in London. Therefore, I absolutely recommend it! The left one is the Rhubarb Cardamom Granola with extra almond butter. The right one is Banana Cocoa one. Moreover, this café is also suitable for vegans because they cook the porridge with almond or coconut milk. If you are into savory, they also offer that. However, we didn’t try that.
The Grind
Website: http://grind.co.uk/shoreditchgrind/
Location: 213 Old St, London
Recommended: Porridge, full vegetarian breakfast
Veggie/vegan option: Yes
The Grind is actually a chain all across London. We’ve been to the Shoreditch Grind because it was the closest to our Airbnb. This café/restaurant chain is probably one of the most instragramable places in London due to their really nice interior. But in my opinion the food is a bit overhyped. The porridge was not bad, but the one in the Grains was way better. We also tried coffee there, and it was unfortunately not good. However, the Grind is still worth a visit because it is a hit and chill there. We’ve ordered porridge, coffee and the full vegetarian breakfast.
Dark Sugars
Website: https://www.darksugars.co.uk
Location: 141 Brick Ln, London
Recommended: Ordinary hot chocolate (they top it with three types of chocolate)
Veggie/vegan option: I think, they offered plant-based milk, but I’m not 100% sure. Just go there and ask.
This food hotspot is actually a chocolate store, where they offer hot chocolate too. To be honest, I’ve had the best hot chocolate ever there. It was topped with three sorts of chocolate (milk, dark and white) and therefore really chocolatey. If you are into chocolate I really recommend it. There are two shops situated at Brick Lane. I’ve ordered the ordinary hot chocolate.
Lunch & Dinner
DF/Mexico
Website: https://www.dfmexico.co.uk/homepage
Location: Hanbury Street, Shoreditch, London; 28-29 Tottenham Court Rd, Bloomsbury, London
Recommended: Buttermilk chicken and chile beef taco, fries, side salad
Veggie/vegan option: Yes
We went to the one in Shoreditch on our first evening. The staff there was really friendly because the order man, for example, told me that there is free tap water available for customers. Moreover, they got me the wrong tacos and they immediately got me the right ones. I ordered the buttermilk chicken ones, but I got the the chile beef ones instead. When I ask the waiter about this incident, he immediately brought me the buttermilk chicken and we could keep both. So, two pairs of tacos for Lisa. Btw, the burritos also looked really good!
Kanada-Ya
Website: https://www.kanada-ya.com
Location: 64 St Giles High St, London
Recommended: Truffle Ramen (highly recommended!), Tonkotsu X
Veggie/vegan option: Yes, vegetarian ramen
Since I was in Japan in summer 2017, I’m in love with Ramen. If you are into Ramen as well (or even if not), I would so recommend this place. They offer totally authentic Ramen noodles, which taste so good. This place was my favorite restaurant during this whole week. Nothing more to say, than a real Japanese experience in the heart of London. I’ve had the Tonkotsu X Ramen topped with an egg and my boyfriend the truffle Ramen.
Exmouth Coffee Company
Website: http://www.exmouthcoffee.co.uk
Location: 83 Whitechapel High St, London
Recommended: Coffee, Lunch Salads, Mozzarella Sandwich, Quiche, apple cake
Veggie/vegan option: Yes
This location is more a café, but we had lunch there. That’s why I include it in this section. I had a lunch menu, with quiche and a side salad. My boyfriend had a mozzarella sandwich. They make the lunch salads every day fresh and always vary with the ingredients. They offer lots of different sandwiches and all kind of cakes as well. As far as I remember, they also offer small breakfasts too. Moreover, the coffee there is quite good for London.
Shakespeare’s Head
Website: https://www.carnaby.co.uk/store/shakespeares-head/
Location: 29 Gt. Marlborough Street, London
Recommended: Burger, Fish and Chips, Cider and Beer
Veggie/vegan option: No, maybe they have something vegetarian in their menu, but this is not the typical veggie/vegan place. Only if you wanna go for beer (since it’s vegan)
During our week in London we wanted to go to a typical pub for one time. This experience was as typical as it gets because a soccer game was broadcasted during our stay. For eating in, I would recommend you to go to the second floor. There are lots of tables available.
Mae Deli
Website: https://deliciouslyella.com/2016/01/04/welcome-to-the-mae-deli/
Location: 18 Weighhouse St, Mayfair, London
Recommended: Today’s dish, salads, banana bread and other vegan sweet treats
Veggie/vegan option: Yes, all vegan
The mae deli is a deli owned by Ella Woodward aka Deliciously Ella. She is a vegan book author and all dishes, which can be bought there, are vegan. We had a chili with corn bread topped with cashew garlic crème. I can totally recommend this eatery! I think you can also have breakfast there, but to be sure check out their homepage. Moreover, fresh tab water is also available for free. Really love it there, as you can see on my face!
Other
We also have been to Shake Shack once, but in my opinion this fast food chain is overhyped and overpriced. I mean the fries are really good, but the burger is way too expensive for the amount (and quality) you get.
When we didn’t go out for food, we grabbed something at the next supermarket. I can totally recommend Marks&Spencers for fancy take away food and for nice flapjacks. (Please try those out!) The other supermarket chains such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Waitrose are also fine.
That’s it with my food guide from London. Hopefully, you can take advantage of it during your next London trip. If you have any more suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.
Hi, I’m Lisa