Everything We Ate in London - August 2023
My husband and I just got back from a week in London for our friends wedding and we did a lot of eating. Here are some of the spots we checked out as well as a list of places we can’t wait to try on our next trip!
Gail’s was right around the corner from our hotel and honestly we saw one every few blocks and it is a great place to pop in for a coffee and pastry.
Elwin:
We had a great cup of coffee at Elwin, which is hidden off a main street near Tottenham Court Station. It is a tiny place but definitely worth stopping in.
The Breakfast Club in Soho is one of my favorite places to go for brunch, especially for a full English breakfast. They do the best sausage (where the skin snaps a bit) and their hash browns are super good.
I swear about 4 people and so many London food influencers suggested stopping by Fortitude and it is totally worth the hype. They make their baked goods fresh every day so their offerings are constantly changing and everything we tried was absolutely unreal.
Millie’s Lounge at The Ned Hotel:
We were looking for a “classic” British tea time experience and we loved our tea at Millie’s. The Ned Hotel is unbelievably stunning, very 1920s, and all the food was amazing. We especially liked the sandwich tier and our tea was also lovely.
We met a friend at The Ivy at Tower Bridge and it was a super nice stop in if you are on that side of the river. It is literally right next to Tower Bridge and it has a super nice ambience. The food wasn’t anything crazy, but if you need an easy lunch, this is a great option.
I feel like no trip is complete without a Borough Market stop/lunch. There is literally something for everyone but my favorites are the oyster stand and the duck confit sandwich. I wish I stayed in an Airbnb so I could buy some things and stick them in a refrigerator.
Miznon is my favorite spot in Paris so naturally we had to try it in London and we were pleasantly surprised. It was nice to have something familiar but with totally new offerings and combos. We had the most delicious hummus and we loved the pita with crispy chicken. The brisket pita was nice but the meat was a bit dry. Either way, we love it here and it feels like home.
Ok, hear me out, Wagamama is not great, BUT it is a staple in the UK and such an easy “in a rush” option. We went when we were going to see a show on the West End and had about 30 minutes for dinner. If you are in a pinch, it is a solid option but if you are limited on time, you can absolutely skip it.
A highlight of going to London for me is getting Indian food and Colonel Saab was absolutely delicious. They had some seriously amazing offerings that I hadn’t seen a lot before. The highlights for me were the chicken biriyani, butter chicken, Sunday Lamb curry and the coconut shrimp curry.
Darjeeling has been on my list since seeing the chef on Chef’s Table and it was amazing. The space is really cool and we had such a nice experience. Since your meal comes in Thali form, you pick your two “mains” and all the accompaniments come with it. We loved the chicken curry and the paneer main. The drinks and dessert were also super innovative and delicious. If you are looking for a great Indian meal in London, this should be your first stop.
Kiln:
Kiln is another spot that came highly recommended and we loved it! It is such an interesting concept of Northern Thai food using only British produce/meat/seafood. It was definitely spicy with a lot of amazing flavors but there was nothing we didn’t like. We especially liked the crispy laab spiced squid, slow grilled chicken and soy, southern chicken livers with pickled garlic and the clay pot baked glass noodles with pork fat and brown crab meat. Our cocktails were also amazing and we had such a fun time here. Kiln is definitely on my recommend list.
Dinings was a last minute add for us but man, was it a treat. Dinings wasn’t so talked about but it honestly should be. It is in a sleepier neighborhood but don’t let that turn you away, it is worth the schlep out there. This was, hands down, some of the best and most innovative sushi I have ever tried. Next time we go to London, we will be back and will definitely try the omakase.
We stayed The Bloomsbury in the Bloomsbury neighborhood and we loved it but one of the best things about the hotel was the bar. It is honestly so stunning that even if I wasn’t staying there, I would recommend this bar. Super creative cocktails with a super cool vibe.
Other places we wanted to try but didn’t get to this trip: