Now that Christmas has passed, I’m thinking lots about the new year. Most specifically, I’ve got my mind on a very impulsive and recent booking of a trip to London! From February 3 to 14, Dan and I will be roaming the city’s streets, trying to avoid falling bridges and werewolves.
What I mean to say is that we have very little knowledge of the city. What I do know about London comes from Downton Abbey, One Direction music videos/Spice World (lots of double decker buses…), and Sweeney Todd. Unless I get my act together quickly, we’ll be winging it. But as much as I Google stuff, I feel like I’m missing out on finding the cool places, the biggest clue being that when I Google “things to do in New York,” the results include everything that annoying people do in New York.
So this post is a plea: Help! Where should we be eating in London? What’s the real, authentic stuff? What should I avoid no matter what?
Let me know in the comments. “Cheers!”
Hi Hillary, I have a few recommendations for an area of London called Clerkenwell (I used to work there so I know it better than other places):
1. The Modern Pantry – they have a lovely restaurant but also a little shop at the back wich sells great salads and lunch things as well as sour cherry and rosewater brownies, which are possibly my favourite brownies ever! http://www.themodernpantry.co.uk/
2. Vinoteca – great wine bar and restaurant and they also sell wine to take away and have a good selection of organic wines too http://www.vinoteca.co.uk/farringdon/
3. St John – they specialise in ‘nose to tail’ cooking which means there are really odd things like tripe on the menu, which I’ve never been brave enough to try, but don’t let that put you off they have lots of other delicious things on the menu too! https://www.stjohngroup.uk.com/smithfield/
Let me know if you need any other recommendations. Enjoy your trip!
Kate
Kate,
Thanks so much! I’m trying to find reasons to adventure to different neighborhoods, so I will definitely be putting these spots on my list.
H.
BOROUGH MARKET is a must, and have sandwiches from the boar sausage vendor or the chorizo sandwich people, or DEGUSTIBUS if you don’t want sausage. The coffee at Borough Market is the best you’ll find in London.
I’ll second ST. JOHN. There are a few different branches of St. John now, so try to read up before you go and check the opening days and hours.
A pub I like for both food and drink is called WHITE HART in Waterloo. Go after exploring that neighborhood (Tate Modern, The Globe, etc.). All the side streets around there are pretty neat, too. Grab bakery treats nearby at KONDITOR AND COOK (that’s the name I see in that location, although I feel like it wasn’t called that when I was there). Stash at hotel for late-night munching.
If you’re dead-set on curry — and you don’t have to be — try CHUTNEY’S on Drummond, especially if you can go on a Sunday afternoon for the “all you wish to eat boo-fay.” It’s near a bunch of UCL dorms, so there will be a lot of younger people hanging around there. Drummond Street has a bunch of vegetarian Indian restaurants and sweet shops that are fun to see.
Avoid the following places: Slug and Lettuce, Pizza Express, Pret (acceptable for tea in a pinch), Cafe Nero (tolerable for coffee in a pinch).
OTTOLENGHI is also a must.