27 Iconic London Foods to Experience in 2024
London food is succulent and memorable, making the capital of the United Kingdom a great place to visit for food. London is a very multicultural and large city, therefore it offers plenty of unique and wonderful restaurants, takeaways and cafés.
London’s history is long and varied. It is the home to many historical places, such as the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, ‘Big Ben’ and the London Eye. The numerous things to do in London means there are lots of date ideas in London.Â
You might ask, what is the most popular food in England and what is traditional British food? Fish and chips is an iconic British food, but you can forget about mashed potatoes and sausages, a classic English breakfast, pies and Chicken Tikka Masala, which has been voted as British people’s favorite dish. Traditional British food tends to focus on baked goods and homely food, such as Shepard’s Pie and roast dinner.
Now we will explore the 27 most iconic London foods to help you decide what to eat when you are in London.
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27 Best London Foods
1. Full English Breakfast
What is the national food for London? Well, that is a difficult question to ask. However, if it is breakfast time the answer is certainly a full English breakfast.
This includes bacon, fried, poached or scrambled eggs, fried or grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, fried bread or buttered toast, and sausages.
Black pudding, baked beans plus bubble and squeak, which is a dish consisting of potatoes and cabbage are also often in a full English breakfast. This is one of the 10 things to eat in London.
2. Fish and Chips
Another English classic, fish and chips is another London food to savor in the capital. You simply cannot go wrong with this dish, where the chips are chunky and the fish is battered perfectly. The fish is often cod or haddock.
Mushy peas are also very popular with fish and chips. Whether you go to a local chippy or have a more modern take on this dish, it’s hard not to love a fish and chips.Â
3. Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea is a British tradition where, in the afternoon, you eat lots of finger sandwiches, cakes, pastries and of course, drink lots of tea. There are plenty of places in London to have a delightful afternoon tea.
This is also a great chance to try scones with clotted cream and jam. Boozy afternoon teas are also possible to find. The B Afternoon Bus Tour is perfect for having afternoon tea, whilst seeing the sights of London.
4. Sunday Roast
Another British meal tradition, this roast is typically served in the afternoon on a lazy Sunday. Chicken, parsnips, carrots, potatoes and much more are served with gravy in a traditional roast.
But you can also get a Sunday roast as a nut roast and with cheese and cauliflower for those on a nonmeat diet.
5. Yorkshire Pudding
This delightful food is made from eggs, flour, milk and sometimes water. This is often found in Sunday Roasts and is not a sweet treat but a savory side dish.
Yorkshire is one of the largest regions in Northern England. But this has become an iconic London food.Â
6. Bangers and Mash
Another London food you should experience when in the city is bangers and mash, otherwise known as sausages and mashed potatoes.
The sausages tend to be British-made with either pork, lamb, beef or maybe another type of meat. This is often served with gravy, fried onions and delicious peas.
7. Ploughman’s Lunch
A ploughman’s lunch is not necessarily a delicacy. It is traditionally a worker's lunch, but has become popular in the British food scene.
The lunch consists of a large block of cheese, pickle, relish, chutney, fruit, such as grapes, pickled onions, sliced ham, pork pie, boiled egg and even paté. Â
8. Beef Wellington
This is in our 10 things to eat in London. Beef Wellington is a famous English steak dish. It is made with fillet steak, coated with paté and duxelles wrapped in puff pastry. This is a gorgeous London food to experience.
9. Beef Stew
Another iconic London food that continues the theme of beef, this stew is a traditional braised casserole with gravy and large chunks of cut vegetables. The slow cooking and rich, thick sauce add incredible flavor to this wonderful dish.
10. Scotch Egg
On London food menus, you might find scotch eggs, especially in pubs. A Scotch egg is a boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs, which is baked or deep-fried. This is a classic English tradition.
11. Pork Pie
Whether you are having lunch or simply want a snack, a pork pie is the choice for many British people. This is a traditional small pie, normally served cold.
It has chopped pork surrounded by layers of jellied pork stock and crusty pastry. This London food is perfect with a salad.Â
12. Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala has become a favorite dish in London. This dish originates from South Asia and consists of roasted marinated chicken in a spicy sauce. This London food dish is often ranked the best dish in the U.K. by British people.
13. Oysters
Oysters are loved in London. The U.K. has three main oyster species, such as the Pacific Oyster also known as the ‘Rock’ Oyster. The Oystermen Seafood Bar and Kitchen is an incredible Michelin London food restaurant that serves lovely oysters. This is one of the coolest restaurants in London.Â
14. Salt Beef Bagel
Bagels are all over London and there is no better bagel than the salt beef bagel. A fresh, warm chewy bagel filled with salt beef and gherkins is the perfect salt beef bagel.
The Beigel Bake Brick Lane Bakery is one of the best and oldest bagel shops in London, so tot ry this London food think about visiting this bakery.Â
15. Cornish Pasty
Originating in Cornwall, a region in the south of England, the Cornish pasty can be found across the capital. These bakes have peppery chunks of beef with vegetables all within a golden pastry.
16. Peruk Ikan- Mambow
Mambow is amongst the great London food restaurants. It is located in Peckham and serves gorgeous Asian food. The peruk ikan is a scrumptious dish that comes with deep-fried stone bass, peruk ikan-inspired sauce and wild betel leaf.
17. Samosas at Diwana Bhel Poori House
Opening in 1971, Diwana Bhel Poori House offers delicious vegetarian Indian food only a short walk away from the famous Euston Station. This is a great place to have samosas, a South Asian fried pastry with savoury filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas and occasionally meat and fish. This is a delightful side dish.
18. Rarebit at St John
St John is one the coolest restaurants in London, where you can eat amazing offal dishes that were pioneered by Fergus Henderson. They serve gorgeous rarebit here, a dish of hot cheese sauce served on toasted bread.
19. Toad in the Hole
This London food is a traditional English dish that consists of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, onion gravy and vegetables. There are also vegan and vegetarian versions of this delectable dish.Â
20. Fish Finger Sandwich
Many people in the U.K. grew up on fish fingers, but you can find many places that have turned with simple dish into a gourmet meal. These fish fingers consist of a whitefish, such as haddock, hake or cod and are often baked.
Terry’s Café London is a wonderful place to try a delicious fish finger sandwich, a perfect lunch treat.
21. Black Pudding
This London food is often found in roast dinners and is a distinct type of blood sausage. It is made with pork, sometimes beef blood and a cereal like oatmeal. This is an unusual but tasty food to add to a meal.
22. Jellied Eels
Jellied eels originated in the 18th century and come from the East End of London. This traditional dish consists of chopped eels boiled in spicy stock.
Once cooled, this becomes a jelly and is served cold. If you ask what food is London famous for, this is at the top of the list. There a lots of places that serve this, making it one of the best local foods in London.
23. Guinness Cake
On London food menus, you might find Guinness cake, a sweet and delightful cake made with the famous Irish beer Guinness. This is a delicious treat that can be found across London, especially in Irish eateries.
24. Fruit Crumble
This is one of the most famous British desserts and is made with comforting apple and blackberry, baked in the oven with crisp buttery crumbs. Many London food recipes will guide you in making a fabulous fruit crumble.
25. Banoffee Pie
If you are searching for London food recipes for scrumptious desserts, then think about making or trying a banoffee pie. This is a British pie made from bananas, whipped cream, caramel sauce and a biscuit base.
There are multiple versions of this pie to try so have a look across London for banoffee pies!
26. Sticky Toffee Pudding
This British dessert is a London famous food name that is known also in Australia and New Zealand. This dessert is a moist sponge cake with chopped dates covered in a tasty terrific toffee sauce, often served with vanilla custard or vanilla ice-cream.
27. Eton Mess
Another famous London food name, the Eton Mess is a transitional dish that has a mixture of berries, meringue and whipped cream as the main parts. It is thought to have originated from the famous Eton College.
Learn to Cook With London Chefs
You can learn to make these iconic London foods for yourself when you join the fun of interactive cooking classes in London. Perfect for group activities or a romantic date night for two, talented and experienced London chefs will guide you every step of the way to making savoury, homey dishes that encompass the rich history of London.Â
There are many London food names to look out for, from incredible restaurants to delightful traditional British side dishes and mains. In this article, we have covered these iconic London foods, from foods from London to ones that now define London’s diversity and selection of food.
If you are in the U.K. capital, there are lots of London food which is worth trying. Trying new food and rotating your diet helps increase the diversity of good bacteria in your gut and allows you to get a wider range of nutrients, helping to improve your health.
Therefore if you are in London, you should try different foods in the city. Keep an eye out for the London food names in this article when you are in the capital. We hope you find this guide useful.
For even more fun food ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
