London Food Guide: The 12 Best Places to Eat
When planning any trip, it’s important to see famous landmarks and try popular restaurants around the city. London is known for many things; there’s beautiful architecture, historical landmarks, and great food! Coming from the United States (specifically Texas), food is essential as we have access to some of the most diverse cuisines, and the food in London in comparison did not disappoint. Here you will find some of the best places to eat in London including halal options, desserts, and date night restaurants.
- Tayyab’s: A Punjabi restaurant that is halal and has vegetarian options, this one was a top favorite. Try their lamb chops, chicken tikka, seekh kabab and daal. Be sure to finish off the meal with some masala chai. The location is further from the main city so I recommend arriving via taxi.
- Nando’s: This one I might get some disagreements on but honestly you can’t go to London and not try Nando’s. Many places serve peri peri style chicken but going to the OG didn’t disappoint as the food was really good! Try a mix of the different sauces and I’m a personal fan of olives and ate that with my meal and enjoyed it.
- The Great Chase: A fully halal Sunday Roast restaurant, this was also one of our favorite experiences. The weekday menu is limited to lamb and chicken but the portions are big and enough for two people to share but I recommend getting each dish to try for the best experience. Be sure to pair your meals with one of the many mocktails for the best halal Sunday Roast in London.
- L’eto Cafe: The perfect spot after dinner for some pastries, this cafe serves various desserts and cakes and also tea/coffee. It was a bit unorganized as they don’t have a menu for their pastries you have to go to the counter where they’re all laid out and pick from there but do have an organized menu for the drinks. Be sure to try the milk cake, which is similar to a Tres Leches cake but less sweet.
- Chaiiwala: If you’re a fan of traditional desi chai, this is the best place to try some chai. Between Karak, Kashmiri, or regular chai, this place has many options for different hot drinks and even has a little bakery where you can try some sweet and savory snacks.
- Taste of Pakistan: A complete hole-in-the-wall restaurant closer to the airport, this restaurant had some of the best Northern Pakistani food. Try their giant naan which comes on a stand and enough for a large family and also give their chapli kababs a try which are also giant but so flavorful. My personal favorite was the Kabuli Pulao and the Karhai Chicken. This restaurant is cash-only so plan accordingly!.
- Patogh Restaurant: The most authentic halal Persian/Iranian Food we found, this restaurant was small but the dishes were flavorful and the portions were big enough to share. The staff was very friendly and it was nice sitting next to the kitchen and seeing them make everything so fresh. I recommend the chicken pieces with ground chicken and beef kabab and of course, no Persian meal is complete without some Persian tea. This place is also cash only and has more room upstairs for large parties.
- Funky Chips in Camden Market: It’s just fries or chips but packed with flavor and giant portions where one was big enough for 2-3 people to share. If you’re a potato lover you can’t go wrong with this place and I recommend the Masala chips, extra spicy with a nice refreshing drink.
- Poppies Fish and Chips: There are lots of fish and chips places to choose from around London but this is the most popular and for good reason. The fish is fresh, crispy and lightly seasoned. Be sure to let them know if you eat halal as they have separate oil they use to fry the fish so it doesn’t get shared with their non halal menu items.
- Bizzarro: This was a place we found last minute as we were craving some Italian food and so glad we tried this restaurant. The food tasted very authentic and the service was great with Italian staff walking around, it felt as if we had stepped into Italy for a quick bite. Their Margherita pizza was a favorite and the pastas were light, tasty and filling. Their menu selection is HUGE so be sure to order multiple dishes and try out a bit of each.
- Blank Street Coffee: A popular coffee shop, you can find these at every corner but their lattes and matchas are worth it, a good alternative to Starbucks and I can see why it’s so popular!
- La Maritxu London – Basque Cheesecake: As the name states it’s a cafe for the best cheesecake in London. Be sure to go early because they do run out and one slice is big enough for two people but why would you want to share?
Thank you for reading through the top 12 places to eat in London and I hope you were able to add some to your list on your next trip! Be sure to check out my full 7-day guide on how to spend your time in London (perfect for first-timers).