Food Flashback Friday- London

Let’s be real. London, and Great Britain in general, do not have the best reputation for food. It’s not often that you hear someone say they are really craving British food. So when I visited last year, I was pleasantly surprised. The food was, for lack of a better word, awesome. Based on recommendations in our Lonely Planet guidebook, Tripadvisor and Yelp reviews, my husband and I found some tasty eats.

The Full English Breakfast- aka my husband’s jam. A full plate of back bacon, eggs, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, toast, sausage, black pudding and baked beans. And another surprise, black pudding is pretty good. Must go- Duck & Waffle in the financial district. Great food, coffee and mimosas but the real reason to go is for the view. Located on the 40th floor of the Heron Building, the views of London are incredible. A little pricey but worth it for the experience (the speedy glass elevator was an added bonus). The below picture was taken from the floor-length window closest to our table. Yup, that is the Gherkin and Tower Bridge in the background and I snapped it while waiting for my waffles. 

Fish & Chips- they are everywhere and they are delicious. Almost every pub in London has fish and chips. Overwhelmed by the options on our first night, we wandered across Tower Bridge and found an empty table at The Bridge House. We ordered fish and chips, an appetizer sampler and giant ciders. The fish and chips in London are no joke- HUGE pieces of tender, juicy fried fish and lots of fries. They even brought us plenty of tartar sauce and ketchup (without having to ask).

Similar to America, there is a wide variety of food in London from all different cultures. A lot of Indian restaurants, pizzerias and even sushi. Before seeing The Phantom of the Opera in the West End (which I HIGHLY recommend), my husband and I had dinner at a cute little Sicilian restaurant called Nonna’s Kitchen. This ended up being some of the best Italian food we have ever had. An added bonus- a bottle of their house wine was only 15 pounds and paired with our meal perfectly.

One thing we did not try that is on my list for next time, a traditional afternoon tea. With little sandwiches and everything. In the end, we had a great foodie experience in London. We went on to our next adventure full and happy. Cheers!