I LOVE LONDON. On our most recent trip, my mom and I went to the British city. For two years, I had been meticulously researching and planning every day down to the hour (literally). And while Britain isn’t typically known as a hotspot for food, I had some of the best meals of my life, including the best pizza(!).
When I came back, I couldn’t stop smiling – something my friend noted in school – because I had an unbelievable time in London. London is rich in history, but is also very modern. This was a week I’ll never forget, and I am so happy to share the restaurants with you.
*For most of these restaurants, I had gluten, but surprisingly, it did not give me stomach aches, as it does in the U.S.. Most places would accommodate for a gluten-free diet, as well as dairy-free; I remained dairy-free, while experimenting with small amounts of gluten during my stay.
WESTMINSTER
QUILON, Southern Indian
After absorbing the Churchill War Rooms for nearly three hours, our morning was off to a historical start. We headed to Quilon, only an 8 minute walk away, to explore Indian cuisine: London is known to have amazing Indian restaurants, and this is no exception. To start, the restaurant offers lentil chips with two types of chutney (curry lentil and minty chickpea), along with three other sauces varying in spiciness. We loved the chutneys in particular, and after telling the manager, he generously gave us a take-home bag of two containers of them. This was totally unexpected and something that would most likely not happen in NYC. So what did we order?
- Starter
- Mini Masala Dosa: rice and lentil pancake filled with tempered potatoes and vegetables
- Chicken Sukke: chicken cubes marinated with roasted ground lentil, chili, coriander, and cumin
- Vegetarian Main
- Chickpeas Masala: chickpeas cooked in a special blend of aromatic spices
- Spinach Priyal: shredded fresh spinach cooked with mustard seeds and freshly grated coconut
- Accompaniments
- Lemon Rice: basmati rice tossed in lime juice, curry leaves, split bengal gram and pure ghee
- Cost per person: £25
This was my first real Indian restaurant, and I loved it. My favorite dish was the chickpeas masala; the chickpeas were cooked to perfection, and the spices were melodious.
The service was top-notch, as was the food.
BELGRAVIA
OTTOLENGHI, Mediterranean
Food52 and Huffington Post have always raved about Ottolenghi, so I knew I had to make a stop. Plus, Princess Eugenie supposedly visits this location :). They have dishes prepared which you can combine, and the price is based on the weight of your container. Started by Israeli-English Chef Yotam Ottolenghi, there are now six Ottolenghi restaurants in London. So what did we order?
- Broccoli
- Green peas
- Cauliflower tabouleh with pomergranates
- Za’atar focaccia
- Cost per person: £17.30
Even though we came in at the last hour, the food was fresh, with high-quality ingredients. Each bite bursted with flavor, and after looking at a couple Ottolenghi recipes, I noticed he couples unlikely pairings such as za’atar with pasta, or allspice with farro. My wishlist now has Ottolenghi’s recipe books.
MAYFAIR
As you can probably tell by the amount of restaurants I listed in Mayfair, not only is it a bustling, foodie neighborhood, it was also my favorite area of London.
DELICIOUSLY ELLA, Healthy
I have been a longtime follower of Ella Woodward’s vegan and gluten-free blog Deliciously Ella, and ever since she developed a restaurant, I knew I had to make a stop. Situated at a corner in the Mayfair district, Deliciously Ella is bustling with healthy Londoners and serves them from breakfast through dinner. They serve their food over the counter, similar to a deli. Even though Deliciously Ella was busy, the server had so much patience as my mom and I navigated our indecisiveness with the menu – everything looked amazing. For this occasion, my mom and I went for a bountiful breakfast; after all, we never once took the cab or tube! So what did we order? The question might instead be: what didn’t we order?
- Banana bread with apple and berry compote and coconut yoghurt
- Chia pudding with fruit compote and granola
- Sourdough toast with almond butter, banana slices, and maple syrup
- Peanut butter protein smoothie
- Matcha latte with coconut-cashew blend
- Cost per person: £13.50
As you can tell, my mom and I were very enthusiastic about sampling the Deliciously Ella menu 🙂 It was comparable to a By Chloe, but I thought it was less sweet and more authentically healthy. My favorite was the sourdough toast with the almond butter, banana slices, and maple syrup.
MAYFAIR CHIPPY, Fish & Chips
If you’re in England, you simply have to have fish and chips. Reminder – “chips” are actually french fries across the pond! After speaking with our waiter at Claridge’s, he had recommended we stop by Mayfair Chippy, and so we did. So what did we order?
- Haddock fish and chips
- Cost per person: £14.70
I discovered that I’m not quite a fish and chips gal, but I thought that the fish was fresh and well-fried.
THE PARLOUR AT FORTNUM & MASON, Department Store
Fortnum & Mason is easily the most beautiful department store I have ever gone to, and the parlour is a reflection of that. Instead of having an afternoon tea there, my mom and I opted to share a very delicious dessert. So what did we order?
- Choconut: coconut chocolate chip and vanilla vegan ice cream, chocolate sauce, coconut shavings, chocolate ganache, and coconut whipped cream
- Being dairy-free, I rarely get the chance to have a sundae – so it was such a treat to have one. This was decadent at every bite.
- Cost: £12
CLARIDGE’s, Afternoon Tea
I have been fascinated by the British tradition of afternoon tea ever since I tried it in Victoria, Canada last year.
Claridge’s is a quintessential British establishment. The hotel is among the prettiest and high-end in London, with frequent celebrity spottings (Adele and former FLOTUS Michelle Obama were there a day before me!). This was definitely the most expensive meal – but at 5:30, it did cover lunch and dinner for the day. In my reservation, I requested it to be dairy-free, pork-free, and red meat-free. The menu after your dietary requests is set. So what did we order?
- Sandwiches: butternut/dried tomato, chicken curry, smoked salmon, egg salad with smoked paprika, cucumber and mayo, mini carrot cake with coconut yogurt
- Tea: Malawi Antler, Jasmine Silver Leaf
- Desserts: sweet chia seed pudding with coconut milk and topped with fruit, blackberry chocolate fudge cake with gold leaf, chocolate covered brownie with ganache and gold leaf, shortbread tart with coconut yogurt and fruit
- Tea: Fresh Mint
- Scones: two plain scones and two raisin scones, with jelly on the side
- Tea: Claridge’s Afternoon Blend
- Cost per person: £50
A tea tip I learned: sandwiches go with green/white tea, scones and pastries go with black tea, and you finish off with a herbal tea. I loved this experience and would definitely recommend doing an afternoon tea if you are in London.
COVENT GARDEN – Neal’s Yard
26 GRAINS, Modern
My mom and I had already walked 30,000 steps, and that point, we were starving. Our first choice, Indian restaurant Dishoom, was packed with people and had a one hour waiting line. So we walked into Neal’s Yard, an area we had explored (visually, not culinarily!) a day before; 26 Grains got great reviews, and we decided to take a risk with the set menu. And it was worth it. You could see the cooks concoct the dishes, and I got to talk to one of them (the lady pictured to the right in the center photo). She said they get all their ingredients locally, many coming from the shops actually at Neal’s Yard.
- To start: Monksbeard, Ricotta (I did w/o), Tomato, Anchovy Crumb
- I never eat tomatoes by themselves, but these tomatoes opened my eyes to the deliciousness of a fresh crop.
- Main: Courgette, Basil, Fresh Tagliatelle OR Tagliatelle with Arabiatta Sauce (Dairy-free version)
- The arabiatta sauce was an unusual pairing with walnuts and also a delicious one. I love the idea of mixing nuts with fresh pasta.
- Cost per person: £18
Although I was slightly defeated by Dishoom’s unavailability, I wouldn’t have stumbled upon this exceptional meal. I got to try new ingredients like monksbeard, a green, seaweed type vegetable, and a new type of restaurant where the chef decided what I was to eat that meal.
REDEMPTION, Vegan
After an amazing dinner at 26 Grains, I still craved a sweet, so I stopped by Redemption whose window had a beautiful array of vegan desserts. Although I didn’t take a picture, I had a delectable slice of banana bread. Next time in London, I would like to try out more from their menu.
- Banana bread
- Cost: £5.95
Other restaurants that looked good: Live Foods Cafe, Dishoom
SOUTHWARK – Borough Market
Visiting Borough Market is perhaps the most foodie thing you can do in London. Borough Market has been around for 1,000 years, attracting 16 million people annually. The market has 113 unique vendors, of which, my favorites are listed below.
ARABICA, Middle Eastern
Arabica caught my interest from the beginning with its freshly arrayed bowls of Middle Eastern foods. After roaming the market, we came back to get out main meal. So what did we order?
- Falafel with hummus and babaganoush
After Goldie Falafel in Philadelphia, this was the best falafel I have ever had. The falafels were fried before my eyes, and my mom and I enjoyed them on the stoops of Borough Market.
BREAD AHEAD, Bread
Even though I’ve gone to Italy countless of times, I did have the best focaccia of my life. In simple terms, it had tomatoes and onions on it.
In our terms, my mom and I described like this: “It is like a child jumping on a mattress rejoicing in delight. The caramelized onions offers a sweetness on the salted bread, which is complemented by the fresh acidity of the tomatoes.” A little much? If you tried it, you would realize we weren’t exaggerating.
NIBS ETC., Healthy desserts
This was the most unique dessert that I had experienced. Nibs etc. uses juice pulp from juice companies in London to sweeten their desserts. So what did we order?
- Banana bread
- This banana was the perfect pick-me-up before heading to the Museum of London
- Chocolate beetroot brownies
- These were fudgier than I expected, and they were perfectly sweetened.
I actually came back to grab three more slices of the banana bread for later in the day and for next day’s breakfast. No regrets.
3BIS, Gelato
This is dangerous. I came in thinking I’d split one small cup with my mom, and after our first spoon, we knew we’d be going back for more. The day after, while walking in the Portobello Road Market, we stopped by the 3BIS of that area, where I ordered a medium size just for myself. So what did we get?
- Dark chocolate gelato (dairy-free)
- Cost: £3.50
Other restaurants that looked good: Padella
CAMDEN
PUREZZA, Plant-based Pizzeria
A day before going to Purezza, my mom and I went to the Museum of London. In the gift shop section, I picked up the book Veggie & Vegan London, and it opened up to the page on Purezza. 24 hours later, after a 1 hour walk, my mom and I arrived to Purezza, where we were to have the BEST pizza in our lives. And this award isn’t given to just anyplace.
What makes Purezza so special? They use ‘type 2’ wholegrain flour, and leave their sourdough pizzas to mature for at least 48 hours. This process enhances its digestibility and makes the pizza extra fluffy. You also have the choice of having a hemp flour base or a gluten-free base. The artisan mozzarella is out of this world, fermenting organic Italian brown rice milk in house.
So what did we get?
- “Here Comes Truffle”: black truffle base with mozzarella, wood smoked tofu, mixed wild forest mushrooms
- This pizza was smokey, rich, and mushroomy – absolutely delicious!
- “The Roquito”: artichoke cream, cheese, teardrop peppers, and deep fried shiitake mushrooms
- I preferred this pizza to the “truffle” one but both were delicious.
- Dessert
- “Cashew Dream”: raw tiramisu, with cashew cream and dates
- This was actually a dream. I’m going to try to recreate it! Update: I did –> Creamy Tiramisu Cups
- “Cashew Dream”: raw tiramisu, with cashew cream and dates
- Cost: £16.37
As you can tell, I ate A LOT of food in London. I hope that if you ever find yourself here, you’ll consult this guide!
Cheers 🙂