I never would have considered myself foody until I arrived in London. The great thing about this city is just how vast the food options are. Everything from American Kentucky fried chicken to Mcdonalds to North African cuisine, the different foods here cannot be beat. It’s important to try new restaurants, especially in a city like London with some very exciting and interesting restaurants. My friends and I went to a sushi restaurant over the weekend called Sushi Samba. While delicious, it is not the only restaurant available and well-known in London. Below is a comprehensive list of some of the best restaurants in London.
- Sushi Samba
I love sushi, so going to a fancy sushi restaurant was an easy decision. While it got expensive for a couple of college students, the ambiance and energy of the restaurant was great. Sushi Samba is a Brazilian-Asian fusion restaurant, with another location in Las Vegas. I ordered the Eko Roll and California Roll, which were both delicious and fresh. Coming from a fish-centric city like Boston, I am glad I was able to try good raw fish again.
2. The Barbary
One of the great things about London is the incredible amount of cuisine available. The Barbary is a mid-tier restaurant that serves North African food. I have never had North African food, but I imagine the rich and diverse flavors with the elegance of the London atmosphere makes for a great experience.
3. Bright
This restaurant is unique in that the menu changes every day. The dishes are small, with delicious twists on South Asian eats. While the menu is small and it could be a gamble to go for picky-eaters, Bright allows for regular Londoners and visitors alike to experience a unique and bright experience.
4. Bao
While Bao is a smaller, some would describe “dinky” restaurant, it is still serving up award-winning Taiwanese food. This restaurant is one of many in the neighborhood called Soho of London. Soho is a great place for shopping, socializing, and above all, great restaurants to dine at. While Bae is on the affordable side of Soho, be careful not to accidentally walk into an expensive restaurant in the area.
5. Wetherspoons
Wetherspoons isn’t a top tier restaurant that would be making all the foodies lists, per say, but this restaurant is great for late night bites with a large group of friends. Tailored as a bar for students, Wetherspoons is a chain restaurant all around London. There is one that is not even a block away from Queen Mary University’s campus, called Half-Moon, where my friends and I will go for Friday dinner, or Sunday Brunch. While the food won’t be anything past “just fine,” where lack of wow-ing dishes comes a strong sense of community and fun at the local Spoons.
6. Sky Garden
At the top of a building nicknamed, Walkie-Talkie, the Sky Garden is a top-tier restaurant overlooking the whole city. Over the weekend, a few of my friends decided to go just for dessert, and said that the views were incredible. At night, London shines and Sky Garden would allow any consumer to also see those spectacular views. The food is classic British pub, fish and chips or a cheeseburger, but with an upscale atmosphere.
7. Westerns Laundry
Sibling to the infamous Primeur restaurant, this former prison launderette is on my must-go restaurants while in London. Located in the cool neighborhood of Highbury, it is always serving up the best of modern European dishes. The restaurant does not feel like an up-scale, swanky neighborhood spot but instead is comforting and warm like a fresh pair of sweatpants.
8. The Pizza Room
One of my frequent favorites, the Pizza Room is a small, family owned pizza place on Mile End Road by my campus. The perks of this place is definitely the location, and the hours, but above all its the delicious pizza available. Pizzas come in both individual and shareable sizes, so sometimes when I’m not feeling the heavy grease of Dominos, the Pizza Room comes in handy. Light and airy, the tomato sauce is sweet and customers can tell the ingredients are fresh.
9. Doner Kebab
Doner Kebab is a great chain restaurant all around the Mile End area and beyond. Serving up German style kebabs, it’s available as a quick and delicious meal to go for a reasonable price. I frequent the Doner Kebabs around my area as my place of choice to grab lunch. Loaded with veggies and a choice of chicken, lamb, or beef, the availability of a wrap with some fries is both filling and appetizing to say the least.
10. Nandos
Last, but certainly not least, is Nandos. Nandos is a chicken chain restaurant known for serving “peri peri” chicken. Peri peri chicken is just spicy chicken with a certain blend of spices. It was one of the first restaurants I was looking forward to trying while here, as I had heard references to Nandos while growing up. When I did eat at Nandos, I was not overwhelmed by anything other than the spice on the Peri Peri chicken. It was good, but not great. Still, I would recommend it as a place to try at least once considering how well-known they are in London.
Even with this list, I know there are still so many other restaurants available in London and beyond that I would love to try.
