In a food scene as hot as London’s, decision fatigue is real, so we’ve agonised over the city’s menus for you – recording the dishes to die for at London’s best restaurants and moveable street food stalls. The ingredients are simple: cottage cheese cubes, chickpea powder, salt, pepper, mango powder. 'Silk handkerchiefs' with walnut butter at Bancone, 54. At the risk of beating a still-very-much-alive horse, London’s food scene is fantastic these days -- and is getting better at an astounding rate. Best Chinese in London, ON - Congee Chan, London Chinese Restaurant, The Bun, Hong Ping Restaurant, Kambie Chinese Restaurant, Mr & Mrs Bao, So Inviting, Little Panda, Ah Chuan Chinese Restaurant, Lotus Garden Restaurant If you’re after some serious small-plates fun, bag a spot at Sabor’s ground-floor Counter, where all-round flawless tapas is the name of the game. Floating on its surface are disks of crimson chilli oil, like blooming algae on a Martian pond, and there’s even an elegant coil of dried soy daikon on top. Vegans: they’ll be kind enough to make you a batch without the mayo. These big boys are the spicy counterparts to their Cornish cousins, with satisfyingly buttery pastry encasing a range of different fillings. Looking for the best food and drink the capital has to offer? Put simply (and that’s the way it is), this is an insanely good dip of barrel-aged feta, served with chilli pitta crispbreads and sprinkled with a little red ‘secret’ dust that tastes a bit like dukkah, but more seductively sour. Spicy venison and vermicelli doughnut at Gunpowder, 77. Just don’t go dressed in your date-night finery, as your favourite duds will also be mercilessly Pollocked as you try to eat the bastard with dignity. It’s not a cake and it looks almost too pretty to eat, but this evocatively named dessert is totally extraordinary: in essence, it comprises umeshu (plum wine) poured over two ‘drops’ of translucent agar jelly garlanded with cherry blossom and gold flake, creating an otherworldly confection that simply begs to photographed. Indo-Chinese chilli chicken lettuce cups at Brigadiers, 42. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. We first visited Borough Market in 2012 and always make a point to visit the popular food market located just south of the London Bridge whenever we’re in town.. From £2.80 (£5 for two, except the Singapore chilli crab-stick puff). In the mix, you’ll find meaty morsels jumbled up with four different kinds of red and green chilli, plus scallions and fronds of green coriander tossed in for good measure. After just one bite of this delicious morsel you’ll be a convert to the tao of Bao. So stunning. Also available at Club Mexicana’s pitches at Dinerama in Shoreditch and Netil Market in London Fields. To drink, a builder’s brew just won’t do – opt for a glass of the house chai instead. Lord, is it good! Sea trout tartare with bloody mary jelly at Parson’s, 39. Boxpark Shoreditch. 07 Dec 2020 Hideaway, Mayfair. It’s the ultimate Brit pub snack: deep-fried whitebait. The Indian components add freshness to an otherwise heavy breakfast standby, while the slightly charred naan is a great pairing with the smoky slices of pork. Instead, they take two scoops of this creamy, silky, salty, burnt-toffee deliciousness and add chargrilled, caramelised, only-just-ripe banana halves (first marinated in coconut cream, pandan leaves and fresh turmeric) – plus a final sprinkle of sesame seeds. The combination of satisfyingly thick, chewy carbs with hunks of tender meat makes for a pleasing (if messy) mouthful – so avoid wearing your favourite white shirt. Best Dining in London, England: See 3,000,045 Tripadvisor traveller reviews of 23,859 London restaurants and search by cuisine, price, location, and more. Pie addicts take note: there’s a hatch for takeaways if you want to prolong the pleasure at home. Shredded jellyfish in black vinegar sauce at Sichuan Grand, 27. The full range is on display behind an old-style glass counter – from the ‘classic’ curried chicken with potato coated in warm spices to veggie curried potato, black pepper tuna and even a take on Singapore chilli crab (made with crab sticks). If you’re one of the surprisingly large number of people who just can’t seem to cope with coconut in any form, then you should probably look away now. Uber-chef Alain Ducasse’s pristine industrial-chic Café in King’s Cross’s Coal Drops Yard may be renowned for its exclusive single-origin coffees, but we also adore its intense hot chocolate, served in beautiful bespoke glassware. Like most of the dishes served here, it’s ginormous and ferociously fiery, but underpinned by hints of smoke and salt. Déjà vu! The bold flavours and unpolished interiors of this popular Camberwell canteen really bring out the backpacker in us – and supper on a shoestring is every self-respecting traveller’s speciality. Think of Brigadiers as Hoppers for people with money, because this Indian barbecue restaurant has all the calling cards of its high-stepping owners, the Sethi family. ), this buzzy semi-industrial eatery has a day-to-night vibe that suits all comers and all occasions, from breezy business lunches to dinner dates with drinks. No, the food at this glamorous, clubby hotspot is undeservedly upstaged by its A-lister clientele. Eat immediately. Considering that pork is rarely eaten by most of India’s population, this dish is a bit of an in-joke – but also a perfect representation of Brit-Asian fusion. Our favourite dish has to be the vegan ‘walnut miso’ udon: a ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ combination of intense nuttiness, in which sweet-salty red and white misos are mixed with walnut purée. Aged cheeseburger tacos at Temper Soho, 70. This market sells all kinds of seasonal produce as well as a range of prepared foods. Lamb rogan josh shepherd’s pie at Cinnamon Bazaar, 72. There are few cities around the world that rival London’s impressive food scene. A real treat. This is tapioca, but not as you know it. Some sweet, deep-red fleshy Florina peppers. Order at www.oldchangkee.co.uk. Brains, aorta, intestines, pig’s blood, ‘beef fat red oil’… welcome to the deliciously grisly world of Shu Xiang Ge, a Szechuan hotpot haven for DIY chilli heads with strong stomachs. He uses beautiful fillings matched with still-warm sushi rice, and hands each little package over the instant it’s ready, so that the seaweed wrapper stays brittle. Henry Harris is a chef’s chef who doesn’t pander to trends, preferring to concentrate on timeless, bourgeois Gallic food without poncey flurries. The portion is barely enough to fill an eggcup, but its flavours will transport you right back to Seville. Tapioca marshmallow with ocopa sauce at Chicama, 18. Top of the hit list is the Thai spiced rice salad – a crunchy, chewy tumble of rice clusters (think wet, savoury granola) muddled with whispers of scallions, fresh coriander leaves, slivers of red onion, ginger and creamy whole cashews. Stir-fried spicy cabbage (thoran) at Rasa, 98. It uses crushed toasted hazelnuts and sesame seeds (for crunch), aleppo chilli (for heat), dried mint and sumac (for aroma), plus cumin, coriander and fennel seeds (for more aroma, of the spice trail variety). ‘The codfish fritter is so nice, it’s like a high-five from Jesus Christ,’ says the wacky slogan on Fish, Wings & Tings’ website – and we’re not about to argue with that. The menu scores a lot of sizzling savoury hits, although it saves its best till last, with a glittering prize of a pud. The loudest holler goes to the Galician-style empanada, whose rich flaky pastry gives way to intensely savoury, tender-as-anything, ink-soaked cuttlefish – it’s a must-order. Pale gold and cut into shimmering ribbons, it’s faintly crunchy but also gelatinous, like gnawing the end of a chicken bone. A croqueta is a croqueta is a croqueta, right? Sauerkraut and Cheddar Croquettes at Lino, 5. Barrel-aged feta dip (kopanisti) at Meraki, 65. It’s all plant-based, colourful, zingy, and spicy stuff. Ask people to name just one dish from this modern Chinese teahouse and most would plump for the macarons displayed in rainbow shades in the patisserie – they’re the most attention-grabbing and photo-friendly. When ordering dim sum, it’s important to consider a balance of textures: after all, that’s what Cantonese cooking is all about. Let your stomach lead you to delicious restaurants in London or enjoy cocktails and drinks with a meal at pubs and top bars in London, each with social distancing and other safety measures in place. The crab ‘donuts’ are a case in point: the airy dough is stuffed with lightly dressed white crab meat and sprinkled with intensely fishy coral ‘dust’, with wasabi and chopped egg as surprising additions. All that’s needed is a dollop of salsa verde for added sharpness and vibrancy – plus a house margarita on the rocks and some Latin grooves in the air. 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