London
St. JOHN Bread and Wine
Modern European restaurant · Spitalfields
St John Bread & Wine for British cuisine, natural wines, and bread.
Hoppers
Sri Lankan restaurant · Marylebone
Hoppers for…hoppers, dosas, rice, roast, kothu & arrack inspired by Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu.
Leila's Shop
Store · Bethnal Green
Leila’s Shop for breakfast, lunch, and groceries.
Rochelle Canteen - East Shoreditch
Restaurant · Bethnal Green
Rochelle Canteen for satisfying, down-home weekday lunches.
The Anchor & Hope
Restaurant · Waterloo
Anchor & Hope for hearty gastropub fare.
Quo Vadis
Modern European restaurant · Soho
Quo Vadis for cocktails, eel sandwiches at lunch, and desserts.
Noble Fine Liquor
Permanently Closed
Noble Find Liquor sells spectacular natural and tradition wines.
Borough Market
Fresh food market · Borough
After a period of decline, Borough Market is once again promoting quality vendors. Check out Bread Ahead for artisanal breads, Kappacasein for raclette and toasted cheese sandwiches, Mons for French and Swiss cheeses, The Ham & Cheese Co. for charcuterie and of course legendary Monmouth Coffee and Neal’s Yard Dairy.
Soif
Bistro · Battersea
Soif for small French-inspired plates and natural wines.
Spa Terminus
Food manufacturer · Bermondsey
Spa Terminus on Saturday mornings for pastries at the Little Bread Pedlar, ice cream at La Grotta Ices, craft beer from The Kernel, and so much more.
40 Maltby Street
Wine bar · Bermondsey
40 Maltby Street for small plates and natural wines. This is one of my favorite places ever.
The Heron Bar and Restaurant
Bar · Paddington
Heron for super authentic Thai cuisine in a bizarre basement karaoke venue.
Silk Road
Chinese restaurant · Camberwell
Silk Road in Camberwell for Uyghur cuisine from China’s Xinjiang region.
Mangal 2 Restaurant
Restaurant · Dalston
Mangal I and Mangal II for mezes, salads, and grilled meat.
Barrafina
Tapas restaurant · Soho
Barrafina for top-notch Spanish tapas (multiple locations).
Antepliler Restaurant
Turkish restaurant · Harringay Green Lanes
Antepliler (the Green Lanes location is the more delicious of the two) for Turkish mezes, lahmacun, and kebabs. Their small corner restaurant next door specializes in grilled offal and künefe.
Mien Tay
Vietnamese restaurant · Battersea
Mien Tay serves pretty great southwestern Vietnamese food in Battersea (there is another location in Shoreditch but it’s not as good). Don’t miss the stir-fried goat with galangal and chargrilled quail.
Lahore Kebab House
Pakistani restaurant · Whitechapel
Lahore Kebab House is a no-nonsense Pakistani kebab house in East London known for its juicy seekh kebab, spiced lamb chops and fiery curries.