If you’re planning a visit to London you’re in all probability hoping to attempt a few of the native British food and drinks. However aside from fish and chips and a pint of beer, you may be questioning what else you need to be making an attempt, and the place it is best to go to get the very best of what’s on supply.
Properly, one of many choices that we advocate is to take a meals tour in London. This may assist you to pattern loads of British meals in a enjoyable, informative, and environment friendly means.
Laurence really lived in London for a few years, and ate an entire number of meals at completely different places throughout the town. However even he enjoys taking meals excursions in England’s capital as there’s at all times one thing new to find.
Meals excursions differ significantly in size, the quantity of meals included, and worth. We’ve completed quite a few meals excursions in London, and needed to share what we predict are the very best choices obtainable in your go to. If you’re searching for a meals tour or cooking workshop in London, we’ll assist you to select the very best one for you.
Earlier than we do although, let’s reply a few questions on meals excursions in London and likewise provide you with a very good checklist of British meals you would possibly need to pattern.
Why Take a Meals Tour in London?
A meals tour is a wonderful solution to attempt a curated vary of scrumptious dishes. Excursions will allow you to attempt the very best of what’s on supply, masking lots of the highlights of British delicacies, at a few of the greatest spots within the metropolis for every dish.
Meals tour firms typically have a particular association with the meals distributors, cooks, and eating places that they go to on the tour.
As a part of an organized tour, you’ll typically have the benefit of visiting locations outdoors of regular hours (or not less than throughout quieter hours). You’ll keep away from ready in traces to order, and be given smaller parts than you’d be capable of order by yourself. This enables for a more practical tour the place you may attempt extra issues than you’d be capable of do by yourself.
You’ll additionally usually get an professional information that will help you alongside the way in which, so you may perceive a few of the historical past of the meals you are attempting. An excellent tour information will assist provide you with some background in regards to the meals you’re tasting, the realm of London you’re visiting, and likewise be a superb useful resource for answering questions and offering suggestions.
If you’re visiting London for a number of days, then a meals tour may also be a great way to be taught what’s good to eat and the place. Ask your information about what different locations which can be good for X, Y, or Z, their favourite pub, or their favourite takeout spot.
Relying on what you want, they need to be capable of level you to some good spots for each conventional dishes and historic venues in addition to up to date dishes and stylish new hotspots.
Now most meals excursions will deal with extra conventional British meals which might be what most guests are going to take pleasure in most. If you’re searching for a tour that focuses on conventional British classics then we’d advocate a strolling tour reminiscent of this one or this one.
Or if you happen to choose yet another centered on pub food and drinks then we’d advocate a tour like this one which pairs beers and ciders with traditional pub meals and snacks.
However if in case you have already tried loads of the British classics, you may want a meals tour that focuses extra on one thing like Indian curries, beer, cocktails, afternoon tea, Caribbean meals, or native cheeses.
Or perhaps you need to learn to cook dinner a British dish or bake one thing like scones. We’ll be offering suggestions for every kind of choices later on this publish.
Regardless of Laurence having grown up within the UK and Jess dwelling there for 7 years, we’ve got actually loved the varied meals excursions, afternoon teas, and meals workshops we’ve completed in London. We’re at all times discovering new variations of traditional British meals (and new locations to attempt them) and studying extra in regards to the historical past of British delicacies.
Taking a meals tour is one in all our advisable methods to begin your meals journey in London, however we undoubtedly encourage you to make use of it as a beginning place and a springboard to proceed exploring the meals scene within the metropolis by yourself.
Kinds of Meals to attempt in London?
Earlier than you select a meals tour of London, it is best to in all probability have an thought of what varieties of meals the capital is understood for and what sorts of meals you want to attempt.
London is a cultural hub, which suggests there’s an enormous vary of flavors to attempt, from conventional pub meals by way of to worldwide cuisines reminiscent of curries. You’ll find conventional British meals all over the place from road market stalls to tremendous eating eating places.
Most meals are usually not distinctive to London however are eaten all through the UK with a lot of regional variations. Many conventional British dishes might be onerous to seek out outdoors the British Isles.
As a normal thought although, we predict most individuals would take pleasure in making an attempt not less than a few of the following well-liked British meals and drinks (all of which we’ve tried):
- Meat dishes like meat pies (e.g., steak & kidney pie, pork pie), Sunday roasts, British lamb, gammon, Beef Wellington, hearty stews, and bangers and mash
- Seafood like oysters, salmon, mussels, cockles, kippers, white fish (cod, haddock, whiting, and hake are frequent ones), mackerel, potted shrimp, and naturally fish and chips (the fish is commonly haddock or cod)
- Breakfast favorites like bacon sarnies, kippers, black pudding, Marmite on toast, sausage rolls, and naturally the Full English breakfast
- Lunchtime meals like jacket potatoes, cheese and pickle sandwiches, Cornish pasties, and Coronation hen sandwiches
- Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Indian curries – hen tikka masala is a British favourite and was invented within the UK
- Desserts (or puddings as we wish to name them within the UK) like sticky toffee pudding, Eton mess, bread and butter pudding, treacle tart, fruitcake, Scottish shortbread, Welsh muffins, Victoria sponge, and noticed dick
- Pub snacks like Scotch eggs, fried fish bites, and packets of British crisps
- Different typical British meals embrace Yorkshire pudding (typically part of the Sunday roast meal), chips (fries), mincemeat pies, black pudding, British cheeses (there are over 700 sorts, together with cheddar, Cheshire, and Stilton), scones, Welsh muffins, and chocolate digestives (all typically eaten with tea), spag bol (nickname for British model of spaghetti bolognese sometimes made at dwelling), and beans on toast
- Among the frequent regionally grown vegatables and fruits within the UK embrace cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrots, leeks, turnips, peas, beetroot, broccoli, tomatoes, runner beans, swedes, Brussel sprouts, radishes, apples, pears, strawberries, raspberries, loganberries, and plums.
- Tea – in all probability no drink is extra related to the British than black tea – you may take pleasure in an English breakfast tea at breakfast, have a cream tea (tea, scones, clotted cream, and jam), or splurge for a full fancy afternoon tea in London
- Alcoholic drinks like beer (significantly ales), Scotch whisky, London dry gin, English cider, and British cocktails such because the Pimm’s Cup, Vesper martini, and Tom Collins
The above is only a quick checklist of typical meals eaten within the UK and focuses extra on conventional British meals. It might in fact be inconceivable to attempt all this stuff in a single journey nevertheless it ought to provide you with a good suggestion of what most individuals consider as British meals (and doubtless some you’ve by no means heard of).
If the above is extra overwhelming than useful, then here’s a shortlist of a few of the hottest meals that vacationers inform us they need to have in London:
- Fish and chips
- Full English breakfast
- Sausage roll and/or bacon sandwich
- Hen tikka masala
- Sticky toffee pudding
- A pint of actual ale and/or English cider
- Cream tea (tea and scones)
Most of the above are well-liked dishes on London meals excursions centered on British meals.
The Finest Meals Excursions in London
There are literally quite a few various kinds of meals excursions and experiences in London, so we’ve got divided this information into a few of the predominant choices we predict it is best to contemplate.
These differ from extra conventional meals strolling excursions by way of to excursions that focus extra on beer, excursions and experiences that cowl afternoon tea, excursions that happen on a car of some variety, and cooking lessons that have you ever studying tips on how to make iconic dishes.
We predict that between all the varied choices you’re certain to seek out one thing you’ll take pleasure in!
Meals Strolling Excursions
A meals strolling tour is certainly probably the most well-liked varieties of meals tour you are able to do in London. Such a tour usually has you exploring part of the town and making an attempt quite a few completely different meals at numerous places.
The tour also needs to embrace a educated information who can let you know about each the meals you are attempting and one thing in regards to the historical past of the realm you’re visiting.
There are a number of completely different meals strolling excursions in London. Certainly one of our favourites is that this Borough Market and Southwark Tour with Take Walks / Devour Excursions.
As a fast notice, we’ve taken many strolling excursions with Take Walks and their sister meals strolling tour Devour Excursions. They run excursions everywhere in the world, with a deal with small teams and nice guides. We’ve at all times had a superb time and are completely satisfied to advocate their excursions.
The Borough Market and Southwark tour they provide focuses on the Southwark space of London, which is the a part of the town to the south of London Bridge the place you’ll discover sights reminiscent of The Shard and Southwark Cathedral.
Southwark can also be dwelling to the world-famous Borough Market, the place you’ll discover an enormous vary of eateries and meals stalls. So, it is smart for a meals tour to deal with this space!
After we took this tour it included seven meals tastings and a drink cease, together with well-liked classics reminiscent of fish and chips from arguably the very best fish and chip store in London, in addition to oysters, a bacon and egg sandwich, sausage rolls, and sticky toffee pudding. And people are just some of the dishes we tried.
All of the meals was scrumptious, and as this tour largely revolved round Borough Market there wasn’t an enormous quantity of strolling concerned. There have been additionally some stops that included sitting.
General, we actually loved this tour and might advocate it if you wish to attempt loads of completely different meals in a small group setting. When you just like the sound of this tour, you may ebook it right here.
After all, there are a variety of different excursions that included Borough Market and this space, together with this well-liked possibility which might be booked on GetYourGuide right here, and as a non-public tour on Viator right here. There’s additionally this tour which focuses on the meals of Borough Market.
There are additionally quite a few different strolling meals excursions in London you would possibly contemplate. Under we checklist all those we advocate you contemplate, which we’ve divided into extra conventional meals excursions and people which deal with different well-liked varieties of meals.
Conventional English Meals Strolling Excursions
Different Meals Strolling Excursions
As you may see, there are many choices to select from!
Pub and Drink Excursions
One factor we actually love about London are the exceptional historic pubs, lots of which have been serving conventional drinks and meals for actually a whole lot of years. You can also eat and drink in locations the place London’s historic figures partook of their victuals, typically by a comfortable actual fireplace besides.
As there are such a lot of good pubs to expertise, we needed to share a number of excursions the place pubs and drinks are as a lot of a spotlight because the meals. So, while these excursions normally embrace meals, additionally they embrace a wide selection of drinks as properly.
Certainly one of our favourite excursions of this sort that we’ve got taken in London is the Tastes, Tales & Conventional Ales: Meals Tour of London’s Historic Pubs with Devour Excursions.
This tour had us visiting 4 of London’s oldest and most conventional pubs, discovered across the Fleet Road space which was well-known for being the house of journalism in London. At every cease we tried a scrumptious conventional drink (primarily beers).
We additionally tried a variety of conventional pub meals together with fish & chips, a selfmade Scotch egg, whitebait, and extra. Jess doesn’t usually like Scotch eggs, however she really actually loved the freshly made model on this tour.
One of the enjoyable elements of the tour was on the finish after we performed a conventional and historic pub recreation, made well-liked by Henry VIII!
General, we actually loved this pub tour, which is an efficient possibility if you wish to go to some really iconic London pubs and luxuriate in a very good combination of conventional meals and drinks. You’ll be able to examine availability and pricing and ebook this tour right here.
There are additionally another meals excursions in London which mix food and drinks which you would possibly need to contemplate. We’ve included all our advisable excursions beneath:
- The historic pubs tour with Devour Excursions. That is the one we’ve completed and actually liked.
- If you wish to know extra in regards to the course of of making beer, try this brewery tour and tasting in Hackney
- When you’d like to go to quite a few pubs however don’t need to drink quite a bit, this nice worth tour of pubs visits a few of the oldest pubs in London however solely features a half pint. So you may choose to drink or not, as you want. Notice this one doesn’t embrace any meals, however the pubs do serve meals.
- Certainly one of London’s hottest central nightlight spots is SoHo. This tour has you consuming and eating your means across the SoHo space within the night. That is one other well-liked night SoHo food and drinks tour to contemplate.
- When you’d wish to check out quite a few completely different craft beers throughout London, check out this three hour craft beer tour of London.
- Lastly, if you happen to plan to purchase a London Cross (a sightseeing low cost move), then we’d additionally advocate contemplating this pub tour which is included with the move (make sure you reserve your spot). It’s a guided strolling tour of 4 historic pubs however you do want to decide on and purchase your individual drinks.
Afternoon Tea in London
Popularized within the UK within the mid-Nineteenth century, afternoon tea is a scrumptious custom that’s properly price experiencing within the metropolis it turned well-liked in.
A day tea is historically served within the afternoon (though you may typically ebook one for a late morning). Usually, it features a course of savory objects together with sandwiches, adopted by scones after which candy treats.
After all, that is all accompanied by sizzling tea, though some institutions will provide you with the choice to have espresso or one other drink.
We now have had afternoon throughout London, together with on the Berkley and the Ritz. It’s at all times been an pleasing expertise. Our one tip can be to return hungry, as a result of a day tea entails loads of meals!
There are a selection of choices for having a day tea in London, together with strolling excursions which have a day tea part.
You may as well in fact ebook a day tea instantly together with your most popular location if you happen to’d quite simply deal with the afternoon tea and skip the stroll half.
Under, we’ll share some choices to contemplate that embrace afternoon tea.
Boat & Bus Meals Excursions
When you like the thought of sightseeing round London, consuming, and doing these issues while sitting down, then it is best to contemplate taking a ship or bus meals tour.
There are a selection of choices to select from. For the boat excursions, these clearly are restricted to the River Thames. Nonetheless, as this goes proper by way of the center of London and passes by quite a few main landmarks like Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, London Eye and Homes of Parliament, you’ll nonetheless get spectacular views.
For the bus excursions, the routes differ relying on the tour you select, however will usually cowl London’s main landmarks such because the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Homes of Parliament and so forth.
If there are particular landmarks you need to see it’s a good suggestion to examine with the operator earlier than reserving to see what is roofed, though bear in mind that routes can in fact change relying on issues like highway works.
When it comes to choices, there are a variety to select from. These supply completely different menus and routes. Some options to contemplate are as follows.
- This tour has you boarding a luxurious coach for a connoisseur six course meal as you move a few of London’s iconic sights
- When you like the thought of afternoon tea however would additionally wish to take a bus tour, then this tour has you coated. You’ll see London’s main sights while having fun with a full afternoon tea
- There are a selection of kids’s themed afternoon tea bus rides as properly, together with this Peppa Pig afternoon tea bus journey and this Paddington Bear afternoon tea bus journey
- To the river now, and this river cruise which features a 2-course lunch and tea or espresso as you cruise down the River Thames
- That is one other river cruise, which takes place within the night and features a 4 course meal, stay music and the chance to bop. A stunning solution to spend a night in London
Meals Workshops in London
When you’d like to learn to really make a traditional London dish, then you definately we’d counsel you look into taking a meals workshop or class throughout your go to to London.
Now, in contrast to someplace like Rome for instance, London doesn’t have an incredible many meals lessons to select from. Nonetheless, there are undoubtedly some choices on the market. We’ve chosen some choices which spotlight the extra conventional meals and drinks you would possibly need to learn to make in London.
- This 5 hour tour and cooking class has you visiting Borough Market to take a look at regionally obtainable produce and components earlier than getting ready a multi-course connoisseur meal with drinks within the chef’s dwelling. Wine is included.
- You’ll be able to’t have afternoon tea with out scones! This cooking class will train you tips on how to make this traditional merchandise, plus you’ll be capable of take dwelling your scones when you find yourself completed
- A pork pie is a scrumptious British deal with, and this workshop will stroll you thru the method of constructing your individual pork pie from begin to end.
- In case you have a candy tooth you would possibly like to move out to Notting Hill and learn to make your individual scrumptious chocolate on this tour
Ideas for Selecting a Meals Tour in London
Earlier than you ebook your meals expertise in London, we needed to share some ideas to assist guarantee you’ve an incredible expertise, and ebook the precise tour for you.
Verify What’s Included / Excluded
When you’re evaluating completely different excursions, it is best to examine to see what’s included and excluded. Excursions ought to checklist intimately what you really get in your cash.
Usually, you need to be informed if meals or drink is included, and if that’s the case, how a lot. Most food and drinks strolling excursions do embrace food and drinks, however not all of them, so it’s at all times good to examine!
Excursions may also checklist every other inclusions or exclusions. For instance, some excursions would possibly go to sights and have the attraction payment included. Others could embrace smooth drinks.
Ideas are usually not included on most excursions, though they’re in fact at all times appreciated.
When evaluating excursions by worth, you’ll at all times need to evaluate what’s included. A tour could value much less, but when it’s a must to pay for lots of food and drinks, then the ultimate value would possibly find yourself fairly completely different.
Affirm Dietary Necessities and Meals Allergen Info in Advance
This one could seem apparent, particularly if in case you have dietary necessities, however it is very important notice.
In case you have any dietary necessities or meals allergic reactions, you undoubtedly need to talk these with the tour organizer prematurely to make sure your wants might be met on the tour you need to do.
Verify Restroom Availability
Nearly all of strolling excursions happen over a number of hours, and there’s at all times an opportunity that you just would possibly want a restroom break as a part of your tour.
Just about all of the meals excursions we’ve ever taken have had ample restroom stops. Nonetheless, a few of the excursions we’ve listed happen on classic buses for instance, the place a restroom isn’t obtainable during the tour.
That is undoubtedly one thing to remember do you have to really feel it may be a problem for you.
Affirm Strolling Distance
In our expertise, the vast majority of meals strolling excursions happen in a reasonably small space, and don’t require an excessive amount of strolling. Nonetheless, this isn’t at all times the case.
Relying in your mobility and the way snug you’re strolling, you would possibly need to examine with the tour organiser earlier than you ebook to see how far you’ll really be required to stroll as a part of your tour, to make sure will probably be a snug expertise for you. Studying current tour opinions can even assist with understanding if there’s loads of strolling concerned.
Affirm Any Accessibility Necessities
In case you have any accessibility wants, it would be best to talk together with your tour organizer prematurely of reserving your tour to make sure they’re able to meet these necessities.
Some excursions will checklist as as to if or not they’re accessible for wheelchair customers for instance, however the listings don’t usually cowl each accessible want.
As such, we extremely advocate reaching out to make sure you’re going to have a very good expertise previous to reserving and keep away from any difficult conditions on the tour itself.
Convey Applicable Apparel
It’s vital to deliver and put on apparel that’s applicable to the expertise you ebook. For London, the climate is rarely assured, and rain or solar are doable yr spherical.
As such, we at all times advocate packing one thing like an umbrella or rain coat simply in case. You will get extra packing ideas in our information to what to pack for London right here.
When it comes to a costume code, while most meals excursions received’t have a costume code, in case you are visiting a high-end lodge for afternoon tea then it is best to undoubtedly examine to see if they’ve any costume code necessities. You’ll be able to see an instance costume code for the Ritz Resort’s afternoon tea right here.
Additional Studying in your Go to to London
That’s it for our information to meals strolling excursions and experiences in London. Earlier than you head off, we needed to share some extra content material and sources we’ve put collectively that will help you plan your time in London. We hope you discover it helpful!
- We now have detailed itineraries for 1 day in London, 2 days in London, 3 days in London and 6 days in London
- We now have a whole information to the place to remain in London, which covers all of the neighborhoods and an entire vary of worth factors
- When you plan on doing a lot sightseeing within the metropolis, you’ll seemingly get monetary savings with a London Cross. See our full London Cross overview right here to see if this would possibly prevent cash on sightseeing.
- We now have a information to getting round London, and a information to utilizing the Oyster card in London.
- When you’re flying into one in all London’s six airports, see our information to attending to London from the airport.
- We now have an in depth information to what to pack for London, that will help you put together in your journey to London.
- We put collectively some recommendations on discovering the greatest Images Areas in London
- For the Harry Potter followers amongst you, check out our information to discovering Harry Potter in London
- We now have options for Issues to Do in Kensington, in case you needed to focus extra on a particular area of the town
- When you take pleasure in navy museums, check out our information to London’s greatest navy museums and memorial. Additionally see our Winston Churchill in London information.
- We now have detailed guides to visiting the Tower of London and the London Eye which incorporates data on planning your go to and the way to save cash on these well-liked sights
- Ideas on visiting Stonehenge from London as a day journey
- Different good day journeys from London embrace Oxford and Cambridge. See our information to Oxford in a day in addition to issues to do in Cambridge for concepts.
- Rick Steve’s London information, the #1 bestseller on Amazon for UK journey guides, and at all times a superb supply of related data
- Occupied with heading to Paris from London? We now have an in depth information to one of the simplest ways to get from London to Paris that will help you plan
And that’s it! We hope you discovered our information to meals excursions in London helpful, and as at all times, if in case you have any questions, simply pop them within the feedback and we’ll reply them as quickly as we will!
