In case you are planning a visit to London you might be in all probability hoping to strive a number of the native British foods and drinks. However aside from fish and chips and a pint of beer, you is perhaps questioning what else try to be making an attempt, and the place you need to go to get one of the best of what’s on supply.
Properly, one of many choices that we advocate is to take a meals tour in London. It will enable you to pattern lots of British meals in a enjoyable, informative, and environment friendly approach.
Laurence truly lived in London for a few years, and ate an entire number of meals at totally different places throughout 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 vastly in size, the quantity of meals included, and worth. We’ve performed numerous meals excursions in London, and needed to share what we expect are one of the best choices accessible to your go to. In case you are on the lookout for a meals tour or cooking workshop in London, we’ll enable you to select one of the best one for you.
Earlier than we do although, let’s reply a few questions on meals excursions in London and in addition offer you a great record of British meals you would possibly wish to pattern.
Why Take a Meals Tour in London?
A meals tour is a wonderful method to strive a curated vary of scrumptious dishes. Excursions will allow you to strive one of the best of what’s on supply, overlaying lots of the highlights of British delicacies, at a number of the finest spots within the metropolis for every dish.
Meals tour corporations usually 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 usually have the benefit of visiting locations outdoors of regular hours (or at the least throughout quieter hours). You’ll keep away from ready in strains to order, and be given smaller parts than you’d be capable to order by yourself. This permits for a simpler tour the place you’ll be able to strive extra issues than you’d be capable to do by yourself.
You’ll additionally usually get an knowledgeable information that will help you alongside the way in which, so you’ll be able to perceive a number of the historical past of the meals you are attempting. A superb tour information will assist offer you some background in regards to the meals you might be tasting, the realm of London you might be visiting, and in addition be a superb useful resource for answering questions and offering suggestions.
In case you are visiting London for just a few days, then a meals tour may also be a great way to study what’s good to eat and the place. Ask your information about what different locations which are good for X, Y, or Z, their favourite pub, or their favourite takeout spot.
Relying on what you want, they need to be capable to level you to some good spots for each conventional dishes and historic venues in addition to modern dishes and stylish new hotspots.
Now most meals excursions will give attention to extra conventional British meals which might be what most guests are going to take pleasure in most. In case you are on the lookout for a tour that focuses on conventional British classics then we’d advocate a strolling tour equivalent to this one or this one.
Or when you desire yet another centered on pub foods and drinks then we’d advocate a tour like this one which pairs beers and ciders with basic pub meals and snacks.
However in case you have already tried lots 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 wish to discover ways to cook dinner a British dish or bake one thing like scones. We’ll be offering suggestions for all types of choices later on this submit.
Regardless of Laurence having grown up within the UK and Jess residing there for 7 years, we’ve actually loved the varied meals excursions, afternoon teas, and meals workshops we’ve performed in London. We’re at all times discovering new variations of basic British meals (and new locations to strive them) and studying extra in regards to the historical past of British delicacies.
Taking a meals tour is one in all our really useful methods to start out 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.
Varieties of Meals to strive in London?
Earlier than you select a meals tour of London, you need to in all probability have an concept of what kinds of meals the capital is thought for and what sorts of meals you want to strive.
London is a cultural hub, which implies there’s an enormous vary of flavors to strive, from conventional pub meals via to worldwide cuisines equivalent to curries. You could find conventional British meals in every single place from road market stalls to effective eating eating places.
Most meals will not be distinctive to London however are eaten all through the UK with a number of regional variations. Many conventional British dishes will be exhausting to search out outdoors the British Isles.
As a basic concept although, we expect most individuals would take pleasure in making an attempt at the least a number 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 widespread 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 truffles, 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 (usually part of the Sunday roast meal), chips (fries), mincemeat pies, black pudding, British cheeses (there are over 700 varieties, together with cheddar, Cheshire, and Stilton), scones, Welsh truffles, and chocolate digestives (all usually eaten with tea), spag bol (nickname for British model of spaghetti bolognese usually made at house), and beans on toast
- A few of the widespread domestically 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’ll be able to 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 (notably 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 record of typical meals eaten within the UK and focuses extra on conventional British meals. It could after all be unattainable to strive all these items in a single journey nevertheless it ought to offer you a good suggestion of what most individuals consider as British meals (and possibly some you’ve by no means heard of).
If the above is extra overwhelming than useful, then here’s a shortlist of a number of the hottest meals that vacationers inform us they wish to have in London:
- Fish and chips
- Full English breakfast
- Sausage roll and/or bacon sandwich
- Rooster tikka masala
- Sticky toffee pudding
- A pint of actual ale and/or English cider
- Cream tea (tea and scones)
Lots of the above are well-liked dishes on London meals excursions centered on British meals.
The Greatest Meals Excursions in London
There are literally numerous several types of meals excursions and experiences in London, so we’ve divided this information into a number of the most important choices we expect you need to think about.
These differ from extra conventional meals strolling excursions via to excursions that focus extra on beer, excursions and experiences that cowl afternoon tea, excursions that happen on a car of some form, and cooking courses that have you ever studying tips on how to make iconic dishes.
We predict that between all the varied choices you might be positive to search out one thing you’ll take pleasure in!
Meals Strolling Excursions
A meals strolling tour is unquestionably one of the well-liked kinds of meals tour you are able to do in London. The sort of tour usually has you exploring part of town and making an attempt numerous totally different meals at varied places.
The tour must also 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 might be visiting.
There are just a few totally different meals strolling excursions in London. Certainly one of our favourites is this Borough Market and Southwark Tour with Take Walks / Devour Excursions.
As a fast be aware, 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 give attention to small teams and nice guides. We’ve at all times had a superb time and are completely happy 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 town to the south of London Bridge the place you can find sights equivalent to The Shard and Southwark Cathedral.
Southwark can also be house to the world-famous Borough Market, the place you can find an enormous vary of eateries and meals stalls. So, it is sensible for a meals tour to give attention to this space!
After we took this tour it included seven meals tastings and a drink cease, together with well-liked classics equivalent to fish and chips from arguably one of the 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 may advocate it if you wish to strive lots of totally different meals in a small group setting. In case you just like the sound of this tour, you’ll be able to guide it right here.
In fact, there are a variety of different excursions that included Borough Market and this space, together with this well-liked choice which will be booked on GetYourGuide right here, and as a personal tour on Viator right here. There’s additionally this tour which focuses on the meals of Borough Market.
There are additionally numerous different strolling meals excursions in London you would possibly think about. Under we record all those we advocate you think about, which we’ve divided into extra conventional meals excursions and people which give attention to different well-liked kinds of meals.
Conventional English Meals Strolling Excursions
Different Meals Strolling Excursions
As you’ll be able to see, there are many choices to select from!
Pub and Drink Excursions
One factor we actually love about London are the outstanding historic pubs, lots of which have been serving conventional drinks and meals for actually tons of 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 hearth besides.
As there are such a lot of good pubs to expertise, we needed to share a choice of excursions the place pubs and drinks are as a lot of a spotlight because the meals. So, while these excursions often embrace meals, additionally they embrace a wide variety of drinks as effectively.
Certainly one of our favourite excursions of this sort that we’ve 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 spread of conventional pub meals together with fish & chips, a selfmade Scotch egg, whitebait, and extra. Jess doesn’t usually like Scotch eggs, however she truly actually loved the freshly made model on this tour.
One of the vital enjoyable components of the tour was on the finish after we performed a conventional and historic pub sport, made well-liked by Henry VIII!
General, we actually loved this pub tour, which is an effective choice if you wish to go to some actually iconic London pubs and revel in a great combination of conventional meals and drinks. You possibly can test availability and pricing and guide this tour right here.
There are additionally another meals excursions in London which mix foods and drinks which you would possibly wish to think about. We’ve included all our really useful excursions under:
- The historic pubs tour with Devour Excursions. That is the one we’ve performed 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
- In case you’d like to go to numerous pubs however don’t wish to drink lots, this nice worth tour of pubs visits a number of the oldest pubs in London however solely features a half pint. So you’ll be able to choose to drink or not, as you would like. Be aware 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 ingesting and eating your approach across the SoHo space within the night. That is one other well-liked night SoHo foods and drinks tour to think about.
- In case you’d wish to check out numerous totally different craft beers throughout London, check out this three hour craft beer tour of London.
- Lastly, when you 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 to 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 effectively price experiencing within the metropolis it grew to become well-liked in.
A day tea is historically served within the afternoon (though you’ll be able to usually guide one for a late morning). Usually, it features a course of savory objects together with sandwiches, adopted by scones after which candy treats.
In fact, 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 gratifying expertise. Our one tip could be to come back hungry, as a result of a day tea entails lots of meals!
There are a variety of choices for having a day tea in London, together with strolling excursions which have a day tea element.
You may as well after all guide a day tea immediately along with your most popular location when you’d quite simply give attention to the afternoon tea and skip the stroll half.
Under, we’ll share some choices to think about that embrace afternoon tea.
Boat & Bus Meals Excursions
In case you like the thought of sightseeing round London, consuming, and doing these issues while sitting down, then you need to think about taking a ship or bus meals tour.
There are a variety of choices to select from. For the boat excursions, these clearly are restricted to the River Thames. Nevertheless, as this goes proper via the center of London and passes by numerous 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 wish to see it’s a good suggestion to test with the operator earlier than reserving to see what is roofed, though bear in mind that routes can after all change relying on issues like highway works.
By way of choices, there are a variety to select from. These supply totally different menus and routes. Some strategies to think about 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
- In case you like the thought of afternoon tea however would additionally wish to take a bus tour, then this tour has you lined. You’ll see London’s main sights while having fun with a full afternoon tea
- There are a variety of kids’s themed afternoon tea bus rides as effectively, together with this Peppa Pig afternoon tea bus experience and this Paddington Bear afternoon tea bus experience
- 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, reside music and the chance to bounce. A beautiful method to spend a night in London
Meals Workshops in London
In case you’d like to discover ways to truly make a basic London dish, you then 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 ideal many meals courses to select from. Nevertheless, there are undoubtedly some choices on the market. We’ve chosen some choices which spotlight the extra conventional meals and drinks you would possibly wish to discover ways to make in London.
- This 5 hour tour and cooking class has you visiting Borough Market to take a look at domestically accessible produce and components earlier than getting ready a multi-course connoisseur meal with drinks within the chef’s house. Wine is included.
- You possibly can’t have afternoon tea with out scones! This cooking class will train you tips on how to make this basic merchandise, plus you’ll be capable to take house your scones if you find yourself performed
- A pork pie is a scrumptious British deal with, and this workshop will stroll you thru the method of creating your individual pork pie from begin to end.
- When you’ve got a candy tooth you would possibly like to move out to Notting Hill and discover ways to make your individual scrumptious chocolate on this tour
Suggestions for Selecting a Meals Tour in London
Earlier than you guide your meals expertise in London, we needed to share some suggestions to assist guarantee you may have an ideal expertise, and guide the fitting tour for you.
Verify What’s Included / Excluded
If you end up evaluating totally different excursions, you need to test to see what’s included and excluded. Excursions ought to record intimately what you truly get to your cash.
Usually, try to be informed if meals or drink is included, and in that case, how a lot. Most foods and drinks strolling excursions do embrace foods and drinks, however not all of them, so it’s at all times good to test!
Excursions will even record some other inclusions or exclusions. For instance, some excursions would possibly go to sights and have the attraction charge included. Others might embrace mushy drinks.
Suggestions are typically not included on most excursions, though they’re after all at all times appreciated.
When evaluating excursions by worth, you’ll at all times wish to examine what’s included. A tour might value much less, but when it’s important to pay for lots of foods and drinks, then the ultimate value would possibly find yourself fairly totally different.
Affirm Dietary Necessities and Meals Allergen Info in Advance
This one could seem apparent, particularly in case you have dietary necessities, however it is very important be aware.
When you’ve got any dietary necessities or meals allergy symptoms, you undoubtedly wish to talk these with the tour organizer upfront to make sure your wants will be met on the tour you wish to do.
Verify Restroom Availability
The vast majority of strolling excursions happen over just a few 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. Nevertheless, a number of the excursions we’ve listed happen on classic buses for instance, the place a restroom shouldn’t be accessible throughout the tour.
That is undoubtedly one thing to bear in mind do you have to really feel it is perhaps 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. Nevertheless, this isn’t at all times the case.
Relying in your mobility and the way snug you might be strolling, you would possibly wish to test with the tour organiser earlier than you guide to see how far you’ll truly be required to stroll as a part of your tour, to make sure will probably be a cushty expertise for you. Studying latest tour opinions may assist with understanding if there’s lots of strolling concerned.
Affirm Any Accessibility Necessities
When you’ve got any accessibility wants, you’ll want to talk along with your tour organizer upfront of reserving your tour to make sure they’re able to meet these necessities.
Some excursions will record as as to whether or not they’re accessible for wheelchair customers for instance, however the listings don’t typically cowl each accessible want.
As such, we extremely advocate reaching out to make sure you’re going to have a great expertise previous to reserving and keep away from any difficult conditions on the tour itself.
Convey Acceptable Apparel
It’s vital to convey and put on apparel that’s applicable to the expertise you guide. 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 may get extra packing suggestions in our information to what to pack for London right here.
By way of a gown code, while most meals excursions received’t have a gown code, if you’re visiting a high-end resort for afternoon tea then you need to undoubtedly test to see if they’ve any gown code necessities. You possibly can see an instance gown code for the Ritz Lodge’s afternoon tea right here.
Additional Studying to 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 assets 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 an entire information to the place to remain in London, which covers all of the neighborhoods and an entire vary of worth factors
- In case you plan on doing a lot sightseeing within the metropolis, you’ll possible lower your expenses with a London Cross. See our full London Cross assessment 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.
- In case 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 to your journey to London.
- We put collectively some tips about discovering the finest Images Areas in London
- For the Harry Potter followers amongst you, check out our information to discovering Harry Potter in London
- We now have strategies for Issues to Do in Kensington, in case you needed to focus extra on a selected area of town
- In case you take pleasure in navy museums, check out our information to London’s finest 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 info 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 info
- Desirous about heading to Paris from London? We now have an in depth information to the finest method 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, in case you have any questions, simply pop them within the feedback and we’ll reply them as quickly as we are able to!
