Below are a list of restaurants we’ve personally visited in England and can recommend. All reviews were as of the time we visited.
London
Richmond/Twickenham
- The Princes Head (Richmond) – This pub stands in for the Crown and Anchor in the TV show Ted Lasso. It’s a friendly and cozy pub, and the food is good! Read more about it in this post.
- The Britannia (Richmond) – We had New Year’s Eve dinner at The Brit, and everything was absolutely delicious. I have no doubt their everyday menus is just as good. More in this post.
- The Eel Pie Pub (Twickenham) – First of all, Twickenham is absolutely charming and a wee less touristy than Central London. The Eel Pie was a wonderful pub with lots of cool music memorabilia on the walls. The food was delicious, as were the beers. More in this post.
Central London
- St. JOHN Bakery (Neal’s Yard/Covent Garden) – Neal’s Yard is a fun and funky little hidden gem, and St. JOHN Bakery is one of the stars. When we were there, it was a tiny little shop, but they’ve since moved to a much bigger location – but still in Neal’s Yard. It’s also a bar! More in this post.
- Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson Hotel (West End) – If you’re going to do afternoon tea in London, why not make it fun? This Alice in Wonderland themed tea was fantastic. Great selection of teas (and our server happily made recommendations for us) and more food than you can handle. Be sure to book in advance. More in this post.
- The Ship (Soho) – Fun and infamous pub in Soho. See pics and read about how Keith Moon of The Who was banned for life in this post.
- Duck & Waffle – Although they serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late nite bites, we only experienced breakfast – and it was amazing. First, the views. Duck & Waffle is on the 40th floor of Heron Tower, and offers panoramic views of London. The food was as good as the view, but be warned: it’s a busy place. Reservations most-likely required.
- Cafe 1001 (Brick Lane) – This fun little cafe has coffee, pastries, brunch, and beer during the day, with comfortable couches, small tables, and a nice collection of vinyl records making it a cozy place to take a break from all the cool vintage shops in Brick Lane. At night it turns into a full-fledged disco. More in this post.
- Dishoom (King’s Cross, but there are multiple locations) – We had breakfast at the King’s Cross location, it was probably our favorite meal of the trip. Indian food for breakfast, you say? Yes! They’re also open for lunch and dinner. There are multiple locations in addition to King’s Cross, including Covent Garden, Shoreditch, Kensington, Carnaby Street, Battersea, and Canary Wharf. It’s a popular place, so you may want to make a reservation. More in this post.
- Dingwalls (Camden) – I can already hear the locals saying Dingwalls is a tourist trap. They’re probably right, The pints are on the higher side of the price scale, and it can get crowded with tourists. But Dingwalls also has a storied musical history. The Ramones played their 2nd ever UK show there. Members of The Clash, Sex Pistols, and The Damned were all at that show, and The Damned would make their public debut there the very next night. The list of artists/bands that played there is long, so that’s why it’s worth a stop for an overpriced pint. More in this post.