Food Guide to London — Where and What to Eat

Borough Market and the South Bank

Borough Market is London's original food market (established 1014): the scallop man, the raclette, the bread stall. Eat standing, eat immediately, repeat. Across the river, Shard's Brew: flat white with a view. Melt (Southbank Centre): the best hot chocolate in London, rich and not sweet.

Brixton — the real food revolution

Brixton Village Market is the best food hall in London. Honest Burgers (Brixton, since 2010): the eponymous burger, sweet potato fries, a house gin and tonic that should be better known. Kricket: Indian-inspired small plates, the samphire kohlrabi is the dish. Franco Manca: sourdough pizza that changed what London pizza could be. Walk the full Brixton Village arcades.

Spitalfields and Brick Lane

Brick Lane is famous for curry; the key is to walk past the first three restaurants (the commission-chasing ones) and find the older, darker places further east. Café Jamaica does the best jerk chicken in London. Poppie's: 1950s-themed fish and chips, consistently excellent. Beigel Bake (Brick Lane, 24 hours): salt beef bagel at 3am, a London institution.

Marylebone and Mayfair

Duck & Waffle (Heron Tower, 40th floor, open 24 hours): confit duck leg and waffle with maple syrup at any hour. The Providores (Marylebone): New Zealand-influenced brunch, the sweetcorn fritters are the signature. Mews of Mayfair: wine bar in a former mews garage, excellent charcuterie.

Peckham and Bermondsey

Peckham Levels: rooftop street food vendors in a former car park. Peckham Plex: the cinema that refuses to die, the bar that never closes. Bermondsey has London's best cluster of artisan producers: Keith's for cheese, Hampshire Cheeses, and Neal's Yard Dairy for what Londoners buy to take home.