In case you are planning a visit to London you might be in all probability hoping to attempt a few of the native British foods and drinks. However aside from fish and chips and a pint of beer, you is likely to be questioning what else you have to be attempting, and the place you must go to get one of the best of what’s on supply.
Nicely, one of many choices that we advocate is to take a meals tour in London. This may provide help to pattern quite a lot of British meals in a enjoyable, informative, and environment friendly approach.
Laurence really lived in London for a few years, and ate a complete number of meals at totally different places throughout town. However even he enjoys taking meals excursions in England’s capital as there’s all the time one thing new to find.
Meals excursions range significantly in size, the quantity of meals included, and value. We’ve completed a variety of meals excursions in London, and needed to share what we expect are one of the best choices obtainable on your go to. In case you are searching for a meals tour or cooking workshop in London, we’ll provide help 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 likewise provide you with a very good record of British meals you may need to pattern.
Why Take a Meals Tour in London?
A meals tour is a superb solution to attempt a curated vary of scrumptious dishes. Excursions will allow you to attempt one of the best of what’s on supply, overlaying 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 at the least throughout quieter hours). You’ll keep away from ready in traces to order, and be given smaller parts than you’d be capable to order by yourself. This permits for a more practical tour the place you possibly can attempt 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 best way, so you possibly can perceive a few of the historical past of the meals you are attempting. A very good tour information will assist provide you with some background concerning the meals you might be tasting, the world of London you might be visiting, and likewise be a wonderful useful resource for answering questions and offering suggestions.
In case you are visiting London for just a few days, then a meals tour can be a great way to study 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 to 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 concentrate on extra conventional British meals which might be what most guests are going to take pleasure in most. In case you are searching for a tour that focuses on conventional British classics then we’d advocate a strolling tour comparable to this one or this one.
Or if you happen to choose yet one more centered on pub foods and drinks then we’d advocate a tour like this one which pairs beers and ciders with traditional pub meals and snacks.
However when you’ve got already tried quite a lot 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 possibly you need 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 put up.
Regardless of Laurence having grown up within the UK and Jess residing there for 7 years, we have now actually loved the varied meals excursions, afternoon teas, and meals workshops we’ve completed in London. We’re all the time discovering new variations of traditional British meals (and new locations to attempt them) and studying extra concerning the historical past of British delicacies.
Taking a meals tour is certainly one of our really useful 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.
Varieties of Meals to attempt in London?
Earlier than you select a meals tour of London, you must in all probability have an concept of what forms 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 comparable to curries. Yow will discover conventional British meals in all places from avenue market stalls to high quality eating eating places.
Most meals usually are not distinctive to London however are eaten all through the UK with plenty of regional variations. Many conventional British dishes might be exhausting to seek out outdoors the British Isles.
As a normal concept although, we expect most individuals would take pleasure in attempting at the least a few of the following widespread 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 usually 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 embody Yorkshire pudding (typically 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 muffins, and chocolate digestives (all typically eaten with tea), spag bol (nickname for British model of spaghetti bolognese usually made at dwelling), and beans on toast
- Among the widespread regionally grown fruit and veggies within the UK embody 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 possibly can 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 brief record of typical meals eaten within the UK and focuses extra on conventional British meals. It could after all 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)
Lots of the above are widespread dishes on London meals excursions centered on British meals.
The Greatest Meals Excursions in London
There are literally a variety of various kinds of meals excursions and experiences in London, so we have now divided this information into a few of the principal choices we expect you must contemplate.
These range 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 sort, and cooking lessons that have you ever studying how you can make iconic dishes.
We predict that between all the varied choices you might be positive to seek out one thing you’ll take pleasure in!
Meals Strolling Excursions
A meals strolling tour is unquestionably one of the crucial widespread forms of meals tour you are able to do in London. One of these tour usually has you exploring part of town and attempting a variety of totally different meals at numerous places.
The tour also needs to embody a educated information who can let you know about each the meals you are attempting and one thing concerning the historical past of the world you might be visiting.
There are just a few totally different meals strolling excursions in London. Considered one of our favourites is this Borough Market and Southwark Tour with Take Walks / Devour Excursions.
As a fast word, 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 concentrate on small teams and nice guides. We’ve all the time had a wonderful time and are glad 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’ll find sights comparable to The Shard and Southwark Cathedral.
Southwark can be dwelling to the world-famous Borough Market, the place you’ll find an enormous vary of eateries and meals stalls. So, it is smart for a meals tour to concentrate on this space!
Once we took this tour it included seven meals tastings and a drink cease, together with widespread classics comparable 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.
Total, we actually loved this tour and may advocate it if you wish to attempt quite a lot of totally different meals in a small group setting. If you happen to just like the sound of this tour, you possibly can guide it right here.
After all, there are a selection of different excursions that included Borough Market and this space, together with this widespread choice which might 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 a variety of different strolling meals excursions in London you may contemplate. Under we record all those we advocate you contemplate, which we’ve divided into extra conventional meals excursions and people which concentrate on different widespread forms of meals.
Conventional English Meals Strolling Excursions
Different Meals Strolling Excursions
As you possibly can 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 a whole bunch of years. You can also eat and drink in locations the place London’s historic figures partook of their victuals, typically by a comfy actual fireplace as well.
As there are such a lot of good pubs to expertise, we needed to share a collection of excursions the place pubs and drinks are as a lot of a spotlight because the meals. So, while these excursions normally embody meals, in addition they embody a wide variety of drinks as effectively.
Considered one of our favourite excursions of this kind that we have now 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 really actually loved the freshly made model on this tour.
Some of the enjoyable elements of the tour was on the finish after we performed a standard and historic pub recreation, made widespread by Henry VIII!
Total, we actually loved this pub tour, which is an effective choice if you wish to go to some actually iconic London pubs and luxuriate in a very good combination of conventional meals and drinks. You possibly can verify availability and pricing and guide this tour right here.
There are additionally another meals excursions in London which mix foods and drinks which you may need to contemplate. We’ve included all our really useful excursions under:
- The historic pubs tour with Devour Excursions. That is the one we’ve completed and actually beloved.
- If you wish to know extra concerning the course of of making beer, try this brewery tour and tasting in Hackney
- If you happen to’d like to go to a variety of 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 possibly can choose to drink or not, as you would like. Observe this one doesn’t embody any meals, however the pubs do serve meals.
- Considered one of London’s hottest central nightlight spots is SoHo. This tour has you consuming and eating your approach across the SoHo space within the night. That is one other widespread night SoHo foods and drinks tour to contemplate.
- If you happen to’d wish to check out a variety of totally 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 Move (a sightseeing low cost go), then we’d additionally advocate contemplating this pub tour which is included with the go (you should definitely reserve your spot). It’s a guided strolling tour of 4 historic pubs however you do want to decide on and purchase your personal drinks.
Afternoon Tea in London
Popularized within the UK within the mid-Nineteenth century, afternoon tea is a scrumptious custom that’s effectively value experiencing within the metropolis it grew to become widespread in.
A day tea is historically served within the afternoon (though you possibly can typically guide 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 offers you the choice to have espresso or one other drink.
We’ve had afternoon throughout London, together with on the Berkley and the Ritz. It’s all the time been an satisfying expertise. Our one tip could be to return hungry, as a result of a day tea includes quite a lot 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.
It’s also possible to after all guide a day tea instantly together with your most well-liked location if you happen to’d moderately simply concentrate on the afternoon tea and skip the stroll half.
Under, we’ll share some choices to contemplate that embody afternoon tea.
Boat & Bus Meals Excursions
If you happen to like the thought of sightseeing round London, consuming, and doing these issues while sitting down, then you must contemplate 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. Nonetheless, as this goes proper by way of the guts of London and passes by a variety of 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 range 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 verify 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 street works.
When it comes to choices, there are a selection to select from. These supply totally different menus and routes. Some solutions to contemplate are as follows.
- This tour has you boarding a luxurious coach for a gourmand six course meal as you go a few of London’s iconic sights
- If you happen to 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 variety of youngsters’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, dwell music and the chance to bounce. A stunning solution to spend a night in London
Meals Workshops in London
If you happen to’d like to discover ways to really make a traditional 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 amazing 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 may need to discover ways 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 gourmand meal with drinks within the chef’s dwelling. Wine is included.
- You possibly can’t have afternoon tea with out scones! This cooking class will educate you how you can make this traditional merchandise, plus you’ll be capable to take dwelling your scones if you end up completed
- A pork pie is a scrumptious British deal with, and this workshop will stroll you thru the method of creating your personal pork pie from begin to end.
- In case you have a candy tooth you may like to move out to Notting Hill and discover ways to make your personal scrumptious chocolate on this tour
Ideas 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 will have an amazing expertise, and guide the best tour for you.
Test What’s Included / Excluded
If you find yourself evaluating totally different excursions, you must verify to see what’s included and excluded. Excursions ought to record intimately what you really get on your cash.
Usually, you have to be advised if meals or drink is included, and if that’s the case, how a lot. Most foods and drinks strolling excursions do embody foods and drinks, however not all of them, so it’s all the time good to verify!
Excursions can even record another inclusions or exclusions. For instance, some excursions may go to points of interest and have the attraction price included. Others could embody delicate drinks.
Ideas are usually not included on most excursions, though they’re after all all the time appreciated.
When evaluating excursions by value, you’ll all the time need to examine what’s included. A tour could value much less, but when you need to pay for lots of foods and drinks, then the ultimate value may find yourself fairly totally different.
Affirm Dietary Necessities and Meals Allergen Data in Advance
This one could seem apparent, particularly when you’ve got dietary necessities, however it is very important word.
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.
Test Restroom Availability
Nearly all of strolling excursions happen over just a few hours, and there’s all the time an opportunity that you simply may 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 shouldn’t be obtainable during the tour.
That is undoubtedly one thing to bear in mind do you have to really feel it is likely to be a difficulty for you.
Affirm Strolling Distance
In our expertise, nearly all of meals strolling excursions happen in a reasonably small space, and don’t require quite a lot of strolling. Nonetheless, this isn’t all the time the case.
Relying in your mobility and the way comfy you might be strolling, you may need to verify with the tour organiser earlier than you guide to see how far you’ll really be required to stroll as a part of your tour, to make sure it is going to be a snug expertise for you. Studying current tour evaluations may also assist with understanding if there’s quite a lot 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 record 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’ll have a very good expertise previous to reserving and keep away from any difficult conditions on the tour itself.
Deliver Applicable Apparel
It’s vital to convey and put on apparel that’s acceptable to the expertise you guide. For London, the climate is rarely assured, and rain or solar are attainable yr spherical.
As such, we all the time advocate packing one thing like an umbrella or rain coat simply in case. You will get extra packing suggestions 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, if you’re visiting a high-end lodge for afternoon tea then you must undoubtedly verify to see if they’ve any costume code necessities. You possibly can see an instance costume code for the Ritz Resort’s afternoon tea right here.
Additional Studying on 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’ve detailed itineraries for 1 day in London, 2 days in London, 3 days in London and 6 days in London
- We’ve an entire information to the place to remain in London, which covers all of the neighborhoods and a complete vary of value factors
- If you happen to plan on doing a lot sightseeing within the metropolis, you’ll doubtless lower your expenses with a London Move. See our full London Move overview right here to see if this may prevent cash on sightseeing.
- We’ve a information to getting round London, and a information to utilizing the Oyster card in London.
- If you happen to’re flying into certainly one of London’s six airports, see our information to attending to London from the airport.
- We’ve an in depth information to what to pack for London, that will help you put together on your journey to London.
- We put collectively some tips about discovering the greatest Images Places in London
- For the Harry Potter followers amongst you, check out our information to discovering Harry Potter in London
- We’ve solutions for Issues to Do in Kensington, in case you needed to focus extra on a particular area of town
- If you happen to take pleasure in army museums, check out our information to London’s greatest army museums and memorial. Additionally see our Winston Churchill in London information.
- We’ve detailed guides to visiting the Tower of London and the London Eye which incorporates info on planning your go to and the way to economize on these widespread points of interest
- Ideas on visiting Stonehenge from London as a day journey
- Different good day journeys from London embody 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 all the time a wonderful supply of related info
- Serious about heading to Paris from London? We’ve an in depth information to the greatest solution 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 all the time, when you’ve got any questions, simply pop them within the feedback and we’ll reply them as quickly as we are able to!
