Taste Europe: a tour of Europe's most delicious cities
Going Full English in England.
Short, sweet and spectacular.
Forget the culinary clichés, British dinner is serious business.
In London, the traditional English approach to cooking is fused with the city’s multiculturalism to create a deliciously unique cuisine.
Jo Yee @CandidsbyJoLondon is remarkable in that practically every cuisine is on offer. I've developed a taste for Indian, Moroccan and Lebanese fare while maintaining my cravings for Korean, Thai and Ethiopian food.
The three mainstays of a Sunday Roast are meat (roast beef being most common), vegetables, and potatoes. Yorkshire puddings and gravy are also traditionally included.
Laura Porter @AboutLondonNo weekend should be without a Sunday Roast with all the trimmings. This means roast beef, Yorkshire Puddings, roast potatoes [...] and thick gravy.
A semicircular baked pastry filled with chunks of beef, swede, potato, onion, and black pepper.
Jo Yee @CandidsbyJoCornish pasty, cream tea, and a roast. To me these three represent the quintessential English fare that can't be bested elsewhere.
Cream Tea traditionally includes a scone, spread with jam and clotted cream, an assortment of cakes, and is taken with tea.
Laura Porter @AboutLondonOf all the dishes associated with London the one I adore the most is afternoon tea. There's something magical about the arrival at the table of the silver three-tiered cake stand.
Full English Breakfast typically includes sausage, bacon, eggs, fried bread (or toast), black pudding, baked beans, mushrooms, and tomato. Served with coffee or tea and/or juice.
Battered fish (traditionally beer-battered cod or haddock) served with deep fried potatoes, and usually eaten with lemon and malt vinegar.
Laura Porter @AboutLondonFish and chips is the world's best double act and you'll find a local chippy in every neighbourhood.
Originating in the East End of London, pie and mash traditionally consists of minced beef pie with a suet pastry crust, mashed potatoes, and a parsley ‘liquor’ sauce (which is non-alcoholic).
Su-Lin Lee @SulinEatsIf we're talking historical London dishes, I can't think of anything more 'London' than pie and mash.
Sausages and mashed potatoes with onion gravy, sometimes also served with a side of vegetables.
Laura Porter @AboutLondonBangers and mash is a well-loved meal in family homes, and is making a bit of a comeback with the trendy folk in Soho since Mother Mash arrived a few years ago.
London's first curry house was opened in 1810 by Indian entrepreneur Sake Dean Mahomed. Love for the exotic spices has made curry an integral part of British cuisine.
Laura Porter @AboutLondonCurry is immensely popular here, and many dishes such as Chicken Tikka Masala and the Balti were created just for the English palate.
The days of soggy chips and pickled eggs are long gone in the capital, but sorting the blandest of British from the gastronomic greats can be tough. Here's what our experts have to say.
Laura Porter @aboutlondonGone are the days of bland grub in London as we're now a city of foodies with access to restaurants serving every international cuisine available.
Jo Yee @candidsbyjoWhenever friends and family from the States visit I will insist they try three particular dishes: a [Sunday] roast, Cornish pasty and cream tea. To me these three represent the quintessential English fare that can't be bested elsewhere.
Su-Lin Lee @sulineatsLondon is quite the melting pot when it comes to cuisine and restaurants! [...] I could source the ingredients to make an authentic Japanese breakfast at home, I could dine out on Neapolitan pizza for lunch and then Colombian food for dinner.
Su-Lin reviews Sunday lunch at The Mall Tavern
tamarindandthyme.wordpress.com
London blogger Jo Yee has made a name for herself with her candid, revealing photo portraits of her exotic meals and even-more exotic travels. Her blog was nominated in 2013 for a MAD best photography award.
The HouseTrip TeamIt was wonderful to have a US perspective on traditional British food. Thanks Joanna!
Laura Porter is one of About.com’s most-prolific travel writers, using her platform to entice as many people as possible to her hometown of London. She is also a noted ‘super blogger’ on the Visit Britain super blog.
The HouseTrip TeamA big thanks to Laura for a wealth of information on where to find some of the great British Classics!
A prolific cook and blogger, Su-Lin is a cosmopolitan expat trying to eat her way around London's most exciting spots – and documenting her journey every step of the way. She has been nominated for the Sisterhood of the World’s blogger awards.
The HouseTrip TeamThank you Su-Lin for some invaluable tips on eating well in London without going broke!
Jo Yee @CandidsbyJoWhen in the mood for a Sunday roast you'd do well to stop at a gastropub. The Queen's Arms is a great choice.
Laura Porter @AboutLondonBombay Brasserie in South Kensington is a very grand venue but does a well-priced weekend brunch.
Laura Porter @AboutLondonOne of the best places to try the morning feast that is the Full English Breakfast.
Su-Lin Lee @sulineatsFor a luxurious Sunday Roast, you absolutely cannot beat Hawksmoor.
Laura Porter @AboutLondonA few Pie and Mash shops have survived where you can enjoy a meat pie with smooth mashed potato - L.Manze in Walthamstow is the best place to still get that.
Su-Lin Lee @sulineatsThere are very few traditional pie and mash shops left - one I can recommend for the ambiance is A. Cookes.
Laura Porter @AboutLondonOne of my favourite places to enjoy afternoon tea in London.
Laura Porter @AboutLondonTraditional pubs such as the Mayflower in Rotherhithe offer a great Sunday Roast.
Borough Market is the place to go for wholesale gourmet foods and ready-to-eat delicacies, both from the UK and abroad. Meats, fish, vegetables, breads, cakes and cheeses can be found in abundance.
The site of a market since the 15th century, Leadenhall Market is populated with butchers, cheesemongers, bars and restaurants. The market is covered, making it an ideal spot for rainy days.
Located in the heart of Soho, Berwick Street Market is primarily known for its fruit and vegetable stalls, and is also home to cafes, record stores and fabric stalls.
Once the world’s largest fish market, today Billingsgate Market is still the place to get great quality fish. Note that the market is only open early in the mornings.
New Covent Garden Market supplies fruit and vegetables to many of London’s top restaurants and cafés, making it the perfect place to pick up authentic quality produce.
Stretching almost the full length of Walthamstow High Street, Walthamstow market offers a wide range of traditional English goods and cafés as well as ethnic foods.
