12 Best Places to Eat in London – Burger & Lobster, Duck & Waffles, The Breakfast Club, and More

February 24th, 2020 by Evan | Tagged in: Europe, London, London food

This is a list of 12 best places to eat in London, categorised according to their respective neighbourhoods: Covent Garden, Soho, Mayfair, Marylebone, Notting Hill, City of London, Southwark. I had a wonderful time indulging in the city’s delicious food during my holiday here!

– Covent Garden –

1. Honest Burger

Honest Burgers is a famous burger restaurant chain in London. It is known for its delicious beef burgers and tasty rosemary chips. I visited the conveniently located Covent Garden branch one night after catching the Lion King musical.

I ordered the Chicken Burger (£11), a burger with free range chicken breast, lettuce, tomato and mustard mayonnaise. Like all the other burgers, it is served with homemade rosemary salted chips.

The chicken breast was cooked perfectly! It was rich in flavour, with a lovely moist and tender texture. The big draw for me was the mustard mayonnaise sauce, which added a tang and an extra dimension to the burger.

The tasty rosemary chips were the highlight, not greasy and reasonably crisp, with the unmistakable herbal aroma of rosemary. And it was a really generous portion too!

Address: 33 Southampton St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7HE, United Kingdom
Directions: Three-minute walk from Covent Garden station
Opening Hours: | Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 11pm | Sun: 11.30am – 10pm |
Phone Number: +44 20 3019 0959
Other branches: www.honestburgers.co.uk/locations

– Soho –

2. The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is a famous cafe known for its delicious and affordable brunch items. It is extremely popular and I had to queue for about 30 minutes when I reached at 8.30am on a Sunday morning.

After looking through the menu, I decided to order the Cabbies Breakfast (£7.50), a simple dish that consists of bacon, sausage, eggs, chips, beans, tomato & fried bread. The smooth and creamy scrambled eggs was a delight to eat, and the savoury bacon slices were cooked to perfection. Together with the fragrant baked beans, crispy fries, and succulent sausage, this was one super satisfying dish!

Address: 33 D’Arblay St, Soho, London W1F 8EU, United Kingdom
Directions: Six-minute walk from Tottenham Court Road Station
Opening Hours: | Sun to Thurs: 7.30am – 5pm | Fri & Sat: 7.30am – 6pm |
Phone Number: +44 20 7434 2571
Other branches: https://thebreakfastclubcafes.com/locations

3. Poppies

Poppies is an iconic fish and chips restaurant with a history that can be traced back to almost 70 years ago.

The wife and I shared one Regular Cod Fish and Chips (£13.95). The cod fish was served hot, and I loved how tender and juicy it was. The deep fried batter was spot on, with a crispy and savoury taste. And of course, I highly recommend eating the fish with the tartar sauce, which adds tang and an extra dimension to the dish.

As for the chips, I felt they could have been a little more crispy, but the delicious fish overshadowed this minor imperfection.

Address: 55-59 Old Compton St, Soho, London W1D 6HW, United Kingdom
Directions: Six-minute walk from Leicester Square Station
Opening Hours: | Mon to Thurs: 11am – 11pm | Fri & Sat: 11am – 11.30pm | Sun: 11am – 10.30pm |
Phone Number: +44 20 7734 4845

4. Kanada-Ya

Kanada-Ya is a famous ramen shop known for its delicious tonkotsu ramens. It is extremely popular with both locals and tourists.

I had the signature Tonkotsu X (£10.90), which consists of pork and chicken bone broth, chashu pork belly, seaweed, spring onion, wood ear fungus and yuzu-shoyu. For my noodle hardness I went with Hard.

The highlight for me was definitely the luscious ramen broth! It was creamy and fragrant with a rich savoury flavour. The spring onions and fungus provided a refreshing balance. The noodles were smooth and eggy with just the right amount of bite. I also enjoyed the chashu slices which were tender and juicy.

Address: 3 Panton St, London SW1Y 4DL, United Kingdom
Directions: two-minute walk from Piccadilly Circus Station
Opening Hours: | Mon to Sat: 12pm – 10.30pm | Sun: 12pm – 9.30pm |
Phone Number: +44 20 7930 3511

5. Bubblewrap

Bubblewrap is a popular dessert shop known for its pretty and delicious egg waffles. I ordered the Deluxe Lover (£6.99), which consists of the original waffle base, vanilla gelato, strawberries, and nutella sauce.

The warm waffle was crisp to the bite but fluffy on the inside, combining perfectly with the ice cream and nutella to produce a harmonious blend of sweet flavours. Everything turned into a delightful sweet mush in my mouth as I chewed. I also really liked how the strawberries provided a refreshing balance with its tangy fruitiness.

My only qualm was that the toppings were only located at the upper part of the dessert – it would have been nice if they were spread more evenly into the wrap.

Address: 24 Wardour St, London W1D 6QJ, United Kingdom
Directions: Four-minute walk from Leicester Square Station
Opening Hours: | Mon to Sat: 12pm – 10.30pm | Sun: 12pm – 10pm |

6. Biju

Biju Bubble Tea Room is a popular bubble tea shop known for its high quality boba drinks. The bubble teas are made with fresh organic milk instead of powdered creamer, and the tea is brewed only after a customer orders, which helps to ensure freshness.

I ordered a regular Earl Grey Milk Tea (£3.95) and added tapioca pearls (50p). The milk tea had a delightfully smooth and creamy texture, along with a pleasant subtle sweetness. The pearls were sweet and chewy, complementing the drink perfectly. I also liked how the fragrant Early Grey flavour stood up well to the sweet creamy milk.

Address: 45 Old Compton St, Soho, London W1D 6HQ, United Kingdom
Directions: Six-minute walk from Leicester Square Station
Opening Hours: | Sun to Thurs: 12pm – 11.30pm | Fri & Sat: 12pm – 12.30am |
Phone Number: +44 20 7287 4040

7. Cafe de Nata

Cafe de Nata is a small shop that sells delicious “Pastel de Nata”, or Portuguese Custard Tarts. The tarts come in a variety of flavours like Classic, Strawberry, Blueberry, Chocolate, Apple & Cinnamon, etc.

Each tart sells at a reasonable price of £1.95, and is cheaper if you buy more. The wife and I shared a box of three for £5, going with the Raspberry, Chocolate, and Classic flavours.

The pastries were excellent! The flaky buttery crust had a pleasant savoury taste, and was complemented perfectly by the creamy egg custard. The wife and I both liked the Raspberry flavour most, but the two other flavours were delicious too. I am very happy to have chanced upon this shop!

– Mayfair –

8. Burger & Lobster

Burger & Lobster is a famous casual dining restaurant that serves three main items: Burgers, Lobsters, and Lobster Rolls. I visited the original branch in Mayfair, which is designed like a stylish casual diner.

I ordered the Original Lobster Roll (£20), which consisted of juicy lobster meat tossed in Japanese mayo with chives, wrapped in a toasted bun. The sweet lobster meat and luscious mayo tasted amazing, going perfectly with the warm buttered brioche bun.

The wife indulged in the 1.25lb Lobster (£24), which was another satisfying dish! The white lobster meat was moist, sweet and tender, with a refreshing taste that felt so good in my mouth. And of course, it would be a sin not to eat it with B&L’s signature lemon and garlic butter sauce, which brought the lobster to another level with its irresistible tangy-savoury flavour.

Address: 29 Clarges St, Mayfair, London W1J 7EF, United Kingdom
Directions: 3-minute walk from Green Park Station
Opening Hours: | Mon to Sat: 12pm – 10.30pm | Sun: 12pm – 10pm |
Phone Number: +44 20 3205 8960
Other branches: www.burgerandlobster.com/locations

– Marylebone –

9. Patty & Bun

Patty & Bun is a burger restaurant chain known for its delicious gourmet burgers. I visited the James Street branch in Marylebone, which is a cozy no-frills space with just two rows of tables lining the walls.

I had the ‘Hot Chic’ Chicken Burger (£9.25), which consists of marinated buttermilk fried chicken, coleslaw, pickled cucumbers, lettuce and smoked garlic aioli sandwiched between two brioche buns.

There’s nothing quite like biting into juicy fried chicken sandwiched between fresh buns – bread buns, that is. The smoked garlic aioli sauce was the highlight with its savoury-tangy taste. The pickled cucumbers added a burst of flavour too. Together with the other fresh vegetables, the rich combination of flavours was simply fantastic.

Address: 54 James St, Marylebone, London W1U 1HE, United Kingdom
Directions: Three-minute walk from Bond Street Station
Opening Hours: | Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 10.30pm | Sun: 11.30am – 10pm |
Phone: +44 20 7487 3188
Other branches: www.pattyandbun.co.uk/locations-and-menus

– Notting Hill –

10. Eggbreak

Eggbreak is a cozy cafe that serves delicious all-day brunch, with a focus on egg dishes (as you can probably guess from the name). It is located along the pretty, pastel-coloured Uxbridge Road, which sits in the quaint neighbourhood of Notting Hill.

I had the Crab Cake with Poached Eggs (£12), which comes with sriracha hollandaise and spinach. The crab cake was crispy and savoury, and the poached eggs were perfectly done. The sriracha hollandaise provided a burst of flavour which was very welcome.

The wife ordered the Pancake Stack (£9.50), which consists of three pancakes topped with bacon crumble, strawberries, blueberries and maple caramel sauce. I loved how the sweet-savoury fragrance of the fluffy pancake, bacon and maple caramel sauce spread throughout my mouth the instant I took a bite. The berries added a refreshing note with their burst of sharp-fruitiness.

Address: 30 Uxbridge St, Kensington, London W8 7TA, United Kingdom
Directions: two-minute walk from Notting Hill Gate Station
Opening Hours: Daily 8am to 6pm
Phone Number: +44 20 3535 8300

– City of London –

11. Duck & Waffle

Duck & Waffle is the highest restaurant in London. Located on the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate (formerly Heron Tower), it is the place to go for 24/7 casual dining in the sky. The menu offers traditional British cuisine, with varied European influences.

I ordered the restaurant’s most famous dish: Duck & Waffle (£18). This signature dish consists of a fluffy waffle topped with a hunk of crispy duck leg confit and fried duck egg. It is served with a small pitcher of mustard maple syrup.

The duck skin was crisp and crunchy to the bite, giving way to the tender duck meat which was really smooth and juicy. The waffle, mustard maple syrup, and duck actually tasted really good together, with the combination turning into a pleasant mush in my mouth as I chewed.

Address: 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY, UK
Directions: Three-minute walk from Liverpool Street Tube Station
Opening Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Phone Number: +44 203 640 7310

– Southwark –

12. Borough Market

Borough Market is a famous local market in Southwark home to a tantalising variety of delicious specialty foods. There are also many stalls selling local produce, poultry, meat, seafood, and cheese.

My favourite stall is Turnips, which sells freshly cooked risotto. I ordered the Wild Mushroom Spelt Risotto (£7). The pearled spelt had a firm and slightly crunchy texture. It was quite tasty with a light musky flavour. The parmesan cheese and savoury mushrooms served as nice complements.

Another popular stall is Le Marché du Quartier, known for its delicious duck confit sandwich. Based on reviews, the duck confit is really tender, savoury and juicy. It costs £5 each.

For excellent coffees, head over to the famous Monmouth Coffee Company. When I reached the cafe there was a long queue of over 20 people, so I decided to skip it. However, I later found out that there is a actually separate queue for takeaways, which usually moves faster. I wished I had known this earlier!

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