Off Topic: Eating In London

April 29, 2017

Off Topic: Eating In London

This is an off topic post but I wanted to share my food adventure in London.

Over Good Friday I made a short trip to London. In the four full days I was there I packed in a lot of yummy food.

The first night we went to Nando's for dinner. It is a chain restaurant known for their Peri Peri chicken (a sauce that originated in Portugal). The location we visited (near the Earl's Court Underground station) was very small and crowded, but the service was very quick. One thing we figured out as we watched other people was that you have to go to the register to place your order. We both had the Sunset Burger with a side of Supergrain. Both were super delicious and the salad made me fell like I was being super healthy.

The next morning we had breakfast at Ca'puccino, serving a lighter Italian fare. You can find it near the Warren Street Underground station. I had an Americano coffee and Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. The service was quick and friendly. The location is on a corner and two of the four walls are floor to ceiling windows. The walls are lined with a random selection of Italian books (Danielle Steel and StarTreck were among the options). It was a great place to have breakfast.

For lunch we went to Wasabi. This is another chain restaurant. It felt like there was one on almost every corner. It is self service Asian food. You go in and choose sushi, noodles, salads, soups and take it to the register to pay. Any of the items that need to be heated up are then taken behind the counter and prepared. I LOVE Asian food and my eyes were much bigger than my stomach. I ended up with so much food: dumpling soup, seaweed onigiri, salmon and mango roll, salmon and avocado salad, green mochi, and bubble tea. The setting was very modern and it was fun to watch business people, school kids, and tourists all coming and going.

The next day we went to Cafe Oz near the British Library and Kings Cross Underground for an authentic English breakfast. The cafe was a tiny little place with about 10 tables inside. There was a fun vibe with funky art work on the walls. I ordered a cappuccino and the Vegetarian Breakfast with a side of Bubble and Squeak. The portion was HUGE, scrambled eggs, hash browns, mushrooms, tomato, beans, halloumi cheese. It was really yummy and I would recommend going if you're in the area.

The next few meals were very light, something small from a cafe or just picking up some fruit or hot cross buns from the grocery store.

The following day we went to my favorite pie shop. Located inside of Covent Garden, Battersea Pie Station is a literal hole in the wall with some amazingly delicious food. I ordered steak and meantime stout pie with a side of minty peas. The waitress made a mistake and apologized profusely when she brought us peas AND mash.

For dessert we had sticky toffee pudding, which is something I always try (but don't always succeed) to eat when in England.

In the afternoon we went to Cafe in the Crypt at St. Martin in the Fields. The setting was like something from a fairy-tale. As the name suggests it is a cafe in the crypt under the old church near Trafalgar's Square. It was very busy and we were lucky to find a high top where we sipped coffee and ate a sweet slice of Victoria Sponge. It was a lovely spot, highly recommended!

On my final day, before heading to the airport, we stopped to eat the last thing on my food bucket list: fish and chips. We went to The Swan outside of the Hammersmith Underground. We arrived at 11am, just as they were opening the kitchen for lunch which led to a rather long wait (about 45 minutes before our food arrived). The atmosphere felt very authentic, with high wooden ceilings and historic fixtures and decorations. I ordered Nicholson's Fish & Chips. It was tasty. As long as you're not in a rush I would recommend this spot.