London 2024 — Cuts Uncovered

As one of the largest cities in Europe, London is buzzing with people hungry for their next bite. The city of nearly 10 million people is divided into 32 distinct boroughs. Each borough has its own community within the larger city of London. These communities host hundreds of restaurants and even more street vendors. Eating at all of them is next to impossible but that didn’t stop us from trying.

A misconception that London suffers from is that their food is bland and unexciting. This was far from our experience. London is a vastly diverse place with people from all corners of the world and the local culinary scene reflects this. It was amazing to see so many cuisines represented on just one street let alone the whole city. Its national dish, Chicken Tikka Masala speaks to the integration and acceptance that foreign food has with the people of London.

After pulling an all-nighter on our travel day, we arrived hungry and jet-lagged. We thought after a day or two our bodies would adjust to the new time zone of 8 hours ahead of Seattle, but day after day we would fall asleep in the late afternoon, often 8 pm, and wake between 4 and 6 am. The jet lag and nearly 10 miles of walking every day did result in a convenient side effect, constant hunger. We ate at many amazing places and shared many drinks. In case you’re interested in visiting London yourself or are just curious about the food scene, I’ve highlighted some of our favorite meals we had on this trip.

Flat Iron

When we first arrived in London, it was storming. The dark sky was covered in rain clouds and a viscously cold wind ripped through us. We had planned to not waste a moment and go off on our first adventure once we had dropped off our luggage. Awake for over 24 hours and experiencing great hunger, we decided we would walk to a nearby restaurant and have our first London meal. Lucky for us, Flat Iron was nearby. Flat Iron’s menu is simple. You order the one available steak on the menu and pick among the few sides that are offered. A limited menu throws all your eggs in one basket so we knew this was going to be make or break.

We ordered two flat iron steaks, homemade beef dripping chips, crispy bone marrow garlic mash, and every steak sauce they had. The steak was incredibly tender and cooked to a perfect medium. It paired wonderfully with the four sauces we tried, bearnaise, peppercorn, homemade smoked chili mayo, and wild mushroom. A bite of steak paired with the earthy notes of the wild mushroom sauce was my favorite combination. The beef dripping chips, or fries as we know them, had a deep beef flavor on the inside with a crispy exterior. Even better than all of this however was the crispy bone marrow garlic mash. The garlicky smooth potato mash featured crispy bits of bone marrow which were an umami explosion.

At the end of our meal, we were given two supermini metal cleavers similar to their logo. We were instructed to take these over to a man standing next to an ice cream machine. We walked over and handed this mystery London bloke our cleavers and in return, he handed us a cone of vanilla soft-serve ice cream. This ice cream was the best sweet treat I tasted on this trip and potentially the best soft serve I have ever had. It was decadently smooth. They used Tahitian Vanilla which was profoundly rich. The swirl was topped with Cru Virungu chocolate shavings for garnish. We stood outside in the frozen rain and ate our little bit of soft serve sunshine.

Flat Iron Steak accompanied by five dipping sauces, beef dripping chips, crispy bone marrow garlic, starter salad and popcorn.

Brunch at Brother Marcus

When Brother Marcus opened its doors at 8:30 this morning, there was a crowd of people hovering around the door. We were all eager to enter into its boho interior with blush-colored walls. It had an elevated laid-back atmosphere that was reflected in its menu. They take comfort food classics and add a twist that leaves you mysteriously satisfied. We opted for their fried chicken rosti and their sweet potato fritters.

The fried rosti was a hefty piece of crunchy chicken served on top of a potato fritter and topped with a fried egg. Curiously, the dish was also drizzled with a sweet chili sauce. The sweet potato fritters were a masterclass in balancing flavors. There was sweetness from the sweet potato, savoriness from the turmeric yogurt, freshness from the guac, and slight bitterness from the kale. It was a beautiful dish that pleased the eyes and the tastebuds. Brother Marcus’ innovative classics married with the intimate stylish interior, create a poetic experience for brunchers in London.

Fried Chicken Rosti served over a potato fritter and topped with a fried egg. A pinch of micro greens and a drizzle of sweet chili sauce adorn the plate.

A poached egg on top of a layering of sweet potato fritters and guacamole. Served with bacon, crispy kale and turmeric yogurt.

Dishoom’s Chicken Ruby

Dishoom aims to offer Irani cafe-style food you’d often see in Bombay (modern-day Mumbai). I had heard stories of the legendary Indian food in London and was anxiously waiting for our chance to try some. Dishoom was grand and the staff, with a hustle in their step, waited on table after table while giving each their undivided attention. The food lived up to their grand interior.

Reminiscent of what is more commonly known as chicken tikka masala, their Chicken Ruby featured tender chicken in a bath of silky makhani sauce. It was by far the best dish we had in London. The curry was rich and savory and the chicken was juicy and tender. Scooping up some of this curry with basmati rice onto our cheese naan was a bite I hope to never forget.

Chicken Ruby served with basmati rice and cheese naan accompanied by skewered chicken tikki along with pickled onion.

Gail’s Cheese and Ham Croissant

My only regret about our trip was that I didn’t find Gail’s sooner. Walking down an alley next to our hotel we emerged to a street lined with pubs and cafes and Gail’s was there, tucked away. Through the window, you wouldn’t expect this minimalist cafe with porcelain white floors to offer perfectly created beautiful pastries and amazing espresso, but you’d be wrong.

As we had already woken up at 4 in the morning this day, we got to Gail’s when they opened and watched them bring out warm pastries from the kitchen. The choice was very difficult but we landed on the ham and cheese croissant and chocolate croissants. The croissant was endlessly flaky and the center of gooey delicious cheese melted on a piece of succulent ham was divine. This was so good, that the morning of our departing flight we ordered this again and attempted to bring it as our airplane snack. Paired with their harmoniously crafted oak milk latte it was an excellent experience from start to finish.

Ham and cheese croissant next to a chocolate croissant. Oat milk latte served along with a pot of steeping mint tea.

Knoops

On a beautiful sunny morning, we found ourselves in Notting Hill. The street was crammed with little cafes and colorfully painted houses. As we strolled through the shops, the frigid wind was always there keeping us company. In an attempt to remedy our chilled bones, we decided to try a cafe serving what they called “expertly crafted chocolate drinks”. Behind the counter, the menu wall hosted various planks detailing the percentage of cocoa in each blend, the chocolate’s origin, and a brief description of the flavors. We both went for the 47% milk chocolate blend, I opted for a dash of cinnamon as well. The warm nectar thawed our insides bringing us back to life. The chocolate was luscious without being overwhelming. It was delicious and we kept our eye out the rest of the trip for another Knoops and we found one in Oxford, where we shared another steaming cup.

I hope after reading this you also understand why London does not deserve to be labeled as having poor bland food. Not every meal we had was delicious but most were. The drinks we had were creative and well-executed. The pastries were classic but on a higher level of quality than what I’ve had before. The food, especially the ethnic food, was mostly spectacular. Unfortunately, the photos of the mentioned meals do not come close to encapsulating their beautiful presentation but I highly encourage you to look these places up and see for yourself what they have to offer.

London and Seattle share a few similarities, the sky is ready with rain, there's a coffee shop on every corner, and the people keep to themselves. Despite being from different continents we felt a level of comradery with Londoners. They all have places to be, people to meet, and food to eat.