British food....

This will be our first trip to London...what are some of the foods we need to try? Any breakfasts that are a must? I am sure we will hit some pubs for "pub food" but I don't want to miss anything! We will be staying near Heathrow for a few days prior to our cruise and will be spending one day seeing the sights of London. Thanks for any feedback!

Fish & Chips

Full English breakfast ...will keep you going for the day ;)

Bacon butty for breakfast

Tea & Scones with clotted cream & jam

Cornish Pasty -pub

Bangers & Mash-pub

Oh gotta go eat I am hungry now :D

Bubble and Squeak

Toad in the Hole.

I am having a great time googling these names! Thanks so much...any more?

Came across this site may help you

http://www.effingpot.com/food.shtml

enjoy

lyn

Don't forget Spotted Dick!:p

One tip, pub grub is indeed good at most of the smaller towns. If you find a hotel which looks like it has a really nice restraunt, and has a pub, eat in the pub. Same kitchen, same staff and likely a lot of the same food, much cheaper prices. We have had some really wonderful meals eating in pubs. If you don't handle grease well, be wary of some of the english breakfasts as they are dripping in it quite often. Fried eggs, fried toast, fried bangers and then fried tomatos.

regards

Scott

:p The EGGS are always better in England than elsewhere! Why :confused: I don't know ... but they are! :)

For the best cooked breakfast, you'll need to find the local greasy spoon cafe.....it will be a bit rundown and pretty busy with locals and manual labour based workers ie. builders............;););)

You'd be surprised at how cosmopolitan food in Britain is now, least of all London. You can get by quite nicely without all those old favourites, although a good shepherd's pie or guinness stew should be available in many pubs.

Don't forget a good Indian meal!

Make sure you try some of our hot puddings, Sticky Toffee pudding, apple crumble and custard, sponge puddings, bread and butter pudding....

Most pubs have this sort of thing on the dessert menu.

Julie

Make sure you try some of our hot puddings, Sticky Toffee pudding, apple crumble and custard, sponge puddings, bread and butter pudding....

Most pubs have this sort of thing on the dessert menu.

 

Julie

Love puddings!!!!!!!!!!!!

My favourite as got to be home made Rice Pudding in the oven with skin on top........:D:D:D:D

:p The EGGS are always better in England than elsewhere! Why :confused: I don't know ... but they are! :)

There is a massive move towards free range here at present. Non free range are becoming a real no no.

Cruise ship eggs are the worst ever. Is there normally a battery farm in the bowels of the ship?

Apparently, according to surveys, Britain's favourite dish is chicken tikka masala - mainly to be found in Indian restaurants, of which there are thousands in the UK.

My own favourite true British dish is a pudding; rhubarb crumble and custard.

Bakewell Tart is also good. And Manchester Tart. And English strawberries (Only in season Jun/Jul, - imported ones are not good). English asparagus is supposed to be top-notch too.

Don't forget the beer - bitter from a proper brewery preferably - not the cold gassy lagers.

And try and drink some tea that tastes of tea (overseas it's normally horrible and the stuff they serve on cruise ships is vile, so we normally take our own bags).

The quality cheeses are worth trying too - especially Stilton. And good Cheddar, Cheshire, Wensleydale, Double Gloucester and Red Leicester.

Is that enough?:)

Mmmm, fish and chips. With PROPER chips made on the premises from potatoes, not the pre-maid ones. V.v. hard to find outside of the UK (think the only example I've ever found was a tiny little chip shop in Horseshoe Bay, BC...hell of a spot for a nosh!). Very fews places other than fish and chip shops do both successfully, in London try The Seashell (Lisson Grove), the Rock and Sole Plaice (Endell St, Covent Garden), or The Golden Hind (Marylebone Lane, 5 mins from Bond St tube).

Currys...oh yes. For a good selection try Brick Lane, or (seeing as you'll be near Heathrow) Southall.

Desserts? Sticky toffee pudding. Oh my. Eton Mess. Yum (had to convince a very well spoken colleague of mine that this was a real desert!).

Eating out in Britain has improved immeasurably over the past 10-20 years and there are loads of good eats across London from all ends of the food spectrum. Enjoy...

Sticky Toffee Pudding gets my vote...pj

My mouth is watering for that Toffee Pudding already:)

We will be staying at the Copthorne Tara and would like to know

where are the closest good pubs for fish & chips, burgers, etc. and

some good local chit chat.

Thanks

Looks like these the closest, best bets for Fish and Chips (reviews from Time Out):

Costas Fish Restaurant

Distinctly Cypriot taverna with friendly service, a couple of pavement tables and a menu that gives room to houmous, calamares, baklava and retsina. Doesn’t stop them making some of the best fish and chips in town though.

Costas Fish Restaurant, 18 Hillgate St, W8 7SR (020 7727 4310) Notting Hill Gate tube. Open Tue-Sat 12noon-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm.

Mr Fish

You’ll find plenty of fish options in this functionally modern fish and chip restaurant.You can have your fish grilled, poached, fried in breadcrumbs, in matzo, or in batter. It’s all good quality and Mr Fish has some of the best mushy peas in town.

Mr Fish, 9 Porchester Rd, W2 5DP (020 7229 4161/www.mrfish.uk.com) Bayswater or Queensway tube. Open daily 11am-11pm.

Just putting in a vote for my fav, Bangers and Mash. (Sausage, mashed potatoes, onions and gravy)

just had home made mushy peas as part of our evening meal tonight,yummy.

have a look at the Top Table site as this gives you great offers at some wonderful London eateries, specially at lunch times.

Black pudding

Fruit pudding

Scouse (only found in Liverpool though)

Square sausage

All of these are my DH's favourites - I'm a veggie.

Debbie:)

Black pudding

Fruit pudding

Scouse (only found in Liverpool though)

Square sausage

 

All of these are my DH's favourites - I'm a veggie.

 

Debbie:)

Not had Scouse for years, my mum makes agreat pan of scouse...I think I'll have to put in an order for some next time I'm home.

What about

Welsh Rarebit

Lava Bread (not what you'd think it is)

Living next to the Irish Sea, I must put in a word for fresh Dublin Bay prawns, and scallops ("Queenies"). Then there's the Cumberland sausage-every local butcher claims his is the best, and one of them has the Queen's insignia over the door to prove it-then the fell lamb, with its special flavour. But staying true to my Yorkshire roots, it has to be a fresh Yorkshire pudding, still sizzling from its bed of beef dripping and served with onion gravy.....jocap.

When you are in London, you should stop in at Harrod's and check out the food hall- quite impressive.

Also, afternoon tea, while touristy (and often expensive) is quite delicious: a selection of sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, pastries, etc. If you time it right, a full-English for breakfast and afternoon tea in the afternoon will more than do you for the day (or days)! I liked the ones I had a Harrod's and at Brown's Hotel.

I love all British dairy products- much tastier than in North America, so butter, ice cream, etc. is better, as is their chocolate- make sure to pick up some Cadbury bars (either Flake or the various flavours of bar chocolate). Do be aware that sometimes you might be asked if you want cream on your dessert and instead of whipped cream it will literally be some cream poured over top (yummy but not always what North Americans are expecting).

Cheers,

Also, bacon - its much better than the kind you get in America.

If you are staying near Heathrow why not take a trip to Windsor - its not far and you could see the Castle and have a wander around the town which is very pretty.