Category: Travel

If you are coming to London and have particular dietary needs, then here are a few words of advice.

Vegetarian/vegan

Our personal experiences of vegan or veggie food are very limited, but we do know that every restaurant or bar that we visit, and even the fast food places, have suitable options. These are usually marked very clearly.

The only places you may find choice more restricted is at the traditional caff (ie cafe) but even there choices are available.

Allergies

If you have an allergy, tell the people at the restaurant. Any good server will ask, sometimes more than once.

Even better, if you book on-line there will be a space in the form to record just that fact.

If you don’t tell them, they can’t know. They want you to enjoy your visit and not have complaints later. They should do everything they can within reason to cater for you.

Ask

If you are not sure about something, ask. If the waiter does not know and goes off to find out, or if they know but it’s not what you wanted to hear, then don’t blame them.

If they are telling you the truth, going out of their way to provide you with correct information, it’s not their fault. If you are not happy, go elsewhere.

Substitutions

In some countries you will hear an order like this:

“Can I have a fillet steak medium rare with bearnaise sauce and fries, except can I have chicken rather than steak, and mashed potatoes with an egg, and ranch dressing?”

The menu isn’t a starting point for negotiation, it’s what the place serves. If you want something different, why did you go there in the first place?

It’s perfectly fine to say “Can I have X but without y” (eg as I do, English breakfast without black pudding). If they can they will do it. Maybe they will suggest something else eg extra bacon.

There’s a YouTube video by a man with a ponytail who does travel guides. Rather, there was, we can’t find it now, which tells you something.

In it, he was in London and made two remarks – we think he called them ‘shocks’ (we paraphrase):

• if you go out of London and don’t understand what people are saying, then don’t worry, no-one does
• there is some English food that it actually edible and you may be able to find something that you actually like

Well, London is a big, international city. There are restaurants, cafes, eating holes with just about any style of food and at any price and quality. It’s no better or worse than anywhere else in the world.

London is expensive, but it’s not the most expensive city in the world. By many lists it’s not even in the top ten. Yes, you can pay hundreds of pounds for a fancy meal and it will be an experience, or you can go cheap and have slop. But it’s the same everywhere in the world.

There are plenty of good quality, sensibly prices restaurants all round London. Want a steak? No problem. Vegetarian? Nearly everywhere does that. Fish? Lovely fresh fish (we’re not far from the sea). Mexican? You bet.

There’s a huge variety, and you can’t just dismiss English food with “you may actually find something you like”.

You can tell us your favourite British food here: https://www.pwsanders.uk/opinion-polls/3/

What do we do well?

Breakfast

The English breakfast will set you up for the day. Eggs, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms… perfect.

Prices can vary, and so can the quality of the ingredients, but tell me a place where that isn’t true.