Ah – the good old sandwich. First made back in 1762 by John Montagu, the *ahem* 4th Earl of Sandwich – who didn’t want to leave the table where he was playing cards so asked for a slab of meat in between two bits of bread – it has become one of our favourite things to eat. And what’s not to love to be honest? If you’re craving one of these carby, flavoursome delights, then you’ll love this roundup of some of the best sandwiches in London.
1. The Secret Sandwich at the Secret Sandwich Shop
Now nothing could be more on brand for us than the Secret Sandwich Shop let’s be honest. But the ‘secret sandwich’ at the Secret Sandwich Shop?! Now that ticks all the boxes. Hidden beneath The Globe nightclub in Notting Hill, this cool customer specialises in Japanese Wanpaku sandwiches made with pillowy shokupan bread.
Apparently, ‘Wanpaku’ means ‘cheeky’ or ‘naughty’, and that describes these bad boys pretty well. The slices are stacked with layers upon layers of meat, cheese, eggs, fresh vegetables, and sauces, and are then cut in half. Their namesake ‘secret’ sarnie is veggie and features five different seasonal veggies, avocado, tomatoes and kewpie mayo, and we’re practically salivating at the thought…
📍You’ll find The Secret Sandwich Shop at 103 Talbot Road, London, W11 2AT.
🚇 Nearest station is Westbourne Park.
2. Nutty Ham at Bread & Truffle
Billed as having the ‘best focaccia in London’, Bread & Truffle has won legions of fans since it first swung open its doors. And for good reason – the sarnies here are absolutely bloody delicious. Whilst you can’t really go wrong here with anything on the menu, we’d highly recommend going for the mouthwatering ‘nutty ham’.
Part of the ‘gourmet club’ menu, this taste sensation incorporates pistachio pesto, mortadella ham and ricotta cheese – all sandwiched between two slices of soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside focaccia. Sign us up!
📍You’ll find Bread & Truffle at Arch 376, Helmsley Place, London, E8 3SB and Peek House, 20 Eastcheap, London, EC3M 1EB.
🚇 Nearest stations are London Fields and Monument.
3. Spiced Cauliflower Sarnie at Dusty Knuckle
Another one of the best sandwiches in London here, this time at one of our favourite bakeries and cafés, the Dusty Knuckle. Based in both Dalston and Harringay, they also offer one-off dinners every three weeks with guest chefs, so it’s definitely worth checking their website to see what’s going on!
Now onto that sarnie. Spiced cauliflower drizzled with a charred lime and coriander chutney, with added pumpkin seed tahini and a tamarind and date sauce – all served on a soft bun. What could be better than that, hey?
📍You’ll find the Dusty Knuckle at Abbot Street, London, E8 3DP and 429 Green Lanes, Harringay Ladder, London, N4 1HA.
🚇 Nearest stations are Dalston Kingsland and Harringay Green Lanes.
4. Mondo Frango at Mondo Sando
Now if you’re a South Londoner and you don’t happen to know about Mondo Sando, then you really need to ask yourself – why? Their ever-changing menu draws on food from Hayao Miyazaki films, Redwall novels and everyone’s favourite childhood comic The Beano, and you can expect lip-smackingly good subs, burgers and sides on the roster.
If we had to choose one sub at the moment, we’d probably have to go for the ‘mondo frango’. It’s a delicious concoction of chargrilled peri-peri chicken thighs, pea salsa verde, peri peri mayo, potato matchsticks and shredded lettuce and we’d like it now thank you very much. They’re also bringing their magic to The White Horse pub in Peckham where they’re bringing a bangin’ roast to the table. What can’t these guys do?!
📍You’ll find Mondo Sando at The Grove House Tavern, 26 Camberwell Grove, London, SE5 8RE and at 20-22 Peckham Rye, London, SE15 4JR.
🚇 Nearest stations are Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye.
5. Leek and Emmental Toastie at Fork Deli
On to one of our favourite delis (and wine bars) in London now. James and Jess are a friendly pair and the owners of Fork Deli Patisserie in Bloomsbury, which offers excellent coffee, bangin’ food and all-around great vibes. Their pastries, quiches and salads are all top-notch, but it’s the toasties that keep us coming back for more – almost on a weekly basis.
All of them are delicious, but if we had to pick a winner, we’d have to go for the ‘leek and emmental’. Oozing and piping-hot emmental cheese, freshly-sliced leeks and sourdough bread? Yes please. Add in the fact that you can have it with mustard – or even marmite – for an added kick and you can see why this one is on the list.
📍You’ll find Fork Deli at 85 Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AL.
🚇 Nearest stations are King’s Cross St. Pancras, Goodge Street and Euston.
6. The Grapow at Dom’s Subs
The legends that are Dom’s Subs (maybe be careful when you Google search that one) are all about impeccable sandwiches, and while everything on the roster is great, we’d recommend ‘the grapow’ – a spicy concoction of Thai ground chicken, gem lettuce, kewpie mayo, pickled cucumbers, carrots, thai basil, coriander, pickled red chillies, crispy shallots and fragrant toasted rice powder. Phew!
It’s absolutely phenomenal and they also do home delivery, so you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your own sofa. What better way to mong out than with a juicy sub?
📍You’ll find Dom’s Subs at 262 Hackney Road, London, E2 7SQ and 22 Bevis Marks, London, EC3A 7JB.
🚇 Nearest stations are Cambridge Heath and Aldgate.
7. Vegan S+dwich at Sons + Daughters
Vegans – listen up! This one’s for you. Sons + Daughters is a chic, relatively high-end spot in King’s Cross and Borough Market that arguably serves some of London’s best sandwiches, as well as great coffee, beers, wines and cocktails too.
When it comes to sarnies, their ‘vegan s+dwich’ is a real standout. Think a chickpea and mayo salad, pickled cauliflower and beetroot with napa cabbage, crispy kale and sherry vinaigrette – all on soft, fluffy loaf – and you’d be on the right track. Plus – it’s only £6.50! Winner, winner.
📍You’ll find Sons + Daughters at Unit 119A Coal Drops Yard, London, N1C 4DQ and at 2 Stoney Street, London, SE1 9AA.
🚇 Nearest stations are King’s Cross St. Pancras and London Bridge.
8. Honey Truffle Parmesan at The Black Pig
Another Borough Market joint here, The Black Pig is a fantastic sandwich shop that specialises in – yep, you guessed it – pork sarnies. They’re all made using Blythburgh free range pork, cheeses from the Parma Ham and Mozzarella Stand and fresh ciabatta from Bread Ahead Bakery, and while all of them will make you salivate, it’s the ‘honey truffle parmesan’ one that gets our vote.
A worthy addition on this roundup of the best sandwiches in London, it’s a delectable concoction of slow roasted, free range pork shoulder, honey truffle mayo, fennel and apple slaw with a 30-month aged parmesan on crispy, toasted ciabatta. So. Damn. Good.
📍You’ll find The Black Pig at Borough Market Kitchen, Winchester Walk, London, SE1 9AG.
🚇 Nearest station is London Bridge.
9. Chicken Bacon Caesar at Fink’s
Fink’s is a relaxed neighbourhood spot that is all about good food, good coffee and good vibes. With three spots dotted about in London – two near Clissold Park and one on Chatsworth Road – it’s a great spot to while away a leisurely afternoon. There are a range of great sarnies on offer here, but we’re gonna choose the ‘chicken bacon caesar’ – which is an absolute boss of a sandwich it has to be said.
Think potato sourdough, succulent slices of chicken, crispy bacon, iceberg lettuce and a hefty dollop of caesar dressing. All hail caesar!
📍You’ll find Fink’s at three different locations in London. You can find out more here.
10. Inferno at Dal Fiorentino
Dal Fiorentino is one of East London’s latest foodie hotspots and was born out of a love for delicious Italian street food. They specialise in the ‘schiacciate fiorentine’ – a flatbread filled with all manner of goodies that originally comes from Tuscany.
Queues have been snaking around the block for this one, and it’s easy to see why – the food is both cheap and bloody tasty. We can’t wait to make our way through the rest of the menu, but for now we’ll recommend the ‘inferno’, a heavenly mix of mortadella, gorgonzola, sun-dried tomatoes and a black olives cream. Now if that doesn’t get you hot-footing it over to Hoxton then we don’t know what will!
📍You’ll find Dal Fiorentino at 74 Hoxton Street, London, N1 6LP.
🚇 Nearest station is Hoxton.
11. Donald’s Duck Sandwich at Crunch
Our penultimate addition to this roundup of the best sandwiches in London is Crunch – a pop-up spot at a pub in Shoreditch who specialise in ‘experimental brioche sandwiches’.
They currently have five winning sandwiches on the bill, but our pick would be the ‘Donald Duck’ – a delightful concoction of crunchy golden brioche, slow cooked Gressingham duck leg, mixed leaves, banana shallots, crispy onions and smoked apple sauce. All best washed down with a pint or two of course…
📍You’ll find Crunch at the Prince Arthur, 49 Brunswick Place, London, N1 6EB.
🚇 Nearest station is Old Street.
12. Rob’s Steak Sandwich at Macellaio Union Street
Rounding off this list of the best sandwiches in London is ‘Rob’s steak sandwich’ at Macellaio Union Street. As one of our capital’s most beloved Italian restaurants, there’s everything here from pasta to arancini and traditional stews to Genovese veggie soup.
But where this meaty spot really caught our attention was with the aforementioned sarnie, which involves spicy provolone, caramelised onions and bone marrow butter. Even better yet, it’s under a tenner, so really one if you’re looking for one of London’s cheap eats…
📍You’ll find Macellaio Union Street at Arch 24, 229 Union Street, London, SE1 0LR.
🚇 Nearest station is Southwark.
So there you have it – a roundup of 12 of the best sandwiches in London. Whether you’re vegan or a carnivore, there’s plenty here to keep you happy. So what are you waiting for? Get out and start gorging!