To say that London has a lot of great restaurants is putting it mildly. With everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to hole-in-the-wall venues serving up world-class food, it’s hard enough to pick where to eat – let alone what to eat! So we decided to take a crack at detailing some of the greatest dishes that we’ve had in London.
We also asked you and other Secret London readers to chime in, over on Facebook, with your pick for the very best individual dishes you’ve ever had. And boy did you guys have a lot to say!
Secret London Staff Picks
So what do we think are the greatest dishes in London? Where can you find them? Are they even available anymore? And why do we think they’re so good? Read on to find out what we had to say…
Drunken Noodles with Smoked Beef Brisket – Smoking Goat
Once a dependable stalwart on the menu, Smoking Goat’s rotating offering now makes this dish’s appearance worthy of messages to group chats full of equally obsessed fans. Now, that’s not to say that a visit to Smoking Goat is incomplete without the Drunken Noodles – the entire menu is always full of banger after banger. But by God do I get excited when I spot it. And as a result, I do tend to visit this restaurant far more than any other in London…
Yogurtlu Chicken Shish – Fez Mangal
I’ve had the Yogurtlu Chicken Shish from Ladbroke Grove’s Fez Mangal (still yet to try better Turkish cuisine in London) on a few memorable occasions and each time it sends me to a delirious place. Granted, it’s always after I’ve gone overboard on their hummus and baba ghanoush, but the combination of the generous portions and the yoghurt & tomato twin-act that oozes down through the meat never fails to deliver a dizzy short-term food coma that’s followed by the prolonged need to devour that same plate again. And again.
The Convict – Milk
With a pork patty, bacon, egg, hangover sauce, and Lincolnshire poacher ensconced inside a muffin, it’s essentially a posh McDonald’s breakfast. But it’s also so much more. The Convict is easily Milk’s most famous dish (and with good reason). It’s completely stacked and is genuinely one of the nicest breakfasts I’ve ever had. Milk is 100% worth the queue, even after a big night out – that hangover sauce will sort you right out.
Falafel and Halloumi Wrap – Falafel & Shawarma
I’ve been going to Falafel & Shawarma in Camberwell for years and years and still think it’s the best wrap in town. It’s under a fiver (3.75!), the portions are massive, you can get all the good chillis and salad thrown in, and the garlic mayo is great. Add in some vine leaves too and you’re onto a winner…
Gnocchi Cacio – Plant Club
A plant-based take on the classic Cacio e Pepe, but let me tell you: this is the best I’ve had despite it not being real parmesan. Add freshly grated truffle if you’re feeling fancy – you won’t regret it! A special mention to their indulgent garlic bread, too. Plant Club is just heaven on earth, basically.
Tunworth Mash – Hawksmoor
This mashed potato dish at Hawksmoor has changed my life forever. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a creamier, more decadent mash potato in my life. It’s almost too difficult to describe because it’s an experience you have to have for yourself. But wow, what a side dish!
Red wine onions – Umut 2000
Look, I know. It’s just onions. But they’re just SO good!
Special mention greatest dishes
- all the small plates – Little Duck | The Picklery
- Ginger Jamaica Cake – The Pig and Butcher
- Noodle Soup – Banh Banh
- Nori Fries – “mu”
- Miso Salmon – Jiji (Jiji has sadly closed now – gone, but not forgotten…)
- Jack’n Waffles – Biff’s Jack Shack (also sadly gone, but never to be forgotten. We’ve heard whispers of a new location though…)
London’s greatest dishes according to Secret London readers
When we asked you guys about your favourite dishes, we were blown away by the response. Some of you have favourite dishes still in your memory from over 20 years ago. And some of you had new favourites that had snapped up the crown. So, here is an (almost) comprehensive list of London’s greatest dishes according to you.
- Grilled Beef wrapped in Betel Leaf – Sông Quê Café
- Spicy soft shell crab – Yauatcha
- Classic Bao – BAO
- Laksa – Phat Phuc Noodle Bar
- Garlic Buns – Ong Ong Buns
- ‘Norma’ Aubergine Parmigiana – Norma
- Hot & Spicy Noodle Soup – Uncle Chilli at Bang Bang Oriental Foodhall
- Goan Seabass Curry – The Saffron Club
- Cacio e pepe – Padella
- Sakegashira Shioyaki (Grilled salted salmon head) – AsaKusa
- French Onion Soup – Richoux, Piccadilly
- Entrecôte and chips – Le Relais de Venise
- Black Pork Curry – Hoppers
- Pumpkin risotto – Clos Maggiore
- Dirty Tots – Burger & Beyond
- Toasted Cheese Sandwich – Kappacasein Dairy
- Red Lantern (Crispy soft-shell crab with Sichuan dried chilli ) – Hutong
- Gnocchi Gorgonzola – Cicchetti
- Prawn Wonton – Poon’s Wontoneria
- Baked Malabar Scallop – Benares
- Dry Meat – Tayyabs
- Bavette Steak Taco – Homies on Donkeys
- Baba Ghanoush – Meza
- Chana Masala – Lahore One
- Sticky Toffee Pudding – Quaglino’s
- The Flat Iron Steak – Flat Iron
- Pollo melanzane e Scamorza – Sartori
- Cheese selection – Mere
- Ox Cheek – Corrigan’s Bar and Restaurant
- Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese – Farmacy
- Veal Schnitzel and Green Salad – Schnitzel Forever
- Burnt Cheesecake & Plum – BRAT
- Korean Fried Wings – Shack-Fuyu
- Spanish Tortilla – Barrafina
- Clay Pot Baked Glass Noodles with Tamworth Belly & Brown Crab Meat – Kiln
- Tuna Tostadas – Casa Pastor
- Pique Macho – Costa Azul
- ricotta hotcakes, banana and honeycomb butter – Granger & Co
- John Dory – Sabor
- Bodean’s Platter (Baby Back Ribs, Spare Ribs, Pulled Pork, Beef Burnt Ends, Chicken Thighs. Served with Fries) – Bodean’s BBQ
- Pork Skewers – Go Greek
- Pie Mash and Liquor with chilli vinegar – M.Manze Pie & Mash
- Pan-Seared Scallops with cauliflower purée, chorizo, salsa verde, beef dripping panagratatto – The Spaniard’s Inn
- Okra Fries – Dishoom
- Colcannon (mash with leeks and onions) – ffiona’s
- Black truffle roasted duck – Hakkasan
- Schnitzel – Fischer’s
- Crab Tart – Bob Bob Ricard
- A5 Gunma Wagyu Chuck Fillet, Green Pepper Sauce – Park Chinois
- Fish & Chip’s – Poppie’s
- Salt Beef Bagel – Beigel Bake
- Black Truffle Risotto – Gauthier Soho
- Venison Biryani – Postbox
- Steak Sandwich – Com Amor
- Cauliflower Jaffa Style – The Barbary
- Crispy Fucking Rabbit – F.K.A.B.A.M
- Trío de jamones Ibéricos – Ibérica
- Sunday Roast – Blacklock
- BBQ Ribs – Smith’s Bar & Grill
- Steak & Eggs – Balans
- Tagliatelle al tartufo nero (Homemade tagliatelle with black truffle) – Bocconcino
- Ojo De Bife With Guarnicion (Rib Eye from Argentina) – Chimichurris
- Sunday Roast – The Bull and Last
- Nasu Dengaku (Miso Glazed Eggplant) – The Freak Scene
- Pizza Margherita – Pizza Pilgrims
- Fish Biryani – Lahore Karahi
- Grilled Bread with Anchovy – BRAT
- Garlic & Chilli Mogo – Saras
- Lobster Risotto – Claridges
- Beef Wellington – Heddon Street Kitchen
- Black Cod Marinated In Yuzu Miso – ROKA
- Gunpowder Potatoes – Dishoom
- Duck & Waffle – Duck and Waffle
- Prawn Tempura with Chilli, Lime & Coriander Dip – Ivy Asia
- Steak Bake – Greggs 😜
- Cheeseburger – Bleecker Burger
- Duck breast with roast shallots – Chez Bruce
- Ceviche Clásico – Titos
- Black Forest Doughnut – Donutelier
- Slow Roast Pork Belly – Braza Churrascaria Rodizio
- Pavlova – Sexy Fish
- White Chocolate Cheesecake – Blacklock
- Smoked Jollof Rice – Ikoyi
- Double Double – Arments Pie & Mash
Is anyone else suddenly just absolutely starving?
Note: we can’t promise that the dishes themselves are always available, so check the menu before you go. But if the restaurant has made someone’s favourite dish ever – chances are they know their way around a kitchen and the rest of the menu should be pretty great too!