Category: Blog

Are you keen to avoid the worst restaurants in London and other food traps? Anyone who sells food in London has to comply with a stringent set of regulations, making it one of the safest cities in the world to eat. But safe and tasty are two different things.

Naming no names, here is a very personal list of restaurants to dodge.

For every place on my list there will be many people telling me of the exception to the rule. So at the risk of being controversial, I am going to plunge in…

Ultra Cheap Food Chains Top the List of the Worst Restaurants in London.

I have a friend who worked as a science teacher who told me an apocryphal tale that they ran a science experiment on a burger from a famous low cost food chain and they couldn’t find any meat in it. I can’t vouch for this experiment and it doesn’t, on the face of it, sound as if there is much truth in it…but when you think that some of the burgers out there cost £1, it begs the question of how they manage to make a profit.

Why would you come to London and eat at low cost food chains when you could have identical meals in your own home town?

If you are desperate for a burger from a high street chain, I would say that Byron Burgers and Five Guys are a better bet.

Alternatively, for a few pounds more you can have a memorable burger in sumptuous surroundings at the Brasserie Zedel. It’s on the menu as Boeuf Hache and is served as part of their fixed price menu.

Empty Restaurants Indicate a Poor Rating for Food and Service

London is a busy place where news of a good restaurant gets out fast. In Soho and Fitzrovia you will see queues outside the doors of many places at lunch time.

Empty restaurants with a slightly out-dated decor are always a warning sign to me.

Touts or Cartoon Characters are Signs of an Underperforming Restaurant

If the manager is handing out cards outside the restaurant door, or worse still, they have paid for someone in fancy dress to entice me inside – it’s a five siren alarm.

Sandwiches from Corner Shops and Supermarkets May be Made off Premises

There are two types of London sandwiches; those that are made on the premises and tend to be deep filled, fresh and tasty and those that are made on an out-of-town industrial estate with ingredients that are dipped in preservatives, encased in plastic and delivered by van to a shop or cafe.

They may be edible but are they gourmet? Probably not – so best avoided unless you are desperate.

Alternatively, try Pret where their sandwiches are freshly made on the premises. Or better still find a street market where there will be all sorts of tasty filled wraps, buns and rolls inspired by cuisines from all corners of the world.

Street Vending Carts May Lack Adequate Safe Food Storage

In my view, the only time to buy a street food snack is when it is in a street food market like Maltby Street, Borough Market, or at the back of the Royal Festival Hall...or has a gazillion five star reviews on TripAdvisor, or a video review on YouTube.

I stay away from hot dog stands, caramelised nut stands etc etc. I am concerned about the quality of the ingredients and the overnight storage of fresh ingredients.

“Traditional Pubs” with Non Chalk Blackboards May Cook Their Food Only in a Microwave or Deep Fat Fryer

Any pub worth its salt will be heaving with people and the landlord will be run ragged.

If you see a pub that’s fake…think plastic flowers in the window boxes, the words “Traditional Pub” emblazoned in gold on the glass and a blackboard that has a painted sign instead of a real chalk board be suspicious, very suspicious.

Your meal will probably be fine but it is likely to be prepared using frozen ingredients that are deep fried or reheated in a microwave. Not what you want when you are looking for a great experience.

Here is an example of a fish and chip pub dinner. I recently had something like this. I enjoyed it but the cod was definitely a bit thin and dry and the whole thing, from the fish to the chips to the peas, had come out of bags in the deep freeze.

Food Displayed or Cooked at the Entrance of Restaurants is Aimed at Tourists

You’ll see these places in Leicester Square, Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road…the food is in display cabinets outside, or it is being cooked in the entrance of the store.

You may see pizzas on display or Chinese food being prepared in a wok. And the clientele appears to be tourists or people from out of town.

How to tell the locals from the tourists…locals will tend to be business people in tailored shirts and suiting having a working lunch or young people in fashionable street wear…the tourists are in couples, or groups, speaking their own language and often carrying shopping bags or rucksacks.

These places are aimed at the tourist market. The food will be ok-ish to eat but won’t be memorable.

If you want a Chinese, head to China Town and look for restaurants with a predominantly Chinese clientele. Or find a pizza restaurant that is famed for the quality of its food e.g. Franco Manca which sells sough dough pizza baked on the premises. Pizza Express is also one of the more reliable High Street chains.

Here is a list of our more reliable high street food chains.

The Worst Restaurants in London Often Display Food at Room Temperature

In the UK we have strict rules about how long, high risk food, can be sold at room temperature. Bacteria in food can double every few minutes when its left out on display. Best to make sure that your food is either brought to you from a refrigerator, or heated so that it is steaming.

Your Hotel’s Recommendations May be Incentivised

Hotel receptionists, doormen and concierge services are often paid to give recommendations for specific restaurants.

Of course these suggestions are unlikely to be dire as you are their guest and they will want you to have a good time. However, you will do so much better if you can ask a local person for a restaurant recommendation.  Alternatively, look at reviews on YouTube as you will often a get a video tour of the restaurant and the food.

Neon Lighting and Unwelcoming Ambience Indicate a Restaurant to Avoid

This is a pet peeve of mine…unless it is a 1950s diner, neon lighting strips usually communicate that a venue wants you to buy, eat and leave.

And I could add to this trendy, backless stools.

Unless you are having a fast refuelling stop, I think it is a good idea to choose somewhere with a welcoming decor that encourages you to linger a while.

There are High Risk Foods Even in High Quality Restaurants.

The foods shown below are all very high risk in terms and may cause food poisoning which is the last thing you want, especially if you are on holiday.

Exercise caution if you order them and make sure that their are either steaming hot, properly refrigerated or freshly prepared. If you choose fruit, select bananas or oranges or something that you can peel yourself. Nothing much can go wrong with an unpeeled banana.

Burgers must never be served pink, or rare, as the mincing process increases the risk of e-coli.

I always make sure that when I’m out that my food is served very hot. Heat kills bacteria.

A Useful Tool to Help You Avoid the Worst Restaurants in London – Scores on the Doors

You may see a hygiene star rating displayed outside a restaurant. This is known as Scores on the Doors and will indicate how the restaurant fared in its last council-run food safety inspection. You can read the safety report by going to this site. A score of 3 stars or below suggests significant failings were found.

If you are eating at home or on the move you maybe interested in our blog post on popular London snacks. We also have some suggestions for cheap snacks in our post on free and nearly free things to do in London.

The Worst Rated Restaurant in London

As you will see I haven’t named names. On TripAdvisor you will see a ranking of all London restaurants.

If you would like to see an account of the worst ranked restaurant in London, you can read Archie Brydon’s story of the Palace Restaurant. He found a well meaning restauranteur who seems to have been the victim of a smear campaign.

I hope you are able to avoid the worst restaurants in London and may all your choices be safe and tastebud tantalising.

Having coffee and cake in London is one of life’s greatest pleasures. You look forward to it all morning and commence your prowl through London streets hoping to stumble upon the perfect place with the most enticing of selections.

Coffee and Cake in London

Your chosen spot for coffee and cake in London needs to have just the right mix of patisserie, fruit selections, chocolate concoctions and iced sponge cakes. Now before you get excited, I have never found such an establishment and I know London quite well. The cake situation is divided pretty much into cafes which sell old fashioned English cakes  e.g. Victoria sponge, carrot cake, coffee and walnut cake and Bakewell tart. And more predominantly, there are French style patisseries that serve croissants, fruit tarts and mille feuille.

Choose London Cafes with Great Ambience Near Interesting Locations

Good cakes are never the only consideration when hunting down coffee and cake in London; we also need to factor in  location and ambience…there’s no point in hounding the most exquisite cakes if they are served in a dingy, greasy spoon cafe in the back of beyond.

In the summer, there is nothing more delightful than sitting outside with a great London street view and watching people walk past casting admiring glances at your thoughtfully chosen cake.

Select Quality Coffee in Porcelain cups and Tea Served in Teapots

Honestly, I am not the sort of person who can tell a good coffee from a bad one. However, tea is a different story. Most cafes serving coffee and cake in London worth their salt will at least offer an English Breakfast tea and an Earl Grey. But I like to go for a pot of tea…none of those paper cups for me, thank you.

If your preferred tipple is tea instead of coffee why not check out our posts on where to buy tea in London and this particularly delicious London Roast tea blend from Postcard Teas.

So let’s get into it

The Connaught Patisserie in Mount Street, Mayfair

Very expensive, exquisite looking London cake concoctions

I had to try the Connaught Patisserie’s coffee and cake, having watched various YouTubers sample the jaw dropping selection and reporting on their equally astonishing prices.

The cakes are works of art category. Many are garnished in gold leaf. And at £16 plus service you’d expect them to be encrusted with gem stones.

I ordered a diminutive decaffeinated cappuccino coffee and the cherry cake with a cherry marmalade, pastry cream and topped with half a dozen perfectly sliced fresh cherries all atop a crunchy biscuit base.

Knowing the bill would be horrific, I just tapped my card without looking. I have just checked my bank account and I paid nearly £27.

Their clientele is mostly Middle Eastern. I got chatting to a lady next to me who was enjoying her strawberry cake. I asked her why there were so many Arabs in this area and she explained that the temperatures in Saudia Arabia were averaging 50c per day and many Saudis came over to London for the summer to escape the heat. They either stayed in their Mayfair holiday home or one of the local hotels. I love the diversity of London.

I asked her about paying these extortionate prices. She sounded surprised. Was this really expensive for coffee and cake in London? This establishment definitely caters for those where money is no object.

The cafe itself is small and modern in a Barbie pink and with great service.

I would say to get the full experience you need to get there in the morning when the cakes are looking their best and there is a full selection. You won’t want to pay £16-£20 for a cake with a dried out topping and then be rushed out of the door at closing time.

The Connaught Patisserie, Carlos Place Mayfair London W1K 2AL

La Fromagerie in Moxon Street, Marylebone

Surprisingly good value coffee and homemade cakes in a friendly atmosphere

I have featured the cafe at La Fromagerie on my blog previously. It is an artisanal grocer which specialises in expertly sourced produce. They have a small bakery selection in the back of the shop where you can choose your cake and then sit in the cafe and ask to be brought a slice and a coffee.

The cakes are hand made and use top quality ingredients. The prices are reasonable at approx £4.50 for a generous slice of crumbly, carrot cake with a buttery icing. I spotted some nice looking fresh fruit cakes and chocolate tortes: making a decision was difficult.

There are a few outside tables but I prefer to sit at the back chatting to the staff and customers…everyone I have met exudes bonhomie. This is one of the best places for a coffee and a cake in London.

While you are having your coffee and cake, why not take our quiz on Cockney Rhyming Slang?

La Fromagerie, 2 – 4 Moxon Street, London, W1U 4EW

Wa Japanese Patisserie in Covent Garden and Ealing Broadway

Moderately priced for fantastic quality, stylish coffee and cakes in London

Wa produces the most exquisite French style patisserie with a Japanese twist.

Over the years, I have probably had all of their creations…my favourites are their white sesame cheese cake with its black sesame seed base and the Mont Blanc (chestnut cream). If you are one of those peculiar matcha lovers you will delight in their matcha tiramisu and matcha roll.

I have found Londoners grumbling about the prices here but honestly for such expertly created, stylish and photographable cakes, I will happily pay £5-7 a slice.

If you are interested in living dangerously they have a few unique and delicious sweet breads. While not stricty a cake, their An Pan is a soft white bread filled with a sweet, red Azuki bean filling. Bizarre but delicious. Are you brave enough to try their Yakisoba pan with its home cooked noodle filling topped with seaweed and dried fish flakes? At £3.20 it could be worth the risk.

The service in this coffee and cake spot is charming in a uniquely Japanese way. I love their pottery crockery and the zen-clean, white space flecked with gold lights and wood tables.

Wa – Ealing Broadway 32 Haven Green Ealing, London, W5 2NX

Wa – Covent Garden 5 New Row London, WC2N 4LH

Paul in Piccadilly and Paternoster Square

Very reasonable prices and reliable high quality coffee and cake in London with some great locations

Paul may be an odd choice for the best coffee and cake in London as it is a chain bakery and cafe. However, their cakes are reliably good and rival those of the best hotels

Paul’s overlooking St Pauls Cathedral is a great find with outside tables in the historic courtyard. You get that London vibe with delicious cake at favourable prices.

Paul’s on Piccadilly is another marvellous location. If there are no outside tables, I take my cake as a takeaway and buy coffee next door at Pret.  Sandwiched between the glories of the Royal Academy and the Ritz and  just a short stroll to Fortnum and Mason and the Hatchards book shop…what more could any one want?

PAUL St. Paul’s, 2 Paternoster Square, London EC4M 7DX

PAUL Piccadilly Unit 6 Piccadilly Arcade & 173 Piccadilly,  London
SW1Y 6NH

If you have enjoyed this piece on coffee and cake in London, why not look at our post on London’s best dessert. You may also want to explore our traditional puddings and the history behind them.

As usual, I have personally tried each of these recommendations. I hope that I have given you some inspiration of where to sample some of the best coffee and cakes in London.