London Chain Restaurants

Reasons to visit London chain restaurants

Sometimes you don’t want a full meal or a memorable experience you just need to sit down, rest and refuel and this is where the popular London chain restaurants come in.

The advantages of visiting are that they:

offer affordable food
there’s no need to book in advance
the food is predictable

Popular London chain restaurants

You will see Pret, Cote, Paul’s, Chipotle, Pizza Express and Itsu in almost every street.

Pret

In the centre of London you will rarely be more than a few minutes away from a Pret with its recognisable burgundy signage. The plus points are that they have very fresh (made on the premises) filled baguettes and sandwiches. They also have a popular coffee subscription that allows you up to five barista made drinks which include mochas and iced coffees for £30 a month. This is ideal if you live in London or you are on a longer visit as there will always be a place to rest and recharge.

Cote

Cote is a restaurant chain that offers reasonably priced French food. It is famous for its moderately priced set lunch menu. The lunch deal varies from season to season but you can expect delights like chicken liver pate with sough dough toast, apple and roquefort salad, steak frites and croque monsieur. The desserts are usually crumbles, sorbets or chocolate mousse.

Paul’s

Paul’s is the perfect spot if you are looking for flaky, authentic French croissants or delicious French cakes and pastries. They also have French baguettes with charcuterie or French cheeses and salad. Look out for their cafes with pavement tables at St Pauls and the Strand as these are great places for people watching. Recently, they have hopped onto the lunch deal bandwagon where they will give you a sandwich, snack and drink at a reduced price but this is for take away only.

Chipotle

This is more of a pit stop than a place for a leisurely meal but you can pick up very filling burritos to be washed down with a beer or an ice cold margarita. You’ll need to make some quick decisions at the counter as your meal is prepared for you…there’s usually a choice of white or brown rice, beans, pork, chicken, steak or guacamole and salsas of different spiciness and heat.

Pizza Express

Pizza Express is one of the better London chain restaurants offering pizza, pasta and salads. Some of their bigger outlets offer more of a dining experience with Italian styled lighting and furnishings. You can often get two for one vouchers or special offers by signing up to their website.

Itsu

Itsu is a Japanese style cafe that is owned by Pret and advertises lighter and healthier food options. Most customers opt for sushi and salads that are displayed in the chiller cabinets at the entry. There’s also a lunch deal where miso soup is offered at a reduced price if a selected bento box is purchased. At the counter you can also order a selection of hot Japanese curries, rice dishes and noodles.

In the last hour of the day their sushi boxes are reduced to half price. A board is put out to this effect. You may see a hive of activity as these are snapped up.

These aren’t the only London chain restaurants – there’s many more to discover. In order to avoid the worst London food read our blog post.