Bites in Britain

I won’t lie, before moving to London, I did not know what to expect as far as food goes. Many people told me that the food in England was not great, and was pretty bland. I had dabbled in some fish and chips, but as far as traditional British food, that was pretty much it. I was definitely nervous, as I am a HUGE foodie. I love trying new things, eating foods from different cultures, not to mention, I’m pescetarian, so meat was off the table for my London cuisine. To my delightful surprise, I have been so overwhelmingly satisfied with the vast, delicious, and even healthy food options London has to offer. Given that London is the most diverse city in England, the food options certainly reflect that, which has made me one happy food connoisseur. 

Here are some of my favorites so far:

Pho (Kentish Town) 

There is nothing better than pho on a rainy day. And let me tell you, in England, there’s many rainy days, and therefore many Pho days ahead. I was so happy with the authenticity of the Vietnamese food, as well as the vegan and vegetarian options. 

Neighborhood Organic (Kentish Town)

I’m so glad some friends and I stumbled across this cafe. Not only does it have the most amazing coffee, healthy food options, and pastries, but the environment there is unmatched. It is a great place to sit down, relax, or do homework. It’s definitely one of my favorite stops. 

Camden Market (Camden)

This is pretty broad, but Camden Market is home to SO MUCH FOOD. Honestly any kind of food you can think of from any kind of background, nationality, culture, or region, is there. I’ve tried the vegan Thai food and it was so flavorful. I also tried the vegetarian Colombian street food. So good! I’m definitely looking forward to going back and trying more!

Gail’s Bakery

The amount of times I’ve walked by Gail’s and have had to restrain myself from going in and buying every piece of bread and every pastry is embarrassing to admit. Thankfully, this past week I celebrated my birthday and my parents were kind enough to send me a box of cookies and miniature cakes from Gail’s. Let me tell you, everything I’ve tried has been delicious. Even the flavors that I usually would not think to try like strawberry or pecan were so incredibly delicious. Definitely recommend it here if you’re looking for quality bakery items. 

Pret A Manger

Definitely not the fanciest place on the list, but such a great place to grab a quick coffee and snack for a pretty inexpensive price, which is perfect to grab in between classes or in the morning. There is a Pret on nearly every block, so it is super convenient. They also have Veggie Pret locations where ALL of their bakery items, food, snacks, and coffee are vegetarian or vegan. So cool!

I won’t lie, sometimes I miss the sweet tastes of home. For all my fellow Americans who are homesick, don’t fret. London has McDonalds, Starbucks, and Five Guys if you want to have a little taste of home every now and then. That’s important too. 

In only three weeks, I’ve already tried so many amazing places, and I’m so excited to try even more. I’m so grateful to be in such a diverse city where all of my foodie dreams can come true.