My Favorite London Eats [2020 Takeout Edition]
I may or may not have eaten takeout every day..
Brunch
Ok mostly coffee & pastries, but when in Europe…
Abuelo
Grab a chai latté with oatmilk (makes it extra creamy) and a blackberry mascarpone toast. The charcoal sourdough toast is a beautiful blue-purple color and is even decorated with fresh flowers. This spot is super instagramable (my friend actually found this place on tiktok) and right next to covent garden.
Ole & Steen
Grab a cinnamon social.
The Good Life Eatery
The spelt croissant + matcha latte combo was suprisingly good.
CPress
Satisfy your basic b*tch desires here by grabbing a fresh green juice and orange-oregano immunity shot. The falafel salad is surprisingly good too, but be sure to get all of the free add-on toppings (mini pickles, black garlic, red pepper flakes) and the lemon-olive oil dressing. And don’t leave without getting the copy-cat snickers bars. These healthier treats are better than the real deal and I’ve been dreaming about them for days.
Kova Patisserie
If you’re a boba fan the brown sugar matcha bubble tea will not disappoint!
Eggslut
The creamy scrambled egg sandwiches are cooked to perfection, but stick to the brioche buns - the arugula side salad was rather disappointing. The perfect hangover breakfast.
I didn’t get a chance to stop by Ottolenghi for some pastries, but I’ve heard so many good things.
Dinner
Or lunch if you’re ambitious
Dishroom
A london classic, but worthy of it’s prestige. Dishroom did not fail to impress even takeout-style. The Pau Bhaji (mashed vegetables with butter-y fresh-baked pau bread) was a 12/10 pairing (the ginger matchsticks, red onion and lime garnishes taking it to the next level). But I was especially impressed by the pau itself; one order comes with two buns, but I found myself wanting more so I’d recommend adding on that extra side of pau. The broccoli salad was well-spiced, but I could not in good faith recommend it given the unearthly amount of cilantro scattered throughout (although cilantro lovers this may be heaven for you). I was also not impressed by the chili chicken although the flavor potential was definitely there. My go-to main course was the chicken berry britannia (the berry beautifully counterbalancing the spice) which was made marginally better with the Raita. I was also a big fan of the well-seasoned bowl of greens that came with a light & refreshing dressing to throw on top. Of course, the meal wouldn’t be complete without a mango lassi that complemented the spiced dishes wonderfully.
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele
While quite pricey, the truffle pizza was incredible and perfectly satisfied my pizza-cravings. Significantly less good the next day though so I’d eat this one while it’s hot.
The Barbary
The salads, appetizers, and breads here were soooo good, but I’d stay away from the mediocre main dishes. The Fattoush salad and the Jerusalem bagel were my absolute favorites, but the sesame, kale and portobello mix with a surprise ingredient of pickled ginger was great as well. The feta in the Fattoush salad was unbelievably rich, creamy, and salty, and paired wonderfully with the generous amount of herbs and crunchy “bagel” chips also in the salad. The jerusalem “bagels” were more like a soft sesame breadstick that was light and fluffy and coated generously with white sesame seeds. The kale salad would have been my favorite but I found it to be a little overdressed and even though it was meant to be served cold, I actually preferred this one heated up (yes even the ginger). The Challah and Kubaneh bread were good but not great and if it were me, I’d rather just have two Jerusalem bagels. But don’t order from here without getting the incredible tahini slice (you MUST order this if you like chocolate and tahini) because the oh-so-smooth tahini chocolate mousse matched with the crunchy nutted base was 11/10. Could not recommend more.
Karavlaki
For a more quick, casual option Karavlaki was my savory go-to. Get the sweet potato and halloumi fries to go along with a Souvlaki of your choice. Pairing the greek horta dipping sauce with the halloumi fries is a must. However, the boiled greens were quite disappointing (even for a greens fanatic like myself). Worthy of a mention are the cute little bottles of wine you can get to pair with your meal. The dry white was lovely inside & out.
Après
Can’t skip the sweets & drinks…
Forum Cocktails
This was the ultimate date-night-in experience as the cocktails arrive in elegant glass bottles with garnish to boot. The cocktails were not overly sweet but a bit pricy for my liking. If you’re looking to splurge, this with a nice dessert makes for a quality evening in.
OPIHR Gin & Tonic
I was shocked by the great gin & tonic selection at the everyday grocers. Apparently, londoners love gin & tonics. My personal favorite was the OPIHR spiced gin & tonic with a splash of orange which you can pick up at Sainsbury’s.
Amorino
I was not expecting to like these at all since I’m not the hugest fan of either macaroons or gelato, but the gelato macaroons were phenomenal. (Note: they just appear as ordinary macaroons on the menu, but fear not they will be stuffed with a gelato filling.) Pairing chocolate and raspberry together was delectable, and the pistachio was excellent as well. Be warned though- you’ll have to eat these quickly before they melt.
The Hummingbird Bakery
The extra-rich, black bottom cheesecake-filled cupcake was delicious, but not particularly elegant or sophisticated. On the sweeter side for sure, but great for pairing with some tea or cocktails to satisfy a sweet tooth. (The carrot cupcake was pretty dry - would not recommend).
Fortnum & Mason
Stop here for some luxury teas, wines, and desserts. During the holiday season, the store’s advent-calendar style decorations alone make it worth a visit. I especially enjoyed the luxurious fruit pates (lemon was excellent).
