whoever said the food in london isn't very good clearly went to the wrong restaurants. haters gonna hate. i did not have one single back experience with the food there!
our flat was in east london...we stayed in hackney right by london fields and i loved it. (i'll write more about where to stay and what areas are great.) right across the park was broadway market which is a street full of cafes, market, and small boutiques. very hip and full of beautiful people. no joke. it's whatever. we ate meals there most of the time because there's so much variety and we loved the walk through the park.
there are tons of great restaurants in london so it won't be too hard to find some tasty food. here are a few places i think are totally worth checking out while in london:
fields - probably one of my favorite restaurants in hackney. great service, delicious food, and the interior is pretty great as well. if you go for breakfast i suggest the mediterranean brunch as well as their freshly squeezed juices and a latte. their dinner is also fantastic. and you have to try their banoffee pie. it's actually the greatest thing on this planet.
l'eau à la bouche - is the first cafe we went to for breakfast and we loved it. the interior of the cafe is hip and comfortable. la bouche is part cafe and part market. great for picking up items for dinner. (they've got a great cheese selection.) they make a mean late and the guys who work there are straight out of a movie good looking. i suggest trying the nutty granola. i've been craving it everyday since i've been gone.
Ephesus - is a turkish restaurant on broadway market. i ordered their eggs benedict, turkish coffee, and their freshly squeezed orange juice and paid around £12 with tip. their mediterranean spin on eggs benedict is awesome. they have indoor and outdoor seating and from what i have read, when the weather gets nice the place gets pretty packed.
Climpson & Sons - i went one morning on my own to grab food because i needed carbs and lots and lots of coffee. i literally walked up and asked them to make me the darkest and strongest coffee they had because my life depended on it. i ordered the avocado toast which is sprinkled with pistachio and pepper and some dark coffee. that avocado toast was both massive (two huge pieces) and delicious. oh and the workers aren't horrible to look at...at all.
Lily Vanilli - our last sunday there we ventured out to find this bakery. somehow we ended up at the Columbia Road Flower Market so we did some shopping then rewarded ourselves with some coffee and breakfast at Lily's. they are pretty hidden, but that should not stop you from looking for them because the bakery is adorable and they serve super tasty food. we ordered their toast with cheese and vegetables which is huge and filling. basically order anything and i bet you will be satisfied.
last but not least...don't be afraid to eat at the kebab restaurants you see everywhere. yes, they're not cute and you might think they'll make you sick...but you won't. most of them are open 24/7 so if you have any late night cravings you have to order kebabs. our favorite kebab restaurant was one on mare street. i literally left craving what i had ordered a few nights before. i'm still so sad they didn't take card because all i wanted at 12am a few hours before i came back home was kebabs.
l'eau à la bouche - is the first cafe we went to for breakfast and we loved it. the interior of the cafe is hip and comfortable. la bouche is part cafe and part market. great for picking up items for dinner. (they've got a great cheese selection.) they make a mean late and the guys who work there are straight out of a movie good looking. i suggest trying the nutty granola. i've been craving it everyday since i've been gone.
The Love Shake - a cute american themed diner. we had their grilled cheese bagel with ham and it totally hit the spot. everyone else had ordered shakes and apparently they're pretty fantastic!
Ephesus - is a turkish restaurant on broadway market. i ordered their eggs benedict, turkish coffee, and their freshly squeezed orange juice and paid around £12 with tip. their mediterranean spin on eggs benedict is awesome. they have indoor and outdoor seating and from what i have read, when the weather gets nice the place gets pretty packed.
Climpson & Sons - i went one morning on my own to grab food because i needed carbs and lots and lots of coffee. i literally walked up and asked them to make me the darkest and strongest coffee they had because my life depended on it. i ordered the avocado toast which is sprinkled with pistachio and pepper and some dark coffee. that avocado toast was both massive (two huge pieces) and delicious. oh and the workers aren't horrible to look at...at all.
Lily Vanilli - our last sunday there we ventured out to find this bakery. somehow we ended up at the Columbia Road Flower Market so we did some shopping then rewarded ourselves with some coffee and breakfast at Lily's. they are pretty hidden, but that should not stop you from looking for them because the bakery is adorable and they serve super tasty food. we ordered their toast with cheese and vegetables which is huge and filling. basically order anything and i bet you will be satisfied.
The Breakfast Club - the long weight (we waited 30 mins) is worth it. i promise. they're menu is cleverly done. one of their sandwiches is called "When Holoumi met Salad Wrap" love it.
Bella Vita - another restaurant on broadway market, basically what i am telling you is to eat every meal there (i'm only half kidding). i love pizza. everyone loves pizza. this italian restaurant has some great pizza and everyone who works there seems to be italian. someone told us later that one of the cooks comes out sometimes and plays music. we sadly did not get to hear the music, but the meal was great nonetheless.
last but not least...don't be afraid to eat at the kebab restaurants you see everywhere. yes, they're not cute and you might think they'll make you sick...but you won't. most of them are open 24/7 so if you have any late night cravings you have to order kebabs. our favorite kebab restaurant was one on mare street. i literally left craving what i had ordered a few nights before. i'm still so sad they didn't take card because all i wanted at 12am a few hours before i came back home was kebabs.