The Wanderlist: Best Things We Ate in London, UK
We recently paid a visit to the Escapism UK team in London to prepare for the launch of Escapism Toronto’s first issue. Naturally, we took full advantage of the opportunity to eat our way through the city. Here are some of the best bites we sunk our teeth into.
It’s no secret that Brits are obsessed with Indian food, so we would have been remiss to leave London without at least one meal featuring the well-loved South Asian cuisine. Darbaar brings a sophisticated approach to Indian fare with a menu inspired by traditional Indian Royal Court banquets.
The highlight of our meal was the Mewari oven baked leg of rabbit, a tender, flavourful cut of meat served on the bone. We recommend ordering the dish with a side of garlic naan for mopping up the spicy chili and corn sauce that accompanies it.
Since we were staying at the hip Curtain hotel during our visit, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to dine at its on-site restaurant, Red Rooster. The second location of chef Marcus Samuelsson’s well-known New York restaurant, Red Rooster specializes in Southern soul food with influences from Marcus’s Northern European childhood.
The cornbread is said to have been one of former president Obama’s favourite dishes when he ate in Samuelsson’s Harlem-based restaurant back in 2011. Red Rooster’s cornbread is buttery and moist, served in thick, warm slices with beautifully browned edges. It comes with a sweet honey butter and a nicely acidic tomato jam.
One of the coolest dining experiences we had in London was at Pop Brixton, a creative social enterprise that sees over 50 independent businesses (including tons of innovative restaurants) operating out of unused shipping containers. The open-air space has a street food fest-feel in the warmer months, but weather-proofing allows it to operate year-round.
It’s tough to pick a best dish from our feast, but the honey butter sandwich from Other Side Fried was among the winners of the evening. It features crunchy, juicy fried chicken slathered in a rich honey butter and nestled in a slightly sweet, soft bun with crispy bacon, lettuce and pickles.
One of our favourite stops on our Eating London Tour was the English Restaurant, a family-owned bar and restaurant set in a cozy heritage building dating back to the 17th century. The restaurant specializes in well-prepared British dishes, made from locally-sourced ingredients. We sampled the bread and butter pudding, a classic English comfort food that originated as a way to use up stale bread.
The English Restaurant makes their version with a house-made brioche that gets baked until its golden on top and perfectly soft and warm in the centre. A drizzle of vanilla custard adds a sweet, creamy finish.
Opened in 2001, the Providores is a London brunch institution that still draws a buzzy crowd on weekends. The restaurant is known for its unexpected twists on classic brunch dishes, many of which feature Middle Eastern influences. The Turkish eggs are their most famous dish but it was the hearty grilled chorizo that won our hearts, served with sweet potato miso hash, a soft boiled egg, garlic labne and a star anise cashew nut praline.
The restaurant is set on two floors, with the more formal Providores restaurant found on the upper floor and a casual space called the Tapa Room set on the ground floor. You’ll need to wait in line for a spot in the Tapa Room, but the Providores proper takes reservations.
