Page 296 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - London

294  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

The Flavours of London

Reflecting the capital’s multicultural population and cosmopolitan
nature, the dishes on London’s menus take inspiration from all parts
of the globe and draw on a rich range of flavours. Middle Eastern
mezze, aromatic Chinese dim sum, spicy Indian curries: all
are as familiar on the city’s dining tables as the ubiquitous meat
and two veg. Despite the representation of global cuisines,
“modern British cooking” best describes much of what’s on
offer in the city, with restaurants reviving the country’s classic
dishes using home-grown ingredients and cooking
international favourites in a truly British style.

lamb, Devon cider, Suffolk pride. Ancient or “rare” breeds
oysters – as well as from the of cattle are name-checked,
rest of the world. Visitors can such as Gloucester Old Spot
snack as they browse, on pork. Once-overlooked, old-
anything from Cornish scallops fashioned ingredients like
to grilled Spanish chorizo. rhubarb and black (blood)
pudding are now being used
in creative ways. Seasonal
Modern British Food and organic produce is also
London menus will often taking centre stage. The
detail the provenance of growing breed of gastropubs
ingredients with obvious were among the first to adopt
Chef and customer at Clerkenwell’s
St John restaurant Dorstone (Dorset) Waterloo (Berkshire) Blue Stilton
The Marketplace
Nowhere better exemplifies
the city’s love affair with good
food than Borough Market (see
p335). Its busy stalls offering
both regional and continental
food are a microcosm of what
Londoners today like to eat.
There is produce from all over Ashdown (Sussex) Golden Cross
Britain – English and Irish (Sussex)
cheeses, Scottish beef, Welsh Selection of English farmhouse cheeses

Traditional English Food
Though global cuisine is now a firm fixture on the London food scene,
traditional English dishes are still readily available. Classics such as roast
beef, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie have been given a makeover
and can be found in many restaurants in the capital as well
as in informal gastropubs. For an archetypal national dish,
head out early for a “full English breakfast”: an assort-
ment of fried sausages, eggs, bacon, tomatoes,
mushrooms and toast. Popular snacks include
pasties and sausage rolls, which can be picked
up from food stands and bakeries. For those with
a sweet tooth, look out for old-fashioned puddings
such as treacle tart, jam roly-poly (suet sponge and jam),
spotted dick (suet sponge and currants) and fruit crumbles with Fish and Chips Battered cod or
custard. Teatime may be a thing of the past but many top hotels and plaice and chips served with
boutique cafés offer “cream teas” with scones topped with clotted tartare sauce. A side order of
cream and strawberry jam, cakes and cucumber sandwiches. mushy peas is popular.

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