Boisdale of Bishopsgate is conveniently located near the hotel I was staying in London and my…read moreresearch indicated this establishment has some of the best haggis in London. So, I'd be remiss not to dine here. As for beer, Whitstable was on tap and described to me as "like a Guinness." I was in the mood for a Guinness and I think this beer was more satisfying for my tastes. Slightly malty and refreshing. Good creamy head on it. Smooth flavor, texture and clean finish. Now the haggis seems to come in a starter size and entree size. I went with the smaller size as I wanted to save room for Sheperd's Pie. I can't help but think of Bart Simpson asking Groundskeeper WIllie "what's haggis?" Willie goes on to describe haggis in an unflattering manner. And jokes like this have perpetuated the idea that haggis is gross. But this haggis was the single best thing I ate during my London food holiday. Shaped like a meatball with a tight snap on the exterior, similar to the snap on a sausage. Nice complexity. The grains in the haggis were not mere filler, but lent a crunchy textural nuance and complimented the meat with an oaty flavor. Soft and savory. The hot messy interior is made for gravy. Gravy adds concentrated umami beefiness. Mash is very smooth with a perfect balance of salt and savory potato flavor. The consistency is both very smooth and on the denser end of the spectrum. Shepherd pie plays on a similar potato and meat theme with the addition of cheese. First, there is the crust, a soft, gooey, stretchy layer of cheese, which lends an addicting fattiness and tang to the pie. After penetrating and pulling back this top layer, the meaty lamb aroma is intoxicating. A layer of potatoes tops the mince and seems to be stewing in a gravy. Eating it becomes an addicting mess of meat gravy cheese and mash. If you are in London and looking for a classic meal, make a trip to Boisdale of Bishopsgate.

I searched for "cigar" because I wanted to enjoy a Cubano before heading back to the USA... this…read moreplace showed up and after reviewing the cigar, Scotch, and dinner menus, I knew I was in for a great experience! My coworker and I arrived at 8pm on a Thursday and planned to eat in the bar area but after speaking with the hostess we were surprised to find that a reservation didn't show for their table and we were seated in the downstairs dinning room. We had some Lagavulin scotch, a haggis appetizer, and the evenings special which was a stuffed chicken. It was all absolutely perfect! Then we ordered a couple Montecristo Cuban cigars to enjoy after dinner outside in the entry alley. I've eaten all over the world and this was a perfect experience! Make the effort to find and enjoy a dinner here!

Hidden at the bottom of a dark lane in the shadows of the awe inspiring Shard there is an…read moreindustrial unit like no other. A former tannery, this winter season it has been transformed into London's foremost Scottish pop up restaurant. For several years now the lads at Dram & Smoke have appeared on a seasonal basis in various locations around the city providing some delicious Scottish inspired dishes. This winters menu is something pretty special: - welcome whisky cocktail in the form of a warm hot toddy - duck donut with irn bru chilli jam - Gin punch bowl - potted mushrooms and dunsyre blue cheese - lobster broth - roast rack of pork, chargrilled plums, black pudding, chestnuts and a BUCKET OF CRACKLING!!! - whisky bread 7 butter pudding So having come here as a 2 we were on a table of 10 so lots of new people to meet, fear not by the end of the night it was as if we were all old friends, contact details were exchanged and further nights out planned. The hot toddy on arrival was a welcomed thing, coming in from a cold wet night, naked grouse with honey and lemon. A tried and tested classic. Duck donut.....irn bru chilli jam. Genius. A proper savoury donut with a sugar coating filled with confit duck meat. The irn bru chilli jam carried the flavour of the famous Scottish soft drink with a really nice heat. Surprising and delicious way to start the meal. mushrooms and blue cheese, again a tried and tested match, with the lovely crisp bread it was an unremarkable but delicious course. Lobster broth, every day 10 large Scottish lobsters are sacrificed to make this delicious soup. Well sized as apart of a five course meal it was a joy to eat and served in an innovative way. The cream top really cut through it and yeah it was gooood. NOW, when the menu say rack of pork expectations as to what is going to be delivered are pretty high, they were surpassed. This giant piece of meat arrived at the table on a massive block with carving knife and fork. Alongside a plate of veg + black pudding and a BUCKET OF CRACKLING. I mean I know I keep typing this in capitals but it feels deserved because I mean crackling...by the bucket. This forever should now be the measuring unit for crackling. The meat was succulent and tasty, so well cooked. The veg lovely, the black pudding and plums and great match and the crackling just topped it all off. A large jug of good gravy also passed around made for a satisfying main course. Desert, the British classis that is bread & butter pudding, again does as a large table serving we then split between the table. It was plentiful, it was whiskyful it was delicious! On our table happened to be a whisky journalist who managed to secure the table each a rob roy and then a bottle of the lovely naked grouse which added to our erm merriment. If you manage to grab a ticket for this go and be happy! If you miss out make sure you don't next time! For £40 it is incredible value! I mena crazy good value!!

I love Scotch eggs. A semi-soft-boiled egg wrapped in breaded sausage, and fried. Mmm delicious…read more £4.95 Scotch Egg Salad - I thought it would be nice to have this with 'salad,' instead of fries, since the egg is already fried. However, I felt a little gypped since it was just served with some lettuce leaves and a slight drizzle of dressing. This 'salad' was practically a throw away item. I'm glad they cut the egg in half, because this is not the easiest thing to eat as street food. Also, the sausage could have been warmer. The good points were that the egg looked good with a rich, orange, soft yolk and had a crunchy outer surface. I think I'll stick to Scotch eggs in sit-down establishments though.

Every time I'm in London, I make it a point to try to get an order of Scotch eggs at Borough Market…read morefrom this vendor. The best Scotch eggs you will ever eat! Fried perfectly on the outside. Juicy meat and a perfectly boiled egg with a soft runny egg yolk in the center. Now I'm looking through my pictures and really can't wait for the day we can all travel safely again. I want to go back to London to eat these Scotch eggs!

Welcome to Highgate, Popeseye. What a great addition to Highgate/Archway food scene you are…read more As Archway locals we in our household are lucky to have myriad of eateries to choose from at all hours of the day and night, so the fact that we have ventured to Popeseye twice in a month after we found out about its relatively new opening should speak volumes in itself. It is just a perfect addition to the neighbourhood - right on the main road, easily accessible from the tube but quiet, and unlike many quick grab and go eateries in the area, genuinely a lovely place to sit down, even if it should be for a full nice evening or say, a date. All that for nonprohibitive prices for a steakhouse, and we have a winner. Atmosphere is really lovely and cozy: what really serves this space right is that it is partitioned into two parts - so even if it is full, you retain quite an intimate atmosphere (that being said, on Tuesday's jazz and steak nights, when all the visitors tend to gather in the back area around the band, don't be discouraged by the seemingly empty front part which you get to see from the front windows are you are walking by!). But let's be real, atmosphere and location is nice, but steakhouses are about meat, meat, meat! Popeseye has not dissapointed me on this front. The five weeks hung grass-fed beef steaks are very flavoursome and juicy. The cuts are generous and the steaks are finished just right. So far I've tried a sirloin and their 'Jazz and Steak Tuesdays' special of 6oz rump and they were both exactly as should be. All steaks come with a generous side of fries and a big selection of sauces for the table (standard and dijon mustard, hollandaise, ketchup, horseradish, etc.). The Tuesday special for £15 includes the 6oz steak, fries, sauces, and one small glass of wine - definitely a good deal. (NB for the jazz lovers - from what I've seen, the musicians have been quite liberal with their interpretation of jazz, but hey - this is not a jazz bar and they were still good musicians and on tune, so I don't see a reason to put my judgmental hat on). Everyone was too full to sample the extensive whiskey and desert menu, but look - if you are smart and unlike us, don't order the phenomenally cheesy, home meals memories inducing mac and cheesy for the table, maybe you can give that a shot :). Both times service was knowledgeable about their meat, pleasant and efficient. I left as a happy meateater and I will be back.

This is a seriously underappreciated gem in North London. Fantastic steak full stop. The highland…read moremeat was superb and my 12oz fillet was one of the nicest I've had in London. I can't recommend this place highly enough if you're in North London and want a steakhouse that's not pretentious and a relaxed atmosphere.

Popping up every other Thursday at Camden Town Brewery, this food stand serves a mean grilled…read moresandwich with the most you'll pay being £6. They specialise in Haggis, that wonderful scottish delicacy and as long as you don't tell your friends what they're biting into, they'll love it! And then they will pretend they didn't want that second (or third!) bite when you tell them what's in it. Hot haggis, some greens, onion jam, candied bacon and cheese go into their Hamish McBeth. The best thing to order in my opinion. Once they cut it into two and seal the edges (actually important with hot cheese!) they hand it over in a couple layers of greaseproof and you're away. For the people afraid of haggis, they offer a bacon and cheese option, for those afraid of bacon, they offer a haggis and cheese version, for those afraid of meat in general, they have a veggie haggis option. The guys behind the counter are friendly and more than happy to make subs as long as it isn't too busy and they have the necessary bits. Being able to have it with a freshly pulled pint of Camden Town beer is just a bonus.

Since moving to Leyton, Deeney's has easily become my favourite spot for breakfast. The staff are…read moreamazingly friendly and hardworking. The food is always great. I recommend the smoked salmon and avocado on toast :) They have a nice selection of teas and coffee, and everything on the menu is wonderful. It's a great place to come relax and enjoy a nice meal.

From the owner: Deeney's Cafe is a local cafe specializing in delicious breakfasts and lunches. Come and try our…read morefamous 'Macbeth' Haggis Toastie! Voted one of London's best sandwiches by Timeout and Evening Standard. Deeney's has a huge range of cakes and treats and offers speciality coffee from local roasters.

This was my favorite lunch place when I was working in the area. It's a small space, almost…read moreexclusively takeaway, so it often looks like there's a long queue, but don't let that discourage you, as the staff are quick and efficient. They're also really nice and polite. Over the course of several visits, I tried the sirloin special, the coronation chicken, the chicken escalope, and the chicken/bacon/sweet corn sandwiches. I also tried the scotch eggs. My favorite was the coronation chicken, which I'd never had before (I don't think we have it in the States), but everything I tried was tasty and I'd be happy to have all of them again. The sandwiches are pretty reasonably priced at under £6, which is nice for an area where it's easy to spend the same amount on a cup of coffee and a muffin. I've always been in and out of the shop in just a few minutes, even when it's busy. Their prime lunch traffic seems to come around 12:30 and later; it was pretty empty the 1 time I went at 12. I've always been able to pay with my American bank card without any issues. Definitely recommend this place if you need lunch in the area! They also have breakfast, although I've never tried it.

Best sandwich place around here. Their chicken escalope on granary bap is my personal favourite…read more Worth the walk if you are further away but lucky for me it's on my doorstep.

The second we walked by Dirty Bagels we knew we had to stop, it smelled SO GOOD! We decided to…read moreshare one and the staff were really friendly as they took our order. They also if we wanted to add some cracklings to our sandwich, which was unique and we happily accepted to try it out. We opted for the brioche bun and it was soft and fluffy with the super flavorful slow roasted pulled pork. The cracklings were a nice addition and we enjoyed every bite of the sandwich and were even tempted to get a second, but we knew we didn't want to be too full as we continued our adventuring in the area. This Dirty Bagels is located in Smithfield Market and it was surrounded by a lot of other food and shopping options. They also have communal seating available right by the stand which makes it easy to stop and eat or take your sandwich on the go. This would be a must stop for me anytime I'm in the area.

I was only in London for a day this time around and I wanted to explore new places so I checked out…read morethe Seven Dials Market. Walking around, Dirty Bagels caught my eye because of the pulled pork. Living in Texas, I've eaten a lot of pulled pork and I gotta say this was pretty darn good! It was moist and tender, the sauce added the perfect amount of kick and flavor, the cheese and the bit of crackling was the perfect addition. For only $10, this was a solid deal for this meal. Definitely worth a try!

Great place for lunch if you're near Tower Bridge or Tower of London. Away from beaten path, so its…read morenot crowded. Outdoor seating. Good prices and menu selection. Friendly staff.

Very solid sandwich shop in the east of London. Very small so it only for take away food. Nice…read moreselection of drinks and chips. Hot drinks too. Sandwich menu is quite extensive I went with an egg and cheese for breakfast with pickles onions and HP sauce. They will make your sandwich to order and service was attentive. Best attributes: FAST and CHEAP. Put it on your list and give it a try.

Birley is one of my favorite places for a quick takeaway lunch. They have a great variety of…read moresandwiches, salads, and soups. My favorite sandwich is the grilled chicken with spicy jam. Top that with a rich, mouthwatering brownie, and I'm happy for the rest of the day!