I like Sainsbury's Central. It's a fabulous format for a supermarket to fit into a smaller urban…read morefootprint. Their focus here is clearly on apartment ("flat" in Brit-speak) dwellers who have limited kitchen space and limited storage. For example, the packages of kitchen paper and toilet ("loo") rolls are in smaller quantities than the pallet-sized ones you generally find at full size shops. Large selection of pre-made "heat-and-eat" items, ranging from a full Indian meal with starters, mains and sides to whole roasted chickens. This Sainsbury's has a solid produce section with all the major items and the veggies all looked quite fresh. Sandwiches and salads and drinks and chips all up on display for a quick grab-and-go. I imagine this place gets quite busy during the lunch hours on work days.

As a lot of people might know, Sainsbury's is iconic. This specific store though was perfect and…read morebetter than others, the aisles are nicely set up, everything felt like it sort of made sense. The staff were lovely and would help with anything, I'm not used to this Sainsbury's as it was my first time coming but I know for sure I will be coming back. Staff actually have a clue what they are doing unlike some other Sainsbury branches. This shop has everything and I would shop here everyday if I could. I have medically diagnosed social anxiety and don't go out a lot, but you could approach staff slowly and speak to them as little as you want and they still would know exactly what you need. Overall if I could I would give this place infinity stars.

Tip: The peanut brittle and croissants are yummy…read more I tend to visit a grocery store whenever I'm travelling. Being in London in December 2013 was no different. I frankly haven't changed much over the years. I stayed in South Kensington. I loved it. Across from Gloucester Road tube station was this Waitrose. It had everything that I needed. I tend to get lemons and make lemon tea in the morning. Waitrose had lemons, so I got three that lasted my entire stay. The baked goods section is excellent. I got croissants here. They were flaky, buttery, and yummy. I got some peanut brittle, too. It was so good. Butter tends to make anything taste better. I remember seeing self-checkouts here. I ended up wanting a human. He was great. I paid with a credit card. It worked perfectly. I'm so glad that this Waitrose still exists. It was a good grocery store that had everything I needed while I was here for a week. (38)

Remember how grocery stores got rid of clerks and installed those self checkout kiosks that made…read moreeverything faster and more efficient? Yah, me neither. Imagine a product experience so horrible that a supervisor has to come over and swipe their card every fifteen seconds. Now imagine scanning your dozen plus items and spending twenty minutes in the store and then being told you have to go in ANOTHER line and start all over behind another five guests in order to pay and leave. Don't support this madness. Go to another store

We arrived at Waterloo station fairly late on one evening and we're looking for something to eat…read more Unfortunately, one of the restaurants that we tried was still open, but saying they had very limited menu but chose not to tell us what the options were. So, we quickly headed out and looked for something else. We stumbled into M&s and, even though it was later in the day, they still had a variety of options to choose from. We grabbed a few sandwiches, snacks, and drinks and headed out. Overall, this definitely wasn't the best meal we had in London, but it was one of the most convenient and it was tasty for the price. It gave us just enough energy to keep going and did at least a result in us wandering through for additional snacks at least one more time during our visit. As foreigners in this location, it did take us a little bit to acclimate to the process of selecting our food and paying but overall it was very easy and we were on our way quickly. I wish we had more options like this in the US!

This is a great little M&S. It's well stocked and they have some of the Christmas items too…read more Definitely impressed with the selection given the size of the store. It's always very busy and they were out of plant milk alternatives this evening, but otherwise it's a great location to pick up last minute meals and essentials.

A medium sized shop. Well-organized and efficient. Several self-checkout kiosks makes it quick and…read moreeasy to pay if you are not buying a large number of items. It's convenient for small items like bottled water and some fresh foods such as fruit. The sandwiches are okay if you are hungry and looking for something inexpensive.

Dear viewers, I have traveled far and wide and I have had…read moremyriad delicious sandwiches! This place was not one of them. Although the options are vast as the Atlantic deep blue waters, this institution lacked various features. This includes a way to heat things. Ever had a cold sandwich or a non heated pizza, well I'll save you the trouble they are not pleasant. Although it is not all rubbish. The mozzarella ball and the bottled water are descent and rather good. To improve gain a heated sandwich section or deli. Kinder employees and clearly marked sections are almost a necessity when having a business. It was a ghastly experience. I hope this is helpful! Good day! -Alejandro

This grocery store was highly convenient since my hotel was right across the street…read more Being able to buy cereal for breakfast or a quick heat lamp lunch or dinner helped me save some money. One of the reasons I deducted one star is because one of the female cashiers came off as being rude. She said, "If you want a bag, you should've said so" with so much spite. What in the world was going on in her life that she had to take it out on a customer? Meanwhile, on the other spectrum, her coworkers went out of their way trying to help me find shelf stable milk since my hotel didn't have a fridge. So pros: convenient, helps save some money, some of the employees go out of their way to be helpful. Cons: At least one female cashier needs to be spoken to by management about how she talks to customers.

This is an extremely convenient little store inside the London Paddington Station. I am a huge fan…read moreof the grab and go meal deals (only £3.85, less than the competitor next door or any fast food). I visited at 8am and the shelves were fully stocked. Having every option of meal deal sandwich available may have been a first for me, and they just released the limited edition holiday specialties yum yum yum! The US really needs to get onboard with this prepacked sandwich/wrap/sub/salad/pasta (that are relatively healthy) plus a snack and beverage for $5. It was very busy inside with what I imagine was mostly the regular weekday comminutors. There are many self-checkouts so the line went fast. Advice for visitors: like the vast majority of stores in the UK, make sure you bring your own bag or you will be charged for one.

Made a quick stop here and was not impressed. This is tiny and has very few options. I know it's an…read moreexpress but still...

Happened to be in the area and just wandered in to get some snacks. (This is a small but well…read morestocked store.) I'm in SNACK heaven! I cried tears of happiness when I found the cheese section. Much to my daughter's dismay I bought every flavor of potato chip available. The cashier was very helpful and assisted me with figuring out how much (cash) money I needed. This is a busy store so there's no time to dawdle-grab what you need and move on.

Having recently moved in to the area and having tried the few grocery stores around the Tesco Metro…read moreis by far the best one. It looks small from the outside but once inside and down the escalator it is clear that it is fairly big. They have a decent sized section of ready meals, salads and sandwiches but if that is what you are after the M&S Simply Food next to the Hilton is slightly better. There is a good sized section of meat and produce and the vegetables have so far been of good quality. Prices are decent as well and I do like that there is seldom any long lines to pay so as far as grocery stores go this one is definitely one of the better ones.

While in town to run the London Marathon we stayed at a hotel just a few minutes walk down Tooley…read moreStreet. We hit up this market a few times for bottles of water, snacks, bakery items, and fruits to keep in our room. Nice sized grocery to be discovered after taking the escalator down from street level. Decent prices. Checkout was easy.

Pretty much the Rite Aid of England. They are everywhere and pretty much have what you need for…read morethe right amount of money. Food, supplies, everything. They even have self check out! I thought that was an American thing, but I guess not! It's a pretty straight forward place and you'll be able to get your needs met without having to spend your life savings. Get your supplies here folks!

When traveling to London on business, I don't always want to eat out for dinner. Tesco has a great…read moreselection of grab and go food. Whether I want to make myself a little cheese and charcuterie plate, or some soup, salad or a nice curry, Tesco has it all. They have wine, beer and cider too, much less expensive than hotel room service! And Tesco is always my go to stop for chocolate and gummy candy to bring back to the states. They have a bigger selection than the Sainsbury's Local that is nearby, and much cheaper than buying at the airport.