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.

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.

A quick pop into this store allowed us to purchase some rather yummy food…read more The price wasn't to bad and would def recommend this place

I keep forgetting that the Grocer On Elgin is more than a shop, I've never actually even had a…read morecoffee here. But I've had a lot of tasty sandwiches and salads, and I love their breads. They often win against Mr Christian's across the road simply for keeping their doors open later. I remember venturing to the back of the shop when it first opened ages but it somehow doesn't appeal to me, all a bit too dark - and rather deserted during the week; I am sure they are buzzing with tourists at weekends. So I stick to the front and lunchtime treats to take away. It's all a bit on the dear side, definitely catering for the yummy mummy fraction in the neighbourhood.

This Tesco Express just across the street from Bayswater tube station is small and overpriced. It…read moreis worth walking a block north on Queensway for a larger Tesco.

It's my first day in London and after getting settled into my hotel room, I thought I'd take a walk…read moreabout and check things out. Please know I was horribly jet lagged & tired I found myself going down Queensway Rd, and loved all the different shops and restaurants. The energy of all the people bustling by. I felt like the guy walking in the middle of a marathon. After deciding to pick up the pace, I came across Tesco. I walked in and thought, for my first night here, I'll get something light to eat instead of going to a restaurant. I loved the contrast of ready made "grab and go" food in comparison to what we offer in the U.S. Here there were pâté sandwiches, salmon choices, a rather inexpensive array of great cheese, produce, and sundries. I discovered an upgraded European version of Walmart. I mean that as a compliment in comparison! My dinner tonight was going to be: roasted tomatoes in olive oil and mozzarella, nice flatbread with tomato basil, kalamata & green olives with a nice wheel of Camembert cheese. Of course some American Budweiser beer and a side of José Cuervo! (Don't judge me - I'm not a fan of wine!) I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is on the go and need last minute items. :)

It's funny isn't it, here's a shop I visit at least once a week, walk past numerous times a day,…read moreand I haven't even written a review in all those years. I think this makes it a typical example of all those lovely little places that make up our daily life. They are fairly unassuming but we'd be lost without them. Portobello Wholefoods is tucked away in a dark corner under the railway bridge, at weekends you barely notice it. During the week it provides the perfect addition to the fruit and veg stalls along Portobello Road. They stock everything you'd expect from a decent health food store at OK prices. One of the highlights for me includes the large selection of loose teas; I'd be lost without my fix of vanilla or mango tea in the morning! You can go hardcore with green and herbal as well, of course. All tastes and dietry requirements catered for.

Coming here makes you feel good about yourself. It's a mini vegetarian/organic haven selling…read moreeverything from a small selection of fruit and veg to more specialist meat-free/wheat-free/gluten-free/dairy-free/anythi ng-you-like-free food. Sometimes I find shops like this can be limited, but Wholefoods always seems to have exactly what I'm looking for. I mainly come for the amazing choice of vitamins and supplements as although I'm not a vegetarian I really don't see the point of taking something that's meant to be good for you, but actually has weird animal additives added or is encased in a gelatin shell (last time I checked boiled animal skin and bones really don't do anything for you). Also, I've met a lot of different staff and they are all eager to help with their wealth of knowledge on all things healthy. It's probably a tad more expensive to shop here, so you should stick to getting your more mundane items such as dried fruit from the supermarket, but for something a little bit special it's perfect. Why not try the gelatin free raspberry jelly or the fortified mineral water (you take your own bottles to fill and pay by the litre). Another great idea is that they don't automatically give you carrier bags at the till. There are a few used ones available if you really need one, but why not follow their lead and bring your own canvas bag to fill up.

Waitrose is a go to for me in England. This particular store was pretty expansive for the area…read morehaving a lot more variety and vegan options for the person who eats plant based, and if you don't there are a ton of options here for you. The store was clean and well organized. The shelves were stocked up nicely and like I said they have a good variety of items that they offer. I had limited exposure to the employees but the one I did talk to for a quick moment seemed pretty friendly and helpful. If I need anymore items on my trip I will definitely be popping back over to this store.

This grocery store had everything we needed to stock the kitchen for our stay in London. Plenty of…read morecashiers so lines were short.

... this used to be Damien Hirst's famous Pharmacy. Now it is yet another M&S…read more Mind you, at least the choice of food is a bit more exciting than the ugly Tesco store a few doors up. I feel an unusual bar or restaurant would be a better use of this rather prominent location. What is wrong with Notting Hill Gate? It's just an ugly collection of pizza chains and other unimaginative high street offerings.

It is this M&S that I blame for my father's addiction to Jaffa Cakes. OK, well, M&S brand Jaffa…read moreCakes. This location was down the street from my parents' hotel and we stopped here numerous times to grad something quick to eat. This location also stocked my friends and I up for Easter Dinner, fruits, cheese, wine, and sweets as it was one of only a few places open on Easter (we hadn't had the foresight to plan ahead). A lovely store, they were always friendly and had everything I needed/wanted.

There is a special feeling to an Asian American visiting Hyde Park when he walks out of the…read moreBayswater tube and finds and Asian market right outside. It put a smile in my heart to find rows of drinks and snacks that I know and love and some unique new ones that I've never seen before. From the store front you'd never even know that it's an Asian market. There are no big posters advertising Shen Yun 2019 or 2017 Pistahan in the window. I guess it must be new or they are incognito. You don't have the strong smell of dried squid or lemon grass hitting you when you walk through the door either. It feels kind of sterile, but that's because it's all well packaged and frozen food. No boxes of black bananas and jack fruit in the front. The selection was vast, it was a mishmash of all things Asian with a focus on the tourist in terms of selection and prices. I could easily go broke trying all the different cool snacks, drinks and teas. And the location is right across the street from Hyde Park. So we walked across the street and enjoyed out loot in the shade of the trees and shared crumbs with some of the most aggressive ducks and geese I've ever seen.

Open late and just a few steps down from both Queensway and Bayswater Tube stations.read more

This was my first and only Sainsbury's to visit during my 2nd week of September 2011 trip to…read moreLondon, which was my first trip to London, the UK, and Europe for that matter. The store is very small, about the size of a London Drug's in Canada or a Walgreen's in the US. There is not a lot of variety of products as compared to North American stores where you may typically find 3-6 brand names of a particular product or product line. The prices, accounting for currency conversion, are on par with those at a 7-Eleven or other convenience store. The store hours are from 0700 to 2300, though 4 different times, I was able to enter after 2300 and purchase items. The staff was friendly on each visit. The location is perfect as it is 1 block from London Underground's Bayswater Station, 3 blocks from the Queensway Station,and 2 blocks from the Hilton and Hyde Park Inn & Suites which is great for tourists. I do like this area and will be visiting the store again on my next trip. I recommend this for those whom are new to the area to get an idea about prices and such.

Extremely disappointing customer service. Many items arrived damaged…read more Their customer service blamed DPD when the parcel was really poorly packed in the first place, with heavy items on top of lighter ones, a box too large for it's content, and no mention that the parcel was fragile and perishable on the outside of the box. Naturally, I threw in the bin the leaking boxes of soups and inedible broken biscuits and soaking wet Cantal cheese. I then proceeded to contact their customer service to ask for a refund. The day after, they responded to inform me that to receive a refund, I would have to send back the damaged items. I am not in the mood to dig through my bin, and pack leading boxed of soup and biscuits crumbs in plastic bags to avoid causing a mess to DPD drivers. After this, they've asked for more pictures, but the items are now in the building communal bin and for basic hygiene and health and safety reasons, it is not reasonable to ask me to find which bin bag was mine, open it, and locate the products. So I guess all I can do is strongly recommend AGAINST this shop and its extremely poor customer service. (FrenchClick takes ages to deliver but at least, the food from there arrives in decent conditions.) Update: contrary to what their response says, they did not offer to send any replacement in their original email. Update 2: to send replacement, they want me to ship them the damaged items, ie they're asking me to book a DPD delivery for a bin bag. I cannot believe it. Especially since I already put the bin bag in the building communal bin. Update 3: After calling me 3 times in 6 minutes and sending me one email, which I responded to, they're still refusing to find a solution. I informed them that the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says that services must be provided with reasonable care and skill, and in my opinion, they did not use reasonable care and skill when they provided this service. This is unfortunate, but to ensure this doesn't happen to someone else after me, I reported the business to Trading Standards.

disappointed: I was charged some 38% more in the shop that…read morethe advertised price. No refund was offered