London: City of Food — Best Local Dining for the Solo Traveller

Delicious options that won’t break the bank.

I visited London, England, as a solo traveller from November 14-22, 2023.

Who knew London would be the City of Food for me? Even traveling throughout Berlin and various parts of Italy in October, nothing impressed me as much as the homey feeling I got from eating at local diners in the Swiss Cottage area.

Swiss Cottage is dotted with small, independent charity shops, grocers, and diners run by immigrants. The Jubilee line drops you right in the heart of it, just half an hour north of the London core.

Of course, there are tons of great options downtown as well, so here I’ll separate my recommendations into the Swiss Cottage area and the London core, along with some honourable mentions. Below are the best selections of food I tasted from my one week in London, England.

*All photos by Lonely Girl, Lonely World unless otherwise stated.

Swiss Cottage

Udon Café

My second day there, I walked into a small restaurant that caught my eye called Udon Café, right by my hostel (Palmers Lodge). I unknowingly ordered their signature dish, the tonkatsu ramen.

OH. MY.

I’d never eaten ramen with pork so tender and succulent. As someone who’s never liked Asian varieties of noodles very much, this was huge. I started tearing up right there. The meat has a bit of sweetness to it that melts in your mouth without being overly sugary. Pair it with a cup of green tea, and it’s even better. I went back 2 more times before I left London the next week, with my last meal being deliberately at Udon Café.

With my taste buds exploding in savoury delight, I gave my compliments to the chef. The co-owner, Simon, said he and his wife have been in London about 20 years now, and he trained in Japan for many years before that.

They have a small menu, but everything was made to relative perfection. Over the next week I tried their chicken ramen (good, but can’t compare to their glorious tonkatsu), salted edamame, and vegetable gyoza, all rendering blissful contentment from me. I ordered green tea with each meal, which they refilled at no extra charge.

It warmed me also to see the owners’ kindness in other ways. A young girl walked in one day asking to discuss a charity organization, and Simon patiently sat down to hear her out.

The best food comes from a caring soul. It’s the cherry on top.

Natural Natural

On the days I wanted to save money and/or was turned away from a cafe because it was full (it happened! See “Honourable Mention: Oliver’s Village Café” below), I went to Natural Natural, a tiny Japanese grocery store with imports from Japan, organic fresh foods, and house-made meals and snacks to go. It’s located 5 minutes away from Palmers Lodge Swiss Cottage, my hostel, and across the street from Udon Cafe.

Again, what a hidden gem.

I’ve had my fair share of various types and brands of mochi, mostly from supermarkets in North America, but the daifuku mochi I tried from Natural Natural put the rest to shame (not that the supermarket ones were very good to begin with). Their daifuku mochi was lusciously soft, chewy, and, most of all, FRESH. I’ve never been to Japan before, but I imagine this is the standard real mochi should be.

I also discovered many variants of famous Asian brands I’d never seen before, such as sugar-free Kirin milk tea.

Their deli section features signature Japanese eats like onigiri, karaage (fried popcorn chicken), takoyaki balls, and even eel on a stick! The portions look small, but 2 or 3 of these dishes will fill you up well. The eel, particularly, is expensive (11 GBP for one stick), but for the taste, it’s worth it. For set meals, there are bento boxes and bowls available. I preferred to mix n’ match the individual foods.

All the staff I saw there were native Japanese, and in classic Japanese fashion, they cashed me out with sweet smiles and little bows.

Garden Breakfast Café

Garden Breakfast Café is a small eatery featuring typical European breakfast, lunch, and brunch. Their meals come in hearty portions, with staples of beans (gosh, the people love their beans), eggs, bacon, toast, sausages, and/or fries. Again, I ordered a cup of green tea to go with it.

(Plus, they’re right next to Natural Natural! It’s how I noticed the little Japanese grocery store in the first place.)

Many young professionals and businesspeople come to this café to work or take a break, from what I saw. It’s totally ok to bust out your laptop here, and there are many outlets to use.

Arabesque

Instantly intrigued by the name thanks to my ballet training, Arabesque is a Lebanese and fusion restaurant located on a quiet street a 10-minute walk from Swiss Cottage Station. It’s a cozy establishment that takes itself quite seriously, from the way I was bluntly stopped upon entering, so they could check their reservations first (despite it being completely empty when I arrived). Arabesque is the sort of quiet place people go to for fancy candlelit dinners, popular with the older generation.

Thankfully, they had a spot for me, so I wound up by the window to enjoy my peri-peri chicken and Moroccan mint tea in an exquisite teapot. Heads up for lactose intolerant folks: the peri-peri chicken contains some dairy, but you can’t taste it at all. That’s good for me, but be aware of this if you simply can’t eat dairy at all.

As a surprise, they also gave me free dessert, baklawa with honey. Everything tasted grand, and they’re hearty portions as well.

Sushi & More

I didn’t know I had never tasted real kimchi until I had Sushi & More’s kimchi rice set. Sushi & More offers exactly what their name says. It’s a simple Korean restaurant/convenience store with a few tables and bars for eating in and a refrigerant of instant noodles, Asian drinks, and the like. What they forego in décor, they make up for in quality and taste.

My meal set was actually very basic: a bowl of rice, a large bowl of kimchi, and some radishes. But the purity of the kimchi is what makes it so great. I ladled it over my rice to eat. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly small portion size; you’ll be full and happy in no time, especially with those fermented probiotics churning in your stomach.

Tea+ (Bubble Tea)

Of course I had to explore the bubble tea scene. There were several bubble tea shops in the area, but I chose Tea+ for their perfect 5-star rating and proximity. I’m glad I did. Bubble tea stores generally do a great job of interior décor, and this one featured cute boba plushies, neon signs, and a small selection of seating. It’s definitely more of a takeaway joint.

I ordered a jasmine green milk tea with tapioca, low ice, no sugar, which was refreshingly scrumptious.

Tip: Tapioca pearls (the “bubbles”) already contain high amounts of sugar. I personally don’t recommend adding any more sugar to the drink if you can help it.

Honourable Mention: Oliver’s Village Café

This place was BUSTLING when I went! It takes a good 15 minutes to walk here from Palmers Lodge, the furthest out of all the aforementioned eateries. If you do decide to come here, make a reservation first. I have no idea what the food is like because they literally had no open table. I had to find my breakfast elsewhere.

Run by a Chinese family, Oliver’s offers Western and European brunch and lunch options similar to Garden Breakfast Café. They also have an evening service called The Village Panda that delivers their homecooked Chinese food to you.

Next time I’ll be sure to call ahead!

Image from Oliver’s Village Café’s website.

The Rest of London

Borough Market

Borough Market is a must-see in London, UK. A sprawling, tented market for local vendors, you can find everything from organic honey to fried rice to wine here.

Funnily enough, I happened to fancy a cup of hot cider one day, even though I rarely drink alcohol. I found the perfect little vendor on the outskirts of the market, and their cider was hot, sweet, and just the right amount of tart. It was delicious.

There was a HUGE lineup for one stall inside serving up deep-fried shrimp or something — a local secret, no doubt. The market is large, so it’s worth it to carve out ample time for exploring if you’re keen on satisfying your taste buds here or need to do a little grocery shopping.

The Porterhouse

What’s a trip to London without visiting a local pub? I contacted a friend who’d moved to London that year, and she brought me to The Porterhouse, an Irish pub in Covent Garden.

The food surprised me. Plain fries at the pub tasted better. I ordered an avocado burger, and I also discovered a new love for Sheppy’s, despite never having been big on alcohol of any sort. In London, the waiter will bring you your drink bottle directly and an empty glass for you to pour it into.

Pub life in London is truly a beast. According to my friend, the hardest part of acclimatizing that first week was the drinking. Every workday night, her coworkers brought her to the pub. Even the local doctors’ medical questionnaires don’t have an option for “I don’t drink”; it’s so ingrained in their culture.

Tip: I asked the hostess, “So, how does this work? How do I get a table?” She said I could sit down at any empty one. Be prepared to wait a while for the waiter to come by.

Tip: For pubs, I recommend going with a trusted friend for safety. It can get real crowded and loud in there.

Honourable Mention: L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele

This place was recommended to me as one of the best Italian joints in London. Now, I can’t say I thought their pasta was unbeatably amazing (I have a very specific palette for pasta), but the interior décor was perfectly Instagrammable.

It fills up more around late lunch and dinnertime. The waiters there wear full-on suits, so you get the idea it’s definitely one for the date nights (though going solo is totally ok, too!).

The place is also surprisingly large, with seating in the back and a huge space with a bar downstairs. Good for: parties, company dinners, etc.

Honourable Mention: Apna Adda

Apna Adda (Covent Garden location) is a great joint for real Indian street food if you’re looking for someplace cheap to eat at before a show. This is where I treated myself before seeing The Dante Project at the Royal Opera House.

Anyone who’s been to Covent Garden knows it’s not cheap, so for an average price of 10-20 GBP, Apna Adda delivers on both convenience and flavour without breaking the bank.

It’s not super fancy, though. In fact, it’s a tiny hole-in-the-wall hugged by larger establishments on either side. I actually walked right by it the first time because it’s that small.

I ordered their spicy chicken masala and naan bread, and while it was good, I personally would’ve liked a bit less “sourness” in the spice, though this is a personal preference. Some items on their menu may also be outdated, as I asked for the strawberry ice cream, and they didn’t have it.

Fun fact: “Apna Adda” translates to “Our Haven” in Hindi.

Honourable Mention: Wong Kei (Chinatown)

Chinatown is also not cheap, but what really impressed me about London’s Chinatown was the sheer energy of it. Most of the other Chinatowns I’ve been to were quieter and docile, but this one was jam packed. The nighttime atmosphere elevated it.

I spent a while wandering around, checking out various menus, before deciding on Wong Kei. By Chinatown standards, they’re by far one of the cheapest places, with an impressive selection of familiar dishes like wonton soup, fried rice, and soy sauce noodles. My large bowl of wonton and noodles cost me around 8 GBP. The tea was free, as is the case in any Chinese eatery.

Just don’t expect Michelin service here. That’s not a bad thing; it’s simply that Wong Kei is one of those laid-back dining halls reminiscent of local street stores in China. You’ll likely be sharing a long table with strangers if you’re going solo. The waiter brusquely told me to sit down while he grabbed a menu and teapot for me (some might call him aggressive; others know him as not bothered enough to care). But despite the attitude, the food service was impressively quick, and I watched the waiter field an endless stream of customers and requests like a pro. No wonder he’s curt; he’s got no time!

Tip: Be sure to remember or take a photo of your menu price(s). With so many customers, it’s easy for them to get mixed up on who ordered what. They originally charged me 11 GBP for something else instead of my 8 GBP wonton soup, which they rectified.

Tip: Wong Kei is cash only.

Honourable Mention: Seven Dials Market

Seven Dials Market is one of those more tucked-away hidden gems you usually happen upon by accident, which is how my friends and I discovered it. We were walking around, trying to find a good place to hop to after our round at The Porterhouse (see above). The entrance is very lowkey, settled along Cucumber Alley. Once you walk in, you’ll find Seven Dials Market is a bustling underground food court with live DJ sets!

The vendors are super fun and interesting. There’s a place with cheese on a conveyor belt (think sushi, but with cheese instead), a bookstore café, and various dessert and drink stalls.

Even late at night, the place was packed. You’ll probably find yourself sitting with strangers.

I didn’t buy anything to eat or drink at the time, so I can’t attest to the taste, but it’s certainly a chill, cozy place for a good time. Plus, the market’s located close to Covent Garden, so public transport is no problem.

Conclusion

As I ate great, I felt great. I spent most of my time in London prancing around the streets feeling the best my body’s ever been. There were other reasons for that, too, but the food was definitely a huge factor in my happiness.

Why I loved the food so much was because it felt like home. After traveling since October on a whole different continent, this was the most comfortable I’d been in what felt like forever. Thank you, London, for giving me a home away from home.