eat like Bourdain
🇬🇧 Where Bourdain Ate in London
10 places across Parts Unknown & No Reservations
“London has become one of the most exciting food cities in the world. It just took some people a while to notice.”
Bourdain was part of the generation that watched London's food scene transform from a punchline to one of the world's best. He loved the pub culture, the Indian food, and the modern British cooking that emerged in the 2000s.
What Bourdain Loved About London
The pub — the greatest institution in British life, especially the gastropub movement
Indian food on Brick Lane and beyond — some of the best Indian cooking outside India
The markets — Borough Market on a Saturday morning
The drinking culture — proper pints in proper pubs
St. John — Fergus Henderson's nose-to-tail temple that changed how chefs think about meat
Episodes Featuring London
Parts Unknown — S3 E5: London
A personal exploration of the city that shaped much of his worldview
No Reservations — S4 E13: London
Finds the real London food scene
The Layover — S1 E2: London
A whirlwind 24-hour eating tour
Travel Tips for Eating in London
Tony's Advice
Get a Sunday roast at a proper pub. Bring a newspaper. Stay for 3 hours. This is London.
Find a place to stay in London →What to Skip
- ✕Chain pubs in tourist zones
- ✕Fish and chips shops that don't smell like fish
- ✕Any restaurant that describes itself as 'British cuisine' without irony
Every Place Bourdain Visited in London
10 placesSt John Restaurant
St. John Street
Tony ate here with food critic Jay Rayner. Tony describes how highly he regards this restaurant, "The food that I yearn for is food that I react to in an entirely emotional way. I'm looking for a suspension of logic and reason. This is something that I got here from the beginning." They had "roast bone marrow with parsley and caper salad, sourdough made here" along with "pickled calves' tripe with radish, shaved carrot, and watercress; skate poached in court-bouillon, with fennel in green sauce of fresh parsley, herbs, and anchovies; pan seared kidney in savory sauce served on toast; pig’s head and potato pie."
Princess Victoria
Becklow Road
Tony met with legendary cookbook author Nigella Lawson to have some Scotch eggs, whitebait ("tiny baby herring lightly battered whole and fried, tossed with a little bit of lemon juice and salt"), fries, and Guinness.
Pepper & Spice Restaurant London
Burder Road
Tony met with Jamie Hince, "half the creative alliance that makes up the band The Kills." This is Jamie's "favorite local joint for Caribbean food"
Rochelle Canteen
Tony met with the chef, Margo Henderson. They had wine, peas in their pods, radishes, vitello tonnato, Welsh lamb chops with lentils and green sauce.
The Hunter S
Southgate Road
Tony had some Guinness.
Eating your way through London? Stay within walking distance of these spots.
Breakfast at Nigella's house
New Bond Street
Tony was hungover so Nigella cooked Eggs in Purgatory for him, bread toasted in beef fat, served with runny eggs and spicy chili tomato sauce.
The Cock Tavern
Great Portland Street
Tony had a proper English breakfast at The Cock Tavern which he said was directly below Smithfield Market, but I could not find that on the map
St John Bread and Wine
Commercial Street
Fergus Henderson's restaurant. It was new when Tony visited. Roasted bone marrow with bread and sea salt. Stewed pig's head with bacon
Smithfield Market
Smithfield Street
800 year old meat market
Hazlitt's
Frith Street Soho Square
This is the hotel Tony always stayed in. He signed a copy of Kitchen Confidential and put it in his room. It's an author hotel
Where to stay in London
All hotels →Hotels and rentals around the places he ate — his spots are pinned on the map.
Hotels he stayed in
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More atlases
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