1.
“Fish & Chips”
Fish and Chips at Golden Hind. Image provided by the facility.
Fish & Chips is one of the most representative dishes of British gastronomic culture. The fish – usually cod – is served fried, covered in a crispy batter and accompanied by French fries and mushy peas. Optionally, depending on your location, you can add malt vinegar or tartar sauce.
Although its origin is disputed, the most widely accepted theory is that Spanish and Portuguese Jewish refugees brought fried fish to the country in the 16th century. Likewise, it is believed that it was the Huguenettes (French Protestant refugees) who popularized French fries in the United Kingdom a century later. The first chippy was founded in east London in 1860 by Joseph Malin, a Jewish emigrant from Eastern Europe.
One of the best places to try good fish and chips is The Golden Hind. Named in homage to one of the galleons on which Drake traveled the world in the 16th century, this simple eatery in stately Marylebone has remained true to its favorite dish for more than a century. The price is between 11.95 and 16.95 pounds, i.e. between 13.70 and around 20 euros.
🍽 The Golden Hind. 71a, 73 Marylebone Ln, London W1U 2PN. Telephone: +44 20 7486 3644.
2.
‘Full English Breakfast’
It’s no secret that the British take their breakfast very seriously. Traditionally, the full English breakfast includes beans, eggs, sausages, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes, as well as toast and tea or coffee, in other words, it more than meets the dietary recommendation to prioritize proteins in the first meal of the day. Depending on the federal state, black pudding may also be included.
This breakfast is believed to have originated in the 14th century, when the country’s nobles turned pre-hunt eating into a social event. The wealthy Victorians continued the tradition and the Industrial Revolution brought them closer to the working class, who needed a hearty breakfast for the physical labor they had to do.
The Wolseley is a restaurant that Victorians who had time in the world might have visited. Opulently decorated and located in the heart of the city in Mayfair, the restaurant offers a full English breakfast menu for £19.95, around 23 euros at the current exchange rate.
To the east, however, and historically closer to the working class, lies E. Pellicci, a classic café run by the same family, the Pellicci, for more than a century. The menu doesn’t hide the owners’ Italian roots and the English breakfast costs £12.80, around 15 euros.
🍽 The Wolseley. 160 Piccadilly, St James’s, London W1J 9EB. Telephone: +44 20 7499 6996.
🍽 E. Pellicci. 332 Bethnal Grn Rd, London E2 0AG. Telephone: +44 20 7739 4873.
3.
‘Sunday Roast’
“Sunday Roast” by The Harwood Arms. Image provided by the facility.
The star of this dish, which has made the English happy for more than half a millennium, is roasted meat – traditionally it was beef, but nowadays pork or lamb are also common. Always accompanied by some vegetables and a Yorkshire pudding – a dough with a round shape and a certain height, made from eggs, flour and milk or water. Equally essential is gravy, a sauce made from the juices of meat and vegetables.
Sunday roast enjoyed great popularity during the reign of Henry VII at the end of the 15th century and was eaten on Sundays after attending mass. It is no coincidence that the royal guards of the Tower of London have since been affectionately called Beefeaters (literally “those who eat beef”).
Both The Quality Chop House restaurant, which offers a Sunday menu with a varied selection of roasts (3 courses, for £55 / 63 euros), and the Harwood Arms (3 courses, for £65 / 75 euros), a pub with Michelin-starred Star specializes in game meat and offers excellent opportunities to try it.
🍽 The Quality Chop House. 92-94 Farringdon Rd, London EC1R 3EA. Telephone: +44 20 7278 1452.
🍽 The Harwood Arms. Walham Grove, London SW6 1QJ. Telephone: +44 20 7386 1847.
4.
chicken tikka masala
Tayyab’s Chicken Tikka Masala. Image provided by the facility.
This dish is a mainstay on menus in Britain – including in pubs and takeaways – and some claim it is one of the first examples of fusion cuisine.
These are pieces of chicken that are cooked in a tandoor oven and served with a creamy tomato and yogurt sauce. Its origins lie in chicken tikka, a traditional North Indian recipe served on a heavily spiced Moorish skewer with yogurt and curry sauce, which immigrant chefs from that country have adapted to suit British palates less accustomed to spice and heat. The then British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook called it a symbol of multicultural Britain at the beginning of the 21st century.
Known for its endless menu and affordable prices (this dish costs £12.95), east London restaurant Tayyabs is an excellent way to explore.
🍽 Tayyabs. 83-89 Fieldgate St, London E1 1JU. Telephone: +44 20 7247 9543.
5.
“Pie & Mash and Liqueur”
“Pie and Mash” from Goddard’s. Image provided by property.Warren King
This dish, which once served as food for the working class who came from across the country to bear the burden of the Industrial Revolution, has its origins in east London. It’s a small individual pie, originally from the 19th century, usually filled with eels – the Thames was full and they were cheap – accompanied by mashed potatoes and a parsley sauce, the liqueur used to water the dish . Currently minced meat is the most common, and eels can be served separately in gelatin, a typical London snack.
Goddards opened its doors in Greenwich in 1890 and has since become an institution. The Pie & Mash offering is extensive, including gluten-free and vegan options, and the prices are very reasonable (the mince costs £5.40, just over 6 euros), plus jellied eel for around £8.90 10 Euro.
🍽 Goddard’s. 22 King William Walk, London SE10 9HU. Telephone: +44 20 8305 9612.
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