I went to London and enjoyed two days of foodie heaven - here's where to go

London is the UK’s flourishing core of history, a crossing point of thought from across the world that’s threaded deep within its bones. It is our symbolic centre that belongs to everyone and no one. From the unravelling of the British Empire and its gaping impact to being the source of colossal emigration, the city is subject to layers upon layers of cultures that shape its essence and materialise through a variety of means.

It occurred to me recently that while I have visited London on numerous occasions, mainly to visit friends or family, I have never approached it as a tourist. Thus, I sought to explore our nation’s capital and become more familiar with its background.

Here is a comprehensive our guide to exploring London through tastes and tales.

Guided Food Tour of Borough Market

Borough Market is barely a secret, one of London’s oldest, largest and busiest food markets, renowned for its high quality products and diverse offerings. It is busy for good reason though, as it authentically encapsulates both the city’s historic and evolving culture, an immersive sensory experience allowing exploration of world heritage across 4.5 acres. London is a city built on immigration, it is the true heart of its nature, and this collection of food vendors represents developed recipes and flavours that suit a comprehensive palette.

Because of its scale, Borough Market can initially be overwhelming to approach. There are aspects that have been popularised in recent years by social media, and visitors can be misleadingly drawn to them through hype. What often happens, is that people are ripped off. They pay £12 for a cup of generic strawberries and melted chocolate. It misses the entire point.

We explored the market under direction of an expert guide from the Ultimate London Food Tour, making a series of stops at reputable stalls esteemed among locals and foodies. Our guide had previously organised with these stalls to conjure smaller sample sizes, allowing us to try more of the overall offerings.

Highlights included a bacon and egg bap from Brood, a spiced lamb roll from The Ginger Pig, apple and cinnamon crumble from the Humble Crumble and a particularly delectable L'Incroyable from Aux Merveilleux.

Check in at Mercure London Earls Court and a dinner of light bites

We spent our first night at the Mercure London Earls Court, a spacious and modern hotel located in Chelsea and Fulham, just a five-minute walk from West Brompton Station. The design is sleek and minimalist, layered in earthy tones and warm light fixtures. It’s a comfortable stay with a diverse selection of comfortable and reasonably-priced rooms, suitable for single persons, couples and families.

After check-in we visited Barnaby’s, the in-house restaurant. The menu reflects its vast and diverse custom and leans on international influences. Broadly speaking, there’s a dish that represents most corners of the world. We enjoyed a few small plates from a beetroot carpaccio to a charcuterie board to bao buns and a chicken supergreen salad, alongside a few of their signature gin cocktails.

The King Room was comfortable, clean and generous in size, providing all necessary amenities. It certainly provided conditions for a refreshing sleep that set me up for another busy day.

Tour of the Tower of London

The golden shimmer of a dewy morning sunshine illuminated across my hotel room as I rolled the curtains back following the siren of an early alarm. We were setting off for another guided tour, this time the Tower of London. Being one of the city’s busiest tourist attractions, a 9am slot was wise to avoid queues and crowds. And despite being such a famous landmark, I was only vaguely familiar with its grisly but gripping lore beforehand.

This specific tour caters to smaller group sizes, there was about ten of us. We each received ear pieces so we could follow smoothly from various distances, and set forth from our meeting point east of the Tower.

During our two-hour tour we learned of the landmark’s backstory, heard tales of tortures and executions, explored the fortress and viewed Crown Jewels. Many of the stories ignited nostalgia from early primary school when I first learned of them, though it was interesting to receive them as an adult where nothing needed dressed up. Some were completely new to me.

Checked into Hyde Hotel in Fleet Street and dinner at the in-house restaurant

A trendy boutique hotel within one of Central London’s grand and gleaming 19th-century sandstones. Fitted with bold and bohemian furnishings, the interior design is what defines this 111-room venue and offers its edge. From milky marble flooring in the reception set against dark wood features to floral carpets in colour-drenched hallways. It fits around refurbished Victorian features.

The rooms are moderate in size but spatially coordinated. My favourite aspect was the open-plan washroom kitted in a kind of quaint farmhouse aesthetic and appeasing pastel colour scheme. Our Queen Room was a comfortable and cosy space for two people over two nights.

An in-house restaurant sits just beyond the front desk and lends to a healthy buzz on the ground floor from breakfast that flourishes into the evening. Leydi specialises in Turkish cuisine, specifically an assortment of meze sharing plates. Traditionally, these are intended to represent the spirit of togetherness, hospitality and cultural heritage, three factors that encapsulated our experience here.

We ordered the hummus, the Westholme wagyu skewer, chicken shish, freekeh rice and the kale salad. We found them to be generous portions, the meat was succulent and rich in flavour and the vegetables were beautifully seasoned.

Leydi stands independently in its identity but suits the hotel’s laidback, chic vibe.

Hyde Hotel’s location proved particularly convenient for accessing landmarks including St Paul’s Cathedral, Dr Johnson’s House, the Diana Memorial Fountain, Royal Albert Hall and Hyde Park itself. While situated in the financial district, it has a homely, holiday feel rather than corporate.

Cocktails and small plates at Hidden Grooves, Shoreditch

We walked around the corner to make our reservation at Hidden Grooves, a cocktail lounge and listening bar nestled snuggly within the ground floor of Shoreditch’s Virgin Hotel. Dark, industrial furnishings layered upon lucent red and glowing interiors immediately established a late night ambiance, despite our arrival being fairly early in the evening. Against the venue’s grounding concept - to explore a connection between mixology and music - a laidback and relaxed atmosphere is thoughtfully exuded. It is somewhere you can spend a good few hours and savour the night away.

A culmination of 70s soul records radiated from the DJ booth during our time here. The staff were in good form, happy to offer recommendations and even direct us to their favourites. While it was quiet when we arrived the room steadily filled.

We ordered from their signature cocktail menu which is designed to meld with the music. I went for a punk punch - described as a ‘bold take on a spicy margarita’ - and my partner went for a reimagined daiquiri called Gabriel’s Cloud, presented under a rather flamboyant dripping mojito bubble ball.

We also indulged a selection of small plates. Their food menu approaches classic bar food with a modern twist, also laying down portion sizes encouraging guests to try a wider selection. Influences come from all cuisines across the globe. Highlights for us included the Korean Fried Cauliflower (KFC), Spicy Korean Tuna Tartare and the Veal Carpaccio.

Noted: Only a short walk away from Liverpool Station.

Dirty Martini at Ellie’s Bar, Dalston

We finished our night at one of Dalston’s newest neighbourhood joints, renowned on social media for its £8 all-week dirty martinis and being host of Charli xcx’s iconic East London wedding reception. An intimate bar decorated in warm earthy tones, and recognisable by its green neon sign, it was busy and lively with people spilling through its open double doors onto the pavement late into the night.

The martinis were everything I hoped they’d be: cheap, potent, and brine-rich.

Private one-hour tour of Fleet Street with the London Spy

We met our tour guide beside a disused red phone box standing on a smooth chalky walkway between the grand appeals court and the old Bank of England, an exuberant man named David Harry - otherwise known as the ‘London Spy’. He greeted us with the upmost enthusiasm and promptly illustrated his background and personal connections to Fleet Street, the area we would spend the next hour exploring; a warm introduction characterised by anecdotes, enticing our attention.

David is a particularly popular City of London guide who developed his retirement trade through social media, having garnered an impressive following from sharing quirky but educational short form videos on various aspects of British history. His knowledge is impeccable. It is presented in an energetic, entertaining and easily digestible manner. His tours are wholly engaging and his personality is equipped to distract even the shortest attention spans.

While crossing the street to our next location he diverted questioning onto us, considerately building his own rapport and tailoring parts of the tour, emphasising knowledge aligned with interests he’d picked up on.

I can earnestly say this was one of the most enjoyable and interesting tours I’ve experienced. I was disappointed when I checked the time and realised we were nearing the end. We concluded next to a pub just as thick heavy rain started to pour, so we hid inside for shelter and debriefed. David’s passion for the City of London’s layered and ghoulish history proved infectious.

Lunch at Seven Dials Market, Covent Garden

Seven Dials Market is a collection of 20 independent food vendors as well as two bars, located just a short distance from Covent Garden. Open until 10pm each day, it’s a great spot for casual dining in the centre of London, particularly convenient for groups of people looking to appease a range of tastes. It’s bright and busy, though we had no trouble with queues or finding a table on a Saturday afternoon.

We started with sushi rolls from Sukoshi in Cucumber Alley where we entered - producer of excellent quality Japanese food that offers some creative touches on classic dishes. Following on, we ventured downstairs for a New York-style pizza slice from Bad Boys Pizza. Delicious.

Our visit was completed by a couple of delectable lychee martinis from the bar.

The magic of this food court is its range, from a wide selection of international cuisines to a variation in price points, allowing curated experiences to satisfy even the most niche intentions of each visit. There are low-key grab-and-go options such as bagels, burgers and bao buns, alongside more premium vendors including a steak restaurant and conveyor belt cheese bar.

Wine at the Humble Grape

Nestled beneath a church within the cobbled lanes of Fleet Street Quarter is the Hidden Grape, a spectacular wine bar where we spent the evening. A cosy space that blends historic stone interiors with moody lighting and rustic wooden furnishings that make the room feel both intimate and architecturally striking. The diverse and extensive menu features many interesting, smaller producer wines.

We chose a bottle of Château Landonnet Bordeaux Blanc, as recommended by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable member of staff. It was crisp and refreshing with citrus and apple notes that suited the chilled vibe of the place. Soft jazz music played in the background as we chatted into night. It was a delectable and delightful experience.

Mediterranean brunch at the Delmania Townhouse

Before heading for a return train we concluded our trip with a feast at Covent Garden’s Delmania Townhouse, indulging the Mediterranean theme further. We dragged our luggage through the City of London beneath a blanket of relentless drizzle, so when we arrived at red brick Georgian structure it was a delight to enter into a spacious and soft ambiance.

It is the latest opening of a husband-and-wife-chef-team inspired by their cultural heritage. Their aim is to create nutritious, wholesome and vibrant dishes with unique flavour combinations, using raw ingredients, that alludes to their family background.

We started with some crispy oyster mushrooms paired with truffle artichokes, and the beef and lamb koftas served with side salad. Then a roasted cauliflower with lemon crème fraîche and pomegranate molasses which proved an unexpected delight. For mains - a whole crispy seabass and the beef shawarma, both loaded with flavour, with roasted rosemary potatoes and garlic yoghurt on the side. We finished with an especially interesting Kadayif Nest and chocolate mouse.

An outstanding meal to end our trip. Though the ingredients weren’t new to us, the way some were prepared and presented was, which was especially interesting as we sought to figure out what we were eating.