London Grub

When Samuel Johnson uttered, “I think the full tide of human existence is at Charing Cross”, he wasn’t half wrong. For Johnson, the sights of Charing Cross were an indirect convocation of all that was wrong and right about life.

Nonetheless, written in 1738, Johnson’s infamous poem London portrays an interminable noisy, contradictory and violent world of eighteenth-century London. Although this may be an exaggerated picture, London is still very Johnsonian.

Whether in Victoria, Belgravia, Kensington, Chelsea, Picadilly, Putney, Marylebone, Bloomsbury, Blackheath, Dulwich, Hampton Court or Hampstead, London is a challenging but wonderfully cushy city.

Pubs

My fads were often the Seven Stars Inn in Carey Street, behind the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand when it comes to London pubs. This particular pub is one of the oldest surviving pubs in London. Another pub worth going to is the Fox and Grapes in Wimbledon.

Alternatively, Warren House provides dining rooms with a lovely roast beef and is only a few miles up the road. Do note that such trips to Wimbledon are mini-days out for those located in the north.

Further, just off Borough High Street, the George is a must. It was rebuilt in 1676 and resembles an old coaching inn full of highbrows.

Furthermore, off Fleet-street, the Olde Cheshire Cheese is a very atmospheric traditional gritty London pub. It was where Boswell and Johnson used to dandy and drink. If you walk up to Gough Square, you will soon find the location of Johnson’s abode. Similarly, the Cock Tavern is a sight to behold, with a great atmosphere and very cosey with great cocktails.

Another favourite of mine is The Old Mitre, in Ely Court, located around the back of St Etheldreda’s Roman Catholic chapel, named after the queen of East Anglia and happens to be England’s oldest surviving Catholic church.

I am also a big fan of Greenwich, especially the Cutty Sark Tavern, a Georgian abode situated on the bank of Ballast Quay. It’s a great go-to for any day of the week; if you are feeling adventurous, you can explore the remainder of Greenwich. They happen to have a great flea market as well.

Head over to Gerry’s Club on Dean Street if you are after something jazzier. It is a little gem of a club. Another option is Trisha’s, where you’ll often find the likes of Marco Pierre White hanging around.

For “secret hideaways”, I can recommend the Beefsteak Club in Leicester Square. It’s a dining club of sorts, with a rather fascinating history but a welcoming and rather fantastic place to sit with some buttered crumpets and a pot of Darjeeling tea while reading the latest issue of the TLS. Later in the evening, you can move on to an excellent crisp India Pale Ale (IPA) with some beer-battered Whitebait.

Beer, Ale and Cider

The high hop admixture in IPA was initially devised to remain stable during the long sea voyage from Britain to India. Therefore, it is an acquired taste, but in my opinion, it is a good idea to try as many different types of beer, ale, or stout as possible.

There are three distinct types: hopped Bitters (including pale ales), Porters and Stouts (including dry Irish, chocolate, oyster, milk or oat) and mild or brown ale.

The range is tremendous, comprising large commercial ventures and micro-breweries owned by young fellows with great moustaches wearing skinny jeans.

Firstly, one should try some old favourites: Burton Breweries IPA, Harveys IPA and Flowers IPA, all frothy, light and pleasant; Greene King IPA; Fuller’s porter; Guinness, Beamish and Murphy’s Irish Stouts; Courage Imperial Russian Stout is a killer; Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout; Mackeson milk Stout... the list goes on.

The further north you venture in England, the sooner you will find various mild brown ales from the Midlands and in particular, Newcastle. Some notable favourites are: Newcastle Brown Ale; Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale; Greene King XX Mild; Theakston’s Mild; Theakston’s Old Peculier is a strong ale and so is Young’s Winter Warmer.

There are some notable bitters, Courage Directors; there’s Olde Bishop’s Finger; London Pride is iconic. The Waggle dance (honeyed) and their Sticky Toffee Pudding production lines are brilliant.

Finally, although I obtain some bias, there are Hall and Woodhouse Dorset Ales and those of Palmers, such as Copper Ale and Dorset Gold - all equally fantastic.

Cider can be a charming and delicate alternative to ale or bitters. Famous cider brands often come from the counties of Somerset, Devon, Herefordshire, Sussex, Kent, Cornwall and Norfolk.

If you have cider for the first time, it would be best to start with Bulmers or Brothers de facto brands. Whatever you do, please do not mix cider and beer!

Drinks

The British Isles are home to several prolific Whisky, Gin and Liqueur distilleries. Savile Row in Mayfair has a gin distillery, which is a real treat. The King’s Ginger is a strong and warm spice liqueur worth having in one’s drink cabinet.

The liqueur was specially commissioned to warm and revitalise King Edward VII in 1903 after a Royal physician became concerned about the monarch’s health thanks to his endless drives in a horseless carriage throughout the winter.

The Lakes Single Malt Whisky, in particular, the Reserve No. 2nd, is effortlessly smooth and distilled in the Lake District, arguably one of the most scenic areas in all of the UK - which is saying something.

Another essential distillery is the Conker Gin based in Southbourne, Dorset, where they source the water for their distillation from the local New Forest. They even have a Royal Navy strength Gin which smacks you sideways.

It is almost as hard-hitting as the infamous Perisher course. Another gin I can recommend is Rock Rose Gin, privately owned and straight from Scotland.

When one is on a night out, perhaps in some swanky London clubhouse in Soho or Camden, it’s essential one starts the evening with a Negroni. One should have an excellent underlying gin here. Gordon’s or Hendrick’s is often the go-to, mixed with 1 finger of Suez and 1 finger of Martini.

The Negroni was one of James Bond’s favourites. Another alternative is Buffalo Whiskey on the rocks. It’s silky smooth, easy to drink and very affordable. What more could you want?

An alternative starter, say on a night out at Buck’s Club (home to the original Buck’s Fizz) in Mayfair, would be a Cuba Libre and coke. It’s elegant, firey and straightforward.

During the winter, one should always have a bottle of Bell’s Royal Reserve Scotch. The famous Laphroaig Triple Wood, an excellent Scotch Whiskey distilled on the island of Islay, is tremendous and packs a punch.

Further south, on the island of Islay, you will find the Lagavulin distillery, which does a Game of Thrones range. The line is fantastic and are excellent conversation starter at many a house party.

If one wants to sweeten things up a little, Heering Cherry Liqueur from Denmark hits the spot and is perfect for topping ice cream or meringue. Another liqueur, Tarantino, I picked up from a recent trip to Motovun in Croatia from the Aura distillery I can recommend it for long summer evenings.

In Germany, where I currently reside, there are numerous Kirschwasser brands. Kirschwasser is a sweet and delicious colourless brandy. They are made from cherries and dangerously delicate.

Of course, London has many restaurants, bars and spirit vendors.

Unfortunately, the climate throughout Britain for most of the year is not ideal for wine production. Therefore, we will have to make do with some imports.

For starters, I can recommend a glass of Protos Crianza Magnum 2016, a Spanish red which is very rich and flavoursome. It gives you a good feeling. Perfect for meat dishes or BBQs in the early evening. Another classic Spanish red is, of course, a Rioja.

For white wine, another Spanish option is Finca Calvestra 2018, which is very crisp but smooth at the same time. If you are after more of a Don Corleone vibe, Marsala, the wine of Sicily, is a sweet, punctual wine of great popularity and goes well with cheese platters. It’s heavy, though, do take note.

The French rarely miss the mark when it comes to wine. A Bouzy Rouge is a good starting point. It was chosen by Louis XIV for his coronation banquet and now several different variants are produced.

If you have a dry but expensive pallet - then a vintage Riesling Clos Sainte Hune 2013 is worth a go. It is effortlessly stylish and snobbish.

A good Chardonnay is hard to beat. Pouilly Fumé is a cheap but worthwhile wine which goes well with salads and platters of all kinds. If you are after something more substantial, then forget France. Go grab yourself a good bottle of Portuguese Ruby Port which also goes well with British Stilton cheese.

Of course, not every victual listed here may be available at a restaurant, but do make the most of the seasonal street markets and the various bars and vendors all over London. If all else fails, try Bar Italia.

Tea

A good place to start is the obvious Fortnum and Mason when it comes to tea. The East India Company’s first importation of 100 pounds of tea occurred in 1664, primarily because of the Dutch and their trading activities with the Chinese in Java. By the eighteenth century, most of the population knew about tea.

By 1720, Fortnum and Mason were importing significant amounts of eclectic tea and customers had their blends created from the nineteenth century onwards. Fortnum and Mason created in-house blends such as Old Silver Teapot and Queen Anne in the Edwardian era.

In the 1920s and 1930s, they offered a service by which customers could send samples of their drinking water for analysis and the firm would then send small packets of tea compatible with the water for the customers to sample and select.

Notable Chinese teas include black teas from the Fujian Province – smoky Lapsang Souchong, dried over pinewood fires – mainly developed to stabilise the tea for the voyage as green teas could not withstand it.

Other famous British tea merchants include Harrods, Jacksons of Piccadilly (still manufacturing but no longer in Piccadilly), Twinings of London, Whittard of Chelsea and everyone’s favourite Yorkshire Tea. Be warned, debating with the English over which tea is better than the other is a painful and arduous task!

Food and Grub

The centripetal pull of London is most notably its food and grub. All of London’s markets host food from all over the world. Friday lunchtimes can be a real treat for those located near Whitecross.

However, if one visits London for the first time, one better has some good British food to start.

The traditional English breakfast can be anti-climax if not prepared and cooked correctly. You must have rashers of home-cured smoked back bacon, this is a must, a couple of Cumberland sausages, all with strong English mustard, halved, fried plum tomatoes, fried bread, two fried Rhode Island Red or Black Copper Maran eggs and fresh field mushrooms fried in butter... Now this will do a great job at curing a hangover. Some often have as a side, a portion of homemade baked beans.

In addition to an English Breakfast, the other staple dish of Britain is Fish and Chips. Now there are many hotspots all over London. However, a good place to start is J Sheekey located in St Martin’s Court, not far from Covent Garden. Another staple dish is a Roast Dinner, often eaten on a Sunday. This is a must for anyone visiting.

An excellent venue for eating Roast Dinner is Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, who claim to have the best Roast Dinner in London. At Simpson’s, nearly everything comes on a big silver trolley with large juicy joints of meat and game. It is a sight to behold.

For the afternoons and late evenings, I can vouch for Mr Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver’s St John restaurant in Barbican. Henderson’s oft-quoted maxim - “if you’re going to kill a creature, it’s only polite to use every bit of it” works well and the food is a treasure trove of Anglo delicacies.

If one is in a rush but needs to be satisfied, try Bar Gansa in Camden. It is a delightful Spanish tapas that I adored.

The atmosphere in the evening is excellent and you are in a perfect location to go out clubbing afterwards! Another favourite of mine is Mazi, a Greek restaurant based in Notting Hill with a fantastic rooftop space. It has a relaxed environment, especially when the sun is out.

As mentioned already, London has a great variety of street/farmer markets. I can recommend Borough Market (although this can be very busy). Another is Camden Market.

However, suppose one is after a market with excellent international delicacies and is low-key and affordable. In that case, I can recommend the Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant and Castle.

You can cherry-pick items from various food stands and sit in the middle with everyone else. It has a peculiar German Bierhalle atmosphere about it! It is a must! Prost!