4x eating and drinking in London

Planning to go to London this winter? FavorFlav’s Renée got there ahead of you and selected 4 hotspots to make your trip a guaranteed success. At least, if you’re not planning on doing much more than eating and drinking. Which address is at the top of your list?

Bone Daddies

You can undoubtedly eat delicious ramen in more places in London, but Bone Daddies is definitely one of the coolest ramen bars in town. The speed at which new locations are sprouting up like mushrooms is somewhat worrying, although fortunately we’re not noticing any of that yet. Back to the coolness of this place: high tables, countless low-hanging lanterns and extremely loud hard rock at an unmistakable volume turn this joint into an awesome lunch spot. The conditions are top-notch, and the ramen – I’m going for the Yuzu Tonkotsu Ramen with pork belly in 20 hour pork bone broth – is possibly even better. Bone Daddies

Ottolenghi

Eating at Ottolenghi: it had been at the top of my list for years. From this vegetable guru, I learned, among other things, that you can make something truly exquisite out of cauliflower. So off to Spitalfields, where one of his delis is located. For inexplicable reasons, we order exactly one vegetarian dish: quince with Roquefort, bitter greens, macadamias and orange blossom. That’s what I mean by exquisite. After that, what could have been an elegant dinner turns into a true carnivore’s feast:

English beef with coriander and mustard, braised brisket with chickpea curry and barbecued pork neck with white polenta and winter vegetables. The Saumur-Champigny, a Cabernet Franc from wine god Thierry Germain, tastes unbelievably good with the grilled octopus with chorizo and salmorejo (a Spanish cold soup based on bread and tomatoes) – which is also the best dish of the evening. We finish with a visit to the enormous dessert buffet (you’ve never seen anything like it), where, after much deliberation, we choose an ultra-gooey tahini brownie and a seriously tart lemon tart. We are so satisfied. Ottolenghi Spitalfields

Maltby Street Market

In general, I’ve had it a bit with all those markets: far too crowded, the quality of the food is often terrible and usually there are more screaming children than in the average ball pit. But there are exceptions, and Maltby Street Market is definitely one of them. In and around the railway arches near Maltby Street (Southwark), you’ll find the finest street food to eat away your hangover on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. In the sunshine, flat white in hand, I set out to explore: I go for a Scotch egg and falafel that’s almost as good as the one at Mercado. Only afterwards do I spot a seriously good toasted-sandwich stall. Oh well, there has to be something left to wish for. I’ll definitely come back here. At least if that pressing crowd and those screaming children stay away. Maltby Street Market

Beigel Bake

This is the only place I visited twice; in the middle of the night, to be precise. Beigel Bake is open 24/7, making it the perfect spot to give in to your midnight cravings. Do prepare yourself for a queue, because it’s always busy here. All of London knows that you can get the best salt beef bagel in town here for a fiver (with mustard and extra pickle, please). You don’t need anything more after an evening at the pub or club. Beigel Bake