A soft-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried, served cold in pub windows or warm at the bar. London's defining bar snack since the 1730s.
The Scotch egg is traditionally attributed to Fortnum and Mason on Piccadilly, who claim the form from around 1738 as a portable picnic snack for the wealthy. The modern London pub-snack revival started with Scott Hallsworth at The Eagle and was made canon by Tom Norrington-Davies at The Cow in Notting Hill, then perfected at The Harwood Arms in Fulham, which won a Michelin star partly on the strength of its venison Scotch egg. The orthodox London bar version has a soft-yolk egg, coarse pork sausage, panko crust, English mustard on the side.
3 editor picks for Scotch egg in London, ranked by editorial score. All London signature dishes · Scotch egg across every city.
Quality Chop House ★ 4.6
clerkenwell · 92-94 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3EA
The 1869 Farringdon Road working-class dining room in Clerkenwell London, restored under Will Lander since 2012, runs daily-changing British cooking in original Victorian booths.
Fortnum and Mason ★ 4.4
mayfair · 181 Piccadilly, London W1A 1ER
The 1707 grocery and bakery on Piccadilly in Mayfair London, founded by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason, claims the original Scotch egg (1738) and runs the food hall and hamper rooms.
The Jugged Hare ★ 4.3
clerkenwell · 49 Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4SA
The Jugged Hare on Chiswell Street in the City of London, opened 2012 by ETM Group, runs a game-led gastropub menu with hung-game cabinets in the dining room.