Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Minced lamb braised with onions, carrots and peas in rich gravy, topped with buttery mash fluffed with a fork to scorch in the oven. London pub Sunday-supper standard.
Shepherd's pie (lamb) and cottage pie (beef) both emerged in the late 18th century in northern Britain as a way to repackage Sunday-roast leftovers; cottage pie is the older of the two (1791 in print), shepherd's pie (1854) gained its lamb-specific name when sheep farming dominated certain regions. London adopted both as pub-grub mainstays in the Victorian era; today the lamb version is on most traditional British pub menus across the city. The crisp, fork-scored mash top is the defining textural feature; without it, it's just stew with potato on top.
6 editor picks for Shepherd's pie in London, ranked by editorial score. All London signature dishes · Shepherd's pie across every city.
The candlelit Lexington Street bistro in Soho London, opened 1985 by print-dealer Andrew Edmunds, still runs a daily-handwritten Modern European menu.
OrderWhatever seasonal main is on the handwritten menu, and the sticky toffee pudding for dessert.
TipBookings take a six-week lead; bar seats at the front are released as walk-ins after 21:30 on weekdays.
Neil Borthwick's upstairs dining room above the historic French House pub on Dean Street in Soho London, opened 2017 in the room Free French resistance used.
OrderWhatever the seasonal main is on the chalkboard, with a glass from the focused wine list.
TipNo mobile phones, no music. Tables book one week ahead. The downstairs pub still pours a proper half-pint of bitter.
Britain's first gastropub on Farringdon Road in Clerkenwell London, opened 1991 by Mike Belben and David Eyre, still serves Mediterranean-leaning.
OrderThe Bife Ana steak sandwich, on the menu since 1991, and a pint of bitter.
TipWalk-in only. The chalkboard menu rewrites every day at 12:00; the best dishes go by 14:00 on a busy lunch.
The 1869 Farringdon Road working-class dining room in Clerkenwell London, restored under Will Lander since 2012, runs daily-changing British cooking.
OrderThe famed confit potato, then mince and potatoes off the daily menu, with a bottle from the shop next door.
TipThe wine shop next door is corkage-free if you buy a bottle there. Lunch takes walk-ins at the counter Tue-Sat.
Chris Corbin and Jeremy King's grand European brasserie on Piccadilly in London, opened 2003 in a former 1921 Wolseley showroom, runs from breakfast.
OrderEggs Benedict and a flat white at breakfast, or the Wiener schnitzel and a glass of riesling at dinner.
TipBreakfast from 07:00 is the un-touristed slot. Pre-theatre dinner from 18:00 books a fortnight ahead.
Britain's oldest restaurant on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden London, opened 1798 by Thomas Rule, runs an estate-game-led menu through grouse.
OrderGame pie in season, then steamed steak and kidney pudding with mash.
TipLunch is a third of dinner's price and just as well-staffed. The upstairs cocktail bar runs to 23:00 most nights.
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