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Street foodStoke Newington
Mangal 2 Turkish ocakbasi on Stoke Newington Road in north London, trading since 1994, runs charcoal-grilled lamb adana, doner, lahmacun and pide.
TryTurkish ocakbasi grill (lamb adana, doner)
TipBYOB; £3 corkage. Open until midnight Mon-Sun. The artist Gilbert and George are regulars; their original Mangal is across the street.
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Street foodBrixton Tooting
Honest Burgers' first counter in Brixton Village in London, opened 2011 by Tom Barton, Phil Eeles and Dorian Waite, runs dry-aged Ginger Pig beef.
TryBritish burger with rosemary chips
TipThe Brixton Village original is walk-up only. Beer list from Beavertown and The Kernel. Plant-based burger is the vegan option.
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Street foodSoho
Erchen Chang and Shing Tat Chung's Taiwanese bao counter on Lexington Street in Soho London, opened 2015, runs the classic pork bao that defined the British.
TryTaiwanese steamed bao
TipWalk-up only at the counter; queue 30-60 minutes on weekend nights. £6 per bao; pair with peanut-milk shaved ice for dessert.
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Street foodBorough
Padella's hand-rolled pasta counter at Borough Market in London, opened 2016 by Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda, the budget-priced (£8-15) fresh pasta.
TryHand-rolled fresh pasta
TipUse the Padella app for the virtual queue at 12:00 sharp; otherwise 60 minutes on Saturday. The Shoreditch sibling has same kitchen.
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Street foodBorough
Kappacasein's grilled cheese counter inside Borough Market in London, trading since 2002, runs the city's most-photographed cheese toastie made.
TryAged cheddar grilled cheese
TipCounter only. The 09:00 Saturday queue runs 45 minutes. Order the raclette plate if the cheese toastie line is too long.
££££
Street foodBrixton Tooting
The Nguyen family's Vietnamese counter on Coldharbour Lane in Brixton London, opened 2016, runs bánh mì, pho and small-plates from a Saigon street-food.
TryBánh mì sandwich and pho
TipBánh mì at £8 is the marquee handheld; pair with a Vietnamese iced coffee. Closed Mondays; weekend lunches walk in without waiting.