Whether you’re in pursuit of a tranquil retreat for your family holidays or a savvy investment opportunity, purchasing a holiday home can be both an exciting and daunting endeavour. Of course, it goes without saying that the location of your holiday home plays a (perhaps the most) crucial role in determining its profitability.
As a savvy investor – apologies for making assumptions – it’s important to consider not only the price of the property but also its potential rental yields, tourist appeal, and long-term capital gains. With that in mind, here are some of the most potentially lucrative locations for Brits to own a holiday home.
Cornwall, England
Cornwall is arguably the UK’s quintessential holiday home hotspot and one of the South West’s most beloved staycation destinations. With its stunning coastline, charming villages, and mild climate, it is one of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations. Its strong holiday letting market is underpinned by a high demand for short-term rentals, particularly during the summer. It provides an attractive income stream, making Cornwall a profitable choice for holiday home investors.
The Lake District, England
Proudly named as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Lake District’s breathtaking landscapes and range of outdoor activities – both active and languid – make it a year-round attraction. This ensures the possibility of continuous rental yields, uninterrupted by the wants and whims of peak and off season. Buying a holiday home here could be a smart investment move, especially around Windermere and Ambleside, where property prices are high but so are rental rates.
Edinburgh, Scotland
If you’re considering an urban location, Edinburgh’s thriving tourism industry makes it an incredibly profitable choice. The city sees a consistent stream of tourists year-round due to its historical and cultural appeal, further boosted by events like the Edinburgh Festival. A holiday home in Edinburgh is not only a solid investment but it also offers the owner a cultural hub to explore.
Let’s bounce from the UK now, in search of pastures new and exciting on the continent. Financially viable and geographically desirable, the ancient capital of Cyprus, Paphos offers a robust holiday rental market with a continuous demand from European tourists. The city also offers favourable tax conditions for foreign property owners. An additional benefit is the potential for long-term capital gains, given Cyprus’ growing economy and rising property prices.
The city’s international airport provides excellent connections to major UK cities, and the year-round Mediterranean climate ensures a steady stream of visitors well beyond the peak summer months. Property prices in Paphos remain relatively competitive compared to other Mediterranean destinations, particularly in up-and-coming areas like Universal and Kato Paphos.
Costa del Sol, Spain
Spain’s ‘Sun Coast’ continues to be a magnet for British property investors, particularly around upmarket areas like Marbella and Estepona. Before diving in, you’ll need to obtain a NIF number (Spanish tax identification number) – a crucial first step for any property purchase in Spain. The Costa del Sol’s year-round sunny climate and excellent infrastructure make it particularly attractive for both personal enjoyment and rental potential.
The region’s proximity to Málaga Airport, with its extensive connections to UK cities, adds to its appeal. While property prices here can be higher than in some other Spanish coastal areas, the strong rental demand – especially during the extended summer season from April to October – can provide impressive returns on investment.
Algarve, Portugal
Portugal’s Algarve region is popular among Brits for its sun-drenched coastlines and golf courses. It boasts a thriving holiday rental market, which results in rewarding rental yields. Furthermore, Portugal’s Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax regime can offer tax benefits for British expats, enhancing the profitability of owning a holiday home in the Algarve.
The region’s excellent infrastructure, centred around Faro International Airport, makes it easily accessible for tourists throughout the year. Areas like Vilamoura and Lagos are particularly sought after, combining traditional Portuguese charm with modern amenities and strong rental potential.
Mallorca’s popularity as a holiday destination combined with its strong rental market makes it an appealing choice for investors. The island’s strong local laws protecting the landscape mean that new development is limited, increasing the value of existing properties.
The island’s exceptional transport links through Palma Airport ensure steady visitor numbers throughout the year, while its sophisticated infrastructure and high-end tourism sector attract a discerning clientele. Areas like Port d’Andratx and Pollença are particularly popular with international buyers, offering a blend of luxury living and strong rental prospects.
Or, also part of the Balearic Island archipelago and with an excellent culinary tradition and restaurant scene, more laid back atmosphere and slightly more affordable house prices, Menorca offers an interesting alternative.
Dalmatian Coast, Croatia
Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast has emerged as one of Europe’s most compelling holiday home markets. EU membership since 2013 has simplified the buying process for British investors, while the country’s adoption of the euro in 2023 has removed currency exchange headaches that once complicated rental income.
Split and Dubrovnik remain the headline destinations, but savvier investors are looking to islands like Hvar and Brač, or the increasingly popular Makarska Riviera, where property prices remain more accessible. The Croatian government has invested heavily in tourism infrastructure over the past decade, and Split Airport now offers direct connections to multiple UK cities throughout the extended summer season.
What sets Croatia apart is the length of its rental season – the Adriatic’s warm waters and reliable sunshine mean strong bookings from May through October, outperforming many Atlantic-facing alternatives. Property ownership laws are straightforward for EU and UK citizens, though engaging a local lawyer familiar with the market is advisable. With tourism numbers continuing to climb and coastal development tightly regulated, existing properties in prime locations stand to benefit from both rental yields and long-term capital appreciation.
Florida, USA
For those willing to invest further afield, Florida’s strong tourist appeal – with attractions like DisneyWorld and Universal Studios – ensures a steady rental demand. Florida also has favourable property laws for foreign investors and the potential for substantial long-term returns.
Top Tips For Creating The Perfect Holiday Rental
Of course, it’s not only about location. Your holiday rental also needs to look and feel the part if it’s going to be profitable.
Doing Your Due Diligence
Above all, and regardless of where you choose to make a purchase, you need to treat your holiday rental like a business if it’s to succeed as an investment. Handling all of your important details will help your tenants or guests enjoy their vacation, and will let you increase your revenue while maintaining your peace of mind.
Create separate business checking accounts for any property that you’re using as a holiday rental. Consider your financing resources and what price points will help you continuously get the best ROI.
Investing in another country is a much larger undertaking, and requires more of your time, money, and effort. The reward potential is also greater, so don’t shy away from doing your due diligence.
Make sure that you also get to know the banking system in the country. Understand interest rates, financing opportunities, and what is required to put these sorts of deals together.
Make It Somewhere You’d Want To Stay
Business aspects aside, make sure that you go all out to make the holiday rental somewhere that you’d want to spend a trip. This means fully furnishing it and making sure that you add art and decorative elements. Hire cleaning professionals to turn the rental over for you each time someone books. This way, they’ll have a clean and luxurious experience. Add little touches like providing people water and champagne on the first day that they check in. These little details make all the difference in the world and will help you get repeat visitors.
Blend Travel With Investing
The world is your oyster when you’re looking for travel-based investment opportunities. If you love to travel, have an interest in other cultures and attractions, or simply fancy the travel industry, these strategies can help you create the perfect holiday rental. Start with these words of advice as you grow your portfolio and travel opportunities at the same time.
The Bottom Line
When considering these locations, it’s crucial to remember that profitable holiday home ownership isn’t only about the potential rental income. Consideration should also be given to the potential capital appreciation of the property, the local regulations regarding property ownership and rental, the tax implications, and the desirability of the location for personal use.
Nevertheless, owning a holiday home can be a reliable and profitable investment when the location is carefully chosen, the local market is well-understood, and the property is well-managed. With these key considerations in mind, whether nestled in the idyllic landscapes of the Lake District or basking in the sun-kissed shores of the Algarve, your dream holiday home can become a tangible asset in your investment portfolio.
If the Vietnamese capital is said to run on coffee thick and sweet with condensed milk, then we think it’s fair to say that Hanoians bleed pho, with no two establishments serving the same bowl and the best versions closely guarded secrets handed down through the generations. Accordingly, finding purveyors of this national Vietnamese dish is the easiest thing you’ll ever do in the city. Finding the very best versions is another story, though…
Though beef pho is, to so many visitors, the headlining Hanoi dish, it’s actually chicken pho (the ol’ pho ga) that’s more popular in the city. It’s the city’s go-to, its day one, its every day. It’s the one that Hanoians crave when the weather changes, a source of replenishment and rehydration, a soul-soother and heartwarmer.
Where To Eat The Best Pho Ga (Chicken Noodle Soup) In Hanoi
Here’s where you’ll find the best bowls of chicken pho (pho ga) in Hanoi.
Pho Ga Nguyet, Hoan Kiem (Old Quarter)
Ideal for a dry version of the famous soup…
Light, herbaceous, restorative chicken pho in Hanoi is its own thing, a world away from the beef version’s assertive savouriness and rich mouthfeel. In fact, as a rule, if a shophouse or stall serves both chicken and beef pho, it’s reasonable to assume that neither is the greatest rendition, the two disciplines not interchangeable by any means.
Just outside of the Old Quarter proper, on Phu Doan, a stretch of road defined by garages and motorbike repairs, you’ll find one of Hanoi’s best versions of chicken pho at Pho Ga Nguyet.
Two key moves with your order here; one, and though the white breast meat is automatically allocated to non-Viets, you should request the dark chicken meat (the shophouse now offers a breakdown of the bird in diagram form, with the butt meat being the most prized and expensive cut), which is so much more flavourful.
Two, order the dish ‘tron’ – or dry. That’s where Pho Ga Nguyet really excels, the standard noodle soup turned into a gorgeous noodle salad, with a chicken fat and soy sauce spiked dressing that coats every damn noodle strand.
Images via @phoganguyet
The main man here, wielding the cleaver all evening in the shophouse’s entrance, speaks a little English, and is a charming presence. Owing to the shophouse’s daytime operations fixing motorbikes and revving engines, Pho Ga Nguyet is an evening only affair, though they have recently expanded into adjacent buildings to cope with increased demand after Michelin bestowed them with a Bib Gourmand award.
During the dinner rush (between 6pm and around 7:30pm), you might have to wait five minutes to get a seat. It’s worth it. Though we’re damn prone to hyperbole, the dry chicken pho here (pho ga tron) is our favourite bowl of pho in Hanoi, period. It is fucking immense.
A rare thing for Hanoian pho shophouses, this one stays open late, too, closing at around midnight.
Address:5b P. Phủ Doãn, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
Pho Ga Mai Anh, Hai Ba Trung District
Ideal for a cleansing bowl of chicken noodle soup that could dust off any hangover…
The Hanoi episode of Parts Unknown where Anthony Bourdain takes then-president Obama for bun cha will be familiar to anyone who cringes when they declare themselves a foodie, right? Well, following its broadcast and change of branding – to ‘Obama Bun Cha’, no less – the word on the street is that standards have slipped.
Not to worry. Give the tour coaches unloading onto Le Van Huu a wide berth and instead head next door for one of the best chicken noodle soups in the city, at Pho Ga Mai Anh.
This is one clean broth, boasting a crystalline flavour not far removed from a good chicken consomme. Aside from tender poached chicken meat, a couple of bouncy chicken balls and yielding rice noodles, only a few slices of the green of spring onions adulterate the bowl. Seemingly, a judgement has been made that any other herbs would only muddy the broth. We think it’s a good shout, as Mai Anh’s chicken pho really is a celebration of that replenishing broth.
A tall glass of iced jasmine tea is all you need now.
Address: 32 P. Lê Văn Hưu, Phan Chu Trinh, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Pho Ga Tron, Hoan Kiem (Old Quarter)
Ideal for a local favourite…
Popular on a summer’s day, another dry (well, not dry, rather; ‘soupless’) pho to try is the banger at Pho Ga Tron on Lan Ong street. This is a legendary spot beloved of locals for the restaurant’s use of ga ta – chicken raised in the country that’s had a good run around and frolic, its flesh benefiting in flavour from its freedom. Or, as Hanoians more succinctly put it, “gym chicken”.
Any establishment serving industrial chicken is frowned upon and largely ignored by Hanoian patronage. Much like our free-range chicken, ga ta has a richer taste and the meat is firmer in texture. And so it is at Pho Ga Tron, where the chicken pho is present in tron format, what your Ottolenghi or your Oliver might call a ‘noodle salad’. There is actually a small bowl of soup served on the side when ordering pho tron – some might choose to spoon a little over the noodles to make them all silky and slippery. We certainly do.
Anyway, this one is really herbal, with bright, zippy notes and an enjoyable low thrum of sweetness from deep fried shallots and peanuts. The dressing is gorgeous; rich but light, and soy sauce defined. What a treat it is.
On special occasions (we’ve enjoyed this one during September’s Moon Festival), you’ll find black chicken served at Pho Ga Tron, a deliciously aniseed affair with delicate translucent noodles and promises of getting healed from a medicinal, bracing, but utterly gorgeous broth.
A little further down the road, you’ll find Pho Hanh which we hear also does a good version of Pho Tron, although we’re yet to try it. On their Facebook page, a recent post with Mark Wiens fills us with confidence that this place is the real deal.
Address: 65B P. Lãn Ông, Hàng Bồ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Pho Lam Nam Ngu, Hoan Kiem (Old Quarter)
Ideal for a chicken pho that celebrates the whole bird…
You’ll find Pho Lam tucked away down a pretty little lane that’s defined by unkempt but totally beautiful hanging greenery, the kind that clotheslines you off your motorbike and you don’t even resent it. Pick yourself up and dust yourself down, as there’s pho here to soothe your soul…
We say “you’ll find” but it’s easy to miss the red sign here, the bold caps of PHO LAM NAM NGU set back from the road and obscured by the Hanoi’s ubiquitous corrugated iron awning. You might be better off looking for the popular French restaurant La Badiane, which sits opposite Pho Lam, and then turning right.
The chicken broth at Pho Lam operates on a rolling boil over coals which sit at the front of the shop, big pots of forever ticking over, a reminder of life’s cyclical nature, but also, as the aunty sweeps another bowl directly through this bubbling cauldron, of things being finite.
Here you’ll find reliably flavourful dark chicken, no stinginess as it’s packed high on its plinth of tightly wound noodles. Though the menu is prosaically delivered – a single white sign that declares ‘Pho Ga 50K’ – there’s actually a fair bit of customising to be done here if you’ve got your Vietnamese (or confident pointing) down.
On the counter that Pho Nam’s cooks diligently draw from, a big bowl of dark and white flesh and slices of yellow skin are all mixed together in equal quantities – and then you can add more of your preference, be that dark or white meat. It looks like a lot of skin going into your bowl, but when the fat from the skin melts into the bowl, you’re in for a truly delicious, unctuous broth. There are big bowls of msg, too, which you can ask to be omitted if you don’t value flavour.
Boiled organs are also all spread out on a tray – blood cake, eggs, chicken feet – which are available on request. However you play it, this is a hugely herbal bowl, with whole spring onions, garlic chives, delicate baby coriander and dill all piled high.
Though it feels – in our mind – better suited to beef pho, the quay at Nam Ngu is excellent, with plastic bags full of the stuff hanging from random coat hooks across the joint. The homemade hot sauce is some of the best you’ll find too, thick and deep rust in colour. A vinegar pot brimming with freshly sliced chillies and a few quarters of lime seal the deal.
Yes indeed, this is one of the best bowls of pho in Hanoi, beef, chicken or otherwise.
Address:7 P. Nam Ngư, Cửa Nam, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Image @ a 1 u c a r d
Pho Ga Tien, Ba Dinh District
Ideal for a breakfast institution with Michelin-approved broth…
Near picturesque Truc Bach Lake on Nguyen Truong To, Pho Ga Tien is a family-run operation that’s been perfecting the same chicken broth for nearly 40 years. For all the street food soup searchers, those four decades of familial heritage should be music to your ears – such a tagline usually leads to a pretty good bowl. This should appeal, too; the 65-year-old matriarch still makes the broth in the back kitchen, simmering free-range chicken bones with grilled shallots, ginger and shiitake mushrooms to create an exceptionally clean, golden soup that’s naturally sweet without cloying.
The current space – all large glass windows and warm yellow walls – opened in 2023, though the family had been selling from a sidewalk stall across the road for years before. From 6am to 1pm, all 60-plus seats are reliably filled, with motorbikes piled up outside. Another good sign, we think…
What marks this one out is a minor but impactful touch: the finely sliced makrut lime leaves scattered across each bowl, lending a distinct citrusy fragrance that’s unmistakable. You can choose your cut of chicken at the counter – dark or white, thigh or breast – and add hard-boiled eggs, offal or gizzards if you fancy. Regulars go for the dark thigh meat and a couple of slices of offal, which punctuate the broth with a hint of suave bitterness. For those gripped by the paradox of choice, we have more bad news; you’ll need to choose your noodle, too, from pho, bun or mien. Pho is the default (obvs.) and does the job perfectly, for us.
Owner Duc Khanh recognises regulars even during the breakfast chaos and is a charming presence. Prices start at 50,000 VND and haven’t changed in a decade, which has us romanticising that these guys aren’t in it for the money. A foolish notion, but when the steam is kicking up from our bowl and misting up our glasses, we do start feeling a little whimsical.
Interestingly, Michelin have selected the place twice now, in 2023 and 2025 (what the hell happened in 2024?!). Let’s see what happens later this year in their 2026 announcement.
Address: 103 P. Nguyễn Trường Tộ, Quán Thánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Pho Ga Cham, Ba Dinh District
Ideal for a golden, consomme-like pho broth…
Wow, this is one clean bowl of the good stuff, over at Pho Ga Cham, just off picturesque, cinematic Truc Bach Lake.
Pleasingly, here the bouncy yellow skin is left on the slices of breast, rather than being served separately or, heaven forbid, removed entirely and discarded, lending a gorgeous mouthfeel to every bite.
The option to add an egg yolk to the broth is one that many locals avail themselves of. Do the same, though don’t mix that yolk into the soup; that’s not the done thing and muddies the broth. Instead, allow it to set gently before eating the whole yolk in one.
Go further, and order the house special, which sees a clean, consomme-like golden pho broth with absolutely no herbs added, just a few bobbing slices of chicken breast and four or five egg yolks. One for the ‘gains’ crowd perhaps, but bloody delicious, too. The gratis iced tea here is excellent – bitter and refreshing.
Address:64-68 P. Yên Ninh, Quán Thánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam
By Muk photo via Canva
Pho Ga Dac Biet, Hoan Kiem (Old Quarter)
Ideal for a rich, offal-spiked broth in the OQ…
Dac Biet means ‘the house special’ in Vietnamese, and at Pho Ga Dac Biet the chicken pho house special is very much the signature. It’s a bowl that’s absolutely heaving with dark thigh meat, organs, intestines, chicken feet, beaks…you name it. Please, don’t be put off; it is bloody fantastic, those offaly cuts lending a supreme richness and depth to the broth that is totally unique when compared to many of the other lighter chicken soups on our list.
Interestingly, you can order the scarcely seen pho tai ga here, which is a bowl of rare beef steak (cooked in the broth) and chicken, all bobbing about in a broth that combines the two stock bases. It works… kind of.
Address: 1 Hàng Điếu, Phố cổ Hà Nội, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
By minddream via Canva
*Pho is traditionally a breakfast dish and pretty much all of the shops on this list open from early until sold out. Many won’t stay open much past lunch, which ends at around 2pm. A couple of the spots on our list of the best pho in Hanoi do stay open late into the night, though it’s always a little unpredictable in Hanoi. Always check Google’s opening hours, but do not put 100% faith in that information.
Every bowl on our list clocks in at between 50’000 and 100’000 VND (between £1.50 and £3), with the exception of the duck versions, which are a little more. Regardless, all are absurdly good value for the skill, effort and heritage involved in making them.*
Steaming bowls of pho are everywhere in Hanoi. That’s no exaggeration; you will genuinely see the steam rising off a bowl as you move with the traffic on your Honda Wave, vapours competing with exhaust fumes, the two intermingling for a smell that’s unmistakably Hanoian.
All walks of life hunch over a bowl here. On stools, at the side of the road, in shophouses, or simply lent against their bike or a tree, enjoying noodles – your businessman, school kid, xe om driver, teacher and health worker all just one wrong slurp away from a splattered shirt. There’s something democratising, levelling, about pulling a slippery tangle of noodles up to your lips, make no mistake…
The pho in Hanoi, where it all started, differs from its Southern sister somewhat. The Saigon style sees the bowls heaped with herbs, including Thai basil and sprouts, its bolder broth punctuated with a pronounced sweetness that’s enhanced further by sliced red onion. The northern version, on the other hand, is low on embellishment and frippery, proudly austere and distinctly savoury – not sweet – and all the more delicious for it, we think. Even coriander sprigs or bean sprouts will be viewed with suspicion, a Hanoi pho usually adorned only with slices of the green part of a spring onion.
Diners customise their pho to taste. A measured dose of lime enlivens the broth. The pickled garlic vinegar brings sweetness and piquancy. Fresh slices of red chill give fruitiness and a sharp, pleasing heat, though don’t add too much; you’ll often see folk here dexterously poking out the seeds of the chilli into a tissue so they don’t overpower the broth with capsicum heat. You’d do well to follow suit.
A dash of homemade hot sauce is optional – many don’t, we do, often halfway through the bowl, to refresh and replenish, to make things feel brand new again.
However you enjoy your pho, enjoy it with quay – the only necessary accompaniment to pho – which is, in taste akin to a savoury doughnut, and, in appearance, a golden brown dog bone. It takes on the flavour of the soup perfectly, retaining its crunch whilst soaking up the broth. For some reason, the thought of this crispy quay, bathed in pho broth, is the first time we’ve genuinely started salivating whilst writing this. Maybe it’s some kind of Pavlov/dog bone thing…
…Anyway, since pho contains a fairly strict, concise set of ingredients — a deeply layered broth, a protein, be it quickly boiled beef or poached chicken, rice noodles and a handful of herbs and green onions, the dish’s success lies in the details; in the tenderness of the protein, the verve, depth and lightness of the broth, and the chef’s deft but delicate layering of the bowl.
We’ve only included the bowls where those details shine through with utter clarity. So, without further ado, wipe down your chopsticks, shine your spoon and dig into our roundup of where to find the best pho in Hanoi.
Where To Eat The Best Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup) In Hanoi
Hanoi-style beef pho – phở bò – is the gorgeous, nourishing Vietnamese noodle soup of sliced beef and bone broth, the latter flavoured with star anise and cloves for a subtle, ever so slight hint of spice. Here’s where to find the best beef pho in Hanoi…
Pho Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem (Old Quarter)
Ideal for perhaps Hanoi’s best bowl of pho bo…
If you’re looking for the best pho in the Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam…the world, then you’ve quite possibly found it. The wild popularity of Pho Ly Quoc Su (the one on actual Ly Quoc Su street – more of that in a minute) means that you’ll likely have to wait a while or – heaven forbid – share your table with other tourists for tucking in, but the exemplary bowl of pho bo on offer here is well worth the wait and/or the awkwardness of accidentally splashing your broth over your table companions. Those northern noodles are slippery things, no doubt about it.
Here the service is brusque and efficient, the beef always fresh and tender. The chefs (visible through a glass partition constantly ladling bowls of the good stuff) work quickly, meaning you won’t have to wait long for your soup once you’ve taken a seat.
Once you’ve settled in, ordering by numbers is easy, with menus boasting English translations placed under the glass surface of every table, visible to all. For a newcomer, the different types of beef pho can be a little bewildering, but really, there is one order that stands out above all others…
…Yep, we’re massive devotees of the tai gau version, which sees fatty, long-braised brisket and slices of raw beef sharing the bowl. Here, the brisket is thinly sliced and tender, with its mellow, yellow fat gently melting into the broth, causing those all-important globules to dapple the soup’s service.
That broth itself is on the lighter side, just a little cloudy (as it should be), and refreshing, savoury and obscenely moreish. The rice noodles are slippery and have the right bite, as in, not much bite at all. Add a little of Pho LQS’s homemade chilli sauce and a dash of the liquid from their pickled garlic, and luxuriate in an absolutely gold standard version of the national dish.
*Do be aware that there are many, many imitators across the city, operating under the same name and with the same standout orange facade. The only true Pho Ly Quoc Su in terms of sky high standards is found on – perhaps unsurprisingly – Ly Quoc Su street.*
Ideal for the widely acknowledged number one beef pho on the planet…
You know all that stuff we just said about Pho Ly Quoc Su being the finest bowl of pho bo in the world? Park that, as Pho Gia Truyen on Bat Dan Street (just around the corner, in fact!) is perhaps even better.
The obvious move here is to try both versions, with the two streets only a five minute stroll apart. You won’t miss Pho Bat Dan (as most people call it), as the snaking queue of hungry locals stands testament to the quality of the bowls within this little family run shop. Service is cursory on a good day, and you’ll need to juggle a boiling hot bowl of soup while you jostle for a stool, but genuinely, honestly and with truth, it is worth it.
By IndreJeg via Canva
You’ll see the beef briskets hanging in the doorframe (there is no window here – the shophouse opens fully out onto the street), their hulking frames swaying enticingly on their hooks, their fat shimmering enticingly. There are only three options; tai, tai nam, or chin, which is rare beef, rare beef and braised flank, and braised brisket, respectively.
Our heart lies in the latter camp with the pho bo chin, all to get a taste of those swinging briskets. It’s a deeper, richer broth than Pho LQS, perhaps better suited to Hanoi’s surprisingly chilly winters, whilst the one at Ly Quoc Su is more of a summery affair. Anyway, enough of the now tired comparisons – both bowls are the finest versions of beef pho you’ll find anywhere in Hanoi. And, by rights then, the world. Get here early; they’re often sold out and shop shut up by midday.
Ideal Tip: If you want some dessert, head to Xoi Che Ba Thin (1 Bat Dan street) two minutes down the road and have some chè. Gorgeously sweet and syrupy, it’s refreshing, replenishing stuff.
Ideal for Michelin-recognised northern pho with a focus on rare beef cuts…
The name translates as ‘Baldy Khoi’s Pho’ – a shiny nod to owner Khoi’s hairstyle, or lack thereof – but there’s nothing tongue-in-cheek about what this 30-year-old operation has achieved. A Bib Gourmand holder on a street with some of the stiffest pho bo competition in the world, it’s a place that counts former Vietnamese national football team coach Park Hang-seo and several players as regulars. In a city where pho allegiances run as deep as football loyalties, that feels like a serious seal of approval.
There are elements here that genuinely set Pho Khoi Hoi apart. First, there’s the loi rua (beef heel muscle) – a cut that’s mildly sweet and slightly chewy in a pleasant, al dente way, yet breaks apart with just a touch more pressure for a lovely mouthfeel. The other signature is gau gion (crispy brisket), which gets simmered for three hours before being machine-sliced to ensure even thinness. The golden, crispy fat paired with the yielding meat is quite simply a joy to eat.
Crucially, the beef here is sliced to order rather than pre-cut, using the kind of meat slicer you’d see a teenager manning dangerously at your local Waitrose, which keeps things fresh and preserves the natural sweetness.
The broth itself is clean, clear and gently sweet with a subtle aroma, markedly different from the more robust Nam Dinh style. This is northern pho done properly: restrained, balanced, allowing the quality of individual components to register. Those individual elements include whole spring onions curled invitingly in ‘come hither’ formation in your bowl. Having softened in the broth, they slip down real easily.
Pho Khoi Hoi has moved several times over its three decades – from Hang Bong to Phung Hung to Lan Ong, finally settling on Hang Vai in 2004. The space isn’t grand, but it’s tidy and functional. It opens at 6am and runs until 9pm, serving over 1,000 bowls daily during peak periods. Seating is limited, and queues form early, particularly for the loi, which often sells out by mid-morning.
The location on Hang Vai is significant – this stretch of around 100 metres is home to two Michelin Bib Gourmand pho spots, with neighbour Pho Lam receiving the same recognition in 2025 (Pho Bat Dan is just 250 metres around the corner, too!). Each has its loyalists, but Khoi Hoi’s is the better bowl, for us.
Pho Hang Trong, or ‘back alley pho’ as we like to call it, is the kind of place that feels like a well-kept secret, even though it’s anything but. You’ll find this pho shop tucked away in the Old Quarter between a cafe and a souvenir shop, just where it belongs.
On our first visit, we were so confused as to where it was, an elderly gent approached us and simply asked “pho?” before ushering us down the dark alleyway between those two shops. Once you’re shrouded in darkness, head for the narrow flight of stairs which opens up into a family living room of Ms. Minh, and you’ll find Pho Hang Trong. It’s a belter.
This unassuming, tiny shrine to pho seats roughly 12 people. The walls are adorned with faded pictures of relatives. Take your shoes off and grab a seat. It’s only open for a select few hours a day and closes at around 8pm or when they’ve sold out, which is often much earlier. There’s only one thing on the menu, and all you’ve got to do as you enter is state the number of bowls you want. Simple.
It’s the kind of pho joint where locals and savvy travellers come together, all slurping in careful, quiet reverence. The broth is a masterclass in balance, simmered for hours to achieve a depth of flavour that can only come from years of perfecting the recipe. It’s rich and aromatic, with just the right amount of spice to keep things interesting. The noodles are perfectly cooked, with a satisfying chew that pairs beautifully with the tender slices of beef.
The decor is minimalistic, with low slung blue plastic tables and even closer-to-the-ground plastic stools. That’s okay; you can really get your face into the bowls, and your lovely white shirt is protected from the inevitable backsplash.
This isn’t a place you linger in after you’re done; luxuriate in that pho, sure, but then move on and let someone else have a go.
Ideal for a happy-go-lucky pho that stays open late…
Vui’ means joy or cheerful in Vietnamese, and this happy-go-lucky pho certainly does put a smile on our faces and a spring in our steps. The atmosphere at Pho Vui is lively, with the sounds of clinking bowls and animated conversation filling the air – the kind of place where you can lose yourself in the moment, savouring each spoonful of pho as the world goes by.
The merit of a good pho lives or dies on the quality of its broth, and the broth at Pho Vui is excellent, a real peppery little number that’s got plenty of unctuous mouthfeel from beef bones that have been cooked low and slow until they release their marrow.
Just around the corner from Hanoi’s rowdy Bia Hoi Corner and Ta Hien street, its main strip of backpacker bars, Pho Vui stays open until 1am, ready for revellers looking to soak up the beer and perhaps even wring out one more from their evening.
Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin – the so-called ‘pho artisan’ – made this restaurant famous through a special pho technique that he perfected in the late 1970s, one which is now known as ‘pho tai lan’ all across Vietnam.
At Pho Thin on Lo Duc Street, that method sees beef quickly stir-fried with ginger, onions and garlic, before the contents of the wok are poured into a bowl of soup and noodles. As a result, the broth is slightly thicker and more cloudy than elsewhere, and humming with umami and wok hei in the process. Honselty, it looks (and tastes) quite close to an onion gravy. There’s a shit load of chives to freshen things up.
Like many of the best phos in Hanoi, you’ll see copycat shophouses all over the city; a quick search on Google reveals dozens of places with the name ‘Pho Thin’, many of which pale in comparison to the inaugural restaurant.
Bu HoaiPT via Canva
Interestingly, some are actually affiliated with the original Pho Thin. At these joints, the chef-in-place has been trained by Mr Thin, and the man himself will regularly, unexpectedly come to check that they are doing things right, franchise-style. One has even opened in Melbourne, and another in Indonesia. However, we’d definitely stick with the original Lo Duc outpost here; often imitated, never duplicated, and all that.
Do be warned; Pho Thin Lo Duc gets rammed; it’s not a spacious dining room, even during quieter times, and due to its popularity, there aren’t, well, quieter times. That said, if you’re looking to enjoy a pho thin in comfortable surroundings, a collaboration between the main man and luxury resort Vinpearl’s head chefs has led to Pho Thin Vinpearl – or ‘skyscraper Pho’ – at Vinpearl Luxury Landmark 81. While we can’t vouch for the pho here, having never tried it, it’s certainly an interesting proposition.
Wander down Trung Yen, which is considered one of Hanoi’s most famous culinary alleys, and you’ll find Pho Suong. At the helm is Ms. Nguyen Tuyet Lan, a third generation cook continuing the family business of serving up properly satisfying, nourishing beef pho.
Pho is usually a family business in Vietnam, and the best of the best pho joints have – on the most part – been around for decades. In the case of Ms. Nguyen Tuyet Lan’s family, her father originally roamed the Old Quarter selling pho back in the 1930s. His operation was nicknamed ‘blue shirt Chinese pho’ because of the colour shirt he wore, helping Mr. Nguyen (or, Mr Blue Shirt) become well known throughout Hanoi.
Laurence Taylor from Getty Images
In 1986, his children opened up Pho Suong using the recipe her father passed down, cementing his legacy in the process. Today, Pho Suong is still, undeniably, one of the best pho purveyors in Hanoi, famous for its light and gently sweet broth.
The family recipe sees beef bones simmered for 15 hours, with ginger and fish sauce intensifying the flavour. Interestingly, the cooks here – just as Mr. Blue Shirt did a century ago – forgo the usual cinnamon and star anise, resulting in a lighter broth that’s so refreshing on a particularly humid Hanoi day.
After you’ve finished your meal, stroll down Dinh Liet street (home to one of our favourite banh mi in Hanoi, incidentally) past the souvenir and art stores and walk your meal off with a loop around picture-perfect Hoan Kiem lake. Do as we do and get an ice cream for dessert from one of the many stalls lining the lake!
Ideal for one of the most attractive pho shops in the city…
The Pho Suong dynasty have since spread their wings further. Following on from the patriarch’s success, the Nguyen family have opened another pho shop in Mai Hac De, up in Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung district. Indeed, about the success and subsequent ubiquity, the owner says – almost laments, to be honest – on Pho Suong Co Muoi’s Facebook page, that “the image of the blue-shirted Chinese street vendor carrying noodle soup probably became a part of the memories of every child of the capital”.
Nguyen Thi Muoi, who was one of the original siblings to open the first Pho Suong restaurant in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, runs operations here. She says that “pho is said to be the ‘business card’ of Vietnamese people, and Pho Suong Co Muoi has preserved the soul and symbol of the country’s cuisine to the fullest.” We couldn’t agree more.
We love this second branch of Pho Suong for its light and airy space and delicious quay. With wooden panelling and tables, a gorgeous tiled floor and light yellow walls, it’s one of the most attractive pho shops in the city. The pho bo sot vang (a riff on pho using a wine-spiked broth) is something of a speciality.
It’s a truism for so many street food recommendations across the planet – that the ‘best’ pad Thai in Bangkok, the ‘best’ pizza in Naples, or the ‘best’ tacos el pastor in CDMX is just, well, the closest one to your house.
The one that, whilst perhaps not knowing your name, certainly knows your usual order, your favourite seat, and whether you’ve put on weight or not since your last visit.
Spicy Pho Bay, in Hanoi’s increasingly swanky West Lake, was our local pho shop for years, and it’s a darn good bowl if you’re up in this next of the woods, taking in the scenery.
Ignore the signage, which clearly depicts a stereotypical Italian chef (possibly off the Simpsons), chef’s kiss fingers and all. Instead, be drawn in by the huge vats of bubbling broth that seem to obstruct the doorway, pulling off the admirable feet of both enticing you in and blocking your entrance. Slalom through, settle in, savouring the aromas of star anise and charred ginger when you do, and gear up for a nourishing bowl of the good stuff.
Alongside the usual rundown of slowcooked, ultra fatty brisket, slices of rare steak, braised flank, and even our old friend ‘thin’, Spicy Pho Bay also do an excellent pho xao; that is, stirfried pho noodles – crisp and charred and singing of wok hei – with plenty of dark green leaves, slices of beef and a pleasingly gloopy gravy. Anoint it with the signature house chilli sauce and enjoy.
This modest establishment just off the western edge of Hoan Kiem Lake has caught our attention for a particularly heartwarming reason. Here, you’ll find more than just steaming bowls of pho – you’ll discover a beautiful tradition of community care through their ‘phở treo’ (suspended pho) system.
Images via @tuean.14bk
Similar to Naples’ centuries-old ‘caffè sospeso’ tradition, customers can pre-purchase bowls of pho for those who might not be able to afford a meal. A simple sign keeps track of these acts of anonymous kindness, counting the number of suspended bowls available to anyone in need. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best flavour in a bowl of pho isn’t the broth or the tender meat – it’s the warmth of human connection.
If you’re in the area and feeling generous, consider paying a bowl forward. After all, sharing food has always been at the heart of Vietnamese culture.
*Pho is traditionally a breakfast dish and pretty much all of the shops on this list open from early until sold out. Many won’t stay open much past lunch, which ends at around 2pm. A couple of the spots on our list of the best pho in Hanoi do stay open late into the night, though it’s always a little unpredictable in Hanoi. Always check Google’s opening hours, but do not put 100% faith in that information.
Every bowl on our list clocks in at between 50’000 and 100’000 VND (between £1.50 and £3). Regardless, all are absurdly good value for the skill, effort and heritage involved in making them.*
Ideal for bringing five-star flair to your most private room…
There’s a moment, somewhere around night two of a holiday, when you stop noticing the sea view and start coveting the bathroom. That floor-to-ceiling stone. The rainfall shower you didn’t want to leave. The way everything felt considered, from the lighting down to the weight of the towels.
If you’ve ever checked into a luxury hotel in Thailand, Bali or even Vietnam and found yourself more excited by the bathroom than the beach, you’re not alone, and you’re certainly not beyond help. Because here’s the thing: most of what makes those hotel bathrooms feel so special isn’t prohibitively expensive or architecturally impossible. It’s a matter of understanding the principles at play and applying them with discipline. The good news? Your bathroom in Bristol, Bath or Balham can borrow heavily from the best suites in Bangkok.
Zone Your Space & Separate Your Functions
The single biggest difference between a hotel bathroom that feels like a retreat and a domestic one that doesn’t? Zoning. In most hotel suites the bathroom is not treated as a single, multipurpose room. It’s a series of distinct spaces, each with its own function and, crucially, its own sense of purpose.
The Japanese model is the most instructive here. A traditional Japanese home separates the bathroom into three areas: the toire (toilet room), the senmenjo (washing and vanity area) and the ofuro (the bathing room itself, built around a deep soaking tub). The toilet is entirely enclosed in its own small room. The vanity sits in a dry zone. The bathing area, shower and tub included, is a fully waterproofed wet room where every surface can handle water with no fuss.
This three-zone approach is the blueprint behind some of the most impressive hotel bathrooms in the world, from the minimalist suites of Aman Tokyo to the open-plan wet rooms of a luxury Krabi villa. And while most British homes don’t have the square footage to replicate it exactly, the principle scales down beautifully. Even a modest partition wall, a glass screen or a cleverly positioned vanity unit can introduce the idea of separation between wet and dry functions. If a full partition isn’t feasible, a half-height wall or a simple change in flooring material, say from timber-effect tile to natural stone, can do the psychological work of dividing the room without losing a sense of openness.
For smaller spaces where full zoning isn’t possible, consider smart glass or frosted glass screens to maintain a bright, open feel while still providing that sense of visual separation. Switchable privacy glass, which shifts from transparent to opaque at the press of a button, is increasingly available from UK manufacturers and brings that high-end hotel trick of a glass-walled bathroom into the domestic realm without sacrificing modesty.
Rethink Where Your Bath Lives
If there’s one design move that luxury hotels have normalised and British homes have been slow to adopt, it’s liberating the bathtub from the bathroom entirely. In some tropical 5 star resorts, you’ll find a bathtub outside.
The UK, of course, doesn’t have the weather for this. So consider instead, a freestanding tub positioned in the bedroom. You’ll often find this arrangement too, in high-end suites across Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean. The bath becomes a sculptural centrepiece rather than something wedged between the toilet and the towel rail, and the bathroom itself gains back valuable square footage – enough to consider those dry and wet zones previously mentioned.
Even if a full bedroom bath isn’t for you, the underlying principle is worth applying: don’t assume the bath has to live where the previous owner put it. Moving a freestanding tub to a different position within the bathroom, perhaps beneath a window, against a feature wall or into a central position where it can be approached from all sides, can completely transform the room’s layout. That repositioning alone is often the difference between a bathroom that feels cramped and one that feels like somewhere you’d actually want to spend time.
Ideal Tip: While there’s no UK law explicitly prohibiting a bath in a bedroom, installing plumbing in a room that didn’t previously have it is considered a change of use under the Building Regulations, and you’ll need Building Control approval.
Choose A Material & Commit To It
Walk into a beautifully designed hotel bathroom and you’ll notice that, more often than not, the material palette is tight. Two or three surfaces at most, repeated with conviction. One type of stone running from the floor up the shower wall. A single timber tone across the vanity and shelving. Metalwork in one finish throughout. The restraint is what gives the room its sense of calm.
The luxury hotel approach is simpler than it sounds: pick a hero material and let it do the heavy lifting. Natural stone, whether marble, travertine, limestone or slate, is the most immediate route to that five-star feel. Marble brings veined drama, travertine offers warmth, slate grounds a room in something darker and more textural. If a full stone bathroom is beyond budget, even a single feature wall in the shower or behind the bath can anchor the whole room.
Large-format tiles are another hotel trick worth borrowing. Fewer grout lines mean cleaner sight lines, and larger tiles create an illusion of space that’s particularly welcome in British bathrooms, which are, let’s be honest, not generally built for lingering. Lay them floor to ceiling for maximum impact.
Stone shower panels are worth a particular mention here, because they eliminate grout lines altogether. Rather than tiling a shower enclosure and dealing with the inevitable maintenance of grout (which, in a wet environment, is a battle you will eventually lose), a solid stone panel offers a single, seamless surface that’s both easier to clean and visually striking. Natural stone panels in marble, granite or travertine bring genuine weight and texture to the space, though they require sealing and come at a premium.
Engineered stone and composite alternatives offer much of the same visual impact at a lower price point, with better resistance to staining and less upkeep. Either way, the effect is the same: your shower stops looking like a tiled cubicle and starts looking like something you’d find in a villa in Koh Samui.
Whatever you choose, the key is coherence. Limit yourself to three finishes: one for surfaces, one for woodwork or cabinetry, and one for metalwork. That discipline is what separates a bathroom that feels like a suite at a luxury Thai resort from one that feels like a mood board that got out of hand.
In a hotel bathroom, the fixtures are the furniture. A freestanding bath, a wall-mounted basin, a floor-standing tap; these are the pieces that define the character of the room, much as a sofa or dining table defines a living space. And yet in most home bathrooms, fixtures are treated as afterthoughts, chosen for price rather than presence.
A rainfall showerhead is one of the simplest and most effective upgrades you can make. Ceiling-mounted versions create a drenching, immersive experience that feels categorically different from a handheld shower. Waterfall taps are another fixture that luxury hotels deploy to great effect, and they translate beautifully to a domestic bathroom and create a visual and auditory experience that feels closer to a natural waterfall than a piece of plumbing.
Wall-mounted taps and basins are another easy win. By lifting the basin off the floor and running the pipework into the wall, you create that floating, minimal look that luxury bathrooms trade in, while also making the floor easier to clean. If a full wall-mounted set-up isn’t practical, a countertop basin on a timber or stone vanity achieves a similar effect with less disruption to existing plumbing.
The finish of your hardware matters enormously, too. Brushed brass, matte black and brushed nickel all read as more considered than standard polished chrome, which can look clinical in certain settings. The trick is to commit to one finish across all your fixtures and accessories, from shower controls to towel rails to toilet flush plates. That uniformity is one of the quieter details that makes a hotel bathroom feel so composed.
Layer Your Lighting
If there’s one area where domestic bathrooms consistently fall short of their hotel counterparts, it’s lighting. Most rely on a single ceiling fitting, which produces flat, unflattering light and does nothing for the atmosphere of the room. Hotels, by contrast, use layered lighting to create a space that can shift in mood depending on the time of day and the task at hand.
The three layers to consider are ambient, task and accent. Ambient lighting provides the room’s overall brightness; recessed ceiling downlights or a central fitting serve this purpose. Task lighting is focused and functional, designed for grooming; wall-mounted sconces or LED strips on either side of a mirror are far more flattering than a single light above it, as they eliminate harsh shadows on the face.
Accent lighting is where the atmosphere lives: LED strips beneath a floating vanity, a backlit mirror, niche lighting inside a shower recess or a warm glow behind a freestanding bath. Each layer should, ideally, be dimmable, giving you the ability to move from bright and functional in the morning to warm and low in the evening.
Ideal Tip: A word on colour temperature: aim for warm white bulbs, somewhere around 2700K to 3000K. This is the range that flatters skin tones and creates that inviting warmth you associate with a good hotel. Anything cooler starts to feel surgical.
Upgrade Your Towels & Robes
It sounds almost too simple, but the tactile experience of a luxury hotel bathroom owes as much to its textiles as its tiles. Those impossibly thick towels, the kind that make you want to stand in them for longer than is strictly reasonable, are not a mystery ingredient. They’re simply good towels, properly cared for.
A bathrobe is a small luxury that disproportionately shifts the feel of a room. Waffle-weave cotton is the classic hotel choice, lighter and more breathable than heavy terry cloth, and it looks better draped on a hook. Heated towel rails deserve reconsideration here, too. A well-chosen rail in a finish that matches your other fixtures, a slim, ladder-style design in matte black or brushed brass, for instance, doubles as both a warming device and a sculptural presence on the wall.
Invest In Scent
No hotel bathroom worth its Egyptian cotton hand towels neglects scent. It’s one of the most powerful and least expensive ways to shift the atmosphere of a room, and it works on a level that’s almost subconscious. The right fragrance, encountered as you walk in, can do more for the mood of the space than a new tile job.
The approach should be layered, much like the lighting. A reed diffuser provides a constant, low-level background fragrance. Scented hand soap and body wash tie the experience together. The key is consistency; choose a single scent family, whether that’s something woody and resinous, green and herbaceous, or clean and citrus, and let it run through everything. Hotels do this deliberately, creating an olfactory signature that guests associate with the experience of being there. There’s no reason your bathroom can’t do the same.
Aesop is the gold standard here, and for good reason. Their hand washes and body products look the part without trying, the amber bottles are handsome enough to display without decanting, and the formulations genuinely smell like something a grown-up would choose.
If you’ve blown your renovation budget on stone panels and brushed brass fixtures, the M&S Apothecary range is a very creditable mid-price alternative. The packaging is sleek, the essential oil-based fragrances (Calm, Restore, Meditate) are well-judged for a bathroom setting, and the whole range is designed to sit together as a coherent collection.
For those on a tighter budget still, Lidl’s Deluxe hand wash range is quietly one of the best dupes on the high street. The bottles look smart, the scents are more than passable, and at a fraction of the price you can afford to keep your bathroom stocked without wincing. Of course, any brand can be decanted into pretty matching bottles – something most hotels do now.
Declutter With Discipline
The final lesson from the hotel bathroom is perhaps the most important and the hardest to maintain: keep your surfaces clear. Every luxury bathroom you’ve ever admired in a resort had one thing in common: you couldn’t see anyone’s shampoo collection.
This means storage, and quite a lot of it. Recessed niches in the shower wall eliminate the need for caddy baskets and free-standing bottles. Closed cabinetry beneath the vanity hides everything from toilet rolls to cleaning products. Internal drawer organisers keep cosmetics and toiletries in order without stacking them on the counter. The goal is to have a home for every single item in the room, so that the default state of the bathroom, the version of it that exists when nobody is actively using it, is one of total calm.
Decanting your everyday shampoo, conditioner and body wash into matching bottles is a small act of theatre, but an effective one. Amber glass or matte ceramic dispensers bring cohesion to the shower area and eliminate the visual noise of branded packaging.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for more ways to bring a touch of luxury to this most intimate of rooms, have a read of our 8 luxury alternatives to your traditional bathroom fixtures. Your bathtub will thank you, even if your bank account is a little less enthusiastic.
In the heart of London’s West End – a broad term that encompasses Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea – lies a glittering gem renowned globally for its dazzling drama and sparkling performances.
No, we’re not talking about the London Coliseum or Palladium, striking as they may be. Rather, we’re referring to the West End’s other great centres of showmanship; its restaurants.
Indeed, both the culinary and the theatrical roots of the West End run deep, the latter stretching back to the dawning of the Restoration period in the 17th century, when the reopening of theatres marked an era of unbridled creativity, innovation and artistic expression.
Over the centuries, this district has evolved into a theatrical powerhouse, featuring remarkable venues from the grand and ornate, like the Royal Opera House, to the more intimate, such as the Ambassadors Theatre. Today, this legendary locale is synonymous with the best that theatre has to offer – a place where dreams take centre stage, where heartache and euphoria intermingle in tales of love, loss, and ambition.
Yet, the allure of the West End extends beyond its stunning performances. There is an intrinsic romance surrounding the tradition of attending theatre in this magical corner of London. Part of this allure comes from the cherished ritual of dining before the curtain rises – the pre-theatre meal.
The concept of a pre-theatre meal is as time-honoured as the West End itself, rooted in the practicality of dining early enough to ensure no late arrivals to the auditorium (and the disruption of rustling crisp packets once the show has begun).
However, it’s the convivial charm of these meals that has truly made them an enduring tradition. A moment of anticipation, where palate-pleasing cuisine gives way to the excitement of the impending performance – it’s a match made in heaven.
Today, we’re exploring that delicious opening act with an eye on our pockets, seeking out the best dinner deals, price fixes and set menus in the heart of London’s theatre district.
So, with that in mind, here’s where to find the best value pre-theatre menus in London’s West End.
Wild Honey, St. James
Ideal for effortless Modern European cuisine with an eminently reasonable price tag…
Chef Anthony Demetre is one of the most unassumingly influential chefs in the UK, and a man whose first restaurant Arbutus was credited with bringing the Modern European, small plates vibe to Central London long before pretty much every other restaurant in the UK was doing the same.
We’d go as far as to say that his Michelin-starred restaurant Wild Honey does the flagship pre-theatre menu in London. Now in its fourth consecutive year holding a Michelin star, Wild Honey’s pre-theatre supper runs from 5pm to 6.15pm, and is packed out for each of those early evenings. The proposition here is refreshingly simple; three courses of effortlessly faultless, always generous cooking for £45.
On the current menu, Cornish mussels arrive in a warm squash velouté with sea herbs and vegetables – it’s a bowl of coastal comfort. Follow with Tamworth pork belly ‘a la plancha’ alongside a ragout of snails and grilled sand-grown carrots, or Cornish cod with crushed early potatoes and Tokyo turnip for something lighter. End with a warm apple crumble tart and thick custard cream (yep, you read that right, and doesn’t it sound good?), or the restaurant’s take on île flottante with pink pralines, and you’ve got one of London’s best set menus, full stop. The fact that it’s light, bright and at times effervescent in its delivery feels just right before settling into the performance proper.
And if Demetre’s signature crispy chicken with hand-cut macaroni ‘Cacio e Pepe’ is on the menu, pre-theatre or not, order it. The dish is divine.
Ideal for Italian opulence and refined dining in the heart of the theatre district…
On the lower ground floor of the luxury, high camp hotel Broadwick Soho, Dear Jackie is a destination that exudes Italian opulence and glamour, in that kind of big-hearted, extravagant way that we love so much about Bel Paese.
Located in the heart (or, should that be bowels?) of London’s theatre district, it’s the perfect spot for an early evening dinner before emerging blinking into the light, ready to once again be plunged into darkness at the theatre.
The pre-theatre menu at Dear Jackie is a curation of some of the restaurant’s most-loved dishes, served, in true Dear Jackie style, with a fair amount of flourish. The ambiance is set with Murano lighting, crimson silk walls, and plush banquettes, ensuring a truly special experience to sink into, even if you are only commencing your evening here, rather than the evening taking you over.
Guests have the option of either two courses for £30 or three for £35, making it excellent value for the quality of cuisine on offer. Start your meal with light, zippy starters like sea bass crudo with navelina orange and fennel, or burrata served with fresh peas, asparagus, and white balsamic.
For mains, expect dishes such as roast cod with Jerusalem artichoke, Blythburgh pork neck with heritage carrots, or a bowl of orecchiette with Roman courgettes, datterini tomatoes, and smoked almonds – a truly elegant reflection of the season.
No meal at Dear Jackie would be complete without one of their indulgent desserts, which chime succinctly with the sumptuous surroundings of this den of deliciousness. Round off your dining experience with a classic Amaretto tiramisu or a selection of ice creams and sorbets to end things on a sweet note.
The menu is available for dinner Monday to Wednesday until 6.15pm, and Thursday to Saturday for both lunch (from midday) and dinner (until 6.15pm).
Ideal for regional Italian food in the heart of Soho…
Here at IDEAL, our love of Soho restaurant Bocca di Lupo is no secret; it’s a place we come back to time and time again, never getting tired of chef Jacob Kennedy’s ode to regional Italian cuisine.
Whether it’s the Laziale salt-baked bream or the melting mangalitsa coppa from Emilia Romagna that’s served over bang-in-season slices of melon, there’s no restaurant in London more adept at transporting you to Bel Paese than this one.
Before your next bout of escapism in the nearby Apollo Theatre, you can first immerse yourself in Bocca di Lupo’s lunch and pre-theatre set menu, which runs until 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. For £18 (!) you’ll get a starter and main, with the option to add dessert for an extra £8. It’s a concise, focused affair that changes monthly with the seasons.
On a recent visit, the main course was an open-handed bowl of the Sicilian classic rigatoni all norma, all fudgy from deep-fried aubergines and umami-rich from tomatoes and salted ricotta. It was joyous. Start with a Puglian dried broad bean puree with cicoria and chilli for a proper taste of regional Italy, and finish with an affogato – hazelnut gelato drowned in espresso – that’ll perk you up nicely before taking your seat for a two-hour play.
Here, in a bright and breezy dining room defined by blonde wood and cheery waitstaff, it’s a set menu designed for sharing – for £46 per person you won’t see the whites of your table for the veritable spread of perky vegetable-led dishes that are laid out in front of you. Available Monday to Friday, 5pm to 6.30pm.
Those dishes are unmistakably Ottolenghi; on the current menu, expect aubergine with coconut tahini, ezme and mint, roasted beetroot with gochujang, tofu and almond cream, and seared sea bass with turmeric potatoes and rassam broth. There’s amba lamb kofta too, with roasted pepper, pickled kohlrabi and burnt butter yoghurt, plus baharat-buttered pink fir potatoes with tarragon. A passion fruit sorbet with Urfa tajin, mezcal and lime rounds things off with a kick.
It’s a lovely light way to raise the curtain on an evening of theatre, but if you’re keen to loosen up a little before the show, then for an additional £21 you can enjoy several consummate paired glasses of wine to go with your food. Cheers to that!
The all-conquering British steakhouse needs little in the way of an introduction; there are now a dozen in operation, including a recent opening in New York that’s been receiving all the plaudits.
Though Hawksmoor isn’t necessarily known for its inclusive pricing, at the Seven Dials outpost, just a short hop from several West End theatres, you’ll find a commendably priced set menu. Right now, through January 2026, their legendary ‘£19 Steak & Side’ promotion is back – one course for £19, two for £23, or three for £26. That gets you 35-day dry-aged rump steak with a choice of side, and you can bookend it with potted beef and bacon to start or a sticky toffee pudding to finish.
It’s one of the best steakhouse deals in London, and you’ll be pleased it wasn’t one of the restaurant’s larger, heavier cuts when you’re bright eyed and bushy tailed come theatre time.
The January menu runs Monday to Friday 12pm-3.15pm and 4.30pm-5.30pm, and Saturday 12pm-5.30pm.
Ideal for celeb spotting with a side of Stateside staples…
There could be nowhere more fitting to end our round-up of the best value pre-theatre menus in the West End than at Joe Allen. Aside from the fantastic New York brasserie-style food and side order of celeb spotting (Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian Mckellen have both been known to dine here), you’ll find excellent value within these hallowed walls. The set menu runs Monday to Friday, midday to 6.30pm, and is just £25 for two courses or £30 for three.
For that straightforward sum, you’ll get satisfying plates loosely inspired by what’s going on Stateside (or rather, what was going on around a century ago), whether that’s a refreshingly uncomplicated Caesar salad or a portion of back baby ribs with bread and butter pickles.
The current set menu keeps things classic – roasted chicken leg with Lyonnaise potatoes, or pan fried gnocchi with roasted squash, tomato and sage if you’re going meat-free. Finish with apple pie and custard, and you’ve well and truly earnt your West End stripes.
Ideal for British cooking with bohemian spirit in the heart of theatreland…
As belts tighten across the UK, Soho’s pre-theatre dining scene seems to be expanding, with diners prioritising efficiency and affordability over languid luxuriating. In a striking corner spot where Brewer Street meets Warwick, Nessa brings a dash of art deco elegance to that scene, proving that a speedy meal needn’t be a gauche one.
Named after Bloomsbury Group artist Vanessa Bell (rather than, as some might assume, Ruth Jones’s Gavin & Stacey character), the restaurant occupies what was once The Warwick pub, now transformed into an elegant dining space by the team behind Mortimer House, anchored by tan and terracotta tones. When warmer months arrive, the al fresco tables under striped green awnings are sure to be among Soho’s most coveted spots, for the people watching as much as the food.
Not that the food doesn’t hit the mark. At the helm is chef Tom Cenci, formerly of Duck & Waffle and Loyal Tavern, whose menu deftly walks the line between comfort and creativity. The Nessa Express menu, served Monday to Friday, offers exceptional value at £22 for two courses or £27 for three – perfectly designed to get you to the theatre in time for a glass of champagne before curtains up.
On a recent menu, a beetroot and sheep’s cheese number, with granola for crunch and hot honey dressing for intrigue, kicks things off. Follow that with a suave artichoke ravioli, given heft and sweetness with an onion puree and nubs of glazed Jerusalem artichoke – it’s a gorgeous dish that’s full of surprises.
Desserts showcase Cenci’s flair for elevated British classics and are the highlight here – the cherry Bakewell with almond frosting and caramelised pecans is fast becoming a signature, a decadent affair that manages to be both light and satisfying.
If it’s on the express menu when you visit, try their carrot cake, which has the sumptuousness of a sticky toffee pudding and is drenched in a decadent buttery carrot caramel. The delicate cream cheese frosting on top lightens things and is topped intriguingly with a subtle sprinkle of dill powder – it’s one of the most memorable desserts we’ve eaten lately.
If you’ve worked up a thirst, slip into the adjacent bar for one of bar manager Floriano Cubeddu’s expertly crafted cocktails. The drinks list champions British producers and seasonal ingredients, perhaps try their Cuppa G&T with Cotswolds gin, Italicus, rose, and cherry, or their signature Boho Negroni featuring East London Gin, nectarine, and saffron. Or, you know, have both; and forget all about the play you’re now missing…
And with its prime location just minutes from the bright lights of Shaftesbury Avenue, Nessa perfectly positioned for an early dinner before the main event.
Just a five minute ride on the Jubilee Line from Canary Wharf to North Greenwich and the O2, it should come as no surprise that the choices for dinner in London’s premier business district are quite corporate. There’s little in the way of creativity or excitement here, in a kind of ‘Mark Zuckerberg only wears grey T-shirts’ utilitarian rejection of mundane decision-making.
No amount of glittering sky-scraper lights can sprinkle any stardust on this most soulless of areas, but nonetheless, Canary Wharf’s chains are some of London’s better ones. There are a couple of independent belters in here for good measure, to be fair.
With that in mind, if you’re heading to the O2 Arena or you’re simply in town to do some business, then you might want to check this out; our guide on the best places to eat in Canary Wharf.
Gopal’s Corner at Market Halls, Canary Wharf
Ideal for authentic Malaysian Tamil street food in a hawker centre-style setting…
A third outpost for the fast proliferating Market Halls concept (with one in London Victoria and another on Oxford Street), you’ll find a few good feeds in the Canary Wharf branch.
Give the lamentably named Le Bab a swerve, and make a play for Gopal’s Corner, by far and away the best ‘stall’ within the covered food hall.
The sibling to beloved London restaurant Roti King, here the proposition is similar; Malaysian Tamil street food featuring freshly slapped roti canai, served in bundles to accompany nourishing curries unafraid of a little oil and salt.
But equally as satisfying are simple but umami-heavy noodle stir-fries, and banana leaf platters laden with curries, crisp papadam, and chutneys positively undulating with the funk of shrimp paste and assertiveness of chilli. Just superb.
Ideal for sophisticated French fare aboard a floating Art Deco dream…
Floating elegantly on the waters of Wood Wharf like some Art Deco fever dream (you haven’t had too much champers, honestly), Marceline feels like it’s been teleported straight from the 6th arrondissement to E14. The latest addition to an increasingly ambitious dining scene whose bubble it feels could be burst at any moment, Marceline occupies the top floor of one of those striking glass pavilions that seem to hover above the dock – you’ll know it as the twin to Hawksmoor’s aquatic outpost (more of that place in a minute).
Inside, it’s a masterclass in modern brasserie design that manages to feel both grand and intimate. The sprawling dining room, awash with walnut wood and burnt orange leather, is cleverly broken up by a mezzanine level that adds a touch of theatre. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the glittering temples to capital outside, while distressed mirrors set high on the walls lend everything that perfectly worn Parisian patina.
The food offering here was developed by Robert Aikens (twin brother of Tom), fresh from relaunching New York’s legendary Pastis, and his menu reads like a greatest hits of bistro classics executed with proper technical rigour. Honestly, in amongst some of the other chain restaurants in Canary Wharf (and on our list), an ‘independent’ joint doing generous, humble French fare is just the ticket and perfectly judged.
The warm cheese soufflé is a cloud-like triumph (horrible phrasing, we know), arriving flamboyantly risen with a gruyère cream sauce that’s given just enough truffle to announce its presence without showboating. The steak tartare, rough-chopped and studded with hazelnuts, gets an inspired lift from artichoke chips and a tangle of watercress.
Prices are refreshingly reasonable for the postcode – the rump steak clocks in at £28 and comes with textbook béarnaise and properly crisp fries. The wine list, curated by former Maaemo sommelier Jeffrey Koren, offers plenty by the glass and some genuine value at the lower end. Do start with their ‘two sips’ martini (£5) – it’s exactly as advertised and the perfect way to kick things off.
Service strikes that sweet spot between Gallic charm and City efficiency. While not seeking to reinvent the wheel, Marceline proves there’s still room for traditional hospitality done properly, even in London’s most corporate corner. Perfect for business lunches that stretch into dinner or long weekend brunches watching the world float by. Just don’t be sick over the side like one particularly lubed-up customer when we were dining here. Two sips just wasn’t in his vocabulary…
Ideal for premium steaks while gently rocking on the dock’s waters…
Thick fillets, thicker wallets? Heavy Malbecs and heaving waistlines? Ruddy-faced investment bankers? It’s a match made in heaven (?) at Hawksmoor, which stands – or rather, floats – proud in the new but strangely barren Wood Wharf development.
This particular branch of the esteemed chain prides itself on its unique waterside setting, offering diners twinkling views of the surrounding docks. Unlike its siblings across the UK, there’s a more relaxed vibe here, with an expansive outdoor terrace that invites guests to enjoy their meals al fresco, weather permitting.
Moving with the tides in a manner that might rock a baby to sleep but can cause a distinct seasickness in a drunk person, this iteration of Hawksmoor is housed in an eco-friendly floating pavilion. The 120-seat waterside bar downstairs (formerly known as The Lowback) now offers the full Hawksmoor experience in a more casual setting, with a heated terrace overlooking the water.
Back in the main dining room, the usual high-quality, properly rested steaks we’ve come to expect at Hawksmoor are here and as they should be, the restaurant’s exemplary bone marrow gravy and anchovy hollandaise both in attendance too, bestowing their umami-laden good will to anything on the plate that makes contact. Mix them together; you know you want to.
Service hours here are pre-gig friendly, too, with the restaurant open for dinner from 4:30pm daily (and all day on Saturdays and Sundays). All gentle sarcasm aside, this is probably the best meal you’re going to get within such a short distance of The O2.
Ideal for ambitious game dishes and that showstopping blooming onion…
ROE is the third restaurant from the trio behind Fallow and Fowl, the former a critically acclaimed ‘nose-to-tail and root-to-stem’ restaurant in St. James, and the latter an ‘off the wall’ chicken shop which is just as annoying as that billing suggests.
The name has been carefully chosen, make no mistake, to emphasise both the restaurant’s sustainability chops (with roe being a male deer native to the British isles that’s considered an ethical source of meat) and as a ‘cheeky’ nod to its location in London’s financial district (ROE, as in, Return On Equity…geddit?).
Anyhow, the restaurant is a whopper, boasting upwards of 350 covers and a dining room the size of an olympic swimming pool and then some. There’s a terrace, too, overlooking the South Dock canal which, in the right light, is a shimmering, twinkling vantage point to be tucking into some snail vindaloo flatbreads, octopus and samphire skewers, and the ROE mixed grill, which is a handsome piece of work.
Featuring grilled venison haunch, crispy ribs and harissa sausage which uses up all the delicious offal, it’s served with aubergine, a piquant green ezme and sesame, all of which serve to see this massive meaty spread happily on its way. Yours for £58, and perfect for sharing between two or three.
That said, and somewhat surprisingly for a restaurant so in thrall to meat, the star of the show for us was the beautiful blooming onion, where a battered onion, deep-fried until crispy and golden with its segments fanned out like flowers, is given a flavour boost with a generous sprinkling of cheese & onion seasoning. A little (a lot) dusty, admittedly, but delicious nonetheless. Served with garlic aioli and pickled onion gel for a bit of vigour and verve, and finally topped with fresh chives, if there was an award for the best alium dish in London, this may just win it.
Honestly, we wanted to hate this place, but the mixed grill sharing plate and that onion are both mighty fine things, and surprisingly good value in a city where prices are on an unstoppable rise skywards.
And then you find out that there is no wine by the glass here below £11 (!), and you’re brought right back down to earth. Well, they did need to turn a profit, after all.
Ideal for well-priced chops when the expenses account is running low…
Image Courtesy of Blacklock
Not to be outdone on the steak front (well, to be slightly outdone, we’d say), the Canary Wharf branch of Blacklock is a decent bet for dinner before heading to the venue, too. Doing all the good things well – as Jay Rayner would say in the vast majority of his positive critiques – the proposition at Blacklock is straightforward. Prosaic, even. And that is, ‘chop love’.
No, not the kind of chop love that the finance bros are enjoying in the cubicles of the restaurant, but rather, a refreshingly brusque selection of steaks (just four) and a couple of bigger ‘door stop thick’ chops, of beef, lamb and pork.
Prices are reasonable, too, with similar cuts of beef clocking in a couple of quid cheaper than Hawksmooor per 100g across the board. As with Hawksmoor, opening hours are agreeable for pre-show dining.
Ideal for late-night Bombay-style comfort after the show…
Image via of Dishoom
Wherever you find a Dishoom in the UK, it’s safe to say that the all-conquering Bombay-inspired chain still delivers if you’re looking for a decent meal that will be consistent, reliable and predictable, which, let’s face it, you are looking for with a concert to get to.
The bacon naan roll (though only on for breakfast, until midday), chicken ruby, okra fries and house black daal are all present and correct here, and done to the same standard as every other Dishoom branch and dark kitchen.
The Canary Wharf iteration of Dishoom is also one of the only places on our list where you could plausibly eat after a concert at The O2, with the restaurant closing at 11pm school nights, and midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Ideal for inclusive Neapolitan pizzas with adventurous dough choices…
Though this London pizza chain (listen to the wind bloowwwww) has only been tossing dough for a decade now, and perhaps owing to the tangible decline in quality of Franco Manca during that time, Zia Lucia has become many Londoners go-to high street Neapolitan pizza joint.
Founded by friends Claudio Vescovo and Gianluca D’Angelo in Islington, 2016, and now with 9 outposts across the city, Zia Lucia distinguishes itself from the rest through its inclusivity. Pizza should, after all, be a democratic, diplomatic affair. Here, there are four different types of dough to choose from: traditional white flour, wholemeal, gluten-free, and a vegetable charcoal black base.
Ideal for traditional Thai feasting before a scenic cable car ride…
Fire emojis at the ready, Nakhon Thai is the best place to eat in the Royal Docks section of London’s Docklands, its old-school royal Thai sensibility a charming change from the proliferation of ‘nu’ Thai restaurants a few miles east.
The menu is intimidating in its expansiveness, but the Nakhon Thai Platter is a good place to start. A collection of small bites and dips, the chicken satay is the star here, arriving pleasingly blistered and burnished rather than a uniform glowing curcuma. The fish cakes are great too, boasting plenty of that much sought after ‘factory bounce’.
Follow with a glowing, generously portioned green curry of chicken, the bitter crunch of its pea aubergines bringing some respite from the throbbing sweetness. Balance it out with a regionally-ambiguous som tam and some steamed jasmine rice for a meal that feels complete.
A couple of ice-cold 630ml Singhas is all you need to see you on your way.
Speaking of being on your way, the journey to The O2 Arena from Nakhon Thai is a real treat – the quickest route is over the Thames by IFS Cloud Cable Car. What fun!
Ideal for intimate Japanese izakaya with perfectly curated small plates…
This. This is the place. A compact, independent Japanese izakaya with a concise, almost clinical menu that chimes perfectly with the utilitarian decor of the place, Uoichi is an awesome spot for a quick lunch or dinner before heading over to Greenwich.
Compile your order from the ‘snack’ and ‘grill’ sections of the menu for best results; the monkfish liver, served in generous pucks, simply steamed, is superb. When they are on the menu, a must order is the kaki fry which sees oysters panko-coated, deep-fried until golden brown and served with tonkatsu sauce. Pair that with a plate of pickles, perhaps some sesame seed-sprinkled chicken wings, and a glass or two of ice-cold sake, and you’ve got yourself a meal that feels both wholesome and a little indulgent.
The tunes are great, too, the Meiko Nakahara deep cuts feeling synergistic with Uoichi’s wider surroundings. Fuck The O2; we might just stay here a while…
That 5am departure to Barcelona looks like a bargain at £47 return. But before you book, consider what happens at the other end of the transaction: how exactly are you getting to the airport at 3am?
Budget airlines have built their business models around unsociable hours. Slots at Stansted, Luton and Gatwick come cheaper in the small hours, and those savings get passed on to passengers. But the airport itself is only half the journey, and a £50 flight that requires a £120 taxi was never really £50 at all.
Here’s how to avoid the most common traps.
Calculate Door-To-Door, Not Airport-To-Airport
Open a spreadsheet before you book anything and calculate every expense from your front door to your destination. Include ground transport at your specific departure time (not the daytime fare you’re imagining), parking if driving, any overnight accommodation, and transport at the other end too. Compare this total across different flight times, not just the ticket price. A flight costing £30 more but departing at 11am frequently works out cheaper once you factor in a standard train versus a pre-dawn taxi.
Use Overnight Flights To Eliminate A Hotel Night
Long-haul red-eyes have a hidden benefit: they can eliminate your first night’s accommodation cost entirely. A flight departing at 10pm that lands at 6am local time means you sleep on the plane instead of paying for a hotel room you’d barely use.
For destinations where hotels run £150+ per night, this represents genuine savings even if the overnight flight costs slightly more than a daytime alternative. The calculation works best for travellers who can actually sleep on planes, but even a few hours of broken rest beats paying for a bed you’d only occupy briefly before an early checkout.
Understand The Regional Airport Trade-Off
Flying from Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester or Edinburgh often costs slightly more per ticket, but ground transport savings can flip the equation entirely. If you’re based in the Midlands, a £80 flight from Birmingham beats a £50 flight from Luton once you add the £60 train fare to get there.
More importantly, regional airports tend to be smaller, faster to navigate, and less prone to the chaotic security queues that make London hubs so stressful during peak periods.
Know The Taxi Tipping Point
Solo taxi journeys to airports rarely represent good value, but the equation shifts dramatically with more passengers. Taxis to Heathrow, Gatwick or other London airports become the smartest option once you’re splitting the fare two, three or four ways. A £90 taxi divided among three people costs £30 each, which often undercuts three separate train tickets while offering door-to-door convenience and no luggage hassle.
The tipping point for most airport runs sits around two passengers; beyond that, taxis almost always win.
Check What Your Destination Airport Actually Connects To
Budget airlines love secondary airports: Beauvais instead of Paris, Treviso instead of Venice, Girona instead of Barcelona. The flight savings can evaporate entirely when you discover the ‘Barcelona’ airport requires a 90-minute bus transfer costing €15 each way.
Before booking, search the actual transport options from your arrival airport to where you’re staying. Sometimes the budget airline’s secondary airport is genuinely convenient. Often it adds hours and costs that would have paid for the mainstream alternative.
Beware the False Economy Of Connections
Flying via a hub like Amsterdam, Dublin or Madrid can slash ticket prices, but connections introduce risk that’s difficult to price. A 90-minute layover looks efficient until your inbound flight runs 40 minutes late and you’re sprinting through Schiphol. If you miss the connection, the airline will rebook you, but you’ll lose hours or potentially an entire day.
For short trips especially, a missed connection can wipe out a significant chunk of your holiday. The direct flight costing £60 more might represent the better value once you account for the stress and the statistical probability of delays.
Budget airline pricing assumes you’re travelling with hand luggage only. The moment you add a checked bag, the equation changes substantially. Ryanair and easyJet charge £20-45 each way for hold luggage depending on when you book and the route. That £40 fare becomes £120 return once you’ve added a suitcase.
Before celebrating a cheap headline price, click through to the final checkout screen with your actual luggage requirements selected. Sometimes a legacy carrier with included baggage undercuts the budget option once you’re comparing like for like.
Consider Whether You Actually Need To Fly
For destinations under 500 miles, the train often competes once you account for total journey time and cost. A London to Paris flight might take 90 minutes in the air, but add security queues, boarding, taxiing, immigration, and the journey from a suburban airport to the city centre, and you’re looking at five or six hours door-to-door.
The Eurostar takes 2 hours 15 minutes from central London to central Paris, with none of the airport theatre. For Amsterdam, Brussels, Lille and other northern European cities, the train increasingly makes sense on both time and cost, particularly when you factor in the productivity or relaxation possible on a train versus the dead time of airports.
Look At What Day You’re Flying, Not Just What Time
Tuesday and Wednesday departures consistently price lower than Friday and Sunday flights on the same routes, sometimes by £50-100 per person. If your schedule allows any flexibility, shifting your trip by a day or two can unlock savings that dwarf the difference between a 6am and 11am departure. The cheapest flight of the week at a reasonable hour often beats the cheapest flight of the day you’ve fixated on.
Don’t Assume Booking Early Is Always Cheaper
The conventional wisdom says book flights months ahead for the best prices. This holds for peak summer weeks and school holidays, but for off-peak travel, airlines often drop prices as departure dates approach to fill empty seats.
If you’re flexible and travelling outside busy periods, setting a price alert and waiting can pay off. The risk is that prices rise instead, but for low-season city breaks, last-minute deals frequently undercut the advance purchase price.
Account for What You’ll Spend Because You’re Tired and Hungry
Is saving £30 on that earlier flight worth it?
Early flights create knock-on costs that don’t appear on any receipt. You’re more likely to buy expensive airport coffee because you’re exhausted, and if your departure time coincides with breakfast or lunch, you’ll almost certainly eat at the terminal rather than at home. Airport food runs two to three times high street prices: a sandwich, coffee and bottle of water can easily cost £15-18.
You’ll probably take a taxi at your destination rather than navigate public transport with heavy luggage (and eyes!). You might write off your first afternoon to a nap instead of sightseeing. None of these show up in a spreadsheet comparison, but they represent real money and real lost time. The flight that lets you travel rested and fed often pays for itself in decisions you won’t make from a place of exhaustion and hunger.
The Bottom Line
The cheapest flight is only cheap if getting there doesn’t cost more than you saved. Before booking, calculate the genuine door-to-door total for each option, factor in your luggage, your energy levels, and the realistic probability that everything goes to plan. The headline price is marketing. The number that matters is what actually leaves your account.
Moving out is never easy, particularly when it comes to cleaning the property you’ve made memories in. When ending a tenancy in the UK, leaving the property sparkling clean is not just courteous – it’s usually a ‘requirement’ to help you reclaim your full deposit.
Not keen on hiring a professional cleaning company? No problem. Here are 10 essential steps to tackle the end-of-tenancy cleaning yourself, ensuring you leave your landlord happy and your deposit intact.
Step 1: Organise Your Cleaning Tasks
Begin by organising your cleaning tasks, methodically, deliberately and practically. Develop a detailed checklist of all areas that need cleaning. You will, of course, need to customise the list according to your property but usually, it includes bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, living room, hallways, and any outdoor areas.
Step 2: Invest In The Necessary Cleaning Appliances & Products
Invest in sturdy, quality cleaning appliances, such as a hoover, mop and squirt bottles. Multi-purpose scrub brushes and a sturdy bucket will also come in handy. Good quality appliances not only make the cleaning process quicker and easier, but they also provide a better finish.
Before splashing out, though, it’s worth weighing up the costs; end of tenancy cleaning in London might run you £200-400 depending on property size, so if you’re buying equipment from scratch, the savings from DIY may be slimmer than you think.
Avoid the typical one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to cleaning solutions. Glass surfaces, wooden floors, and kitchen counters all sparkle best when cleaned with substance-appropriate solutions – steer clear from using abrasive cleaners on delicate surfaces.
Step 4: Freshen Up Walls & Doors
Although walls and doors are not likely to be muddied, they often bear scuff marks or smudges. Cleaning these visually noticeable areas can greatly improve the overall appearance of the rooms. A quick wipe down with soapy water usually does the trick.
Step 5: Deep-Clean Carpets
Carpets might be the most challenging aspects of end-of-tenancy cleaning. Carpets often accumulate dust and debris over the years and may not revive with a simple vacuuming. If your property has carpets, hire or purchase a carpet cleaner to deep-clean and reinvigorate them.
Step 6: Pay Attention To Kitchen Appliances
Kitchen appliances, like your oven and refrigerator, will likely need a thorough clean. Take your time to remove grime, burned food particles, accumulated dust and, of course, cooking smells. Mainly for ovens, specialised cleaning solutions may be required—ensure you use these cautiously to not damage the appliance.
Step 7: Deep Clean Your Bathroom(s)
Bathrooms would greatly benefit from a deep, angular clean. Address limescale on taps and shower heads using a suitable descaler. Clean the toilet bowl, floors, and wipe mirrors and windows spotlessly.
Step 8: Don’t Neglect The Exterior
If your property includes an outside space, don’t overlook these areas. Sweeping the patio, tidying up the lawn and trimming overgrown plants can hasten the retrieval of your deposit.
Step 9: Validate The Cleaning Process
Next, don’t forget to validate your hard work. Return to your initial cleaning checklist and cross check each item. If possible, ask an impartial friend or family member to review the rooms. This can ensure that the cleaning task is completed thoroughly, (hopefully) securing the full return of your deposit.
Step 10: Document Everything
Before you hand back the keys, take dated photographs and videos of every room, including close-ups of appliances, fixtures, and any areas that might later be disputed. This visual evidence can prove invaluable should your landlord attempt to make unfair deductions from your deposit.
Store these images securely, perhaps in a cloud folder, and consider emailing them to yourself so you have a timestamped record. If there were any pre-existing issues when you moved in, cross-reference your new photos with your original inventory to demonstrate nothing has worsened under your tenancy.
Is Professional End-of-Tenancy Cleaning Mandatory by Law In The UK?
One question that often arises among occupants preparing to move out is whether professional end-of-tenancy cleaning is legally required. In the UK, the simple answer to this is “No”. However, like most legal matters, there’s more to the story.
According to the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords or letting agencies are not permitted to require tenants to pay for a professional cleaning service when moving out. They also cannot automatically deduct money from the tenant’s deposit for cleaning charges.
The landlord has the right, however, to stipulate that a property be returned in the same condition (excluding normal wear and tear) that it was initially rented out in. If the tenant did not do this or if the rental agreement included such a clause and the property was initially rented out in a professionally cleaned state, it is implied that the tenant is required to return it in a similarly professionally cleaned state.
That being said, while landlords can request this, they cannot enforce it or hold back deposit money without proof of necessity. If issues do arise, deposit disputes can be submitted free of charge to a Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) – one of the three government-approved Deposit Protection Services – for adjudication. The TDS adjudicates with complete impartiality and makes a binding decision based on the evidence presented.
In general, therefore, while professional cleaning may not be mandatory by law, it might be strongly advised in the tenancy agreement to ensure a hassle-free conclusion to your tenancy, especially in cases where the property was initially rented out in a professionally cleaned state.
You might want to consider getting quotes from a cleaning service before deciding whether to do it yourself or hire professional help. Regardless of whether you do hire a professional cleaning service or choose to clean the property yourself, just remember that a spotlessly clean property when you vacate can prevent any cleaning cost deductions from your deposit and make your moving process much smoother. The choice, ultimately, lies in your rubber-gloved hands.
The Bottom Line
While end-of-tenancy cleaning can feel like a mammoth task, a structured and systematic approach can help make it manageable. In doing so, you’ll not only (fingers crossed!) save a fair bit of money,, but also build novel cleaning skills to serve you in your future home. Good luck, and may your end-of-tenancy cleaning be as smooth as possible!
Hey, you! Yes, you. Eyes off the TikTok tab. We see you. We hope we can keep your attention at least unt……..
Hello! Are you still with us? Back in the room. Sometimes, checking out memes and reading funny motivational quotes on your socials feed may not be the best way to get your work done.
We realise a discussion of procrastination and motivation doesn’t have the same gravitational pull as the ol’ scroll and swipe, but if you’ve found your lack of focus affecting your work and productivity lately, then it might be worth your while to stick with us.
Now that the novelty of working from home has worn off, so many of us have found the home office environment to be somewhat lacking in motivation. In fact, research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, drawing on the 2024 Household Pulse Survey of over 87,000 employed US adults, found that those working remotely three to four days per week had 16% higher odds of reporting loneliness than those not working remotely at all, with similar patterns for those working from home five or more days.
The key here, perhaps, for achieving the right balance of productivity and personal contentment is to make the home office environment conducive to clear-headedness and focus.
The irony’s not lost on us; offering tips on staying focused and motivated when you’re probably reading this article to distract yourself from work perhaps isn’t the best idea, but consider the next five minutes an investment, in your productivity and your mindset. You’re here now, and we have your attention, so do yourself a favour and read on; if you’re still WFH in 2026, then here’s how to stay focused and motivated while working from home.
Establish A Daily Routine
First, you should establish a daily routine. While one of the perks of remote work is the fact that you have more freedom, you will find that it is much easier to stay organised and productive when you have a routine. This means you should get up, start work, take breaks and finish at roughly the same time each day.
Download A Productivity App
Sure, it feels counter-intuitive to be outsourcing your attention span to the one thing so desperate to steal it, but productivity apps and tools are a great way to stay motivated, especially if you have a build up of assignments on your to-do list which are clouding your judgment or concentration. By outsourcing some of the more tedious aspects of organisation to the wonderful world of automation, you can free yourself up for the more creative elements of your role.
Such apps can, at a most basic level, offer deadline reminders and prioritise your tasks accordingly, as well as enabling job tracking and scheduling in an easy to view format. More advanced (usually ‘premium’ and requiring a monthly subscription) versions of productivity apps facilitate easy communication between colleagues remotely, enabling even greater organisation of your responsibilities. All of this leads to better focus when working from home.
Easier said than done, we know. Hey, we’ve walked off to the fridge several times already whilst writing this sentence. But procrastination, in its many sneaky guises, is the enemy of home office based productivity.
As the guys at Mind Cafe highlight, we often “blame lack of self-motivation, laziness, or incompetence for procrastination. In reality, procrastination is chemical and it’s all to do with a battle between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex in the brain.”
They go on to explain that “The limbic system is the emotional part of the brain, which includes the pleasure center. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for processing information and making decisions. The prefrontal cortex is less developed, and so it is weaker.’
‘That is why, usually, the limbic system wins the prefrontal cortex and thus creating procrastination. The limbic system is one of the dominant parts of the brain and could easily take over if you lose focus on the task at hand. This results in giving in to what makes us feel good, leading to the secretion of dopamine that comes with procrastination.”
Stock Up On Both Office & Lunch Supplies
Crafting your set-up for working from home is paramount to your productivity. One aspect often overlooked is ensuring that you have a plentiful stock of both office and lunch supplies. This is crucial not only to keep you comfortable but to ward off distraction and increase your work efficiency.
Running out of printer ink mid-deadline or realising you’ve no lunch in the fridge are small disruptions that derail focus disproportionately. Keep your home office stocked with essentials from reliable stationery suppliers; every trip to the shop or frantic drawer-rummage for a working pen is momentum lost.
Similarly, prepping your lunch supplies plays an equally important role. As appealing as it might sound to potter about in the kitchen on a leisurely lunch break, these diversions often end up taking longer than intended. Before you know it, a fifteen-minute break has spiralled into an hour. Having your lunch pre-prepared or at least having all the necessary ingredients on hand, enables you to have a balanced meal in a timely manner. This not only helps you keep to a schedule, but it also ensures that you’re providing your body with the necessary fuel to continue working effectively during the afternoon.
Find New Rewards For Working
To put it another way, Judson A Brewer, a neuroscientist and director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Centre at Brown University, tells the Guardian that “procrastination has its origins in reward-based learning: a trigger (think about a deadline), a behaviour (scroll social media), then a reward (distract from the unpleasant thought).”
She goes on to say that “Willpower alone is often not enough to overcome such a powerful impulse, evolved to help us remember where to find food.’’
Basically, it’s about reframing that sense of reward. Brewer explains that “The reward can be reframed as the feeling of accomplishment, instead of the relief (tempered by guilt and building anxiety) of a momentary distraction. Reflecting on the rewarding properties of not procrastinating builds healthy habits that become stronger than procrastination itself – hacking our brain in the process.”
The key here is skilfully identifying your procrastinating behaviours and finding new rewards to replace previous distraction methods. If these rewards boost your productivity in the process, then you’re on to a winner!
Don’t Forget To Take Breaks
Perhaps the best reward of all is a short, purposeful break, enabling you to recalibrate and refresh before returning to work reinvigorated.
When your mind becomes tired, unfocused or stressed regarding a deadline, it’s natural to pull up Twitter, scroll meaninglessly, get angry about the state of the world, curse the Kardashian’s good fortune, wonder if a bear would beat a lion in a fight…
Sorry, we got distracted again there. Instead, it pays to identify when your brain needs a distraction, rather than subconsciously seeking one, and making that distraction (the ‘reward’) count.
Rather than reaching for your phone and opening up Instagram, why not take yourself off for a quick walk around the block? The sun on your face and eyes away from screens will open up a fresh sense of perspective and inspiration, enabling you to work better when you return.
Or, consider running on the spot for five minutes or doing a set of sit-ups; make your rewards healthy and beneficial, and you’ll break that procrastination cycle we mentioned so much more effectively.
As long as the reward is productive and wholesome, it’s fair game, we think. Having a crack at a crossword, playing Sudoku or even reading a chapter of your bookcan all help you find new energy and motivation.
Set Personal Goals
Personal goals, targets and outcome paths are crucial when it comes to staying motivated and productive. Simply sashaying through the day, ticking boxes and doing the bear minimum genuinely takes up as much time and effort as completing your tasks thoroughly and with full attention. The only difference is that the latter advances your career and sense of personal worth.
So, set goals, both in the short term (deadlines) and longer term (a promotion or industry-based award) to reinforce that sense of achievement and reward which is key to self-discipline and motivation when you’re working from home.
Keep Your Body Active
It’s not just your mind which needs stimulation to avoid distraction; keeping your body active is essential, too, to ensure you’re fighting fit each and every day, and motivated to reach your goals.
Working out is a great way to stay productive and be more energized throughout the day. Physical activity gives you a more consistent control of your energy levels, both in your body and your brain, and has even been said to increase your overall productivity in the process.
Don’t feel the need to overwork yourself in the name of someone else’s concept of ‘productivity’; doing so will only lead to burnout.
Instead, make sure you’re setting boundaries and drawing distinctions between work and home. Remind your workplace that a stressed colleague isn’t a successful one, and try these ways to de-stress after a tough day at the home office, too.
The Bottom Line
It’s challenging to stay motivated and focused, even at the best of times. And we probably don’t have to remind you that these are most certainly not the best of times.
But by learning to understand the procrastination cycle, and by setting goals and targets, as well as keeping your mind and body active, you’ll be able to adapt to home working with increasing ease and comfort. Good luck!
January is a cruel month. The tree comes down, the credit card statement lands with a thud, and your bank balance looks like it’s been through a particularly brutal episode of The Traitors. But here’s the thing: while you’re counting pennies and wondering why you bought quite so much Baileys, there’s a good chance your hard-earned cash is quietly haemorrhaging out of your account without you even noticing.
Welcome to the world of zombie subscriptions. According to research from Nationwide cited by The Guardian, UK households are spending up to £1,200 a year on subscription services, with a staggering 19% of subscribers not even using every platform they pay for.
The same research found that more than a third of people are paying for duplicate subscriptions, while almost half don’t share a single subscription with anyone else in their household. Streaming platforms are the worst offenders, with 23% of respondents admitting they pay twice for services like Netflix, NOW TV, or Disney+.
The potential savings from killing off these financial vampires could reach £400 annually, which is not an insignificant sum when you’re staring down the barrel of a long, cold February.
The Great Subscription Audit
The first step to financial resurrection is understanding exactly what’s lurking in your bank statements. Personal finance experts recommend a thorough audit: go through your statements, collate payments to streaming services, apps, delivery subscriptions, and gym memberships onto a spreadsheet, and note when you last actually used each one. You might be surprised, or frankly horrified, by what you find.
That meditation app you downloaded during the first lockdown and used precisely twice? Still charging you £9.99 a month. The recipe box subscription you signed up for when you had ambitions of becoming a home cook? That’s another £50 quietly disappearing every four weeks.
The approach is straightforward: audit your subscriptions, note down renewal dates, then contact providers and politely explain you’re considering leaving. The key word here is politely. Staying calm and kind gets better results than going in heated, since retention agents are far more likely to help customers who explain their situation clearly rather than those who open with accusations. Think of it less as a confrontation and more as a negotiation where both parties want to find a solution.
The Mobile Phone Money Pit
While you’re reviewing your subscriptions, there’s another zombie lurking that could be costing you far more than any streaming service: your mobile phone contract. Around five million mobile subscribers are at risk of overpaying their bills while remaining out of contract, paying on average an extra £351 annually by staying put compared to switching to a SIM-only plan.
The maths here is brutal but worth understanding. If your bundled phone contract includes a handset, you’ve essentially paid it off once your initial contract ends, usually after 24 months. But here’s the catch that catches so many people out: your monthly payments don’t automatically drop to reflect this. You’ll continue paying the same amount, or more, indefinitely, essentially buying a phone you already own over and over again.
Text ‘INFO’ to 85075 to find out if you’re out of contract. If the reply shows zero cancellation charges, you’re free to take your business elsewhere. For the best deals, compare the best SIM only deals rather than approaching operators directly, and don’t forget you can haggle with your current provider using competitor rates as leverage. Loyalty may be a virtue in friendships, but in telecoms it’s just expensive.
Energy: Switch Or Get Switched
The energy market has finally returned to something resembling sanity after years of chaos, which means switching is back on the menu. Households on the Price Cap could save around £250 annually by moving to a fixed tariff, and with government’s Autumn Budget changes set to knock approximately £150 off energy bills from April 2026, those on fixed tariffs should see their providers pass on equivalent savings.
Even without the hassle of switching, there are quick wins to be had. Lowering your boiler’s flow temperature to between 55°C and 60°C can cut energy use by around 12%, saving roughly £65 a year. Dropping your thermostat by just one degree, a difference you’ll barely notice under a blanket, could yield savings of up to £145 annually.
The Insurance Loyalty Penalty
Despite FCA rules introduced in 2022 to stop insurers overcharging existing customers, the so-called ‘loyalty penalty’ hasn’t entirely disappeared. Letting your car insurance auto-renew collectively costs UK drivers £560 million a year in higher premiums, which is a staggering amount of money being left on the table through sheer inertia.
The sweet spot for renewing? Research from MoneySavingExpert suggests 20 to 26 days before your policy start date, which could save you up to 40% compared to leaving it until the last minute. The reasoning is delightfully absurd: insurers apparently view last-minute renewers as disorganised and therefore higher risk, while those who sort things out a few weeks early are rewarded for their administrative virtue. Search in the morning rather than the evening too, since insurers apparently view late-night policy hunters with similar suspicion.
Free Money From Bank Switching
Here’s the closest thing to free money you’ll find in 2026: bank switching bonuses. According to Moneyfactscompare, several high street banks are currently offering substantial incentives to lure new customers. Lloyds has £250 available for switching to a Club Lloyds account before 3 February 2026, TSB offers £200 with its Spend & Save accounts, and First Direct provides £175 plus access to a 7% Regular Saver.
The Current Account Switch Service makes the whole process painless, completing in just seven working days with your payments, Direct Debits, and standing orders all transferred automatically. It’s genuinely one of the few areas where bureaucracy has been streamlined to the point of near-invisibility.
The Bottom Line
The January financial hangover is real, but it doesn’t have to define your entire year. Between zombie subscriptions, overpriced phone contracts, auto-renewing insurance, and unclaimed switching bonuses, the average household is leaving hundreds of pounds on the table.
A few hours of admin spread across a couple of weekends could mean the difference between scraping by until payday and actually having something left over at the end of each month. And if that’s not a resolution worth keeping, we’re not sure what is.
Ideal for banh, bun and beyond in Thailand’s capital…
Vietnamese restaurants have historically been thin on the ground in Bangkok, overshadowed by the city’s Japanese, Chinese and Korean options, and the Thai capital’s insatiable desire for bold, bracing flavours.
Which is surprising, when you think about it, given how deep the culinary connection actually runs. A significant Vietnamese population has lived in Isan for generations, particularly around Udon Thani, Nong Khai and Nakhon Phanom, and their influence on the region’s food is considerable. VT Namnueng in Udon Thani is so beloved that Bangkokians regularly receive deliveries of their sausages via the night train from the north, and dishes like kuay jap yuan (a Vietnamese-influenced rolled noodle soup) have become a beloved fixture of the broader Thai culinary canon.
But despite this history, the kind of regional depth you’d find in Paris or Melbourne has been harder to come by in the capital. Or harder to find, at least, given that few of these restaurants have much of an Instagram presence, and some require Google Maps and a willingness to follow a pin into a parking lot to track down. Yet between them, they cover everything from royal Hue recipes to southern home cooking.
With that in mind, and seemingly with an ability to never get full, we’ve eaten our way across the Thai capital, following strands of pho like Theseus in the maze, leaving a trail of banh mi crumbs in our wake, in search of the best food from Vietnam. Here’s what we found; the best Vietnamese restaurants in Bangkok.
Le Dalat, Sukhumvit
Ideal for refined Vietnamese cooking in a century-old transplanted teak house…
We had to start here, at Bangkok’s most venerable Vietnamese restaurant. Le Dalat sits at the end of a leafy soi off Sukhumvit 23, its entrance shaded by a banyan tree whose aerial roots form a canopy overhead, and a courtyard garden beyond that makes you forget you’re minutes from a sky train.
The building tells an interesting story: a century-old teak house shipped piece by piece from Vietnam and reassembled where it now stands. Completing that sense of escapism, lotus-petal lamps hang above cooling terracotta floors, and staff in traditional ao dai guide you through an extensive menu of refined, French-colonial-era celebration recipes.
Just like the setting, dishes are gently theatrical in that playful way you get from a Viet joint charging a little above the baseline. Spring rolls arrive standing on their ends like little towers, carrots are carved into flowers, that kind of thing – but the cooking is precise and expertly seasoned when you peel away the frippery.
The cha tom is superb; shrimp patties shaped around a sugarcane and grilled with the kind of delicate attention that marks out the very best Vietnamese food. Continuing on that theme, the banh cuon is as exquisite and silky as anything you’d eat in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
From the larger plates, the ‘Indochine’ beef stew rewards those not deterred by its prosaic description with rich, slow-cooked depth and the misty warmth of spices that define Vietnamese braised dishes. The ga sa gung (chicken with caramelised ginger) is a signature worth ordering – it’s bright but boasts profound depth, simultaneously.
Prices sit at the higher end for Vietnamese food in Bangkok, but portions are generous and the setting warrants a certain premium. That garden courtyard is a real joy, offering respite from Sukhumvit’s reliable chaos, and lunch here can easily stretch into the afternoon if you realise you’re not ready to brave Asok station just yet. Google might list service as ending at 2:30pm, but we’ve never been moved on when staying later.
If you’re to visit one Vietnamese restaurant in Bangkok for a special occasion, make it Le Dalat.
Ideal for Michelin-recognised French-Vietnamese fusion in heritage surrounds…
Thien Duong has been serving faithful, assured Vietnamese food in Bangkok for close to four decades, but its current incarnation inside the heritage grounds of Baan Dusit Thani feels thoroughly contemporary.
The name means ‘paradise’ in Vietnamese, and the setting does its best to deliver. If your idea of heaven is closer to a tropical fever dream, that is. Tropical murals swallow the walls whole, a rainbow of tiles runs down the floor like an airport runway, and bright rattan chairs compete with it all for your attention. It’s a lot, and it shouldn’t work, but somehow it does, the greenery brushing against the windows and the colour on your plate helping it all feel of a piece.
Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition speaks to the quality. Or, perhaps, it just serves to highlight the Francophile proclivities of the Big Red Book, as the menu at Thien Duong leans into the French-colonial influence on Vietnamese cuisine more explicitly than most places in the city. A case in point; the grilled lamb rack with mint-tamarind sauce, which is a signature that regulars return for, though the kitchen is at its best in the more traditional dishes like cha ca, the Hanoi speciality of turmeric-fried fish served sizzling at the table.
A shout out to the page-long dessert menu, the rabbit under Thien Duong’s nón lá, a real treat. Longans bobbing in sweetened coconut cream, sweet sago with cantaloupe, sesame dumplings in ginger syrup… Vietnamese desserts share an intertwined DNA with their Thai cousins, and it’s a neat way to circle back before you step out, blinking into the harsh light of Silom.
Not before a Vietnamese drip coffee, mind, which here is excellent, prepared with a ‘phin’ metal filter and sweetened condensed milk that defines the style. Cocktails draw on Vietnamese herbs – makrut lime, Thai basil, lemongrass – and are worth exploring if you’re settling in for the evening, high on that strong coffee and with no hope of an early night. In Bangkok, there never is…
Ideal for family recipes from Vietnam’s former imperial capital…
This family-run shophouse near Wat Pho focuses on the food of northern and central Vietnam. The name nods to Tonkin and Annam, the French colonial terms for those regions, and to the owners’ grandparents who came from Hanoi and Hue respectively. Headlining dishes here skew towards the imperial capital, but the austere, savoury sensibility of Hanoi is all present and correct, too.
Run by noted food anthropologist Gai Lai Mitwichan and his sister, the two-storey space has a modern shabby-chic feel, with distressed walls and unassuming artwork. The cooking is anything but casual, though. It’s precise and deliberate, in fact, and is as close to the real thing as we’ve had in Bangkok.
Bun bo Hue is the dish to order: a deeply flavoured beef noodle soup that’s spicier and more aesthetically complex than pho. Tonkin-Annam’s version uses a family recipe, with tender chunks of beef and a lemongrass-heavy broth that rewards those who like their soups with backbone. That spine is reinforced further with the low thrum and subtle sweetness of good shrimp paste. Dare we venture that they’ve deployed a bit of gapi here, rather than the funkier, brasher mam tom? It’s a move that works in the regal shadow of two iconic wats, we think.
Equally good is the banh xeo. Here, it’s the size of a hubcap and its lacey batter shatters satisfyingly when you attempt to dissect it with chopsticks. Stuffed generously with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts, the accompanying bundle of fresh herbs brings everything to life.
It’s all so delicious, which makes the unceremonious removal of Michelin recognition last year feel all the more curious. Ignore the red guide on this one; Tonkin-Annam remains the best option for regional Vietnamese cooking in all of Bangkok.
Note that it’s cash only, and reservations (exclusively by phone) are recommended given the limited seating. If you do pitch up and find there’s a queue, there’s a mighty fine view of Wat Arun from just outside the restaurant to keep you busy.
Ideal for home-style Vietnamese with Michelin Guide consistency…
Saigon Recipe occupies three storeys of the Piman 49 complex off Sukhumvit Soi 49, run by a Japanese-Vietnamese couple who wanted to recreate the feeling of eating at home in Vietnam. Chalk-yellow walls, silk lanterns, paintings of women in ao dai and a soundtrack of pre-1975 Vietnamese ballads set the scene and deliver on their mission.
The menu covers southern and central Vietnam without claiming strict regional purity. Canh chua ca loc, the sour soup with snakehead fish that’s a southern staple, is a signature worth ordering – it’s pert and alive, and gives your tom yum gung next door a run for its money in the revitalising stakes.
The bo la lot – beef wrapped in peppery ‘betel’ leaves and grilled over charcoal – is another highlight, and the bánh mì is a reliable rendition (honestly, we’ve not found a great one in Bangkok).
Work your way through the excellent sinh to (Vietnamese smoothies) menu, which comes in everything from watermelon to avocado, the latter a classic in Vietnam. There’s a good selection of fresh juices too – pandan leaf with sugarcane, lemongrass, lime soda – that suit the Bangkok heat.
The kitchen has held a Michelin Guide listing since 2020, which speaks to its consistency if not its fireworks. Vietnamese cooks staff the stoves and the owners source vegetables from their farm in Pathumthani, so freshness isn’t an issue. Pricing is moderate for the area, and free parking makes it a practical option for those driving.
Ideal for seafood-forward Vietnamese in a gorgeous heritage setting…
An Com An Ca opened in September 2022 inside a 100-year-old Indo-Chinese house on a narrow lane in Sathorn, and quickly became one of the most talked-about Vietnamese openings in years. The name translates as ‘eat rice, eat fish’, and the menu leans heavily on seafood dishes alongside the usual street food staples.
The setting is the initial draw: wooden beams, geometric tile floors and a garden courtyard that feels entirely removed from central Bangkok. Step inside, though, and the spell admittedly wavers – glossy picture menus and a familiar slickness betray its origins as an Iberry group operation. No bad thing, just a little corporate. An Com An Ca has eight branches now, the majority in shopping malls, and you can feel it.
Cooking is polished rather than rustic accordingly, with spring rolls arriving crisp and greaseless. There is pho on the menu, but in our view, pho is always better from a dedicated slinger who has caressed the stock all night – or, in some cases, for years. When buried on a menu of country-spanning dishes, it’s so often insipid.
The fish dishes are why you’re here. Grilled blood cockles with scallion oil, spicy Indochina river prawns, and bánh khọt – crispy, turmeric-tinted mini pancakes each crowned with a single shrimp – are the plates to order. That banh khot is particularly good, its presentation sharp, its flavour precise.
The Sathorn original remains the most atmospheric of the eight. Prices are higher than the neighbourhood noodle shops but reasonable for the more opulent setting.
Ideal for a Hanoi grandmother’s recipes given a contemporary refresh…
The original Le Mai Anh operated on Samsen Road near the Chao Phraya for over two decades, serving home-style Vietnamese food from recipes passed down by the owner’s Hanoi-born grandmother.
Though we miss the nourishing nature of the original, there’s no point getting stuck in the past now things have moved on. LELE is its modernised successor, relocated to Sukhumvit 31 and given a contemporary refresh while keeping the dishes that built the original’s reputation. The name means ‘quickly, quickly’ in Vietnamese, a nod to the fast-casual format, but the pace here is unhurried.
Nem nuong (the old Thai favourite that isn’t nearly as popular in actual Vietnam) is the signature: charcoal-grilled pork sausage served with rice paper, fresh herbs and a thoroughly complex dipping sauce made from over 20 ingredients. The classic accompaniment of spring rolls is done well here; thin-skinned and generously stuffed.
Back to Hanoi, and LELE’s pho takes a milder, northern approach that favours savoury and subtlety over punch. A risk in a city that likes its food loud, perhaps, but one that pays off in a bowl that’s truly fortifying. There’s even a rare outing for a pork version of this most famous Vietnamese soup, and you know what? It works.
Interestingly, LELE also does one of the best yum naem khao tod we’ve had in Bangkok – a curious interloper at first glance, but one which makes sense when you consider how freely fermented pork traditions travel across Indochina. The dish is Lao in origin, Thai by adoption, and the sour pork at its heart has cousins in every country in the region. It’s ace, and LELE is where we head when we have a craving for this elite salad.
Bright and modern, the space is a world away from the cosy Samsen original, and service is efficient without being rushed. Opening hours run 8am to 8pm daily – a reminder that Vietnamese food is best at breakfast – making this a solid option when you fancy a break from jok.
Ideal for cheap and cheerful Vietnamese home cooking in unexpected surrounds…
Finding Madame Ong requires commitment: you enter through a parking lot, pass the lobby of VP Tower apartment building, and eventually arrive at a fluorescent-lit dining room with formica tables and zero pretension. The eponymous Madame Ong still dines at her own restaurant several times a week, and the place fills up with local families who’ve been coming for years.
‘Vietnamese pizza’ is the dish that draws people here: plate-sized rice crackers topped with, essentially, the ingredients of a spring roll or bánh cuốn. So, that’s minced pork, wood ear mushroom, crispy shallots and herbs. Break a shard off and enjoy. The steamed rice flour parcels stuffed with pork and spring onion, served with plum sauce, are a quieter pleasure, and the grilled pâté with fresh garlic is worth ordering for the table, too, a humble, rustic dish that hits a certain spot sometimes.
If you’re settling in for the evening, order the ‘Vietnamese fondue’ – a menu descriptor that’s passed through a couple of rounds of Google Translate, no doubt. What comes is a hotpot bobbing with shrimp, fish and squid. It’s another signature and seems to grace every larger family table here. Save room for dessert: sesame balls in hot ginger syrup, or sala fruit in crushed ice if you need cooling down (that hotpot is nice and spicy).
Don’t expect the refinement of Le Dalat or Thien Duong. But often with a cuisine this grounding, you don’t want it to be elevated or fussed over. What you will get is affordable, honest Vietnamese home cooking, and a fixture of Bangkok’s Vietnamese community. What more could you ask for?
Britain’s coastline, rivers and lochs offer some of the finest paddling in Europe, from gentle estuary meanders to heart-pumping whitewater and dramatic sea kayaking along UNESCO-protected cliffs. Whether you’re a first-timer seeking calm waters or an experienced paddler chasing rapids, these twelve destinations represent the very best the UK has to offer.
What makes the UK such an exceptional kayaking destination is its sheer variety within a relatively compact landmass. In a single long weekend, you could find yourself navigating the glass-calm waters of the Norfolk Broads before heading west to tackle Dartmoor’s legendary whitewater. The Scottish Highlands offer multi-day expeditions through landscapes virtually unchanged since the last ice age, while the Welsh and Cornish coastlines deliver world-class sea kayaking with seals, dolphins and puffins for company.
The infrastructure for paddlers has never been better. Canoe trails with dedicated campsites now crisscross Scotland, hire centres dot the banks of popular rivers, and operators offer everything from beginner taster sessions to advanced coaching. Paddle UK membership unlocks access to over 4,500km of waterways across England and Wales, while Scotland’s Land Reform Act means paddlers can explore virtually any body of water north of the border without restriction.
With all that in mind and without further ado, here are 12 of the UK’s best kayaking destinations.
The River Wye, Welsh Borders
Ideal for multi-day adventures combining gentle paddling with pub stops and wild camping…
Often called the crown jewel of UK kayaking, the River Wye winds for over 130 miles from Plynlimon in mid-Wales to the Severn Estuary. The most popular stretch runs from Glasbury to Symonds Yat, roughly 75 miles that takes most paddlers four or five days. The river meanders through the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, passing limestone gorges and sleepy villages where kingfishers are a regular sight.
The current is gentle enough for confident beginners, and the river is too shallow for motorised craft, meaning kayakers largely have the water to themselves. Multiple hire centres operate along the valley, with riverside pubs and campsites making multi-day trips wonderfully achievable.
The Great Glen Canoe Trail, Scottish Highlands
Ideal for experienced paddlers seeking a coast-to-coast expedition through iconic Highland scenery…
This 60-mile route connects Fort William to Inverness, following the Caledonian Canal and its chain of lochs: Lochy, Oich and the legendary Loch Ness. Opened in 2012, the Great Glen Canoe Trail typically takes three days in a kayak or five in a Canadian canoe, with 29 locks requiring portages.
Only 22 miles are man-made canal; the rest involves paddling across open lochs where conditions can resemble being at sea. Loch Ness and Loch Lochy are designated Class C waters with waves reaching two metres in adverse weather, so open-water experience is advisable. The trail draws over 4,000 paddlers annually. No licence is required thanks to Scotland’s Land Reform Act.
The River Dart, Devon
Ideal for whitewater enthusiasts progressing from intermediate rapids to serious grade 4 challenges…
Dartmoor’s River Dart has earned near-mythical status among British whitewater paddlers. The Upper Dart, from Dartmeet to Newbridge, is a serious grade 3 to 4 run through a deep gorge. Below that, the Loop section has become perhaps the most popular stretch of whitewater in England, graded 2 to 3 with named rapids including the Washing Machine and Lovers Leap.
Access is governed by an agreement with fishing interests: paddling is permitted from 1 October to end of March. Check levels before setting out, as conditions change rapidly after rainfall.
The River Teifi, West Wales
Ideal for a relaxed day trip through wooded gorges with excellent wildlife spotting…
The Teifi flows for 75 miles from its source in Ceredigion to Cardigan Bay. Otters, herons, buzzards and kingfishers are regular companions along the wooded sections, while seals sometimes appear near the estuary.
Starting from the gorge near Cilgerran Castle and floating down to St Dogmaels makes a memorable day trip, particularly if you time it to catch the incoming tide. A waterways licence may be required for certain sections.
The Pembrokeshire Coast, West Wales
Ideal for sea kayakers wanting wildlife encounters, sea caves and island crossings…
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park offers 186 miles of dramatic coastline featuring sea caves, towering cliffs and abundant wildlife. Launching points at Fishguard Bay, Porthclais, Solva Harbour and Stackpole Quay give access to coastline that regularly sees grey seals, dolphins and puffins on Skomer Island.
Beginners will find sheltered conditions in estuaries like Milford Haven, while experienced sea kayakers can tackle tide races around Ramsey Island or make crossings to Skomer and Skokholm. Multiple operators offer guided trips along this spectacular stretch.
Loch Lomond, Central Scotland
Ideal for island-hopping day trips and overnight expeditions with stunning mountain backdrops…
Loch Lomond stretches some 24 miles through Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and contains over 30 islands. The southern end offers sheltered bays perfect for beginners, while the narrower northern reaches feel increasingly wild. Launch points at Luss, Milarrochy Bay, Rowardennan and Balloch provide easy access.
Paddlers can explore islands like Inchconnachan (home to a colony of wallabies) and Inchmurrin (with its pub, perfect for a paddle-to-pint expedition). Conditions can turn quickly on open water, so check forecasts and stay close to shore if inexperienced.
The Norfolk Broads, East Anglia
Ideal for beginners, families and wildlife lovers seeking tranquil, flat-water paddling…
Kayaks and canoes can access backwaters inaccessible to motor vessels, where bitterns boom in the reed beds and kingfishers flash past. The flat, sheltered conditions make the Broads particularly well suited to those paddling an inflatable kayak for the first time.
The River Bure from Coltishall to Wroxham is particularly popular. Either a Broads Authority toll or Paddle UK membership is required.
Old Harry Rocks & the Jurassic Coast, Dorset
Ideal for guided sea kayaking with dramatic geology and photo opportunities…
The chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks, at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast, reveal perspectives impossible from the cliff path above when approached by kayak. Tours typically launch from Studland Beach, paddling past white cliffs and into sea caves before reaching the dramatic formations at Handfast Point.
The water is generally calm enough for beginners on guided sessions. Beyond Old Harry, the Jurassic Coast extends westward past Swanage, Lulworth and Durdle Door.
Ideal for intermediate paddlers wanting fast-flowing water and whisky distillery detours…
The River Spey runs from the Cairngorms to the Moray Firth, passing through celebrated whisky country. Scotland’s fastest-flowing river, it’s swift but not particularly technical, making it excellent for intermediate paddlers comfortable with moving water. Multi-day trips typically run from Loch Insh downstream towards Fochabers, wild camping along the banks.
Salmon fishing is significant on the Spey, and paddlers should give anglers wide berth. The combination of pace, scenery and distillery detours makes this a uniquely Scottish paddle.
Anglesey & the Menai Strait, North Wales
Ideal for building sea kayaking skills with options from sheltered straits to challenging tide races…
The Menai Strait separating Anglesey from the Welsh mainland offers exceptional sea kayaking, with tidal flows creating challenging conditions for experienced paddlers and sheltered coves providing gentler options for beginners.
The waters host grey seals, porpoises and occasionally dolphins, while the tide races at the Swellies beneath the Menai Suspension Bridge draw advanced kayakers seeking adrenaline. Numerous operators offer courses from beginner level through to British Canoeing leadership qualifications.
The River Tay, Perthshire
Ideal for Scottish river touring with options ranging from flat water to solid whitewater…
The River Tay offers paddling for all abilities, from gentle stretches near Kenmore to proper whitewater around Grandtully, where rapids provide solid grade 2 to 3 action. Scotland’s longest river, it carries the highest water volume of any British river, giving it a powerful feel even on seemingly calm sections.
Extended expeditions can start from Killin at the head of Loch Tay and continue downstream for days. Stanley Mills and the gorge below Dunkeld are particular highlights.
The Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall
Ideal for sea kayaking in turquoise waters with hidden coves and seal encounters…
The Lizard Peninsula offers spectacular sea kayaking, with turquoise waters, hidden coves and dramatic cliff scenery. Launching from Mullion Harbour, Cadgwith Cove or Kynance Cove, paddlers can explore a coastline shaped by centuries of Atlantic storms at England’s southernmost tip.
Conditions suit intermediate paddlers comfortable with ocean swells. The Helford Estuary provides calmer water for beginners, with the chance to explore Frenchman’s Creek. Grey seals are frequently seen basking on rocks along this coast.
The Bottom Line
From the whitewater thrills of Dartmoor to the serene broads of Norfolk, the UK offers kayaking experiences to rival anywhere in the world. Before setting out, check whether your destination requires a waterways licence, familiarise yourself with local conditions and tides, and always wear a buoyancy aid. Scotland’s Land Reform Act grants open access to most waters, making it particularly welcoming for paddlers.
The golden months run from late spring through autumn, though river levels are often better in autumn and early winter. Sea kayaking is best in summer when water temperatures are marginally less frigid and daylight hours are longest. Whichever waters you choose, the UK’s paddling opportunities are abundant, varied and waiting to be explored.
There’s a reason Gran Canaria has been pulling in British families for decades. The island sits roughly 150 kilometres off the coast of Morocco, close enough to Africa that the famous Maspalomas dunes look like they’ve blown straight across from the Sahara, yet it’s only a four-hour flight from the UK and operates on Greenwich Mean Time for most of the year.
The clincher, though, is the climate: temperatures hover between 20 and 28 degrees pretty much year-round, making it one of the few European destinations where you can book a half-term holiday in February and genuinely expect sunshine.
For families, the south coast is where the action concentrates. The strip from San Agustín to Puerto de Mogán packs in beaches for every mood, theme parks that genuinely hold their own, and enough day-trip options to fill a fortnight without repetition. The north has its charms, but the infrastructure, weather consistency, and sheer density of family-friendly stuff makes the south the obvious base. Here’s how to make the most of it.
Why Gran Canaria Works For Families
Tenerife has the bigger theme parks. Lanzarote has the volcanic drama. Fuerteventura has the kitesurfing. But Gran Canaria offers variety within a genuinely compact area that none of them quite match.
Within a 30-kilometre stretch of coastline you’ll find sheltered man-made beaches, wild dune-backed stretches, a proper amusement park, a zoo, a Wild West theme park, and a submarine. The infrastructure is geared towards families without being saccharine about it: pushchairs work on the promenades, restaurants have high chairs without you needing to ask, and most attractions cater to a range of ages rather than just the under-fives or just teenagers.
The Beaches Worth Knowing About
Playa de Amadores sits about 15 minutes west of Maspalomas and remains the go-to choice for families with younger children. The crescent-shaped bay, built with imported Caribbean sand in the early 2000s, stays sheltered from Atlantic swells and slopes gradually into calm, shallow water. There’s a promenade lined with restaurants behind, sun loungers for hire, and lifeguards on duty. It gets busy in peak season, but that’s partly the point. Kids can wander between other families without you having a coronary.
For something with more visual drama, Maspalomas delivers. The 6km stretch of golden sand backs onto the Dunas de Maspalomas, a protected nature reserve of Saharan-esque dunes that children inevitably want to climb and roll down. The beach itself runs all the way from the iconic Maspalomas Lighthouse to Playa del Inglés, so there’s always space even when the resorts are heaving. A word of warning: the section between the two is clothing-optional, so stick closer to the lighthouse end if you’d rather avoid the conversation.
Playa de San Agustín tends to get overlooked but deserves attention from families wanting somewhere quieter. This 670-metre stretch of darker volcanic sand sees mainly local Canarian families, especially at weekends, and the gentle swell makes it genuinely suitable for small children who want to splash in the shallows. A promenade connects it to neighbouring Las Burras beach, with cafés and restaurants dotted along the way.
Beyond The Sand
The honest truth is that children will tire of the beach before you do. Three days, maybe four, and they’ll start asking what else there is. Fortunately, Gran Canaria has answers.
Holidayworld Maspalomas is considered the island’s best amusement park and sits right in the heart of the tourist zone. The Wooland Fun Park section houses over 30 attractions, including a roller coaster reaching 60km/h, a 26-metre Ferris wheel with views across the southern coastline, a pirate ship that swings to 70 degrees, and Sky Drop for anyone brave enough to stomach a 20-metre free fall. Smaller children get dedicated zones with gentler carousels, bumper cars, and boat rides.
Image credit: Holidayworld Maspalomas
The clever bit is everything surrounding the rides. There’s a 16-lane bowling alley (the largest on the island), four themed karaoke rooms for teenagers who fancy embarrassing themselves, escape rooms for competitive families, and the Nomad Gastro Market food court upstairs serving everything from sushi to Spanish tapas to burgers. It opens late and operates year-round, making it the obvious answer to the eternal question of what to do after dinner when nobody wants to sit in a hotel room.
Palmitos Park sits about 10 kilometres north of Maspalomas in a valley and combines a zoo with botanical gardens. The dolphin shows draw the crowds, but the bird of prey displays, butterfly house, and aquarium keep children occupied for a full day. It’s not cheap (around €35 for adults, €23 for children aged 5-10), but the setting is beautiful and there’s enough variety to justify the spend. Pack snacks and make use of the picnic areas rather than relying entirely on the café.
For something more unusual, Sioux City in San Bartolomé de Tirajana is a Wild West theme park that’s been running since the 1970s. Bank robberies play out in the main street, cowboys demonstrate lasso techniques, and there’s a working farm with Canarian goats and ponies. It sounds kitsch, and it is, but children under ten tend to find the whole thing genuinely thrilling. The on-site barbecue is better than it has any right to be.
Puerto de Mogán sits at the western end of the south coast, about 30 minutes from Maspalomas, and makes for a near-perfect family day out. The village gets called ‘Little Venice’ by the tourist board, which oversells it somewhat, but the whitewashed buildings draped in bougainvillea, pedestrianised streets, and small marina genuinely charm.
The beach has calm, shallow water and all the infrastructure families need: sun loungers, umbrellas for hire, restaurants within staggering distance.
But the main draw for children is the Submarine Adventure, a 40-minute trip aboard the Golden Shark submarine to depths of 25 metres. You’ll glide over shipwrecks, including the 32-metre Cermona II fishing boat, and through an artificial reef now teeming with parrotfish, grey mullet, and the occasional grouper. There’s no pressure change, making it suitable for younger children who can’t equalise ears, and everyone gets a certificate at the end. It costs around €30-35 per person and books up quickly in peak season.
The Friday market is worth timing your visit around if logistics allow. Stalls sell local cheeses, honey, and handmade crafts alongside the usual tourist tat, and it gives the village a livelier atmosphere than the rest of the week.
If You Have A Car
Renting a car opens up the island’s interior, which looks nothing like the tourist south. Roque Nublo, the volcanic rock formation that’s become Gran Canaria’s unofficial symbol, involves a short, manageable hike that even younger children can handle. The path is clearly marked, the reward is genuine lunar landscapes, and it takes about an hour round-trip from the car park.
The Painted Cave Museum and Archaeological Park in Gáldar offers a dose of education disguised as adventure. The pre-Hispanic cave paintings are genuinely impressive, and the interactive displays keep children engaged without feeling like homework.
Nearby Cenobio de Valerón works the same trick – over 350 storage chambers honeycomb a volcanic cliff face, carved by the island’s original inhabitants more than 800 years ago. For children, it feels like stumbling upon a secret hideout, and the old legend about it being a convent where noble girls were locked away until marriage adds a touch of mystery. Under-10s get in free.
Las Palmas, the island capital in the north, has the Poema del Mar aquarium for families who haven’t exhausted their appetite for marine life. The Deep Sea pool features the largest curved glass window in the world, and the route through surface ecosystems, freshwater species, and deep-sea creatures takes a couple of hours. It’s slickly done and sits right by the port.
The Bottom Line
Gran Canaria’s south coast handles family holidays with minimal fuss. The weather cooperates year-round, the beaches range from sheltered and manicured to wild and dramatic, and there’s enough going on beyond the sand to fill even a longer stay. Holidayworld Maspalomas alone can absorb an entire day, and the island’s manageable size means nowhere feels particularly far away.
Pack light, leave expectations of adventure tourism at home, and accept that children will want to spend longer on the submarine ride than looking at Moorish architecture. That’s absolutely fine.
Oh, take us back to the summer; lazy, hazy days spent laying on dry ground, the mercury breaking records, and our hair; long, luscious and manageable. Fast forward a few months and the unpredictable winter weather combined with dry indoor air has wreaked havoc on our locks, with strong and healthy hair a distance, seasonally-defined memory.
To prevent the frizzed, end-split look, it’s important to bear a few simple routine tweaks in mind. Here are the golden rules for protecting your hair from damage this winter.
Hydration Stations
A beauty benefactor that’s never truer than in winter; ample hydration. You should drink a lot of water to stave off the dreaded dry hair (and skin, too). Just as plants need water to grow and thrive, so does your hair.
Getting enough hydration into your body will eventually reach your hair, leaving you will thick, confidently growing locks. Dandruff will also be reduced due to stimulation of the surface of your head, preventing a flaky, dry scalp. Drinking enough water, it seems, is key to hair health.
Warm, Not Hot
A mantra to remember with regard to both shower and house temperature. Firstly, if your shower head is running piping hot, the water will shock your scalp, possibly even burning it. And no one wants that.
It’ll also dry out your scalp and hair, making it brittle and damaging the roots. In some cases, it’s also speculated that really hot showers may eventually lead to hair loss – further clarifying the need to turn the dial down a notch or two.
Wash Your Hair Less
During summer, you get used to washing your hair frequently and often let it dry freely. However, it would help if you changed your hair-washing routine during the cold season because using too much shampoo can strip it of its natural oils and leave it more vulnerable to cold temperatures.
While there is no magic formula everyone can use to wash their hair to prevent damage and breakage, washing it less during winter is advisable. Suppose you have a dry scalp; washing it too often during winter can worsen your condition. Swapping the traditional products for gentler versions is recommended to ensure the ingredients aren’t too harsh on your scalp.
If you have greasy hair, try integrating dry shampoo into your hair care routine to keep your locks looking fresh for longer.
Review Your Hair Care Routine
The essential part of your winter hair routine is moisturising it properly. When you buy new products, look for those that boost hydration and moisture in your hair. You use a hydrating shampoo that moisturizes your scalp and hair and complete the treatment with a nourishing mask or conditioner. In case you suffer from redness or flaking, it’s best to use products designed for a sensitive scalp.
Additionally, if you have damaged or excessively dry hair, you can add damaged hair products to your routine. Moisture and hydration are paramount to keeping your hair healthy during winter. You can experiment with different products until you find your magic combination.
Professional-grade tools from brands like Duomo Pro can elevate your routine further, though they’ll only deliver results if the fundamentals are already in place.
Nourish From Within
Just as hydration plays a vital role in hair health, so too does proper nutrition. While a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals is ideal, our hectic modern lifestyles can make it challenging to consistently meet our nutritional needs through food alone.
These specialised supplements offer a convenient way to ensure your hair receives essential nutrients, combining vital minerals, vitamins, and amino acids that support healthy growth and strength. Look for formulations containing biotin, zinc, and vitamins D and B12—all crucial elements for maintaining lustrous locks during the demanding winter months.
Whilst supplements shouldn’t replace a wholesome diet, they can complement your nutrition strategy, especially when seasonal changes and central heating begin to take their toll on your tresses. Remember to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any supplement regime, as they can advise on the most suitable options for your specific needs.
Choose The Right Hat
Yep, we know the winter hat is fashionable as well as functional, but it’s important you choose one which will both protect you from the elements and not do unwelcome damage to your hair. A hat which is too tight, or made from material which doesn’t let your scalp breathe, is going to be detrimental to hair health, regardless of the snow, wind, and rain which it blocks.
Don’t Overstyle
The same rules apply to your appliances. When possible, try to let your hair dry naturally after washing as cutting down on heating appliances like hairdryers and straighteners will keep your hair moisturised and soft. Constantly moving from the cold outdoors to the warm, dry indoors in winter can affect the hair so reducing your hair’s exposure to further extreme changes in temperature will keep your hair healthy.
Stay Inside While Your Hair Dries
We all know the story. You’ve had your shower and you’re in a rush to hit the town; there’s not enough time to wait for your hair to dry, and you’ve been advised (above perhaps?) not to overdo the appliances during the winter months. The only solution, then, is to step out with hair still wet.
Big mistake. Firstly, you’ll catch a cold you crazy thing. But more importantly, going outside with wet hair can do serious damage to your hair; when wet hair meets freezing cold conditions, it becomes less supple and much more vulnerable to breakage.
Wear Protective Headwear While You Sleep
In the battle against winter hair damage, don’t underestimate the power of protective headwear while you sleep. Friction from tossing and turning can lead to breakage and dryness, but wearing a silk or satin bonnet or scarf can significantly reduce this damage.
Indeed, it’s best to opt for materials that reduce friction to prevent damage and breakage, such as ankara fabric instead of cotton, with the latter prone to stripping your hair of moisture. These smooth fabrics help to maintain your hair’s natural oils and keep your style in place, leading to less morning maintenance. For those who prefer not to wear something on their heads, a silk or satin pillowcase can serve as a friction-reducing alternative, ensuring your hair glides smoothly as you sleep.
Customised caps are also available for those with unique hair types, such as long locks or bountiful curls, offering tailored protection and comfort. Beyond just reducing friction, these protective coverings are instrumental in moisture retention, locking in both your hair’s natural hydration and any applied products.
This simple nighttime habit can make a substantial difference in maintaining healthy hair throughout the harsh winter months, making it a worthy addition to your hair care regimen.
Use A Quality Brush
All the above recommendations are useful during winter, but you should add another tip to your list to keep your hair healthy during all seasons. You should invest in a quality brush to maintain the health and appearance of your hair. Buy a gentle one that improves your tangles and prevents breakage. A great option is the brush made of boar bristle because it smooths your hair and distributes the natural oils evenly. Don’t use brushes with plastic brittles because they are harsh on your hair and can cause permanent damage.
The Bottom Line
As the winter season unfolds, it’s clear that our hair requires extra attention and care to combat the harsh elements and indoor heating that can lead to damage. Embracing the golden rules of winter hair care is not just about maintaining the health and integrity of your hair; it’s about adapting to the seasonal changes with smart, proactive steps.
Remember, the key to thriving through the winter months is to minimise exposure to extreme conditions, both natural and artificial. This means less heat styling, more gentle brushing, and protecting your hair from the cold and friction.
By following these principles, you’re not just protecting your hair; you’re also investing in your overall well-being and confidence. Your hair is your crown, and with the right care, it can remain lustrous and strong all year round.
World Pizza Day is almost upon us. 17th of January 2026. The Big One. And while we doubt that those in Campania will be cracking out the commemorative pineapple stuffed crusts to mark the occasion, we’ll take any damn reason we can for even a sliver of the good stuff.
To pre-empt the pedants, here at IDEAL we’re just as in thrall to a traditional Neapolitan as we are to a single slice of something New Yorker. As long as it’s made with love, respect and good ingredients, we’re in.
With that in mind, here is our rundown of the best pizzas in London, IDEAL for celebrating World Pizza Day in style.
L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, Baker Street
Ideal for a taste of the so-called ‘Best Pizza in the World’…
We had to start here, seeing as it’s been dubbed ‘The Best Pizza in the World’ and iconised in the film Eat, Pray, Love. Ignoring the fact that the inaugural London site in Stoke Newington fractured in bitter legal dispute, the second branch in Baker Street is still slinging out top, top pizzas, loyally in line with the Neapolitan diktat.
If you’re after an excess of toppings, this one isn’t for you. Though the choice isn’t quite as clear cut as the mothership in Forcella, Naples (simply between margherita and marinara), this is still a minimalist affair in the most traditional – and best possible – way. Go for a half and half of the aforementioned margherita and marinara, or go totally wild and order a capricciosa, the artichoke hearts of Michele’s version plump and not mired in pizza-ruining, vinegary run-off. All in all, this is still one of the very best pizzas in London, regardless of fall-outs and expansion ambitions. Long may it continue.
There are now outposts in Soho, Manchester, Amsterdam and Bangkok, too, as well as the OG in Naples itself, still the peak of pizza-making worldwide, in our humble opinion.
Idealfor a taste of one of the pizza game’s rising stars…
We come back down to earth, letting the fertile Vesuvius soil fall between our fingers, at Chiswick’s Napoli On The Road, where authenticity is again on the menu, with just little contemporary flair thrown on the paddle for good measure.
Named as the 5th best pizzeria in the world by the staunchly Italo-centric (and increasingly influential) 50 Top Pizza list for 2025, Napoli On The Road is the brainchild of Michele Pascarella, a celebrated pizzaiolo who began his London journey with a mobile Ape Piaggio, delighting the city with wood-fired pizzas in pub car parks before laying down roots with his first brick-and-mortar establishment on Devonshire Road (the second outpost in Richmond is just as good, by the way).
Testament to a continuing rise even more pronounced than his carnotto, Pascarella has also earned the prestigious accolade of Global Pizza Maker of the Year in 2023, a testament to his mastery of correct form and structure.
That’s not to say that this Chiswick pizzeria isn’t home to some gentle, respectful innovation on the pizza front. Arguably our favourite order here is the Tonno & Cipolla, a blend of tuna fillet and sweet caramelised red onion jam, all atop their ridiculously digestible dough.
Even better, though, is the We’re On Fire. Here, the sauce sees nduja mixed seamlessly and subtly in with its usual covering of tomato until emulsified – an inspired touch as, all too often, nduja can make a pizza incredibly greasy. Then, dotted across the surface of the pizza, ice cold buffalo stracciatella soothes the rough edges of the nduja, rounding off the tomato’s acidity for good measure. It’s smart, judicious, and just oh-so delicious.
The house red, the Greco Di Tufo Oltre DOCG Bellaria from Campania, drinkable and light, is the perfect foil to these fine pizzas.
*Major announcement: It has recently been announced that Napoli on the Road is launching its flagship Soho location at 140 Wardour Street. The 100-cover restaurant will feature à la carte dining upstairs and London’s first-ever pizza tasting menu downstairs – a six-course Neapolitan fine dining experience showcasing diverse techniques and flavours alongside Campanian wines.
Set to open in Spring 2026, this expansion from the award-winning team that started with a three-wheeled Piaggio Ape represents a landmark moment for London’s booming pizza scene, bringing world-class Neapolitan craft to the heart of the West End.*
They say that at the best neighbourhood restaurants, you feel just as comfortable dropping in for a convivial ciao as you do a four-course meal. And so it is at 081 Pizzeria, Peckham’s proudest purveyors of pizza and street food straight from the Città del Sole.
Having opened in the turbulent times of May 2021, 081 (named after the telephone code of Naples) has quickly established itself at the heart of the hospitality community on this stretch of Peckham Rye, with local chefs, bartenders and wait staff coming here to congregate around the 480C° heat of the ANVP-approved Izzo Forni as though it were a campfire.
Yep, this is a place that wants you to linger, a position at odds with the usual bam-bam-grazia-signoria nature of traditional Neapolitan pizzerias in the capital. There are arancini generously filled with ragu bolognese to enjoy as you wait for the main event, alongside a whole host of other deep-fried treats, here billed as tapas. The cocktails are ace, too, the negroni properly assertive. A graffiti-inspired sketch of ASAP Rocky weeping cheese looks down on the dining room, for some reason.
Of course, the pizzas have to hit the mark to keep the punters returning in a place like this, and, fortunately, 081 has some serious pedigree in that department; the head pizzaiola here is previously of Bravi Ragazzi (also on our list), and the pizzas are on a level with those being slung down the Circular Road to Streatham. If you’ve eaten at Bravi, that’s all you need to know.
Ideal for our very favourite pizza south of the river…
It felt right – poetic, even – to head south to Bravi Ragazzi next, foreplay dispensed with and appetite whet.
Streatham’s revered Neapolitan pizzeria prides itself on tradition and authenticity, and in our humble opinion, this right here is the best Neapolitan pizza in South London.
Several boxes have to be ticked for a pizza to qualify as a traditional Neapolitan in the eyes of the connoisseurs. 00 flour, water and salt form the dough, and it must be hand kneaded and given ample time to rise before being shaped by hand rather than rolling pin. After that, it’s topped with San Marzano or Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio tomatoes and Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, and cooked quickly at incredibly high heat in a wood fired pizza oven. The result should be pillowy, soft and elastic, with toppings light rather than overwhelming.
Anyway, the good guys at Bravi Ragazzi know all that, and their respect for tradition has made their pizzas the toast of Streatham and beyond. This is, quite simply, one of London’s best pizzas (must add it to that list, actually). They also do a superb tiramisu, for those with a sweet tooth.
Though the dining room is compact, unassuming, and walk-ins only, locals will be pleased to hear that Bravi Ragazzi is on Deliveroo… As if they didn’t know already!
Before we go, it would be remiss of us not to give a shout-out to another local favourite famous for slinging fantastic wood fired pizzas in the Neapolitan style, who have now sadly closed. Addome, how we miss you!
Ideal for getting close to a pizzaiolo consistently voted among the world’s best…
Excuse the heavy mouthful of a name, but the pizzas at 50 Kalo are anything but. Regularly named as one of the best pizzas in Europe outside of Italy, and with a world class pizzeria in Naples that’s even made it into the Michelin Guide, 50 Kalo and its superstar pizzaiolo Ciro Salvo boast some serious credibility.
The restaurant, whose name means ‘good dough’ in a Neapolitan dialect, stays true to its name with the lightest, airiest bases and premium ingredients used to dress that very good dough. Though we’re big fans of the headlining margherita here, the pizza fritta is perhaps even better, its base light and without a hint of grease, its texture verging on a doughnut. Topped with a pleasingly acidic marinara sauce and gratings of pecorino, it is absolutely superb. Could this be London’s best pizza? We certainly think so.
Ideal for pizza tonda romana at wallet-friendly prices…
From their first opening in Spitalfields in 2014, Pizza Union has grown to five buzzing locations across London – adding Aldgate, Holborn, King’s Cross and Hoxton to their roving roster.
Their Spitalfields original remains a benchmark for the group, perfectly positioned to serve both City workers and East Enders with its swift service and consistent quality. Here, pizza tonda romana (round Roman-style pizzas) emerge from the blazing hot oven in mere minutes, their bases characteristically thin and satisfyingly crisp. The Roma, pitched at a remarkably reasonable £4.95 and topped with tomato, rocket and drifts of parmesan, represents some of the best value in the capital. No pizza here tops £8.95.
What were we saying about pizza being the most inclusive foods on the planet? We were saying that, right? Perhaps we were just thinking it. Anyway, it’s true…
Images via PizzaUnion
The industrial-chic aesthetic and counter service keep things casual and the pricepoint down, but the quality of those crispy bases – achieved through a carefully controlled proving process that creates that distinctive Roman crackle – means Pizza Union punches well above its weight. With bottles (yes, bottles) of decent house wine clocking in at £16.95, this place is perfect for a quick lunch (glasses are the same price as that Roma, incidentally) or casual dinner that won’t break the bank.
The house-made garlic butter for crust-dipping is a must, but it’s certainly not a dessert. Finish instead with and espresso and a Sicilian cannoli – they look beautiful and taste even better.
Ideal for planet-conscious pizza that doesn’t compromise on flavour…
What began as a lockdown pop-up operating out of various East London kitchens has blossomed into one of the city’s most exciting vegetarian ventures. After gaining a devoted following through a celebrated residency at The Hive in Cambridge Heath, Flat Earth finally put down roots in their own permanent space in 2022.
Here, in Hackney, sustainability is very much the watchword – from their heritage grain bases to their reusable wine bottle scheme, even down to lampshades crafted from old orange peel (cor, I bet they smell good when the bulbs are hotting up). The restaurant’s commitment to ethical suppliers and local producers would all read a bit ‘marketing gimmick’ if the pizzas didn’t deliver on flavour, but those grains don’t half make for a digestible base, it has to be said.
The Hackney Hot is the hero dish here, make no mistake (basically every table seems to be ordering it), and features a deft balance of sweet pickled beetroot, a trio of Somerset cheeses, jalapeños, and fermented hot salsa. And if that wasn’t unique enough, try the Kimchi Fiorentina, which reimagines a classic pizza (not sure we’ve ever actually seen one outside of Pizza Express) with house kimchi and a perfectly cooked egg. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it; it’s ace.
There is, unsurprisingly, a strong organic wine list, with the restaurant working with Sustainable Wine Solutions to receive their wines in three formats: on tap, in recycled bottles, and refillable wine bottles. Cheers to that!
Ideal for a truly authentic slice of Naples in North London…
Listen: the backstory between L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele and the guys at Vicoli di Napoli is a little unclear. It’s certainly acrimonious, though it’s been largely scrubbed from the records so we can’t spill the tea. What we can do is confirm that the pizzas here are right up there (up there, at the top of this article) with some of the best properly faithful Neapolitan ‘cart wheel’ pizzas in London.
With its bright blue interior and open-armed, limoncello-wielding welcome, this Stokey institution lives up to its name (which translates to ‘alleys of Naples’) in terms of that much sought after ‘authenticity’. Run by sisters who are keeping their Neapolitan heritage alive and kicking, Vicoli di Napoli serves up sprawling, soupy pizzas that no normal size plate can contain.
Images via @vicolidinapolipizzeria
While the marinara and margherita are house specialties that showcase the pizzeria’s dedication to humble tradition, venture into their calzone and prosciutto e funghi offerings for equally rewarding experiences. Though do be careful venturing in there; it’s fucking burning piping hot, and your inner oral mucosa right off the sides of your inner cheeks. And that is a phrase we never want to see again in an article about food.
The pizza bases are exactly as they should be – light, airy and with that perfect Neapolitan chew. For dessert, their exceptional house-made tiramisu is, erm, just that; exceptional.
Ideal for trying the iconic, ambitious Brighton pizzeria…
We’ve been fans of Fatto a Mano’s just-the-right-side-sloppy Neapolitan pizzas since their (and our) days in Brighton, first as a single site on the city’s London Road back in 2015, then to their expansion into Hove, all the way to their second pizzeria opening in the Big wood-fired Smoke at the crust end of last year.
That second pizzeria is found in Covent Garden (with a third now doing their business in Bethnal Green), but our favourite of Fatto’s London lot is found ten minutes up the Piccadilly Line in Kings Cross.
Here, as with all five restaurants, the dough is pillowy and easy to manage, the ingredients top notch and light-as-you-like, and the pizza oven cranked up to the requisite 450°C, only needing around 90 seconds before it’s ready. Nope, you won’t see any caramelised cheese here; the buffalo mozzarella on the margherita buffalo is as fresh and milky as it comes, and the marinara sauce fresh and sharp rather than reduced to a metallic rust. It’s a gorgeous pizza, and once the sun has finally got its hat on, Fatto’s terrace certainly looks an inviting place to eat one.
There’s even a lasagna pizza, which sees beef ragu, creamy bechamel and smoked Provola on a classic Neapolitan base, for those who loved to be laid low by their lunch.
Of real note to all the pizza nerds out there, last May Fatto a Mano played host to one of the world’s most famous pizzas, Franco Pepe’s Margherita Sbagliata, as seen on Netflix’s Chef’s Table. The esteemed pizza chef blessed the restaurant with the secret recipe for his ‘Mistaken Margherita’, with £1.50 from every pizza going to the incredible La Scugnizzeria, a charity who offer underprivileged young people from Scampia a path into employment. Pizza and a good cause… Could there be anything better?
Ideal for once ephemeral, now enduring New York-adjacent slices…
We’ve been chasing the ephemeral, enigmatic Dough Hands from pizza pop-up to pizza pop-up in recent years, enjoying their crisp New York-style slices in Brixton Market, Bethnal Green and Homerton, and it’s been a pilgrimage we’ve never regretted, the signature ‘Jode’ (featuring nduja, hot honey and stracciatella) worth just about any hour spent with TfL, even if just for a slice.
Well colour us tricolore, because Dough Hands have now well and truly settled into their residency at the Spurstowe Arms, just seconds from Hackney Central station. With a less transient timescale billed simply as ‘for the foreseeable’, we’re so happy to have these awesome pizza slingers so close to (floury, marinara-marked) hand.
Ideal for supremely digestible, seawater spiked pizzas…
Classic Caputo 00 flour and, erm, pure seawater… It’s not quite got that ‘match made in heaven’ status that, say, San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil boast. But hey, we’re up for anything, and so it is to ‘O Ver, whose use of the salty stuff, drawn from the purest areas of the Mediterranean, is very much their USP.
The first restaurant in the UK to – vocally – do so, the seawater is said to lighten the dough and make it easier to digest. We honestly can’t argue with the claim; ‘O Ver’s pizzas are incredibly easy-eating, and it’s eminently possible to take two down in a single sitting, even after you’ve had a good crack at the restaurant’s rundown of classic Neapolitan deep-fried bites. The crocche (essentially deep-fried mashed potato), in particular, is expertly conceived.
Back to those pizzas, and they hit the table puffed up and airy, the dinghy bouncing back at you when prodded and only deflating when pierced. Elegantly dressed, we huge fans to the tropea; a sophisticated affair with fior di latte, flakes of tuna fillet, the namesake onions, sun dried tomatoes and olives. It sings of summer, its sweet-salty interplay softened by a silky, ornate mouthfeel. Truly, a must-order, even if the £19.50 price tag is a clear premium, it’s easy to see why ‘O Ver is so highly regarded.
Ideal for sourdough pizzas all the way from Bologna…
We’ve been big fans of Bologna’s Berberè for years, always stealing a slice when we’re in La Rossa™. So, when these celebrated pizza purveyors touched down closer to home back in 2020, we immediately made our way south of the river and to Clapham Common in search of some action (observing all social distancing rules of course and not sharing our pizza, however much Beberè implores you to do so with their ‘sliced in 8 to stimulate conviviality’ dispatch).
Founded by Matteo and Salvatore Aloe in Bologna in 2010, the Clapham iteration of Berberè stands on the former site of Radio Alice, a pizzeria that the Aloe brothers also had a hand in. We think Berberè is even better, and not far from the dizzy heights that this pizzeria has ascended back in Bel Paese.
It’s all about the sourdough base here, whose mother has been nurtured for more than a decade since its birth in Castel Maggiore, an attentiveness that results in a super light base that’s cooked to a pleasingly crisp finish. Perfect, then, for the restaurant’s crust dippers, here a choice between spicy ‘nduja & honey, aioli, garlic butter or basil & walnut pesto. Get all four.
The pizza selection itself feels more traditional and, dare we say, demure, with a roll call of just eleven elegantly adorned affairs. The Napoli is especially good, with the imported Amalfi anchovies aggressively salty and the black olives aggressively briny, but all somehow soothed by a super sweet organic tomato sauce. To enjoy this particular pizza on a crisp base that doesn’t buckle feels perverse. Illicit, even. And we love it…
Even more illicit feeling is Berberè’s falafel pizza which should, in all honesty, be against the law. We think we might just order another Napoli… but not before one of their gorgeous montaranina (a pizza fritta of sorts).
Authenticity is the name of the game – on the first half at least – of the Battersea favourite Pizzeria Pellone’s menu; Neapolitan classics using Gustarosso tomato sauce, Caputo flour, and Buffalo Mozzarella straight from Campania. This respectful adherence to stricture has its backbone in the Pellone family’s popular pizzerias back in Naples, and you can taste tradition in every slice..
That said, it’s in that second half of the menu, the Pizze Le Pizze Gourmet, where the intrigue lies; the white pizzas here are superb, particularly the pistachio pesto and mortadella number. The Calzone Fritto, generous with black pepper and mottled with housemade salami, is a cult classic.
For those not keen to head south, there’s now a second branch of Pellone in East Finchely.
Ideal for creative late night slices and some top tunes to boot…
We’ve come this far without mentioning any by-the-slice joints, which is a little remiss of us – London does boast a commendably varied pizza scene, and we can’t fixate on Neapolitan versions forever, as much as we’d like to.
Perhaps the best slice shop in the city is late night hipster hangout Voodoo Ray’s in Dalston. Here you can enjoy a cold can of Neck Oil and a New Yorker style pizza until the early hours (this place closes at 3 AM at the weekend) and ride off on your unicycle into the night, satiated and happy.
Boasting a crust that won’t bust under the weight of its deceptively simple toppings, a good covering of Roni Cup pepperoni and wefts of grated parmesan are all you need to let you know you’re eating a New York adjacent pie over at Crisp Pizza.
Quite possibly London’s most coveted slice right now, the snaking lines outside tell their own narrative; of Londoners keen to delve deeper than the Neapolitan culinary diktat, of discerning diners seeking a slice that won’t fold so dramatically that their starched white shirts get splattered in marinara sauce.
Carl McCluskey first started slinging his thin, crispy pies from a tiny kitchen in his nan’s pub, The Chancellors, in Hammersmith back in 2021. What followed was the kind of viral success story that restaurateurs dream of: snaking queues down Crisp Road, 300 pizzas flying out on a Saturday night, a pilgrimage from Barstool Pizza’s Dave Portnoy, and just about every London pizza opening since copying the form.
Having outgrown the modest W6 digs, McCluskey has now brought his celebrated operation to the centre of town, taking over The Marlborough on North Audley Street in Mayfair in November 2025.
Support comes from the formidable team behind The Devonshire: Charlie Carroll, Ashley Palmer-Watts and Oisín Rogers, and the national reviews have been positive ever since doors opened. The queue of influencers snaking down this stretch of W1 shows no sign of abating. Whilst we’re not convinced this one is worth waiting actual hours for, it’s still a damn fine slice.
Upstairs, The Marlborough operates as a traditional pub with standing room, fitted seating and what promises to be exceptional Guinness pours courtesy of The Devonshire’s famous installation. Downstairs, Crisp takes over a speakeasy-style dining room with 50-ish covers and an outside terrace. The menu stays true to what made Hammersmith pilgrims so devoted: the Crisp W6 pie with buffalo mozzarella and lashings of pecorino, the nduja number bringing Calabrian heat, and the Vecna with its crowd-pleasing hot honey drizzle.
For those mourning the loss of The Chancellors in W6, take heart: the pizza and essence of Crisp remain unchanged, just with a rather fancier postcode.
Ideal for arguably the most Neapolitan of Neapolitan pizza experiences in the capital…
Back to where it all began, with another fine Neapolitan showstopper. Everything about Santa Maria in Ealing is about tradition and simplicity; the bare, whitewashed walls, the lightly adorned pizzas, the premium ingredients imported from the motherland. It’s all sourced and cooked with a pride in the product as guiding principle, which is no bad thing in a pizza.
Next up, we’re heading to Crust Bros. Thankfully not actually bro food (does anyone genuinely want ‘grimy fries’ or ‘sordid nachos’?), these fratms do a fine trade in elegant, Neapolitan-adjacent pizzas, complete with puffy, dinghy-style crusts, proper leopard pock-marks, and pleasingly sloppy centres.
Just a few minutes walk from Waterloo and with a pizza that hits the table steaming within a minute or two of ordering, Crust Bros is the perfect place for a pitstop before catching your onward train. The place was positively heaving on a recent Friday lunchtime visit, full of suits, citybreakers and strays, a demonstration of the enduringly democratic nature of pizza.
Despite the eponymous name, it’s not the crusts that help this pizzeria stand out in a city that’s close to drowning in latticello; it’s the dippers for those crusts that are the point of difference. The lemon garlic mayo is particularly good – piquant and bracing, and bringing a perfect counterpoint to those light-as-you like crusts which seem to exhale happily as you pierce them.
Personalise your pizza or choose from a choice of around ten of their own suggestions (skirting around the fact that you might have to say “could I have the Meat Sweatz?” outloud), finish with the excellent homemade limoncello, and you’ve got yourself a speedy, satisfying lunch to propel you forward into your afternoon. Saluti!
Ideal for lush yet light New York bar style pizzas…
If you’re prowling (sorry) the streets of Marylebone for a slice of New York, then look no further than Alley Cats Pizza. First opening in 2023, this homage to the red sauce-splattered, gingham-tableclothed pizza joints of the Big Apple has already become a sensation online and, you know, physically; you may well have seen the thin, crisp pies on TikTok or the queues snaking down Paddington Street.
On the paddle is Sicilian chef Francesco Macri, who has worked at two other places on our list, Pizza Pilgrims and Santa Maria, and brings that experience to Alley Cats, though the pizza proposition here is a little different – something close to a New York ‘bar style’, characterised by an electric oven that fires out 14 inches in under six minutes, all stable crusts and well-balanced, reserved toppings.
The prosaically named ‘Vodka’ is the highlight here, a riff on penne alla vodka with its splash of cream enrichening the tomato sauce and its two mozzarellas – both buffalo and aged – furthering that sense of something truly sumptuous. Fortunately, that sturdy base is more than capable of a bit of heavy lifting.
Since the Marylebone original, Alley Cats has expanded at pace, making it one of the fastest-growing non-Neapolitan pizza operations in the capital. There’s now a second site on Chelsea’s King’s Road and a third on Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill, the latter featuring a downstairs private dining room and new menu additions including a BBQ chicken pizza and pizza fritta ‘pillows’ filled with cheesy spinach.
Idealfor arguably London’s most popular homegrown pizza…
A synthesis style of New York and ‘London’ Neapolitan pizzas, Yard Sale is one of the city’s most ubiquitous pizza brands. TopJaw approved to point that it feels like something fishy is afoot, Yard Sale’s omnipresence, in all fairness, hasn’t dampened the quality of their pizzas, with the restaurant group winning a slew of awards in recent years, including Best Value Eats in 2022’s OFM Awards London’s most-loved restaurant in Time Out’s 2016 Love London Awards.
Yard Sale Pizza started from humble beginnings with a single oven in a backyard, and has since expanded across North, East, and South London, with 15 sites now in total, plus an extensive, expansive delivery offering. Their 12″ and 18″ pizzas are perfect for solo diners or sharing between friends, with toppings sometimes eccentric and always, proudly multicultural London in their makeup. Their recent collaboration with Roti King (such London royalty they should soon be ‘Roti Emperor’, amirite?) on a rendang topped pizza exemplifies both those statements, and ends up being predictably, properly delicious.
As with quite a few London pizzerias that get a bit frivolous with their menu descriptors, you might feel like a bit of a dick ordering here – “Mr Lava Lava”, anyone?
Locations: Hither Green, Tottenham, Crofton Park, Crystal Palace, Balham, East Dulwich, Hackney Road, Leytonstone, Walthamstow, Finsbury Park, Clapton, and more.
Detroit Pizza, Spitalfields
Ideal for a square slice of caramelised cheese perfection…
Neapolitan this, New Yorker that… Well, over in Spitalfields, Detroit Pizza aims instead to bring a square of Motor City pizza culture to London. We’re so glad they did, as the pies here, characterised by a thick, square-cut base with a crunchy, fried base overflowing with delicious melted cheese are one mighty indulgence. The best bit? The frilly, caramelised cheese collar that the Detroit pizzas here wear so proudly, its frico the result of the thick, cast-iron-like steel pans that the restaurant uses.
A walk-in only restaurant, slices/squares/whatever are £4.99 while whole pies come in two sizes, regular or large, priced at around £15 or £25 respectively, depending on toppings. The latter is enough to feed four.
