London Travel Tips 4: Try different cuisine while in London

London Travel Tips 4: A Culinary World Tour – Why You Must Dive into London’s Cuisine

London’s culinary scene is a world-renowned mosaic, reflecting its history as a global capital. A trip here is not just about visiting palaces and museums; it’s a chance to embark on a thrilling world tour for your taste buds.

While you should absolutely try the traditional British fare, the real magic lies in the diversity, quality, and sheer abundance of international cuisines. Here is a guide to the must-try cuisines in London and why they deserve a spot on your itinerary.

1. The Essential British Classics

You can’t visit London without sampling the foundation of British cuisine—simple, hearty, and often deeply satisfying comfort food.

Cuisine	Must-Try Dishes	Why Visitors Should Try
Traditional Pub Grub	Fish and Chips (battered white fish with thick-cut fries), Pie and Mash (steak and ale or shepherd’s pie), Sunday Roast (available on Sundays, featuring roasted meat, potatoes, vegetables, and Yorkshire puddings).	It’s the true taste of British comfort. A good pub lunch, ideally by a fireplace in a historic establishment, is an essential cultural experience.
Afternoon Tea	Scones with clotted cream and jam, delicate finger sandwiches, and intricate pastries, served with a pot of loose-leaf tea.	It’s a formal, quintessential British ritual that transports you back to a more refined era. It’s an indulgence, often served in beautiful hotel lounges or dedicated tearooms.
Modern British	Contemporary takes on seasonal British produce, focusing on farm-to-table dining.	London’s fine-dining scene is dominated by chefs elevating native ingredients, showcasing how sophisticated modern British cuisine has become.

2. The Global Powerhouses: London’s International Staples

The true diversity of London shines through its immigrant communities, which have elevated these cuisines to world-class status.

🇮🇳 Indian / South Asian (The British National Dish)

British Indian cuisine is legendary. It’s a fusion of classic Indian cooking techniques adapted and perfected over decades in the UK.

Why You Must Try: Dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala (actually invented in Britain) and Balti are global phenomena. Areas like Brick Lane (East London) are famous for affordable and authentic curry houses, offering unparalleled value and flavour.

🇹🇭 Thai (Authenticity and Flavour)

With established groups like Patara (and its offshoot Sen Sen Noodle Bar) and smaller independent eateries, London offers incredibly authentic Thai food.

Why You Must Try: You can find everything from casual, spicy street food to luxurious fine dining. The focus on freshness, balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy, and the prevalence of unique regional dishes (like the Northern Thai Khao Soi) makes it a flavour journey.

🇨🇳 Chinese (The Heart of Chinatown)

London’s Chinatown (near Leicester Square) is a vibrant, bustling centre for Cantonese, Szechuan, and other regional Chinese cuisines.

Why You Must Try: It’s affordable, fast, and exciting. Go for a large Dim Sum feast on a weekend morning or grab a quick, cheap meal like Jianbing or affordable noodle bowls. It’s a quick cultural immersion right in the middle of the West End.

3. Markets and Street Food (The Affordable Feast)

London’s markets are essential to its food identity and are the best place to eat affordably while experiencing the local buzz.

Borough Market: The most famous food market, offering high-end gourmet foods, artisanal bread, cheese, and incredible street food from across the globe (though prices can be higher).
Camden Market / Brick Lane: Perfect for budget travellers. These markets offer a bewildering array of international street food—Ethiopian, Venezuelan, Colombian, Korean—often available for under 10 pound. You can literally eat food from four continents in one lunch break.

Conclusion: Don’t restrict yourself to what you think is “British.” Use your trip as an opportunity to sample the world, from a traditional English scone to the best Indian curry outside of Mumbai—all within one city’s limits.

A Slurp of the Exotic: The Dining Experience at Sen Sen Noodle Bar, Central London

In the bustling heart of Central London, where quick, satisfying, and authentic food can be hard to find without a premium price tag, Sen Sen Noodle Bar offers a delightful, accessible escape. Located conveniently in the vibrant Oxford Circus area, this spot is not just another noodle shop—it’s a focused, delicious culinary experience that proves high-quality Thai food doesn’t have to break the bank.

The Setting: Casual Comfort Beneath the Fine Dining

Sen Sen Noodle Bar occupies the ground floor space beneath its parent establishment, the well-regarded Patara Thai Restaurant. This arrangement immediately sets the tone: the pedigree of the Patara Group ensures quality, while the ground-floor setting signals a more casual, high-turnover dining environment perfect for lunch-time shoppers, theatre-goers, and office workers.

The atmosphere is generally focused, bright, and modern, designed for enjoying a deeply satisfying bowl of noodles quickly and comfortably. It embraces the street food ethos—“Sen,” meaning noodles in Thai, is a staple and comfort food throughout Southeast Asia—but elevates it into a clean, contemporary space.

The Focus: A Deep Dive into Thai Noodle Specialities

Unlike broad Thai restaurants, Sen Sen specializes, offering a focused menu that allows them to perfect their craft. While the menu includes familiar sides and drinks, the main event is truly the noodle bowls.

The Signature Star: Khao Soi

The standout dish is the Khao Soi, a Northern Thai delicacy. It’s a must-try for any visitor, and a key reason why many regulars return.

The Flavour: Khao Soi is a rich, creamy, and complex coconut-and-red-curry-based soup, traditionally made with chicken or beef. It delivers a warming, aromatic heat that is both comforting and deeply exotic.
The Texture: The dish features two types of noodles: soft, boiled egg noodles submerged in the curry broth, topped with a glorious tangle of crispy, deep-fried egg noodles, which provides a textural contrast that defines the dish.
The Value: For a lunch in Central London, the pricing is highly attractive (check for their specific lunch deals, such as the advertised $12.95 pound$ per bowl offer), making it an excellent option for a substantial and authentic midday meal.

Other menu options often include Boat Noodles (rich, deeply flavoured broths), Tom Yum styles, and different noodle types (like glass noodles or vermicelli), ensuring there’s a bowl to suit every taste and spice tolerance.

For an indulgent treat, look no further than the Guay Tiew Rua Braised Short Ribs. This is an elevated take on the famous ‘Boat Noodle’ soup. While the original boat noodle is known for its rich, intense broth, Sen Sen crowns this flavour base with incredibly tender, slow-braised short ribs. At 19.95, it’s a premium dish that offers a luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth experience well worth the splurge.

The Perfect End: Affordable Desserts

A final highlight of the Sen Sen experience is the recently introduced dessert selection. Recognising that a great meal deserves a fitting conclusion, the new desserts are designed to be both delicious and affordable—a welcome change in London’s West End. The star of the show is the traditional Kha Nom Tuay (Thai Coconut Custard). These small, two-layered custard cups—steamed with a sweet layer of pandan and a salty-creamy layer of coconut milk—offer a light, refreshing, and authentic conclusion. Priced at an exceptional 2 for 2.50, they are a brilliant, budget-friendly way to cleanse the palate and complete the authentic Thai dining experience. Other sweet treats, often featuring classic Thai and South East Asian flavours like pandan or mango, provide a light, refreshing counterpoint to the savoury intensity of the noodle bowls.

The Verdict

Sen Sen Noodle Bar is more than just a quick eat; it’s an efficient, flavour-packed culinary stop in a prime location. It provides the authenticity and quality expected of the Patara brand but delivers it in a fast-casual format.

If your aim is to grab a truly authentic, flavourful, and deeply satisfying Thai meal—especially if you want to try the legendary Khao Soi—without the expense or time commitment of formal fine dining, Sen Sen Noodle Bar is a brilliant choice in Central London.

Address: 7 Maddox Street, London W1S 1AY. It is situated in Mayfair, a short walk from Oxford Circus.