The old tired cliché goes “London has terrible food.” It’s now getting cliché and tired to say that this simply isn’t true. How could a city of over 8 million people, speaking 300 languages, and with 50 immigrant communities, not produce an exquisite world cuisine? Stop thinking of poorly executed shepherds pie and dive in to one of the greatest dining destinations in the world.

Eating at a conference can be a tricky thing. Stuck between sessions, you’re lucky to make a run at the hotel restaurant to grab a not-so-great sandwich. The great part about London is that good food is no more than a 10-minute walk from the Hilton Metropole. So we created a map to show you where to get inexpensive good eats nearby the conference. They’ll also be in the conference mobile app with maps and links for easy navigation. But we also found some restaurants outside the confines of the Edgware Road and Marylebone area, because London is a great city and you must get out. We categorized these by color on the map.

• Green – grocery stores
• Light blue – coffee shops
• Red – fast-casual dining
• Yellow – pubs
• Green with dot – vegetarian/vegan friendly
• Purple – fine(r) dining (Dean’s List, because you have to get paid like a Dean to eat there)
• Pink – specialty

Around the Conference
The conference is lucky to be in a vibrant neighborhood. The Edgware Road area is renowned for its Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare. The block is lined with shwarma and falafel joints. You’ll be able to find easy eats right outside the hotel, but we recommend Green Valley Lebanese Food Hall, an amazing deli with fresh salads, sweets and pita and halloumi that is a great way to start the day. Abu Zaad on the Edgware Road is a cost conscious Syrian cafe and a little farther east, in Marylebone, you’ll find the student friendly Comptoir Libanais for Lebanese food.

A 10-minute walk from the hotel and you’re on Baker Street, a lively thoroughfare with great fast-casual chains like spicy Portuguese chicken purveyor Nando’s and the excellent pizzeria Strada. Down near Oxford Street is Wagamama, the communal-seating Japanese noodle bar. And if you’re wanting some real fish & chips, check out the Golden Hind, a 15-minute walk from the hotel for what some say is the best chip shop in all of London.

Also on the map near the conference are grocery stores and the inevitable Subway and Pret A Manger, for a quick sandwich on the go.

Pubs
Pub life is quintessentially British. The old wood bars, locals reading their newspapers in the corner, the pub is a refuge from giddy London. You will find pubs on High Streets and hidden in the mews, always stop in, always have a pint. There are several pubs near the hotel, like The Chapel, a child-friendly gastropub near Baker Street. The Victoria is a 10-minute walk southwest, nearer Hyde Park. It has outdoor seating, which is a huge plus on a long summer day. Heading even farther west is the Churchill Arms, who pulls proper ales at room temperature. And down in South Kensington is the Angelsea Arms, a superb gastropub serving excellent food and with a patio out front. 

Vegetarian/Vegan
You’re never far from great vegetarian fare in London. The Edgware Road options have falafel, but if you’re looking for something more interesting, take a long stroll through Hyde Park into Kensington Gardens and take in Jakob’s, a Middle Eastern/Armenian deli with superb salads. Stay west on Kensington High Street and you’ll get to Saf, a raw vegan restaurant committed to offering healthy dishes. In Islington is the legendary Ottolenghi, serving bright veggie forward Mediterranean fare from culinary genius, Yotam Ottolenghi (with other outposts in Kensington, Belgravia and Notting Hill). Finally, book early to eat at The Gate, possibly the greatest vegetarian restaurant in London. Housed in the former art studio of Sir Frank Brangyne. The Gate is set to reopen in spring 2013 after some renovations, and they recently opened an Islington branch.  

The Dean’s List
Want to splurge? Head east, my friend, and try out Fergus Henderson’s snout-to-tail eatery, St. John’s in Spitalfields Market. Fancy more modern hipster digs, go to Shoreditch for Pizza East or up to Hackney for the new modern European brasserie, Floyd’s on Shacklewell Lane. Or you can stay central for a white tablecloth dinner at The Wolseley in Mayfair, or have great Spanish Tapas at Barrafina in Soho. You can take the Tube to Primrose Hill and enjoy Greek mainstay, Limonia. Or head west and dine at upscale Indian restaurant, Chakra or the classic River Café for excellent Italian.

Specialty
London offers some special eating experiences, like afternoon tea at the Orangery in Kensington Palace. There is no better place to experience the British tradition of high tea than at this former home of Princess Diana. Brick Lane is known for its Indian food, but the real reason to go is for Brick Lane Beigel Bake. Open 24 hours, this London institution serves up delicious bagels with salt beef and mustard.

For the best food experience in London head over to Borough Market by London Bridge. Since 1014 there has been a market of some kind in this area of London. The current market has over 100 stalls with a wide variety of options for eating. The full market is open Thursday-Saturday and worth the trip.

London is a brash, outrageous town, with a cuisine to match. You can find almost anything in the city, from Northern Thai food in Brixton, to Venetian cichetti or Bombay style cafés in Covent Garden. Explore and you won’t be disappointed. If you have suggestions, go to the comments section of the mobile version of the newsletter and post away. We’ll start a thread on Facebook too. Happy eating, and we’ll see you at the pub.