The best places to eat near London Bridge

Places to eat at London Bridge are seemingly endless. You’ll find fine dining at world class restaurants, seasonal pop-ups food huts, the permanent Borough Market food stalls, craft coffee and what is, in our opinion, London’s best brownie.

London Bridge is seriously top-notch when it comes to food.

These are some of the best places to eat near London Bridge:

TAPAS BRINDISA

How many times in one article can you say that a restaurant is one of your favourite in all of London? We’re about to find out, but let’s start with this one. Tapas Brindisa is one of the best places to sample Spanish tapas in London. Its main restaurant is located right opposite one of the London Bridge station tube exits, and they have another outlet inside the busy Borough Market. Expect queues, particularly for the flagship sit-down restaurant, but also expect the queues to be worth it. With a wide array of tapas to choose from, we’re yet to find a dish that we haven’t wolfed down in seconds so we’ll leave the food-order decision making to you – and are fairly sure you’ll feel the same way.

PADELLA LONDON

Another one of our favourites in London, another one with queues out of the door and down the street, and another one that’s worth the wait. Padella is also located opposite the London Bridge tube station (just a few doors down from the Tapas Brindisa flagship) and is a sure-fire hit if you love Italian food. This bistro serves Italian pasta dishes to-die-for alongside antipasti, dessert, and Italian wine. Padella is so famous for its queues that Time Out London have written a ‘how to cheat the queue’ feature specifically for it. Another tip we’d add is that if you’re not restricted on timings, turn up mid-afternoon on a weekday and the chances are you’ll slip in pretty quickly, too. One thing’s for certain – if you love pasta, this is a must visit.


Restaurants at The Shard

If it’s dining with a view you’re after, it doesn’t get much better than in London’s tallest building, The Shard. There are many options to choose from here, but our favourite is the Northern Chinese at cuisine at Hutong. Order the ‘Red Velvet’ for a crab dish to blow your mind. Find out more about dining at The Shard and other London restaurants with a view here.

Restaurants in Borough Market

When it comes to places to eat near London Bridge, it doesn’t get much better than this. For some of the freshest and tastiest food London has to offer, head to Borough Market. This sheltered outdoor food market has been trading since 1851. As well as over 100 stalls selling fresh meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, bread, sweets, and more, to take home with you – you’ll also find a wide selection of sit-and-eat meals available. Here you really can taste the world; choose from Spanish, Israeli, Iraqi, Malaysian, Mexican, Jamaican, Japanese and Cypriot dishes, among others. You get the idea. For an Iraqi restaurant in London, head to one of our current favourites, Juma Kitchen. Brand new to Borough Market, Juma opened in December 2019 and offers saffron chicken, kubba, dolma, falafal, and more. Oh, and don’t miss their knafa.

Vinegar Yard London

We’ve already mentioned Vinegar Yard as a destination in its own right (think art & shopping), but it would be amiss not to also mention it solely for its food – a large portion of the space is dedicated to dining. Various ‘street food’ and drink vendors circle a spacious outdoor seating area, designed to allow visitors to arrive together, self order and collect from whichever vendor takes their fancy, then meet back at a table in the middle. Baba G’s, winner of My Million Pound Menu, is here. Order their now famous Bhangra Burger, or chow down on steak from Up In My Grill, Italian street food from Sugo, or sourdough pizza from Turnips.

Maltby Street Market London

If you don’t yet believe us that London Bridge is unbeaten for foodies, welcome to Maltby Street Market. Another foodie destination in its own right, here you’ll find traders selling Indian, Lebanese, Moroccan, Greek, Spanish, Persian, Japanese and more. It’s almost like we’re repeating ourselves yet Maltby Street Market can never be replicated, thanks to its unique location under railway arches.

Coffee Shops in London Bridge

London is fuelled by coffee and in London Bridge you’ll find no shortage of the stuff. There are a few special places to order it from however. Start your day at Absolutely Starving on Tooley Street. It’s right across the road from London Bridge train station and is a great spot for getting your bearings, people watching, and indulging in one of their delicious home-made cakes. Change Please coffee in Borough Market is a social enterprise selling the good stuff while training the homeless to work as baristas to staff their outlets. The Gentleman’s Barista offers all your regular favourites alongside fun additions such as a red velvet hot chocolate, match lattes, and – the winner for us – turmeric lattes.

London’s best brownie!

It’s a tall claim, but one we stand firm on. Head the heart of Borough Market to discover the best chocolate brownie that London has to offer. Find it at ION Patisserie. Trust us. And thank us later.

Want to explore the area more? Here are some great things to do in London Bridge.