Hey everyone! Rebecca here, XOXO’s resident Londoner, and if you’re heading to London Fashion Week this month, here’s your guide to the best spots for staying well-fed and watered before, during, and after the shows!
Brekkie
Scrambled eggs on toast at The Delaunay Counter Café and Bar is a real pre-show treat; you get the hotel vibe in a cool and sophisticated atmosphere. For something a little less fancy, tucked away on Southampton Street, Abuelo serves delicious coffee and vibrant breakfast options packed with flavour.
Coffee
If you’re looking for quick, decent-priced, takeaway coffee, Pret A Manger, I’d argue, is the best chain coffee you can buy, and service at the Strand spot is always speedy. If you fancy a pastry with your coffee, Toklas Bakery is a little gem amongst the very unfashionable buildings on Surrey Street, which has some of the best freshly baked pain au chocolats and cookies around these parts.
Lunch
For a sit-down lunch with a little refinement, The Ivy Market Grill has a mixed menu, from salads, to curry, to steak and chips. The Ivy restaurants are all decorated beautifully and are truly an experience in dining, not just a spot for lunch. However, if you fancy something a little less formal, The Real Greek is a great place for lots of sharing plates; I always order the Halloumi Fries and Tonia’s Prawns.
Takeaway lunch might be a necessity if you’re hopping between shows so two easy. A delicious option is Leon, which gives you the option to go as healthy or naughty as you like, with rice boxes and grain salads, as well as chicken burgers and waffle fries. Another option s Soho Coffee Co at 215 Strand, which has some amazing sandwiches. This Soho Coffee Co location is opposite the Royal Courts of Justice, which make a very grand, Harry Potter-ish backdrop to your meal!
Dinner
Feeling a little fancy? Hit up ROKA Aldwych for a Japanese culinary treat. Here, they serve some of the best rock shrimp tempura (my personal recommendation), along with an exciting Robata grill experience. The venue, atmosphere, and quality of the food will make the check a surprise – great value for money!
If you’re seeking something a little more casual, and especially if you’re a burger-lover, you HAVE to go to Honest Burgers Covent Garden. I promise this is the best burger you’ll ever eat, and the chips are worth going for on their own. Burger & fries for £10, plus some absolutely cracking chipotle mayo, what’s not to love?
Italian food is one of my favorite cuisines so perhaps I’m a little biased, but anywhere that serves pasta is ideal for keeping you going during Fashion Week. Ave Mario is relatively new to Covent Garden, but it’s one of London’s most popular restaurants with tourists and Londoners – and that’s when you know it’s good. London has so many incredible spots that if Londoners love it, you’re making a good choice.
If you venture further into Covent Garden, there’s so many options to choose from. Most you’ll need to book in advance, but I’d also recommend Franco Manca pizzeria, Clos Maggiore, Palm Court Brasserie, Din Tai Fung and Barrafina.
Pop out around the corner for dessert at Milk Train, where you’ll find the most Instagrammable (and delicious) ice creams.
Drinks
Across the road from 180 House Strand is the Radio Rooftop Bar at the ME London hotel, which has fabulous views across central London. Depending on afterparties, the Somerset House Terrace may also be open for drinks. It’s a beautiful open space behind the House with views across the river, or for late night drinks, head to Wild Monkey Cocktail Bar at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel. For a true taste of the wilder side of London, the cramped, cosy but incredibly fun Covent Garden Social Club is always a fab night; there’s a great piano bar on the ground floor, but if you head downstairs, the Basement Bar is where it’s at after midnight – think dancing on tables and hot bar staff offering free-poured shots.
I hope you enjoy all the fantastic food London has to offer, and if you find anywhere we should add to this list, let us know! Because we are your fashion bestie
XOXO,
