Bill Granger's Guide to London's Best Eats

He’s one of the most successful chefs to have ever come out of Australia. Since opening his first cafe in Sydney’s Darlinghurst 24 years ago, Melbourne-born Bill Granger’s restaurant empire has expanded to include Hawaii, Korea, Japan, Australia and London - a city that houses three outlets of his Granger & Co restaurant chain, and a city that he and his family have called home for almost seven years.

During this time, the celebrity chef has scoured the city for the best in food and drink the British capital has to offer. From gourmet burgers and street food to London’s best coffee and farmers market, Bill speaks to Yahoo7 Travel about his go-to foodie hot spots around town.

Best Coffee Shop:

I may be biased, but I have my coffee every morning at Granger and Co in Notting Hill. We serve Allpress coffee - which started out in New Zealand - and our baristas are very well trained. I am particularly fond of our cold drip.

When I’m in East London, I make sue to pop into the AllPress cafe in Redchurch Street, which serves simple light food and of course, perfectly executed coffee. You feel like you could be in a backstreet in Alexandria, Sydney.

Best Bar:

40 Maltby Street, which is close to Borough Market under the arches. I’ve definitely passed the stage in life when I enjoy hanging out in noisy bars, so this place suits me perfectly. It’s a wine bar, which serves natural wines - that means means from producers who don’t use chemical fertilisers and pesticides - alongside great food. I like to get there early for Friday lunch, where I always have the mussel fritters and a glass of the recommended drop of the day. Afterwards I’ll head to nearby St John’s for a donut.

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Best Fine Dining:

The River Cafe is my idea of fine dining. Glamorous, yet incredibly causal - it’s like being at a friends house for lunch, well, a friend who also happens to be a culinary whiz! They have the best staff in London, the perfect seasonal antipasti, handmade pasta and grills and roasts direct from their hot, pink, wood fired oven.

Best Brunch Spot:

We like to take the kids into the West End to have dim sum at Duck and Rice, which is one of Alan Yau’s (founder of Wagamama and Hakassan and one of the world’s great restaurateurs) latest creations. There’s a great craft brewery downstairs and upstairs a Chinese restaurant with a Soho circa 1970s vibe. They tackle all the classics, but with a modern lighter palate.

Best Food Market:

I like Maltby Street Market in Bermondsey on a Saturday. It’s a more interesting, non-commercial alternative to Borough Market. Also, just around the corner early on a Sunday morning I make a pitstop for flowers on Columbia Road ahead of the Marylebone Farmers Market, which has the best fresh, seasonal food in the city.

After that, I usually cross the road to go to Ginger Pig, for a cheeky sausage roll, which I’ll munch on while I’ll also pick up some of London’s best meat, then next door to Fromagerie - London’s best cheese shop - for supplies and a simple lunch - if I can fit it in!

Best Pub Meal:

The Marksman in Hackney. It’s a traditional Hackney pub with a smart restaurant. I love the goat curry and the brown butter and honey tart, both of which are signature dishes and are rapidly attaining cult status here in London.

Best Street Food:

Dinerama in Shoreditch has ten different bars, all serving craft beers and cocktails, including one called the German Sex Dungeon - yes, really. There’s fifteen different street food vendors in total, from pizzas and lobster rolls to ribs and hand pulled noodles. The place really comes alive on Friday and Saturday nights.

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Best Burger Joint:

If we’re in Knightsbridge and feeling flush, then Bar Boulud is a great option - there’s actually not much in that area, Harrods aside. Aside from that, Patty and Bun is another favourite. It started as a pop up and now they have four locations in London - James Street, London Fields, Liverpool Street and Old Compton Street. I always take my kids and we love their chips with rosemary salt and lamb shank redemption burger, which is full of coriander and chilli, pickled eggplant and cumin aioli.