Last Updated on 27. February 2018
London is the biggest city in Europe and a melting pot of many cultures. This not only shows in over 300 languages that are spoken here but also in the variety of food offered. You could go on a culinary trip around the world without leaving London.
The British capital also creates new and crazy food trends itself and I will show you the latest ones in this post. Foodies beware, here are the London Food Trends from summer 2017!
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Gothic Food
My favourite trend is the latest hype for black food and drinks. All these unicorns and rainbows were funny for a while but they are nothing compared to a black Gothic latte. There are several cafes offering the IT-drink. I enjoyed mine at the Farm Girl Cafe in Notting Hill.
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- A “Goth Latte” – charcoal makes it black
You will not only get the trendy black drink (the colour comes from adding charcoal) but also a Hibiscus Matcha (in red/pink) or the Butterfly Matcha (in a great blue). Breakfast is yummy here, as well.
The black food trend continues on other levels as well. You can get snacks which include charcoal and Dr. Oetker even has a black food colourant.
Nibble raw dough
I have wonderful memories of baking with my grandmother. I was always allowed to nibble tiny bits of the dough. Maybe Jen and Hannah from “Naked Dough” have similar memories because they opened their shop “Naked Dough” some months ago. They sell raw and unbaked cookie dough and this has become one of the sumer trends. At “Old Street” station you can choose your favourite flavours for £3.60 and they will be served like ice cream. The dough is much thicker than the dough I remember from my grandmother and there are no eggs added. A vegan option is planned but at the moment all flavours include milk and butter.
I tried “Mud bath” (chocolate dough with chocolate pieces) and “Emoji pooh” (dough with choc pieces). My first nibbles were ok but quickly I realized that both flavours are way too sweet for me. I couldn’t finish my portion but could have kept it in the fridge until the next day. A very popular trend food but nothing for me personally. If you are interested to try but don’t come to Old Street often, they also sell via Deliveroo.
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- Naked Dough get sold at the pop up store inside Old Street Station
Bubble Waffle – the rolled and filled waffle
If you are into waffles you might like those from Nosteagia. They are prepared fresh and look like a piece of bubble wrap. Once the waffle is ready, it gets rolled and then filled with your choice of “stuffing”. Prices start at £4.00, I tried “Queen Berry” for £5.50 (a lot of fresh berries on top of a Nutella waffle). Let’s be fair, it’s not a low-calorie dessert but very yummy! Only slight disadvantage: the cream get liquid quickly as the waffle is warm and then a mix of liquid cream, Nutella and berry juice drops out of your waffle. Be extra careful while eating. You can get the bubble waffles at several locations in London. I had mine at Nosteagia as they were the first to offer them. You can find them in Boxpark Shoreditch, Unit 58, 2-10 Bethnal Green Rd. Take the Overground to “Shoreditch High Street” station to get there.
Yummy Queen Berry Waffle at Nosteagia in Shoreditch
Taiyaki – filled waffles that look like fish
Small, with vanilla cream filled waffles that look like fish are offered by Chinatown Bakery at 7 Newport Place (near Leicester Square). They have a machine filling in the dough into the form in their shop window. The shop not only sells the small fish (they come in a set of 4) but also other pastry and sweet dishes. I have to admit that I liked the look of the Taiyaki but wasn’t too impressed by their taste. The dough was too soft and the vanilla cream had a boring taste.
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- Größenvergleich Taiyaki
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- Fresh Teriyaki
Next time I will try something else in the neighbourhood. At 9 Wardour Street bigger Taiyaki get produced and sold as ice cream waffles filled with matcha ice.
Freak shakes
Are Freak Shakes still a trend or have we get used to them already? These incredible over-the-top milk shakes gets served in a glass that is decorated from the outside with sauce and sprinkles. On top goes a big amount of cream and on top of that come whole muffins, cookies, pieces of cake. I can only tell you about this “drink” as I will never ever try one. If you want to find it in London, please ask Google where they serve the craziest ones. And if you have found a place, please tell me 🙂
Sweet delight from France – the Cronut®
The hybrid between a croissant and a doughnut has been available in London since autumn 2016 and the place to get it is in posh Belgravia at Dominique Ansel. The rich and sweet pastry has been very popular since the opening day. There is even a monthly special edition with different flavours. In August 2017 this was a Raspberry & White Peach Ganache. With £4.00 per Cronut® it’s not the cheapest treat. Independently from the price I didn’t become a fan. For me it has been way too sweet.
Rainbows – a decreasing trend?
Personally, I’ve become tired of all the rainbows and unicorns but I want to tell you about a cool place for rainbow beigels anyway. On Brick Lane there are several shops selling them but there is one who offers the best. Find out who that is in the A-Z entry.
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- A fresh rainbow bagel
With these inspirations I wish you a happy tasting of the Food Trends 2017 in London! As trends are changing rapidly I recommend to visit markets regularly to keep up to date with new food and drinks. Why not check out Borough Market? Around Brick Lane is also a got area which gets you the latest street art on top. Should you be too stuffed with food and need some exercise – why not join any of the Yoga classes which are offered around town?
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