Please sign in to post.

Dine and dash

I'm a big believe in the KISS rule when dining, I'm not one of those folks who lives to eat. A tasty simple meal is always going to work for me, and I would suggest that for at least one meal a day you just stop, eat, and go. If you've never heard of them, England and especially London is absolutely chock full of outlets of the chain Pret a Manger (usually just called Pret). They are like a Starbucks in their focus on coffee but also have a wide selection of premade sandwiches and salads (and of course pastries). There will be times where you're standing in the doorway of a Pret and you look to your left and your right and see two more; they are really that omnipresent.

It's an easy meal. Just browse the selections, take them to counter and pay. One point - most British sandwiches will have either butter or mayo, I don't mind the former but really don't like the latter. So read those labels. Salads also contain an ingredient called rocket, which I thought was a joke but it's a type of leafy green.

Another option is getting food to go from the many food court operations. Every department store will have an elaborate food setup, like Harrods, Selfridges and Marks and Spencer. M&S also has standalone outlets, and stores like Tesco will have small operations like a 7-11. Unfortunately, these combo deli/grocery stores have a wide selection that is only for takeaway - no area with tables and chairs. So this is an option to eat in a park or in your room.

You'll also see chains you already know, not as many Mickey D's as I expected but a ton of Subway, Five Guys and KFC outlets. And in a pinch just pop into a good-sized train station and you'll have lots of choices.

Finally if you're like Ted Lasso and can't stand tea, no worries. Coffee is the hot beverage of choice in the UK and you can find it everywhere in all the various and sundry variations you'd expect at a Starbucks.

Posted by
4007 posts

I thought "dine and dash" meant eating and sneaking out without paying the bill.

Posted by
2330 posts

thanks for this post. It is informative and helpful.

What supermarkets would you recommend? I know that Tesco is one. What others? I am thinking of supermarkets that have food bars where you can sit and eat such as Whole Foods (which is a bit pricey).

Somewhere I read some negative reviews about M&S stand alones. I think it had to do with prices.

I also like to buy snacks from grocery stores to keep in my hotel room or take with me as I sightsee.

I love coffee and believe that I have a coffee machine in my hotel room but I buy real cream from a grocery store for the coffee. Most hotels do not offer real heavy whipping cream for coffee.

I travel alone and eat alone so I do not go to fancy restaurants where you spend hours dining. I like good food that is reasonably priced. I like to be able to relax and people watch. Food Courts and food bars at grocery stores will probably suit me.

I don't think that I want to go to London to eat McDonald's or KFC.

Posted by
10288 posts

I too thought dine and dash was leaving without paying

Rocket = arugula

Posted by
16413 posts

Rocket is what Americans call "arugula."

The major supermarkets are Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons and Waitrose. All have full size versions as well as smaller stores. Mostly the same. And of course Aldi and Lidl. And there's ASDA which is basically WalMart with an English accent.

Pret's sandwiches and salads are better than the supermarket versions. You also have chains like
Pauls (French) and Greggs (more downscale).

Leon is a healthy fast food. Costa, Cafe Nero, Pret and Starbucks are known for their coffees. (Known, I didn't say good.)

If you want a store in the UK that is like Whole Foods in the USA, it's called Whole Foods. Yep, the same chain.

U.S. fast food chains are also about....McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC, Subway and Five Guys.

For coffee, half and half is non-existent and pouring cream is not that plentiful. This is what I use:

https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/products-overview/arla-lactofree-whipping--cooking-cream-200ml-27138/

Most hotel rooms in the UK have a kettle and that's it. It will be for tea and coffee (instant). If you have an actual coffee machine it is probably a Nespresso machine and makes expresso and lungo coffee, not full size American unless you add water. (If it says "tea and coffee making" it means a kettle.)

I had Pret for lunch today.

Posted by
2556 posts

My husband and I are long time fans of Pret a Manger and have had many meals from that chain in London, Edinburgh and the new outlet in Dublin. Some of the Pret’s have eat in options but not all of them. We also like the Marks and Spencer grocery store for putting together a meal to eat in our hotel room. If those are not available options, there are many convenience stores in the UK where you can purchase sandwiches, crisps, drinks, etc.

Posted by
9263 posts

@phred you do know the term dine and dash refers to eating and NOT paying

Prets have been around for decades. Served soups and salads in the early days. Every Christmas season I enjoy the turkey, cranberry and sage dressing sandwich.

Starbucks coffee sucks here and there. Burnt beans.

Costa, Caffe Neros, Harrison and Hooles ( owned by Caffe Nero) and the new kids on the block Monmouth ALL better than Seattle’s sellout.

Would also recommend OAT coffee in Brick Lane. Pleasant staff and owners. Tasty and brewed perfectly.

Posted by
4871 posts

there's also a coffee chain called Joe and the Juice, I'm guessing they do juice as well.

I did a takeaway dinner from the M&S in Paddington and it was fine, there was also one in the Green Park tube station.

One thing to note, a lot of food operations are self-checkout with one harried employee monitoring all the registers. Don't worry, it works the same way it does here, the only complication might be if you want a bag you had best ask for that beforehand. Also note that takeaway cutlery in Europe is made of wood, not plastic. So it's not always reusable.

And yes I was surprised to see all the turkey & cranberry offerings, that is just so New England to me.

Posted by
11608 posts

The Whole Foods in London are excellent. I like M&S too. No Mickey Ds or KFC for me anywhere, ever!
Harrod’s Food Hall is fun to see and we have bought foods there to take back to our hotel room. Our kids loved it.

Posted by
2330 posts

Frank II

It does not look like I will be going hungry in the UK.

I had problems getting a satisfying cup of coffee in Copenhagen. It seems that I only was given milk and did not even get half and half. I posted about that somewhere after returning home and I was told that i should have asked for cream for coffee.

But it seems like I might have the same problem in London. I may have to adjust my desires for a cup of coffee like I make at home.

When you go to a coffee house what do they put in your coffee if you want a lightener. Do they not have half and half? If you go to a restaurant and order coffee, what do you get if you say coffee with cream?

Posted by
2693 posts

I have had good meals from Pret and M&S--usually sandwiches and wonderful cheeses, definitely of better quality and flavor than the desperate sandwich I got from a Tesco last trip. But Harrod's food hall is absolutely sublime! I stayed fairly close last trip and had a couple of excellent meals, very hard to choose from all their offerings.

Posted by
2809 posts

I love Pret a Manger! That kind of dining works for my husband and I when we are traveling, especially when we are worn out from sightseeing. It's fast, easy and good quality. I was so excited to find one in Paris last spring.

Posted by
591 posts

While I too love Pret, another great place with a very similar setup is Greggs. They sell pre-made sandwiches, rolls and drinks, much the same way Pret does, as well as pies. You'll find them all over the North. And they're a bit cheaper than Pret.

Posted by
33995 posts

When you go to a coffee house what do they put in your coffee if you want a lightener.

usually 2 percent milk (semi-skim), especially at Pret and Cafe Nero, others may use 4 percent (whole milk). You can also get almond "milk" and oat "milk".

Do they not have half and half?

Unheard of here. You ask for that and they won't have a clue.

If you go to a restaurant and order coffee, what do you get if you say coffee with cream?

a quizzical look.

If you order Italian milk drinks like Cappuccino or Latte (cafe latte) the milk is foamed or steamed and feels like whipped cream on the top or on the bottom.

back to Pret and Cafe Nero ... Pret has the best food other than M&S, excellent taste. Pret also has in addition to its normal Italian style coffees a (was before covid, I haven't seen the after covid price) 99p filter coffee (white or black) which may be more what Americans would want in a watered down coffee. Cafe Nero in my opinion has the best cappuccino other than perhaps stand alone places. Waitrose in their give-away to members is now using Cafe Nero beans. Good stuff...

Posted by
33995 posts

love Pret, another great place with a very similar setup is Greggs

At Pret the sandwiches and salads are made at the store's kitchen. Greggs???

Posted by
2688 posts

Looking at the Greggs menu, I'd say nope, not at all similar to Pret:
https://www.greggs.co.uk/menu

I usually prefer salads over sandwiches, but our Rick Steves Southern England guide highly recommended Pret's Smoked salmon sandwiches, and yes, very good. Just butter and a nice amount of salmon.

Posted by
2330 posts

Frank II

what you use at home might work for me. It's cream but I guess it is not offered in coffee houses or restaurants.

Nigel

Thanks for your response to my questions.

I will somehow manage.

Posted by
16413 posts

Most of the coffee you'll find in coffeehouses and restaurants will be European style, not American style. If you just ask for a coffee, they might give you a quizzical look. The closest thing to American coffee is an Americano. It's espresso with water added.

Your choices of "lightener" will be milk (whole, semi-skimmed or skim), soy milk or oat milk. As I said, pourable cream for coffee is not popular in the UK. If you like a creamier coffee, try a cafe latte, cappucino or even a flat white. They are so much better than filtered coffee.

By the way, in your hotel rooms, they will have small individual pots of milk (no refrigeration needed) rather than the powdered junk found in U.S. hotel rooms. It will either be whole milk or semi-skimmed.

The "cream" I linked to earlier in this thread requires refrigeration so only get it if your hotel room has a fridge.

Posted by
249 posts

"While I too love Pret, another great place with a very similar setup is Greggs"

They are very different, Greggs are known for thier pies, pasties and bacon baps. Some Gregs in Yorkshire offer pie and peas - Pork pie with mushy peas and mint sauce as well as thier standard menu, which is a cheap and filling and good on the hoof.

Posted by
585 posts

M&S, both their food halls and Express shops offer, prepared meals that need microwaving and ready to eat foods such as sandwiches, salads and various ready to eat items such as pork pies, my particular fav., Scotch eggs, etc., plus bbq chicken, fresh fruit, wine, beer. Another good place for eating on the run is Boots, a pharmacy chain that is everywhere in the UK. It’s been a few years, but you could get a meal deal of a decent sandwich or a salad, a soda or juice, and a candy bar .

Posted by
249 posts

"And there's ASDA which is basically WalMart with an English accent."

ASDA is no longer part of the Walmart group, it is now owned by the Issa brothers and TDR Capital. ASDA started out as the 1st ethical supermarket and formed by a cooperative of dairy farmers in the early '60s and its name comes from ASociated DAirys. As to ASDA being Walmart with a British accent, one could never buy guns and bullets in ASDA even when it was part of the Walmart group, so not sure that is true.

Posted by
4625 posts

No guns or bullets at the Canadian Walmart's, so it can still be a Walmart without an American accent.

Posted by
9022 posts

This is great information. It fits my idea of "eat like the locals" much better than making reservations at 4-star gourmet restaurants six months ahead of time.

Posted by
4625 posts

I can't remember the author, but I ready a book by a travel author who made a case that going for fast food-even McDonalds will give you a sense of the place you're visiting. His case was that as long as it's not right in a tourist zone you're going to see local teens, local families, within their own environment.

Posted by
5554 posts

This is great information. It fits my idea of "eat like the locals" much better than making reservations at 4-star gourmet restaurants six months ahead of time.

I'm a "local" and I like to eat at 4-star gourmet restaurants, why don't you want to be like me? ; )

As for the BostonPhil's question regarding sit down eating such as is available in Whole Foods you will find a somewhat similar option but it won't be quite the same. Many large supermarkets have an in store cafe where simple meals can be ordered or there are franchises of big names such as Costa, Harris & Hoole etc. Food and drinks need to be purchased in these places and consumed on the premises, you can't buy something from the supermarket and eat it in the cafe/coffeeshop. You also won't find the array of pre-cooked food that you find in Whole Foods and certainly nowhere in-store to sit down and eat it. Hot chicken (rotisserie and thighs, wings etc), pies, pasties, sausage rolls and other pastries are the predominant hot foods available along with salads, slaws, olives and other delicatessen items. These are all intended to be eaten off premises.

Filter coffee is a rarity outside of people's homes so be prepared for strong coffee. You won't find cream or half and half so if you want a weaker, creamier coffee then it's best to opt for a latte or cappuccino. Whilst coffee is popular on the high street at home tea still reigns supreme and remains the hot beverage of choice for Brits. You'll find a kettle in your hotel room but a coffee machine unlikely. Please don't do what someone did to the kettle in one of the apartments I recently stayed at in the US and try to brew coffee in it!

Posted by
2330 posts

I do not understand the term filter. coffee. And I had to look up flat white. I never heard of that before this post.

My choice of coffee is dark so I like strong coffee. I drink espresso such as Starbuck's Espresso. I do not drink little cups of Espresso such as Turkish Coffee.. I drink brands that offer Espresso.

Apparently my hotel does offer a real coffee machine with a variety of coffees and even single servings of milk. I read the reviews and it is said that the coffee machine is nice and the coffee is very good. I will not brew coffee in a kettle.

I also get a kettle with tea. I like tea and I can learn to be a tea drinker mostly. I can live without coffee is if must.

I do not care for the complimentary coffee on the ship because it is either light or medium but I live with it. I drink it but I also drink tea.

I might prefer food stalls and food courts to food bars in grocery stores. Are there food trucks? I like mom and pop restaurants but I eat at chains also. I am not seeking a four course dinner in an upscale restaurant. A lot of people do but that is not me. If I were with a group, that would be different but not just me, solo.

Posted by
33995 posts

maybe filter coffee would make more sense if I used the US expression Drip coffee, like in a USA diner. beans are ground to a powder and the powder put in a paper filter with a big round glass receiver under it and boiling water is poured slowly through it. That black stuff in the glass receiver is filter coffee. Kept on a hotplate so it is hot when needed. Sort of American. That coffee is then poured into your cup.

Don't know about in Texas, but if you have a machine espresso it will probably be about 40 ml.

Posted by
8159 posts

My favorite "fast food" place to eat in London in 1996 was the Cafe in the Crypt located at St. Martin's in the Fields near Trafalgar Square. The cafeteria is in a crypt in the basement with old tombstones sunk into the floor, and stone walls that are hundreds of years old. I checked my travel journal from back then and I had a filled roll of egg and mayonnaise (an egg salad sandwich on a Kaiser roll), a pudding (bread and butter), and hot tea, served with a container of milk for my first meal. I went back at twice after that. The food was quick and tasted wonderful and you can't beat the atmosphere.

I still think of that place and it will be one of the first places I go to when I get back to London (hopefully in 2024).

Posted by
1204 posts

I'll add a vote for Cafe in the Crypt - since it's a cafeteria, it's a good choice for solo travelers. They appear to be on somewhat reduced hours. The Atrium Cafe at the National Theatre is another good choice, no theater ticket needed, also cafeteria style. And then there's Borough Market, which is a must-see while you're in London.

Posted by
2330 posts

I love cafeterias and I will love the markets. I will love the cafes. Am going to check out the links.

Here in Austin, we have Luby's Cafeteria which went bust during Covid but I believe that some have opened again.

Checked out the link, Claudia. I so loved it. Thank you.

And I checked out others as well.

Nigel,

I have a drip single serve coffee maker but the coffee drips right into a cup. It is not a very good one but makes a decent cup of coffee. I buy ground coffee and put my scoops in a holder on top of my coffee maker , then add water to the container, turn it on and voila.

Posted by
8159 posts

I don't think Ottolenghi has been mentioned yet. Great prepared foods. You can take away or sit inside and eat.

Mary, I love Ottolenghi! I have three of his cookbooks, have checked out many more at the library and follow his recipes in The Guardian. His restaurant wasn't there when I was last in England but I definitely want to go on the next trip there.

Posted by
16413 posts

Not sure when you were in Nandos last but I was there over the weekend. A half chicken with two sides is now 14 GBP.

Posted by
33995 posts

a quarter chicken at Nandos is £4.95, with 2 normal sides only £9.95. The half chicken - huge, my wife and I usually split it with her getting the leg - with 2 sides is indeed £13.50 but that's only £6.75 for each of us.

Because we live at home (and covid and flu averse) we get it for take-away. So yum Try those Macho Peas (or at Christmas, Macho Sprouts - yes sprouts). Mint and spices go SO well with peas.