Where to live in London if you're a foodie

We’ve had a bit of an unusual Christmas this year, moving into London for the week when most people (except the inevitable tourists) have moved out of it. The reason being my son and daughter-in-law were expecting their third baby (still are . . . ) so we offered to cook on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and generally help out.

We couldn’t stay with them though (small house, two kids who wake early enough without having their sleeping patterns further disrupted by having to move out of their rooms) so we’ve been renting a house nearby in East Dulwich we found through Twitter (how else?)

I had no idea how brilliant East Dulwich was, not least for food. It has a real villagey vibe, much more so than posher Dulwich Village which feels like a Surrey commuter town. It has amazing shops - a butcher (William Rose), a fishmonger (Moxon's), a couple of greengrocers, three places at least that sell good bread, two that sell cheese, three that sell wine. And there’s Peckham just up the road. You don’t need to shop in supermarkets except for basics.

It has some decent neighbourhood restaurants as well including Franklins and Toasted a natural wine bar we’ve already visited twice three times. (They also sell wine. French-style from a tank.) And an amazing gelateria, Oddono's. Barring transport - always a problem in south London - it’s the perfect place to live - and you can at least park your car.

It started me thinking where else in London I’d like to live now, money being no object as it happily never is with these fantasies. Even then I still wouldn’t fancy places like South Ken or Hampstead even if we could afford them. To qualify they must be places that for one reason or another touch the heart, have a sense of community and of course must be good places to shop and eat.

Bermondsey Street, Southwark

Actually we were there yesterday and what an amazing street this has become. Beautiful buildings. Great restaurants (José, Pizarro, Zucca, Casse-Croute), just by Maltby Street and Borough Market. Central (7-8 minutes walk from London Bridge), near Tower Bridge and the river. Perfect.

Lambs Conduit Street, Bloomsbury

I used to visit a wine merchant in this quaint, pretty street waaay back - my first introduction to real wine. A friend of mine lives here and whenever I visit her I fancy living there too. The street itself is more arty than foody (I love Persephone books) but within easy reach of others in better-provided-for Islington and within walking distance of the marvellous restaurant cluster in Exmouth Market (Moro, Morito, Caravan, Quality Chop House and now Blackfoot). In fact you can walk pretty well anywhere central. A strong contender - as is the rest of Bloomsbury.

Other possibilities

Hoxton/Hackney/Shoreditch

The buzzing heart of contemporary London. Is it a good place to live or simply to hang out? Depends whether you can afford a converted warehouse I guess. Certainly it qualifies as a food-focused destination - there’s Sager & Wilde, Leila’s Shop, Towpath Café, Violet Cakes, Mayfields (in Wilton Way). The Ginger Pig. If there’s a Ginger Pig it must be a good place to live, right?

Stoke Newington

I remember Stokey from its Kray days and it was rough. I slept with my then boyfriend in in the most uncomfortable bed ever which had a crater shaped hollow in the middle. (Not that we cared) Now my youngest son and half the journalists in London seem to live there and it has its own literary festival. And a butcher. Got to be a runner.

Lancaster Gate

This is where I stay In London (in a modest hotel, I hasten to add) when I’m not staying with family or friends. I love the fact Hyde Park is right opposite but it doesn’t quite tick the other boxes. No community to speak of* and no food shops but you could easily whizz down to Shepherd's Bush on the central line. Or eat out all the time. Obviously I'd need to win the lottery for this one.

*unless you count Tony Blair.

Kew, Richmond

My husband used to live in Kew so I spent some time there before we got married though I haven’t been there for a while. But it sounds like it’s still villagey and of course has the incomparable advantage of having the wonderful Kew Gardens in its midst. The dreaded district line is a drawback though. Maybe just a fond memory.

Londoners, where else can I live in this fantasy game? What other streets or neighbourhoods would you recommend? (Not really a fan of Pimlico, Earl’s Court or Fulham. Maidavale? Brixton?)

If you found this post helpful and would like to support the website which is free to use it would be great if you'd make a donation towards its running costs or sign up to my regular Substack newsletter Eat This, Drink That for extra benefits.

CONTRIBUTE HERE