They're the perfect thing to have with your pre-prandial martini, or to nibble on while you work out what to order. And now that most London restaurants have a devoted snack section on their menu, we're highlighting the bite-sized treats you need to order right now.
Anchovy eclairs at Lillibet’s
Mayfair - 17 Bruton Street, London W1J 6QB
Whether you’re fitting in a business lunch or leisurely dinner at this Mayfair seafood restaurant, the snacks you must start with are these savoury choux bites. It might sound like an odd culinary conceit, but the anchovy mousse-stuffed eclairs topped with sweet and sour sauce are extremely moreish.
Pork scratchings at Tavern
Shoreditch - 374-378 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT
Inspired by a similar snack on the menu at The Marksman, these extraordinary foot-long pork puffs are stretched out with special tongs while in the oven before being paired with some lovely smoked tarama. It doesn’t hurt that they’re absolute Insta catnip too.
Gnocco fritto at Rosina
Wandsworth - 35 Bellevue Road, London SW17 7EF
Whoever first conceived of these fried dough snacks ought to be given a medal of some kind. Here at Adam Byatt’s freshly minted Italian restaurant on Wandsworth Common, they come to the table all puffed up from the fryer, draped with Mortadella Bologna.
Masala haddock at The Latimer
274 Latimer Rd, London W10 6QW
Available on both the dining room and main bar menu at this new West London pub, we declared these gently curried fish bites a strong contender for snack of the year when we tried them earlier this summer. They’ve been such a hit the team have given them the XXL treatment and put a fillet o fish burger take on their delivery menu.
Red prawn at Chez Rose
Mayfair - 5 Pollen St, London W1S 1NE
Chez Rose may be the more casual of chef Spencer Metzger’s two restaurants, but the snackage is elite. These raw red prawn crostini with tomato and Amalfi lemon are insanely delicious. Our tip? Get at least a couple each, as you won’t want to share.
Soko at DakaDaka
Soho - 10 Heddon Street, London W1B 4BX
This dramatic-looking vegetarian snack features a heap of crispy fried oyster mushrooms served up with a tarragon aioli. Your job as the diner is to see how much of the aioli you can scoop up with each mushroom; the ideal ratio would be 50:50.
Kibbeh in shiso at Impala
Soho - 14 Dean St, London W1D 3RS
When we visited the marvellous Impala in the first week of service, one of our first memorable mouthfuls was their kibbeh made with langoustine and yoghurt-coated wheat. Now that dish has evolved with the seasons and is currently a kibbeh of white crab and sundried wheat, but you eat it the same way, wrapped up, taco-like, in a perilla leaf.
Devils on horseback at Teal
Hackney - 52 Wilton Way, London E8 1BS
Looking around the dining room at chef Sally Abé’s new Hackney home, I’m not sure we could see anyone who hadn’t ordered these snacks. Of course Abé has put her own spin on the classic offering of bacon-wrapped dates, filling hers with chicken liver pâté.
Beef jerky at Khao Bird
Soho - 24 Brewer Street, London W1F 0SS
This easily meets the criteria that we often set for snacks - they are something you should immediately order while you think about what to eat for the rest of the meal. So yes, you should order these the second you sit down at Khao Bird. The lightly spiced slices of jerky are based on a version from Chiang Mai's Kafe 1985 and pounded with lime leaves, and one bowl may not be enough.
Otoro toast at Sale e Pepe Mare
Marylebone - The Langham London, 1c Portland Place, Regent Street, London W1B 1JA
There are two seafood snacks on the menu at the newest restaurant to open at The Langham. One is a miniature pommes Anna with caviar, which is perfectly nice. But the one you really want to order is the otoro toast. It's a perfect little lozenge of brioche toast, slicked with a layer of confit tomatoes and garlic and topped off with a slice of otoro and a teeny mound of caviar. Pretty and delicious.
Subscribe to hear the latest from Hot Dinners
