35 Best Restaurants in England

This celebrated Yorkshire tearoom began life in Harrogate in 1919, when a Swiss restaurateur brought his Alpine pastries and chocolates to England. The welcoming interior has changed little since it first opened, and the extensive array of teas not at all. In addition to omelets, quiches, sandwiches, and traditional cakes and pastries, the menu ranges from the Dales (sausages) to the Alps (rösti), and there are now gluten-free options. Betty's is famous for its traditional afternoon tea but there's an even more elaborate afternoon tea served in the Imperial Room, complete with a live pianist (reservations required, Friday through Monday only).

It's all Cockney banter and full English breakfasts at this tiny family-run café and onetime gangsters' lair near Brick Lane and Columbia Road markets. The atmosphere may be rowdy, but it's all good-natured, with greasy fry-ups (think eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, toast, tomatoes, fried mushrooms, black pudding, and cabbage and mash) served alongside homemade Italian dishes like lasagna and cannelloni and British classics like pies and roast dinners, all courtesy of matriarch Mama Maria. With the ornate food-paneling (installed in 1946 by local carpenter and regular customer Achille Capocci) as a backdrop, a visit to E. Pellicci feels a little like a wonderful performance of East End life being staged for your benefit. 

This bakery, which supplies bread to many of East London's top eateries, has a friendly café and deli on-site, where you can sample some of the tastiest toasted sandwiches in the city. The shop also stocks a concise range of elegant household items.

No seaside town would be complete without an ice-cream store, and the delicious, housemade, artisanal gelato on sale here is a real treat. Everything is made fresh daily; try the cherry cheesecake flavor or maybe a scoop of the delicious chocolate and sea salt. There are also dairy-free options available, as well as a full menu of desserts, including the "gelato burger" (sandwiched between brioche with chocolate sauce) and the old-school British concoction known as the knickerbocker glory (a tall glass filled with a mixture of ice cream, whipped cream, fruit, and nuts). Alternatively, if you have high levels of self-control, you could just have coffee.

Once frequented by the likes of Virginia Woolf and Karl Marx, locals still cherish this quirky 1871 French pâtisserie, vintage tea parlor, and occasional pop-up art space, where nothing seems to have changed since the 1920s. Colorful pastries, tarts, croissants, and sweet cakes are well loved and expertly baked on-site. You can choose from the gooey chocolate and fruit éclairs, Saint-Honoré and Black Forest gateaux, marzipan figs, and flaky almond croissants. Still run by Soho legend Michele Wade, Maison Bertaux also hosts a cheery retro afternoon tea service, which comes with savories like Dijon slice or broccoli quiche.

Located next door to the London Coliseum (home of English National Opera), this hip café serves some of the best sandwiches, salads, and coffee in the neighborhood. In the evening (it’s open until 9 pm, Tuesday through Saturday), there’s more of a wine-bar vibe.

Nestled away in the trees beside Edale Station, this charming little spot has outdoor seating and cozy interiors warmed by a log-burner in the chillier months. Walker-, cyclist- and dog-friendly, it serves everything from delicious panini and fresh soups to homemade cakes and scones amid images of local spots accompanied by poems.

An artisan kitchen and coffeehouse, the Find is one of the best places in Cheltenham for afternoon tea. The Regency drawing room is an elegant spot, and the tea menu perfectly balances savory and sweet treats, incorporating British favorites, such as sausage rolls and coronation chicken sandwiches, with a contemporary twist. The fruit scones are fluffy, and you can add a glass or two of Champagne for the ultimate indulgence. There's also a tasty breakfast, brunch, and lunch menu if you are peckish earlier in the day.

Betty's has been a York institution since 1936. The decor—inspired by the art deco ocean liner the Queen Mary—the dessert trollies, and the solicitous white-aproned staff all contribute to an impression of stepping back in time to a more genteel era. An excellent afternoon tea is served in the café downstairs; breakfast and light lunches are served in the Oak Room upstairs, where you can see the mirror inscribed by the RAF air aces who dined here during WWII. An in-house store sells a range of specialty coffees and teas, plus pastries and old-fashioned sweets like rose and violet creams.

Specializing in quick, nourishing meals, this relaxed café in a 14th-century former inn allegedly once patronized by Shakespeare, Cromwell, and Pepys serves hot and cold breakfasts, lunches, and afternoon snacks. Choices include cheeseburgers served with bacon and fried egg, a Moving Mountains beetroot, mushroom, and soya version, or a sweetcorn hash with halloumi, avocado, and poached egg. You can eat upstairs in the spectacular Tudor great hall or in the quieter side room.

A bustling small café, Broadway Deli serves breakfasts, coffee, and light lunches. You can browse local cheeses, honey, fresh fruit, and vegetables amid a constant stream of locals and visitors alike. Take a seat and enjoy your meal, or stock up for a picnic.

In St. Mary-le-Bow's Norman crypt, this café is packed with City workers weekdays 7:30–2:30 for a menu covering breakfasts, scrumptious light lunches, and delicious cakes. It's also open for dinner Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Ignore the dad-joke pun—this is a really good, modern, vegetarian- and celiac-friendly café. Mismatched, shabby-chic furniture fills the cozy dining room, where you can enjoy delicious, fresh scones, cakes, gluten-free desserts, and tasty panini and wraps. It's easily missed, so look out for the salmon-colored door at the corner of Saddler Street and Owengate.

This successful chain serves up delicious juices and smoothies, as well as sandwiches, soups, and wraps.

A former grain mill, Fisherton Mill houses independent shops as well as artists' studios and a gallery showcasing paintings, sculptures, textiles, jewelry, and all manner of crafts. Enjoy a light lunch or Wiltshire cream tea in the highly regarded café. It shuts down for the day at 5, except for Sundays, when it's closed.

This unfussy but elegant café-restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea offers freshly made soups, sandwiches, hot dishes, and cakes made with locally sourced ingredients. Favorites include beer-battered cod with fries, fried mushrooms on sourdough toast with creamed spinach and a poached egg, and a miso glazed chicken salad. There are no reservations and it's very popular, so a wait may be involved at busy times.

This is a cluster of small shops specializing in jewelry, art, clothing, and ceramics by designer-manufacturers, with an adjoining cluster of informal restaurants and cafés, most with outdoor seating. A project of the Coin Street Community Builders, a social enterprise group, it bustles with activity. The same group converted the nearby Oxo Tower Wharf, an art deco warehouse with three levels of designer studios that also serve as retail outlets. The Oxo Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie, a pricey restaurant operated by the swish department store Harvey Nichols, occupies the top floor, and you can see the same spectacular views from an adjacent free public viewing area (open daily).

Family-friendly and tucked away on a pretty mews, Ginger & White is a delightful fusion of a continental-style café and traditional British "caff"—all bound up with a modern, sophisticated Hampstead vibe. Specialties include homemade peanut butter and cakes, farm-sourced free-range eggs, rare-breed bacon, and specialty espresso. It can get crowded on weekends.

This bustling, cozy little café and deli is lined with jars of locally made jams and chutneys. Bang in the center of Grasmere, it's great for coffee and a homemade pastry or flapjack (bars made with syrup, butter, and oats). Heidi's also offers a B&B experience in the six-room lodge.

At this beamed and buzzing little café, locals drop in to discuss horses and dogs over a glass of wine, families gather around the big round table for lunch, and tired shoppers sink into armchairs for a reviving coffee. The Italian-inspired menu is filled with light dishes like antipasti, bruschetta, soups, baked potatoes, and salads. An English baker makes the cake specials on-site daily. There's also a terrace for warm days; the café stays open for dinner Thursday through Saturday.

Overlooking The Mall, this café and bar offers a tasty, reasonably priced lunch and dinner menu, with coffees and snacks available throughout the day. Like the venue itself, it's open 11–11.

Located on the northern stretch of Portobello Road, this quintessential neighborhood café specializes in delicious coffee, cakes, breakfast, and brunch, all served up on classic English crockery. Grab one of the window seats and watch Notting Hill wander by.

This eccentric French pâtisserie (London's oldest) has been around since 1871. Not the finest coffee around, but a nice range of teas and glasses of wine, plus fab French cakes, tarts, and savory quiches more than make up for that.

This Islington institution is a foodie's heaven. With the accent on North African and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, the inventive, tasty, and healthy veg-centric dishes, along with fresh salads, flaky pastries, and artisan cakes, make this deli-bakery-café worth an hour of anyone's time. Go home with a knockout chocolate meringue or a plum-and-quince tart, and pick up Ottolenghi's outstanding Israeli- and Palestinian-inspired cookbook, Jerusalem, on the way out.

Good coffee, fresh produce, and delicious pastries make this coffee shop one of the best places in Lewes to drop by for an afternoon pick-me-up. A light-filled space with wood floors and simple tables creates a pleasant, casual spot to enjoy a cup of coffee with breakfast, a scone, or a light sandwich or salad lunch. You can also order to go.

Young locals and windblown walkers gather in Keswick's liveliest café for excellent coffee or tea, fruit-flavored cordials, and some serious hot chocolate. The music is laid-back; the staff is undeniably cool; the walls are hung with paintings and photos; and there are housemade pizzas, tapas, and pints of local beer for long rainy days or cold winter nights. Don't miss the decadent chocolate orange cake. 

Located in a former pharmacy, the Coffee Dispensary is a small independent café that sources its beans from single estates, aiming to bring the best flavors to the people of Cheltenham. It also serves cakes and savory snacks. If you're not sure which coffee to purchase, the staff will "prescribe" something for you.

Less than five minutes' walk from the Royal Pavilion, the Mock Turtle is a great old-fashioned, homey café. Alongside a decent selection of teas and coffees are four types of rarebit, soups, and scones as well as cakes and enormous doughnuts.

As the name suggests, The Monocle Café isn't quite a restaurant, but thanks to its sheer weight of personality, it still lends itself as an important Marylebone food stop. Salads, bagels, open sandwiches, and breakfasts represent a diverse menu of international bites that can always be accompanied by something from the drink menu, whether that's artisan coffee or something stronger like the yuzu gin and tonic. As one would expect from Monocle magazine's very own drinking and dining spot, both the interior and exterior are impeccably tasteful, making for the ideal place to pause and soak up the Marylebone neighborhood.