Eating my way through London

When I went to Ireland on a family vacation a few years ago, every morning consisted of beans, sausage, eggs and toast. Although I enjoyed the traditional full English breakfast, I was dying for some variety by the end of the week we were there. 

I was worried when coming to London that I would tire of the traditional English food just as quickly, but I was (fortunately) wrong. I had never been to London, and I underestimated its reputation as an international city. The first week of quarantine, I saw my floormates order every cuisine I could think of on UberEats, and it only got better after our 10 days. 

Since quarantine we’ve gotten the chance to explore, and the international food options are endless. Indian food is, no surprise, amazing. We have found the greatest restaurant, Memories of India, down the street from our dorm on Gloucester Road. They have my favorite Indian dessert, gulab jamun, which is essentially dough balls soaked in honey. Their chicken tikka masala, lamb pasanda and sweet naan are to die for. Some friends and I went three days in a row after trying it for the first time. The manager and staff were lovely, they gave us wine and 20% off all future visits; we’ve decided it will be a weekly excursion. 

Across the street from Memories of India is Da Marios, Princess Diana’s go-to Italian place. The building is beautiful, the food is delicious (although I would suggest pizza over pasta) and they have a great aperol spritz. On this street alone, there’s an Armenian place, Middle Eastern, Thai, bubble tea, a Japanese patisserie, several pubs, a Nandos, of course a Starbucks, and so much more. 

Venturing further than the 2 minute walk to Gloucester Road, a floormate has found a tiny shop with the best Karak tea, and on a field trip to Greenwich we found an Ethiopian and Eritrean food cart. The meat combo meal was amazing. Since my arrival, I’ve only eaten full English breakfast once—the lack of variety I feared I’ve learned was unwarranted. 

America has a reputation for being a melting pot, but I’ve got to say, in the 2 or so weeks I have been here, London is putting up some serious competition. There has been a huge variety of options, and the food has been as authentic as it can be in a non-native city. 

A Message from the Office of Global Engagement:

The safety and security of Drexel students is a priority for the University. As part of the efforts to support Drexel students that are studying abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Global Engagement has conducted a rigorous review of programming and provided additional support to participating students with customized pre-departure orientations and regular check-ins during the required self-isolation period and the term.