I could speak about finding a place to eat jellied eel with mushy peas, but it is really hard to find. This traditional dish used to be available at every corner but has almost disappeared. You would hear of it, you can read about it and there were times you would find it, but not like fish and chips that are served at every corner still. Very British indeed. It could be too specific to speak of jellied eel – instead I want to recommend you somewhere to go, traditional but elegant, somewhere with a view, where you can take out a girl/boy on a date. Somewhere you can get a feel for British food and look at the river, sit on a terrace and feel the breeze. Elegant British food? Yes, simple Bangers and mash. Translated it reads as sausage and mash and it is not your average comfort food. Here the meat is stuffed with apple, Bramley apple for example, while the sausage comes from the oven and lies in a puddle of potato mash laced in traditional gravy. Doesn’t sound impressive? You might have heard of Gordon Ramsay and if we are talking about an ideal place to take someone special on a date consider THE Narrow in Limehouse.

Speaking of comfort food it takes me to Bricklane to one of the branches of my favourite Turkish restaurant, that I can recommend for any occasion, including a date. It is located just by the station Aldgate east and only a few steps away from the contemporary art museum Whitechaple Gallery you can find Efes. The area is famous for Indian restaurants, and there really is plenty to choose from. On weekends especially the street extends into a market with even more diverse food offers, but right at the bottom end you find my favourite Turkish restaurant. Planning a day at Bricklane Market finishes with freshly minced Adana Skews, grilled in-house. We watch weekend revellers while taking tea that is served free of charge for our convenience. The service gives me a great sense of familiarity, it is always busy and joyful there. I dip to Efes and bring my friends to give them a taste of Turkish cooking but also because of the atmosphere. As much as I like street food, it makes a huge difference when a restaurant is at a great location and you can sit down. Discovering a country via food is possible in London and that’s why I say go and sit down by the river for one of the greatest chefs from the UK. On another occasion you can experience turkey in a pocket on a busy market street. That’s how diverse London is and Food brings everybody together here. Both restaurants are independent chains, this means you can choose other great locations on their websites. But these are my personal recommendations. Enjoy !