There is never EVER an obligation to tip and you should never just do it for the sake of it. You tip as a gesture of appreciation if the service has really impressed you and they have gone above and beyond. We don't have tipping culture and we don't want it. We get paid to do our job it's not the customers responsibility to provide for us.
loganhopkins95 Spot on. Never tip in a pub, they'll just think you forgot your change half the time. Only ever tip in a restaurant if you think the service was worth it. Tips do not necessarily always go to the workers either. There is absolutely no obligation to tip as for the places that add a gratuity charge to the bill give them a swerve. A good pub that serves food is often a really good option
i only ever tip it's it's less than $5 in change and they have a novelty dog statue with its paw out to hold the coins. Was in England for 1 week & saw 3 pubs that had novelty dog statue.
KingCalBoss Yeah I know, I've been to the US and Canada numerous times. I got my head round it after the first trip :) The main reason is the staff in these places in the UK get a higher basic wage, whereas in North America they really need the tips. It really is an opposite mindset as a customer though. I've had arguments in England where the service has been shit and they've tried to add a tip to the bill. Don't get me wrong I tip in England if I think the service warrants it but it's not expected to the point of being mandatory almost. And personally the service is probably better in the US and Canada most of the time.
Tips in restaurants are usually just a few quid if the service was good. I've never tipped anywhere near 10%. Don't tip in a pub even if you have eaten. Some restaurants in tourist areas may try and charge a service charge but as far as I am aware you are not obliged to pay it.
The "no tipping in pubs" thing can be summed up by a pub I go to, where the electronic readers for card payments first offer a question about whether you want to leave a tip or not, and the bar staff hit the "no" button without even bothering to ask you.
You're right, they have completely different textures and tastes. But as a very simplified description for people who've never even heard of, let alone seen, a crumpet it's actually a pretty good comparision.
Nah, I disagree with that. I'm Australian, but crumpets and English muffins are staples here too, and aside from both being round there's no comparison.
Indian food is a staple part of the English diet. It can be used for as many scenarios as tea. Happy? Sad? Bored? Tired? Ill? Friday? Monday? Saturday? Lazy? Friend coming over? Family coming over? There is not a single scenario in which an Indian takeaway, or eat out is not appropriate.
It's a shame not many people are talking about English Roast. I think it is by far the greatest thing in British cuisine. I guess it can be quite hard for a tourist to try as it's primarily a home cooked dish but a few places do it. If you have a fair amount of money to spend try "Simpson on the Strand". For a much cheaper alternative there's lots of carvery pubs around England ("Toby Carvery" is a common one). It's honestly one of the most satisfying dishes ever! My personal favourite is roast lamb!
This is one of the most straight forward food videos I’ve seen on food in England. So many dishes mentioned in under 10 minutes instead of an intro/ blog lasting 15 minutes just to see for 5 seconds what Katy ordered at the pub that night.
I'm English and he forgot to mention the different cheese we have to offer like strong cheddar . stilton . Red Leicester just to mention a few . They are usually served with savoury biscuits and pickle.
I've never understood why people think English food sucks. When I was travelling for 4 years I really missed a hearty British dinner. Also UK has great candy. It also has the best ale in the world. We love our tea but ale is the real drink of Britain.
I think a lot of it comes from American TV influence, to be honest. Most American's first became exposed to British food only when servicemen arrived during the Second World War. At the time Britain had rationing as the German's were actively trying to starve Britain into submission. Food during rationing obviously wasn't great. The idea Britain has terrible food then cemented itself into the American imagination, and then American TV spread around the world. Long story short, blame the Americans 😀 Really British cuisine is no worse (possibly even better?) than any other Northern or Eastern European country.
The water tasting bad here is the first time I have heard an American saying that... are you letting the tap run until the water goes ice cold? If not you're drinking water that has been stuck in the pipes for a while getting warm and tepid. The water up north is also a lot nicer than down south (soft vs hard water).
Ralph Hardwick Depends on where in London you are. If you're based in the middle of London the water isn't great tasting, the closer to the Thames the worse it tastes. That's to do with the silt from the river not being filtered out properly. If you're south of the river Thames the water's lovely, the further south you are the better it tastes.
Our tap water doesn't come from one big central reservoir, so water can taste different in different areas. But I don't think I've ever been anywhere where I didn't think the tap water was drinkable! Given how expensive bottled water can be, I'd settle for a glass of tap water over an overpriced bottle of water any day. Just as an FYI, it's perfectly OK to ask for tap water in MOST restaurants as it will be free. Bottled water in a restaurant will generally cost you a fortune!
I really don’t understand how Americans can ever say that English/British food is bad. They should just look at their own before criticising any other country. That aside, you did a really good job of highlighting the British food. Thank you. P.s. tap water varies between areas; some are soft water, some are hard. Real ale isn’t supposed to be ice-cold.
I know this sounds odd, but when you come to the UK you must go to a Curry house. The Indian meals that are altered to suit British tastes are just incredible.
I had never heard of a scotch egg until I came upon it on a cooking show and I've been looking everywhere in Toronto to find a restaurant that serves it on their menu. So far no luck... but I'll have one even if I have to resort to following a recipe on a proper English cooking show!! I'm determined to try an egg that looks like it could eaten as a meal on its own. 😋 A picture itself looks soooooo yummy and tempting ... gets the salivary glands to maximum secretion! Thank you for this video. Amazing how English food/culture is still so prevalent in the U.S. The first settlers brought more than alcohol with them when coming to the "new world" in order to intoxicate it's habitants before making them sign away their land and identity. 😉 Luckily enough I'm French/Acadian and we have our own signature cultural dishes but no matter how rich the culture and food....I still want nothing more than a Scotch egg!!! MHMMMMHMMMM😋😊😉!!
I was in San Francisco in September and a few people asked me what the food was like back home, and I was listing dishes like "well you've got cottage pie, shepherd's pie, Scouse, Cornish pasties, roast dinners, bangers and mash... come to think of it, it's mainly hearty meat and gravy combos" I'd never realised before haha
Exactly if the service was poor then no tip should be given. It's an optional extra to show appreciation if the server goes out of their way to be very friendly, attentive and helpful offering advice on the menu or things like local attractions.
I add a tip if the food, service, and atmosphere was good. If you get an arrogant waiter/ess serving badly cooked food when a rugby club is in the restaurant - nah.
I'm personally against tipping freely, it's something that must be earned in my opinion. It's like giving the bin men a fiver when they take your bins away in the winter (I've heard stories of bin men emptying bins on the road because they didn't get a fiver). I know that in America (not sure about canada) it's different, the staff get paid fuck all and need the tips to make up the difference. That shouldn't be the case! You need to increase the minimum wage there. No one should rely on handouts to make up their wages.
If you come to England you must have a full English breakfast. It’s bloody lovely. We don’t eat it everyday because it’s a bit unhealthy 😂 but we appreciate it when we get to make or buy one. Eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, toast, mushrooms and some tea 😭 just typing this out I want one right now.
Tap water varies according to where you are. In chalky areas such as the North Downs (south of London), the water comes from bore holes in the chalky hills and has a crisp, fresh taste although it causes problems with washing machines and kettles.
You're right - there's huge variety in the taste of water depending on the minerals that naturally make their way into the water. I think it's something to do with Britain being a very geologically varied island. All the water is very safe to drink - environmental and water safety standards are higher than the USA I believe - but we don't really do anything to change the taste. In my experience everywhere outside London has better tasting water!
It is a misconception that British food isn't that good. The French have said The British are a nation of Shopkeepers without any concept of the culinary arts. I will pass on the crepes and sit down to a Sunday Roast anytime. Traditional British fare might not exactly be haute cuisine in fact some would say it is bland and boring. But within such so called simplicity itself is the glittering prize. Hearty, filling and delicious.
David Huber: French food usually saturated with garlic and then smothered with some sauce in order to disguise what on earth might be the ingredients. Even Italians turn-up their noses at French food because they (the Italians), as with the British, prefer the natural flavours to come through and, thus, those who eat frog legs and snails would do best not to criticize others.....
I've witnessed somebody that was decrying English food as "bland and boring" try eating a teaspoon full of English mustard; the results were so funny to watch.
That’s a pretty reasonable account of some of our English cuisine. Of course there are lots more to choose from but he has a firmer grasp on our food than I would be able to offer about American food. The notion of having fish and chips from a chip shop before having them at a pub is probably the best advice.
Absolutely. Hubs is English expat; we order Flaky bars and Cadbury’s and all kinds of candy to give to fellow Texans at Christmas...but we always eat it all ourselves.
Don't forget to try sausage rolls from any high street or independent bakers. I hear they've only just been discovered in the USA and are becoming quite popular.
I think the USA call our sausage rolls 'sausages in blankets'. But our 'Sasuages or Pigs in Blankets' as they're known are sausages wrapped in bacon. Our sausage rolls are sausage meat surrounded by puff pastry.
Love your videos, as a general tip to travellers visiting the UK and sepcifically the local pubs (not bars - we're British) - where there is no obligation to tip the person serviing your drinks, a polite gesture of offering to buy them a drink will ALWAYS be appreciated. The person serving you will remember you and you may get served quicker next time :-)
A couple of points on drinks from someone who has worked in a bar for years. Soda in the UK is just carbonated water, not a sweet fizzy drink. And in most pubs if you ask for a beer, you will just get a blank stare as it's quite a non-specific term. We have lager (chilled, fizzy, usually continental european) and we have bitter (a general term for ale, stout, porter etc.) Also, most people don't use the word bangers any more, sausage and mash works just fine :)
English chips are not french fries, chips are.. chips they are the fatter variety, what you get from...fish and chip shops. French fries are what you get from takeaways that sell kebabs and the like aswell as mcdonalds/burgerking/kfc etc. Chip shops only sell....chips.
Watched a lot of your vids Mark. As a Brit (Canadian born), this is your most accurate on UK food to date. You've even learnt about fish and chips and how you MUST get it from a chippy. Even I have fallen for having so called fish and chips at pubs / fancy restaurants and always been disappointed. ASK locals if unsure of the best chippy, they are everywhere but can be back street holes in the wall, like the best one in Brighton.
I am English & love my fish & chips. Went to London once & had fish & chips there. Never again. Chips were frozen not fresh & the fish was the same & no batter, just bread crumbs. YUK. Eee lad coom up north better fish & chips & beer.
Having been a chef for 15 years I’m confused by the you must have it in a chippy? When I worked in the Lake District the pub I worked in was far better for fish & chips freshly caught fish hand cut and cooked chips we outsold the local chippy most of the time! I have worked in various places where our fish and chips is better than a chippy. Perhaps you need to go to better pubs and stop putting pubs down!
@@simonevans4218 It's just been my GENERIC experience. Indeed, one of the best F and C I've had was in a normal restaurant in Gdansk, though I'm sure many restaurants / pubs in the UK would be great too. Like the one you worked in from the sound of it. Equally, I've had TERRIBLE F and C in chippies. Notably one in the tourist area of York. So you are right and as I say, it's just my GENERAL experience. Sorry to offend!
Great video, just a couple of bits to add From a Brit: if you want traditional pub foods you're much better off going to an independent or country pub rather than a chain pub. Also with the drinks in pubs, you're not at all limited to traditional ales, porters and stouts - there's also the option of scrumpy (a hard cider) as well as the liquors (usually called spirits in the UK) and lagers that folk from the other side of the pond may be more familiar with.
London tap water does taste pretty crappy because most of it comes from the Thames then heavily treated and recycled but is perfectly safe. Outside of London (which I urge any visitor to leave London as it really isn't indicative of the rest of England as it's more of a international city state than a capital city) the water often tastes really good as it's taken from reservoirs, lakes and springs, especially in the hilly and mountainous regions like the Lake/Peak District or the Yorkshire Dales which are far more beautiful than anything London has to offer. Also you can find lots of great food and drink served in local restaurants, cafes and pubs as England has undergone a culinary revolution over the last 20 years replacing a lot of the terrible food offerings of my youth in the 70's. Head north as the people are often friendlier and more real than a lot of the shallow superficial folks that dwell in the capital.
No drinking water in Britain is taken from any river or spring. The taste of the water varies depending on whether you are in a hard or soft water area. Hard water contains more calcium. That affects its taste.
I am craving for British Grub!!! The pies & pasties are flippin delicious. I was in Scotland visiting family in 2017..I gained over 5 pounds in a week 😙😙😙 Hello from Canada
We've got Scotch Eggs as well, my favorite, and chiken tikka masala, Sunday roast with gravy, pudding, mince tarts (Christmas time). Now we used to have Willy Wonka (chocolate bars) as well but it has been couple of years they disappeared from the shelves. And cheese: English cheese is good (Red Leicester, Blue Stilton, Cheddar and others), we've got beers (Oat beer, Milk Beer, malt beer, Whiskey beer... My favorite choice is Belhaven Oat Stout, which of course it's not near available in the old England and I have to buy a stock from Scotland every time)
When I started visiting England in the 1970s the main courses in English restaurants were usually abominable (except for the mixed grill and the fish and chips, which is a bit of a limited diet). The reputation for bad food was deserved then, but things have changed, and it's good that you're letting people know that you can eat well in England now. I had one of the best meals of my very long life in Gateshead a few years ago. A small addition -- look out for cream teas, too. Finally, you want lots of butter melting through your crumpet, which is really quite different from an English muffin Thanks for busting the myth.
Full English Breakfasts are a great start for any tourist as it keeps you full until lunchtime and because it is so popular here you can have it anytime during the day in some places. Cream tea is delicious, but if you want the full experience then you should go to a proper tea room where you get the fancy tea sets and cakes!
With regards to the beers. We have cask ales and keg ales in the UK. What you described in the video is a cask ale, where the the beer is pumped directly out of the wooden cask and is served at Cellar temperature, which is not that cold. Keg ales, on the other hand, are chilled and carbonated like lager. You will find some of the smaller pubs only serve cask ales, but most pubs serve both now.
There is SO MUCH awesome food in England! Particularly in London there is a lot of International cuisine, which is amazing. There is some incredible pub food for sure. I find it hilarious that as an American you're saying "oh you really CAN get good food in England!" It's way better than American food (sorry)! And I'm Australian, so I have a high expectation of good food and coffee. Also there are amazing ready meals in shops like Tesco and M&S (or Waitrose if you're fancy) so you can eat really good meals at home with so little effort.
Yep, I'm Australian, but have travelled to England twice - recently just in Dec/Jan, and I had no problem drinking the tap water. Australian tap water is extremely clean and I'm very sensitive to water tastes, so if anyone was going to have a problem with it, it would be me.
Of course you don’t have a problem. You are used to it, you’ve grown up with the bacteria and filtration system, it differs area to area and country to country. Many people advise having bottled water when going abroad, he’s not saying the water is unclean. I’ve grown up in a very hard water area of England and I notice the taste when I go to a friend’s/relatives who live in a soft water area.
Because England is cold and rainy for a majority of the year the food tends to be a lot more substantial and filling compared to light Italian foods, for example.
Love this mate, not sure if you’ll be able to read this if it’s been a while since you uploaded it but still think this was an awesome video idea. Too many people these days when they travel internationally refuse to eat or try local food (ironically many of the British do this abroad lmao) so nice to see you encouraging this. I’d definitely recommend next time you come, come in the summer time and enjoy some of our desserts; jam Roly poly, Eton mess, trifle, bread and butter pudding, apple and blackberry crumble etc! Also if you’re looking for more traditional dishes definitely try our Sunday roasts (often served in cafes and pubs), toad in the hole and bangers and mash :) definitely earns a subscribe
I have friends in London who are proud of the fact that every kind of international cuisine is available there. But, do they every eat it? No, they just want a gammon steak at a Wetherspoons pub. I've had the best paella I've ever had at a restaurant in the Borough Market and make a point of eating there whenever I'm in London.
Ugh it's like eating cardboard, bland as hell. Toast but proper toast brown on both sides. Some places I've been I refused to eat the breakfast, bacon swimming in grease, undercooked sausages and toast that was just warmed up bread not even brown (as in toasted).
tw25rw The taste of grease does not seem so good to me. When I was a kid we had sandwiches "dipped in". That is to say that the bacon was fried in a pan and the bread, not buttered, dipped into the bacon fat in the frying pan. Nowadays bacon is grilled or cooked on a hot plate so you don't get that.
colin P you are missing out, there is NO comparison between fried bread and toast. Fried bread IS bread cooked in the pan's delicious bacon fat, nothing wasted only gained. A breakfast essential. Agreed most restaurants might not do this but no harm asking! Last time I did I was told the computer said "no" haha. I went elsewhere. My worst restaurant fried bread nightmare was having fried bread dipped in stale chip fat with acidic tinned tomatoes drained over the fried bread which became a wet mush.. All served without a blink of eyelid.
If you are in a pub and you are staying there for a bit. Tip on your first drink. Doesnt have to be much but it puts you in a good light for the bar staff.
Best Indian food--ever! Love Cornish Pasties. Favourite candy: Wine Gums (contains no wine)...they're like gummies, but better. Favourite pudding: Sticky toffee pudding--hands down!!!
For anyone wondering, at 2:47, that food is called Cornish Pasty. (Cornwall is an area of England which used to have a large mining industry). Although the pasty is usually a horrific looking thing, the reason it has the rolled over crust is that when the miners ate them, they would hold that crust with their dirty coal hands and then eat the pie cleanly! You're not actually supposed to eat the crust; the more you know!
Cornish Pasties are delicious but are tough to find here in the United States. One of the minor blessings of living on Florida's Gulf Coast is we get many British visitors (Great people. Good humored, overly polite and very sociable) during the winter months. In fact the town of St Pete Beach has a population of about 10,000 but swells to 30,000 during the winter months. We actually have a few British Pubs (Us locals like them too) where a Cornish Pasty with all the fixins' on the menu can be found. I take a lot of pride in the fact that our communities are so welcoming to our UK Friends.
Not really important but tap water where I live here in Wales is great! London water is disgusting, though... I only drink teas in London as I need that water boiled!
Many places in the UK have better water out of a tap than any of the bottled variety - and it's free!!! The problem with London water is that it is in a "Hard Water" area, where the water comes from a chalk and limestone geology. Chemicals are then used to clean the water, and that's the problem. Other areas of the UK (such as Wales) has soft water, so it tastes better. That's why the beer that's brewed in London is horrid.
I’m from Morecambe, a town in Lancashire in the north west. When people say tea we don’t mean like scones and crumpets and that, we mean our evening meal, you yanks call it dinner, and when we want a cup of tea we ask for a brew. My advice is if you want to see the proper England then leave London
English beer or ales are not supposed to be served ice cold; they have flavours that you want to taste. If they were served ice cold, like lager, the flavours would be lost.
One thing he missed is dont order Italian pasta dishes in England. You will get mushy noodles everytime, everywhere. I once ordered linguine Carbonara in a highly rated restaurant. I got mushy spaghetti which was chopped up, no full strands, runny alfredo sauce and chopped up boiled ham
Loooove Sunday Roast! London has incredible options for all cuisines, beyond the British stuff, like Indian (like you mentioned), Vietnamese, American, French, Italian... you name it! And you’re spot on about tipping. Some people have said different in the comments but London tipping is different from the rest of the UK.
Only American tourists tip. However, if you go out for an evening meal, and the service/food/price is better than you expected, then it's customary to tip 10%, but it's enitirely at your discretion. That applies anywhere in the UK, and most of Europe.
Our chocolate is smoother and nicer because it has a high vegetable oil content. The frogs tried to stop us calling it chocolate for this reason. Funny thing is the continentals all feckin love it..
Love English food, Full English Breakfast, Bangers and Mash, the Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas, the Meat Pies.....All good stuff...and if you get up to Scotland or over to Ireland, they serve "White Pudding" with the "Black Pudding." ( I'm enough of a Cajun to love the Black Pudding, it is Boudin with oatmeal, not rice.....:) )
Small tip for Americans. He's right - honestly the food here is pretty good, but if you do go for full English, you probably want the bacon crispy - it's the one thing I've heard normally cheerful Americans complain about. Also, when in Scotland, the 'full Scottish' often includes lawn sausage (square!) which is great.
Water - for sure it's not very nice to drink from the tap in London & in certain other places where it's very "hard" and sometimes it will have a chemical/chlorine taste - but I'd say it is generally pretty safe. In other parts of the country with less-"hard" or "soft" water it is a pleasure to drink after running the tap for a while so it is cool/cold. By the way the water in Paris is just as awful as in London, because the chalk geologies of the two areas are quite similar - very difficult to get a lather to wash if using bar soap, you really have to use liquid hand-soap and shampoos/shower gel etc
Ha ha, I thought most would get my "British understatement" - and as those who know the UK well, we often use such self-description/-deprecation ironically ;) As for "best in the world" I'd say that, a bit like the NHS, it is often over-rated compared with what's available pretty widely in many other countries nowadays - I've lived & worked in many different countries & visited many more for business or pleasure and there are many fewer than in earlier years where drinking tap water was definitely considered "dangerous" as distinct from not always being very nice, and I've usually drunk tap water occasionally in most countries I've experienced, without ill-effects. In a few places, it's true, one had to avoid it completely even for brushing teeth, when bottled/purified water was provided specifically for that purpose.
Just a tip about tipping in the Uk . You don't have to tip much when you do tip, 10-15% is fair, and you only have to tip in sit down restaurants where foods bought to you . These are restaurants where the price of a meal is £6 ish up all the way to over £25 with steaks ( if you're up north , although a similar pattern is probably visible in the south , just higher prices overall ) .
If you are all worried about the health of the british diet, there are ways to healthify food we use. Meat and 2 veg (meaning potatoes and another vegetable) is a good rule. For example, boiled potatoes, other veg (broccoli, cauliflower or carrot) and sausages might be something. Or even healthier replace the sausages sometimes with chicken, salmon or mackerel.
Well I'm English born and bread and so I KNOW what's what regarding tips for eating in the UK, and I have to say ........... big up to you sir - the tips - I would offer as an inhabitant of the uk- would be well ...... EVERYTHING YOU SAID - IN THAT ORDER - so I doff my hat to you as an astute and well seasoned traveller that you are . Mucho Kudos. Sir
Elizabeth's S. ...Im a Londoner who now lives a couple of hours north of the city but I still return regularly. My golden rule for eating and drinking in London is 'never go to the obvious place'. For example, if you're in an area popular with tourists, you'll see plenty of 'traditional' looking pubs on most main roads. They are not all bad, and some are even quite good, but you can usually find a better, cheaper and more authentic experiences if you simply walk around the corner. There are some fantastic gems hidden all over London - within yards of the tourist routes. Hope you enjoy your visit. ps If you like street food, the markets in places like Camden Market or Borough (pronounced burra a not burrow) Market are definitely worth a visit.
Lokki Hey thanks for the advice! My goal *is* to avoid turist traps and find the hidden gems! It'll take a little bit of searching for me since it'll be my first time in the UK and unfortunately I don't know any locals. But I'm really looking forward to it!
Elisabetta S I wish I could offer my services as a tourist guide but my real job is taking me out of the country for the next few months - but you'll have a great time! The best thing about travelling is that you can increase your enjoyment of it by putting more into it. If you always remember that a single place or time is rarely representative of the whole, and that different is not the same as wierd, you'll get on very well in London. You'll be falling under it's spell in no time. If you do have a good enough time to warrant a return visit, please, please, please try to see more of the UK. London is just one of the gems hidden in these islands. We're a small group of islands and nations but you'd be amazed at the variety of landscapes and people it holds. oooh - and don't avoid all the obvious tourist traps on this visit. Many of them are famous for a reason. :-)
Essential things to try imo being English myself ... English Tea English Ale/Lager Full English Breakfast Shepard’s Pie Fish and Chips A Sunday Roast Bangers and Mash Steak and Ale Pie Cornish Pastie Chicken Tikka Masala (Techincally a curry that originated in Northern England) English Sweets ( Go to an old fashioned sweet shop and go nuts) Apple/Rhubarb Crumble Eton Mess A 99p Ice Cream with a flake Clotted Cream Fudge
If youre in england at the moment definitely go to the pub when england are playing in the world cup and watch as we all go absolutely mad, this may also happen when a local football team is playing but not to quite the same extent
I actually enjoyed watching this, seems to be a more clued up tourist and seems to enjoy visiting our beautiful country. A note on tap water - up north, where I live in Sheffield, the tap water is a lot nicer and less chalky tasting due to the smaller amount of flouride in the water.
For myself, especially that I am a vegetarian, the Indian food scene in the in East London/Whitechapel/Brick Lane was really my all time favorite thing to eat in the UK. However, to get the best experience, going to Brick Lane, Whitechapel, and other parts of East London is the way to go.
I’m with you on the savory pies but I cannot get with the tomatoes and baked beans straight out of the can. I’ve been watching my husband eat this for 23 years and have never _once_ been tempted.
As someone who works in a pub in the UK if you want to tip it doesn't have to be a lot, if you say "take your own" when you give them the money most pubs will take about 25p in the North at least. It's also worth saying everything gets much cheaper outside of London, and the water tastes better the further North you get, because London has annoying hard water.
One big tip, never go into a cafe or pub and ask for a 'soda', because you will get exactly that, a soda water. We ask for a Coke, a Pepsi, a Fanta or Lemonade etc. And, as already mentioned, chips are thick cut potato, chips are called crisps in the UK, and fries are thin spindly chip you get from MacDonalds with your burger. Aimed at our American friends.
James Sutherland The number one thing is the Warner Bros Studio to see the Harry Potter tour. Having high tea is top priority as well lol. Hopefully I can see the street where Sherlock is filmed. I would like to see as many museums and landmarks as possible. I plan on being out there for a week and one of those days, take a day trip to Paris.
The Sherlock Holmes museum in Baker street itself is must for fans of the character. It's next to the real 221b which I think was a bank when I was there.
On the drinks front, if your not into ales you can always go for a cider. I believe Americans refer to it as "hard cider", or I may be mistaken. You won't find anwhere near the variety of cider as will for ales if your only in and around London however, although my brother informs me it's starting to become the next "thing" in London. Anyway if you want proper cider and a large variety (which you do) head on over to the West Country and just pick a pub and go.
Would definitely recommend apple pies here amazing usually and served at most pubs.sunday roast is good but usually not the best at pubs better at home
One thing people get confused about is the difference between shepherds pie and cottage pie. Shepherds pie is made with minced lamb and cottage pie is minced beef. Also try the different flavoured Gins in the pubs. The water in London is awful but it’s ok outside of London.
"looking for an apple pie kinda thing"? Apple pie is English! Hate the meme that it's an American dessert. Apple crumble is good too and, while on treats, try proper shortbread.
I HATE TOUCANS the first recorded apple pie was in England in 1381, printed by Geoffrey Chaucer. Read this if you want to see more info: travelmamas.com/where-was-apple-pie-invented/
Most important point, similar to the high tea, at many cafes you can get a "Cream tea". It is scones with jam and clotted cream, and a pot of tea. Clotted cream is like cream but 1000x better. It sounds gross but it is so good, I literally dreamed about it last night. A cream tea is a staple and is a lot less of a fuss than a high tea, so you could easily do it every day which you probably will want to once you have tasted it ;) Also try the brand Galaxy chocolate - it is the best chocolate in Britain, like Cadbury's but better.
I'm not a breakfast person, but I could totally nosh on an English breakfast. (then take a nap) Not a three meal a day person either....but I think I'd be fine eating in England. It pretty much all looks like comfort food......yum.
It’s probably just because I was born and raised on British food but I honestly think we make WONDERFUL food
There is never EVER an obligation to tip and you should never just do it for the sake of it. You tip as a gesture of appreciation if the service has really impressed you and they have gone above and beyond. We don't have tipping culture and we don't want it. We get paid to do our job it's not the customers responsibility to provide for us.
loganhopkins95 Spot on. Never tip in a pub, they'll just think you forgot your change half the time. Only ever tip in a restaurant if you think the service was worth it. Tips do not necessarily always go to the workers either. There is absolutely no obligation to tip as for the places that add a gratuity charge to the bill give them a swerve. A good pub that serves food is often a really good option
i only ever tip it's it's less than $5 in change and they have a novelty dog statue with its paw out to hold the coins. Was in England for 1 week & saw 3 pubs that had novelty dog statue.
Funky Monkey1886 very different here in America. They get offended if you don't tip. They expect you to tip them no matter how bad the service is.
KingCalBoss Yeah I know, I've been to the US and Canada numerous times. I got my head round it after the first trip :) The main reason is the staff in these places in the UK get a higher basic wage, whereas in North America they really need the tips. It really is an opposite mindset as a customer though. I've had arguments in England where the service has been shit and they've tried to add a tip to the bill. Don't get me wrong I tip in England if I think the service warrants it but it's not expected to the point of being mandatory almost. And personally the service is probably better in the US and Canada most of the time.
Tips in restaurants are usually just a few quid if the service was good. I've never tipped anywhere near 10%. Don't tip in a pub even if you have eaten. Some restaurants in tourist areas may try and charge a service charge but as far as I am aware you are not obliged to pay it.
The "no tipping in pubs" thing can be summed up by a pub I go to, where the electronic readers for card payments first offer a question about whether you want to leave a tip or not, and the bar staff hit the "no" button without even bothering to ask you.
I was blown away with tea, scones and clotted cream when I visited England. Man that clotted cream was amazing.
I disagree that Chips=French Fries. The French Fries are thin, proper chips are much larger and should be cripsy outside and fluffy inside.
in the US if you give us "chips" we're going to call them french fries, even if they are cut differently. fries are fries. lol
British chips are more similar to what we would call steak fries here in the states. Short but thick fries.
I'm sorry mark, love your stuff but this Englishman can't sit by while you claim that a crumpet is just an english muffing with the top cut off.
Dominic Williams he talks a lot of shit. Telling people that the beer is warm? Bollocks.
Telling people tap water is gross? Bollocks.
You're right, they have completely different textures and tastes. But as a very simplified description for people who've never even heard of, let alone seen, a crumpet it's actually a pretty good comparision.
He does talk alot of shit. I don't know why he is so popular?
Of course he's talking crap. He's American ffs
Nah, I disagree with that. I'm Australian, but crumpets and English muffins are staples here too, and aside from both being round there's no comparison.
Indian food is a staple part of the English diet. It can be used for as many scenarios as tea. Happy? Sad? Bored? Tired? Ill? Friday? Monday? Saturday? Lazy? Friend coming over? Family coming over? There is not a single scenario in which an Indian takeaway, or eat out is not appropriate.
It's a shame not many people are talking about English Roast. I think it is by far the greatest thing in British cuisine. I guess it can be quite hard for a tourist to try as it's primarily a home cooked dish but a few places do it. If you have a fair amount of money to spend try "Simpson on the Strand". For a much cheaper alternative there's lots of carvery pubs around England ("Toby Carvery" is a common one). It's honestly one of the most satisfying dishes ever! My personal favourite is roast lamb!
This is one of the most straight forward food videos I’ve seen on food in England. So many dishes mentioned in under 10 minutes instead of an intro/ blog lasting 15 minutes just to see for 5 seconds what Katy ordered at the pub that night.
I'm English and he forgot to mention the different cheese we have to offer like strong cheddar . stilton . Red Leicester just to mention a few . They are usually served with savoury biscuits and pickle.
Evi1M4chine yup
I've never understood why people think English food sucks. When I was travelling for 4 years I really missed a hearty British dinner. Also UK has great candy. It also has the best ale in the world. We love our tea but ale is the real drink of Britain.
I think a lot of it comes from American TV influence, to be honest. Most American's first became exposed to British food only when servicemen arrived during the Second World War. At the time Britain had rationing as the German's were actively trying to starve Britain into submission. Food during rationing obviously wasn't great. The idea Britain has terrible food then cemented itself into the American imagination, and then American TV spread around the world. Long story short, blame the Americans 😀
Really British cuisine is no worse (possibly even better?) than any other Northern or Eastern European country.
My cornish little heart broke when I saw that pasties was in the pie category.
Same it hurts
😢 it's just not right.
The water tasting bad here is the first time I have heard an American saying that... are you letting the tap run until the water goes ice cold? If not you're drinking water that has been stuck in the pipes for a while getting warm and tepid. The water up north is also a lot nicer than down south (soft vs hard water).
Yeah I'd agree, even as a Scottish person, I don't drink English tap water past a certain point haha.
Ralph Hardwick
Depends on where in London you are. If you're based in the middle of London the water isn't great tasting, the closer to the Thames the worse it tastes. That's to do with the silt from the river not being filtered out properly. If you're south of the river Thames the water's lovely, the further south you are the better it tastes.
It defiantly depends on the area. Originally from Leicester and had lots of people complain about the high levels of calcium in the water there.
Ralph Hardwick why do you have to make everything specific to a nationality?
Our tap water doesn't come from one big central reservoir, so water can taste different in different areas. But I don't think I've ever been anywhere where I didn't think the tap water was drinkable! Given how expensive bottled water can be, I'd settle for a glass of tap water over an overpriced bottle of water any day. Just as an FYI, it's perfectly OK to ask for tap water in MOST restaurants as it will be free. Bottled water in a restaurant will generally cost you a fortune!
I love these videos. As a native Brit, I like getting an outside perspective on our country and culture.
I really don’t understand how Americans can ever say that English/British food is bad. They should just look at their own before criticising any other country. That aside, you did a really good job of highlighting the British food. Thank you. P.s. tap water varies between areas; some are soft water, some are hard. Real ale isn’t supposed to be ice-cold.
I know this sounds odd, but when you come to the UK you must go to a Curry house. The Indian meals that are altered to suit British tastes are just incredible.
I couldn’t agree more about the chocolates...the snacks in England are soooo good! I also love scotch eggs!
I had never heard of a scotch egg until I came upon it on a cooking show and I've been looking everywhere in Toronto to find a restaurant that serves it on their menu.
So far no luck... but I'll have one even if I have to resort to following a recipe on a proper English cooking show!! I'm determined to try an egg that looks like it could eaten as a meal on its own. 😋 A picture itself looks soooooo yummy and tempting ... gets the salivary glands to maximum secretion!
Thank you for this video. Amazing how English food/culture is still so prevalent in the U.S. The first settlers brought more than alcohol with them when coming to the "new world" in order to intoxicate it's habitants before making them sign away their land and identity. 😉
Luckily enough I'm French/Acadian and we have our own signature cultural dishes but no matter how rich the culture and food....I still want nothing more than a Scotch egg!!! MHMMMMHMMMM😋😊😉!!
LngVly22 sausage rolls!
Chocolate in the uk is better as we use cocoa butter in our chocolate hersheys etc doesn't but it is growing in popularity
Cadbury is horrible muck. Try the Milka or Lindt.
I was in San Francisco in September and a few people asked me what the food was like back home, and I was listing dishes like "well you've got cottage pie, shepherd's pie, Scouse, Cornish pasties, roast dinners, bangers and mash... come to think of it, it's mainly hearty meat and gravy combos" I'd never realised before haha
If the service was bad don’t tip It’s a gift not a wage. They get paid better than American waiters/waitresses
Exactly if the service was poor then no tip should be given. It's an optional extra to show appreciation if the server goes out of their way to be very friendly, attentive and helpful offering advice on the menu or things like local attractions.
I add a tip if the food, service, and atmosphere was good. If you get an arrogant waiter/ess serving badly cooked food when a rugby club is in the restaurant - nah.
I'm personally against tipping freely, it's something that must be earned in my opinion. It's like giving the bin men a fiver when they take your bins away in the winter (I've heard stories of bin men emptying bins on the road because they didn't get a fiver).
I know that in America (not sure about canada) it's different, the staff get paid fuck all and need the tips to make up the difference. That shouldn't be the case! You need to increase the minimum wage there. No one should rely on handouts to make up their wages.
Hikaru WDM Tipping bin men us so out of date in my area I'd forgotten that people used to do that.
Barney H ...
Funny hearing him say worth every single pound instead of penny 😂
Crumpets and muffins are two completely different things!
I love crumpets. It is difficult to get them here. But I cannot stand what the call english muffins here.
Elite yup
Seema Prasad they’re good
This is the stuff I grew up with, and I'm proud of it.
Pie are by far the most underrated part of our cuisine, and fairly unique. Every foreigner I get to try a pie (with gravy, of course) loves it.
If you come to England you must have a full English breakfast. It’s bloody lovely. We don’t eat it everyday because it’s a bit unhealthy 😂 but we appreciate it when we get to make or buy one. Eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, toast, mushrooms and some tea 😭 just typing this out I want one right now.
Tap water varies according to where you are. In chalky areas such as the North Downs (south of London), the water comes from bore holes in the chalky hills and has a crisp, fresh taste although it causes problems with washing machines and kettles.
You're right - there's huge variety in the taste of water depending on the minerals that naturally make their way into the water. I think it's something to do with Britain being a very geologically varied island. All the water is very safe to drink - environmental and water safety standards are higher than the USA I believe - but we don't really do anything to change the taste. In my experience everywhere outside London has better tasting water!
It is a misconception that British food isn't that good. The French have said The British are a nation of Shopkeepers without any concept of the culinary arts. I will pass on the crepes and sit down to a Sunday Roast anytime. Traditional British fare might not exactly be haute cuisine in fact some would say it is bland and boring. But within such so called simplicity itself is the glittering prize. Hearty, filling and delicious.
Exactly. Its hearty and filling and it warms up your tummy and your soul
David Huber agree. I find French cuisine overpriced, pretentious nonsense. Was always hungry after a 3 course in France.
David Huber: French food usually saturated with garlic and then smothered with some sauce in order to disguise what on earth might be the ingredients. Even Italians turn-up their noses at French food because they (the Italians), as with the British, prefer the natural flavours to come through and, thus, those who eat frog legs and snails would do best not to criticize others.....
I've witnessed somebody that was decrying English food as "bland and boring" try eating a teaspoon full of English mustard; the results were so funny to watch.
Trevor Marsh Agreed. English Mustard: A little goes a long way.
That’s a pretty reasonable account of some of our English cuisine. Of course there are lots more to choose from but he has a firmer grasp on our food than I would be able to offer about American food. The notion of having fish and chips from a chip shop before having them at a pub is probably the best advice.
Us brits typically do a raid of American stores and bring back American candies back to the motherland, do the Americans do the same thing too?
Absolutely. Hubs is English expat; we order Flaky bars and Cadbury’s and all kinds of candy to give to fellow Texans at Christmas...but we always eat it all ourselves.
Don't forget to try sausage rolls from any high street or independent bakers. I hear they've only just been discovered in the USA and are becoming quite popular.
That's surprising. I'm in Canada and sausage rolls are a staple of every grocery store, deli, and bakery here.
I think the USA call our sausage rolls 'sausages in blankets'. But our 'Sasuages or Pigs in Blankets' as they're known are sausages wrapped in bacon. Our sausage rolls are sausage meat surrounded by puff pastry.
I fancy a Greggs now
And a bacon butty!
Yes, me too. Sausage roll and a bacon pastry please.
Love your videos, as a general tip to travellers visiting the UK and sepcifically the local pubs (not bars - we're British) - where there is no obligation to tip the person serviing your drinks, a polite gesture of offering to buy them a drink will ALWAYS be appreciated. The person serving you will remember you and you may get served quicker next time :-)
A couple of points on drinks from someone who has worked in a bar for years. Soda in the UK is just carbonated water, not a sweet fizzy drink. And in most pubs if you ask for a beer, you will just get a blank stare as it's quite a non-specific term. We have lager (chilled, fizzy, usually continental european) and we have bitter (a general term for ale, stout, porter etc.)
Also, most people don't use the word bangers any more, sausage and mash works just fine :)
English chips are not french fries, chips are.. chips they are the fatter variety, what you get from...fish and chip shops. French fries are what you get from takeaways that sell kebabs and the like aswell as mcdonalds/burgerking/kfc etc. Chip shops only sell....chips.
Bertie Bassett The chip shop at Blists Hill museum in Shropshire uses beef dripping. Perfection.
@@zacmumblethunder7466 oh yes that brings back memories :-) I would go back there just for the chips alone.
Watched a lot of your vids Mark. As a Brit (Canadian born), this is your most accurate on UK food to date. You've even learnt about fish and chips and how you MUST get it from a chippy. Even I have fallen for having so called fish and chips at pubs / fancy restaurants and always been disappointed. ASK locals if unsure of the best chippy, they are everywhere but can be back street holes in the wall, like the best one in Brighton.
Mark S absolutely ask the locals, they'll know the best chippy around, some are quite crud so may aswell be picky
I am English & love my fish & chips. Went to London once & had fish & chips there. Never again. Chips were frozen not fresh & the fish was the same & no batter, just bread crumbs. YUK. Eee lad coom up north better fish & chips & beer.
Having been a chef for 15 years I’m confused by the you must have it in a chippy? When I worked in the Lake District the pub I worked in was far better for fish & chips freshly caught fish hand cut and cooked chips we outsold the local chippy most of the time! I have worked in various places where our fish and chips is better than a chippy. Perhaps you need to go to better pubs and stop putting pubs down!
@@simonevans4218 It's just been my GENERIC experience. Indeed, one of the best F and C I've had was in a normal restaurant in Gdansk, though I'm sure many restaurants / pubs in the UK would be great too. Like the one you worked in from the sound of it. Equally, I've had TERRIBLE F and C in chippies. Notably one in the tourist area of York. So you are right and as I say, it's just my GENERAL experience. Sorry to offend!
High tea???? In what century did you visit england?
Great video, just a couple of bits to add From a Brit: if you want traditional pub foods you're much better off going to an independent or country pub rather than a chain pub. Also with the drinks in pubs, you're not at all limited to traditional ales, porters and stouts - there's also the option of scrumpy (a hard cider) as well as the liquors (usually called spirits in the UK) and lagers that folk from the other side of the pond may be more familiar with.
London tap water does taste pretty crappy because most of it comes from the Thames then heavily treated and recycled but is perfectly safe. Outside of London (which I urge any visitor to leave London as it really isn't indicative of the rest of England as it's more of a international city state than a capital city) the water often tastes really good as it's taken from reservoirs, lakes and springs, especially in the hilly and mountainous regions like the Lake/Peak District or the Yorkshire Dales which are far more beautiful than anything London has to offer. Also you can find lots of great food and drink served in local restaurants, cafes and pubs as England has undergone a culinary revolution over the last 20 years replacing a lot of the terrible food offerings of my youth in the 70's. Head north as the people are often friendlier and more real than a lot of the shallow superficial folks that dwell in the capital.
No drinking water in Britain is taken from any river or spring. The taste of the water varies depending on whether you are in a hard or soft water area. Hard water contains more calcium. That affects its taste.
shaun sayers but hard water tastes better than soft water. As replete stated the water in London is soft, or so I believe, and it tastes nasty.
London water is moderately hard. It does not come from the Thames.
www.water2care.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Hard-Water-Map.gif
@@shaunsayersuk a lot of private water supplies sources are springs ! There are tens of thousands such supplies in GB
Full English Breakfast and Fish+Chips are the best!
I am craving for British Grub!!! The pies & pasties are flippin delicious. I was in Scotland visiting family in 2017..I gained over 5 pounds in a week 😙😙😙 Hello from Canada
Makes me smile hearing you talk about ol' England
We've got Scotch Eggs as well, my favorite, and chiken tikka masala, Sunday roast with gravy, pudding, mince tarts (Christmas time). Now we used to have Willy Wonka (chocolate bars) as well but it has been couple of years they disappeared from the shelves. And cheese: English cheese is good (Red Leicester, Blue Stilton, Cheddar and others), we've got beers (Oat beer, Milk Beer, malt beer, Whiskey beer... My favorite choice is Belhaven Oat Stout, which of course it's not near available in the old England and I have to buy a stock from Scotland every time)
But in the end it is Carlsberg, Stella, Fosters and Strongbow that are actually ordered and served when nobody is looking. Few drink that posh beer.
Those willy Wonka's were fucking infallible! The white chocolate and caramel one ❤️😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
Chicken tikka masala is Indian though
When I started visiting England in the 1970s the main courses in English restaurants were usually abominable (except for the mixed grill and the fish and chips, which is a bit of a limited diet). The reputation for bad food was deserved then, but things have changed, and it's good that you're letting people know that you can eat well in England now. I had one of the best meals of my very long life in Gateshead a few years ago.
A small addition -- look out for cream teas, too.
Finally, you want lots of butter melting through your crumpet, which is really quite different from an English muffin
Thanks for busting the myth.
This guy knows.
Im pretty sure the issue in the 1970s was because of the rationing.
@@Big-Chungus21 Food was pretty poor in the 1970s, it was long after rationing but I think a hangover from the war was one of the reasons.
Full English Breakfasts are a great start for any tourist as it keeps you full until lunchtime and because it is so popular here you can have it anytime during the day in some places.
Cream tea is delicious, but if you want the full experience then you should go to a proper tea room where you get the fancy tea sets and cakes!
As an English person watching its like you're explaining my usual weekly meals 😂
With regards to the beers. We have cask ales and keg ales in the UK. What you described in the video is a cask ale, where the the beer is pumped directly out of the wooden cask and is served at Cellar temperature, which is not that cold. Keg ales, on the other hand, are chilled and carbonated like lager. You will find some of the smaller pubs only serve cask ales, but most pubs serve both now.
There is SO MUCH awesome food in England! Particularly in London there is a lot of International cuisine, which is amazing. There is some incredible pub food for sure. I find it hilarious that as an American you're saying "oh you really CAN get good food in England!" It's way better than American food (sorry)! And I'm Australian, so I have a high expectation of good food and coffee.
Also there are amazing ready meals in shops like Tesco and M&S (or Waitrose if you're fancy) so you can eat really good meals at home with so little effort.
I've lived in London all my life, and your passion makes me so happy. Keep up the great videos!
i'm English and I don't really have a problem with the tap water. Also note there are many good restaurants in England serving a range of food.
tom bants American like to pollute the earth. So he recommended bottled water. lol 😋😝🙄🙄
Absolutely, Tom. Lived in the UK for three years and drank only tap water. Bottled is for suckers.
I'm guessing he's not used to hard water.
Yep, I'm Australian, but have travelled to England twice - recently just in Dec/Jan, and I had no problem drinking the tap water. Australian tap water is extremely clean and I'm very sensitive to water tastes, so if anyone was going to have a problem with it, it would be me.
Of course you don’t have a problem. You are used to it, you’ve grown up with the bacteria and filtration system, it differs area to area and country to country. Many people advise having bottled water when going abroad, he’s not saying the water is unclean.
I’ve grown up in a very hard water area of England and I notice the taste when I go to a friend’s/relatives who live in a soft water area.
Because England is cold and rainy for a majority of the year the food tends to be a lot more substantial and filling compared to light Italian foods, for example.
Love this mate, not sure if you’ll be able to read this if it’s been a while since you uploaded it but still think this was an awesome video idea. Too many people these days when they travel internationally refuse to eat or try local food (ironically many of the British do this abroad lmao) so nice to see you encouraging this. I’d definitely recommend next time you come, come in the summer time and enjoy some of our desserts; jam Roly poly, Eton mess, trifle, bread and butter pudding, apple and blackberry crumble etc! Also if you’re looking for more traditional dishes definitely try our Sunday roasts (often served in cafes and pubs), toad in the hole and bangers and mash :) definitely earns a subscribe
I have friends in London who are proud of the fact that every kind of international cuisine is available there. But, do they every eat it? No, they just want a gammon steak at a Wetherspoons pub. I've had the best paella I've ever had at a restaurant in the Borough Market and make a point of eating there whenever I'm in London.
Fried bread is the best part of breakfast for me.
Ugh it's like eating cardboard, bland as hell. Toast but proper toast brown on both sides. Some places I've been I refused to eat the breakfast, bacon swimming in grease, undercooked sausages and toast that was just warmed up bread not even brown (as in toasted).
colin Paterson You surprise me. Fried bread has lots of flavour. More than toast IMO.
tw25rw The taste of grease does not seem so good to me. When I was a kid we had sandwiches "dipped in". That is to say that the bacon was fried in a pan and the bread, not buttered, dipped into the bacon fat in the frying pan. Nowadays bacon is grilled or cooked on a hot plate so you don't get that.
colin P you are missing out, there is NO comparison between fried bread and toast. Fried bread IS bread cooked in the pan's delicious bacon fat, nothing wasted only gained. A breakfast essential. Agreed most restaurants might not do this but no harm asking! Last time I did I was told the computer said "no" haha. I went elsewhere.
My worst restaurant fried bread nightmare was having fried bread dipped in stale chip fat with acidic tinned tomatoes drained over the fried bread which became a wet mush.. All served without a blink of eyelid.
tw I agree. Much more, no comparison.
If you are in a pub and you are staying there for a bit. Tip on your first drink. Doesnt have to be much but it puts you in a good light for the bar staff.
Crumpets are NOT English muffins they're completely different taste and texture
Best Indian food--ever! Love Cornish Pasties. Favourite candy: Wine Gums (contains no wine)...they're like gummies, but better. Favourite pudding: Sticky toffee pudding--hands down!!!
For anyone wondering, at 2:47, that food is called Cornish Pasty. (Cornwall is an area of England which used to have a large mining industry).
Although the pasty is usually a horrific looking thing, the reason it has the rolled over crust is that when the miners ate them, they would hold that crust with their dirty coal hands and then eat the pie cleanly!
You're not actually supposed to eat the crust; the more you know!
Lamb pasty & ale...mmmm...
It's also pronounced 'pastie', not like 'tasty' with a p
Very unlikely they had coal on their hands, seeing as they were mining for tin.
Cornish Pasties are delicious but are tough to find here in the United States. One of the minor blessings of living on Florida's Gulf Coast is we get many British visitors (Great people. Good humored, overly polite and very sociable) during the winter months. In fact the town of St Pete Beach has a population of about 10,000 but swells to 30,000 during the winter months. We actually have a few British Pubs (Us locals like them too) where a Cornish Pasty with all the fixins' on the menu can be found. I take a lot of pride in the fact that our communities are so welcoming to our UK Friends.
David Huber that's cool
Make sure to grab a curry too!
oh heck yeah. the currys are awesome
chips are not french fries
I live in the UK and find pub food to be pretty good. Cornish pasties are also nice
Not really important but tap water where I live here in Wales is great! London water is disgusting, though... I only drink teas in London as I need that water boiled!
Thanks for the heads up. Should be helpful for us this fall when we head over your Wales way
when your in Wales i recommend a trip to Portmeirion
All fans of the Prisoner take note.
Many places in the UK have better water out of a tap than any of the bottled variety - and it's free!!! The problem with London water is that it is in a "Hard Water" area, where the water comes from a chalk and limestone geology. Chemicals are then used to clean the water, and that's the problem. Other areas of the UK (such as Wales) has soft water, so it tastes better. That's why the beer that's brewed in London is horrid.
The tap water in Birmingham is great too...but it does come from Wales 😆
I’m from Morecambe, a town in Lancashire in the north west. When people say tea we don’t mean like scones and crumpets and that, we mean our evening meal, you yanks call it dinner, and when we want a cup of tea we ask for a brew. My advice is if you want to see the proper England then leave London
English beer or ales are not supposed to be served ice cold; they have flavours that you want to taste. If they were served ice cold, like lager, the flavours would be lost.
Trevor Marsh exactly
One thing he missed is dont order Italian pasta dishes in England. You will get mushy noodles everytime, everywhere. I once ordered linguine Carbonara in a highly rated restaurant. I got mushy spaghetti which was chopped up, no full strands, runny alfredo sauce and chopped up boiled ham
Loooove Sunday Roast! London has incredible options for all cuisines, beyond the British stuff, like Indian (like you mentioned), Vietnamese, American, French, Italian... you name it! And you’re spot on about tipping. Some people have said different in the comments but London tipping is different from the rest of the UK.
Love and London It's you! I just subbed to your channel :). No idea why, I'm English.
Only American tourists tip. However, if you go out for an evening meal, and the service/food/price is better than you expected, then it's customary to tip 10%, but it's enitirely at your discretion. That applies anywhere in the UK, and most of Europe.
I agree - if you have poor service NEVER tip.
Our chocolate is smoother and nicer because it has a high vegetable oil content. The frogs tried to stop us calling it chocolate for this reason. Funny thing is the continentals all feckin love it..
Love English food, Full English Breakfast, Bangers and Mash, the Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas, the Meat Pies.....All good stuff...and if you get up to Scotland or over to Ireland, they serve "White Pudding" with the "Black Pudding." ( I'm enough of a Cajun to love the Black Pudding, it is Boudin with oatmeal, not rice.....:) )
Heard that boudin. I don’t like it either but I get it
Small tip for Americans. He's right - honestly the food here is pretty good, but if you do go for full English, you probably want the bacon crispy - it's the one thing I've heard normally cheerful Americans complain about. Also, when in Scotland, the 'full Scottish' often includes lawn sausage (square!) which is great.
Water - for sure it's not very nice to drink from the tap in London & in certain other places where it's very "hard" and sometimes it will have a chemical/chlorine taste - but I'd say it is generally pretty safe. In other parts of the country with less-"hard" or "soft" water it is a pleasure to drink after running the tap for a while so it is cool/cold. By the way the water in Paris is just as awful as in London, because the chalk geologies of the two areas are quite similar - very difficult to get a lather to wash if using bar soap, you really have to use liquid hand-soap and shampoos/shower gel etc
I guess London water comes from the Thames? Where I'm from most of our water comes from the Lake District and is (to me at least) much nicer.
Generally safe?Water safety standards in the UK best in the World.Water in the South is hard soft in the North nothing can be done about that.
Ha ha, I thought most would get my "British understatement" - and as those who know the UK well, we often use such self-description/-deprecation ironically ;) As for "best in the world" I'd say that, a bit like the NHS, it is often over-rated compared with what's available pretty widely in many other countries nowadays - I've lived & worked in many different countries & visited many more for business or pleasure and there are many fewer than in earlier years where drinking tap water was definitely considered "dangerous" as distinct from not always being very nice, and I've usually drunk tap water occasionally in most countries I've experienced, without ill-effects. In a few places, it's true, one had to avoid it completely even for brushing teeth, when bottled/purified water was provided specifically for that purpose.
Just a tip about tipping in the Uk . You don't have to tip much when you do tip, 10-15% is fair, and you only have to tip in sit down restaurants where foods bought to you . These are restaurants where the price of a meal is £6 ish up all the way to over £25 with steaks ( if you're up north , although a similar pattern is probably visible in the south , just higher prices overall ) .
Lovely video , british food is nice
If you are all worried about the health of the british diet, there are ways to healthify food we use. Meat and 2 veg (meaning potatoes and another vegetable) is a good rule. For example, boiled potatoes, other veg (broccoli, cauliflower or carrot) and sausages might be something. Or even healthier replace the sausages sometimes with chicken, salmon or mackerel.
NICE, I will show this to my cousins, which some live in England and Ireland.
Cheers!
Well I'm English born and bread and so I KNOW what's what regarding tips for eating in the UK, and I have to say ........... big up to you sir - the tips - I would offer as an inhabitant of the uk- would be well ...... EVERYTHING YOU SAID - IN THAT ORDER - so I doff my hat to you as an astute and well seasoned traveller that you are . Mucho Kudos. Sir
I'll be visiting London for 6 days next month and this video came at the right time! Thanks for the suggestions 😊
Elisabetta S you should try our ale. It's the best ale in the world.
Elizabeth's S. ...Im a Londoner who now lives a couple of hours north of the city but I still return regularly. My golden rule for eating and drinking in London is 'never go to the obvious place'. For example, if you're in an area popular with tourists, you'll see plenty of 'traditional' looking pubs on most main roads. They are not all bad, and some are even quite good, but you can usually find a better, cheaper and more authentic experiences if you simply walk around the corner. There are some fantastic gems hidden all over London - within yards of the tourist routes. Hope you enjoy your visit.
ps If you like street food, the markets in places like Camden Market or Borough (pronounced burra a not burrow) Market are definitely worth a visit.
Lokki Hey thanks for the advice! My goal *is* to avoid turist traps and find the hidden gems! It'll take a little bit of searching for me since it'll be my first time in the UK and unfortunately I don't know any locals. But I'm really looking forward to it!
Elisabetta S I wish I could offer my services as a tourist guide but my real job is taking me out of the country for the next few months - but you'll have a great time!
The best thing about travelling is that you can increase your enjoyment of it by putting more into it. If you always remember that a single place or time is rarely representative of the whole, and that different is not the same as wierd, you'll get on very well in London. You'll be falling under it's spell in no time.
If you do have a good enough time to warrant a return visit, please, please, please try to see more of the UK. London is just one of the gems hidden in these islands. We're a small group of islands and nations but you'd be amazed at the variety of landscapes and people it holds.
oooh - and don't avoid all the obvious tourist traps on this visit. Many of them are famous for a reason. :-)
Lokki I'm looking into some nearby towns to visit aswell 😊 although I wish I could stay more than 6 days. Thanks again for the cool advice!
Thankyou so much for this video! This is the first time to see your youtube channel! 😃🤩🥳❤️👍
The first thing I saw was your shirt. AWESOME! =) Thanks for the video, I'm planning my trip, and it helped a lot!
You will have a timey wimey good time :)
Wolters World A limey good timey. (I'm English)
Essential things to try imo being English myself ...
English Tea
English Ale/Lager
Full English Breakfast
Shepard’s Pie
Fish and Chips
A Sunday Roast
Bangers and Mash
Steak and Ale Pie
Cornish Pastie
Chicken Tikka Masala (Techincally a curry that originated in Northern England)
English Sweets ( Go to an old fashioned sweet shop and go nuts)
Apple/Rhubarb Crumble
Eton Mess
A 99p Ice Cream with a flake
Clotted Cream Fudge
Heading across the pond next year. Thanx mate!
If youre in england at the moment definitely go to the pub when england are playing in the world cup and watch as we all go absolutely mad, this may also happen when a local football team is playing but not to quite the same extent
if anyone is looking for drinks definitely try Adnams of Southwold or Aspalls cider
Pubs often have the best food because its freshly cooked. Chippys are ok but vary in quality. Magpie in Whitby is one of the best in the country.
English ciders are also fantastic
I actually enjoyed watching this, seems to be a more clued up tourist and seems to enjoy visiting our beautiful country. A note on tap water - up north, where I live in Sheffield, the tap water is a lot nicer and less chalky tasting due to the smaller amount of flouride in the water.
Cider is another good choice for alcoholic beverage.
Razargh best cider in the world.
The best cider I've ever had was while I was visiting Somerset
Absolutely this
Good Cider is one of the main things that I miss when leaving the UK.
Only ones that have actually seen real apples lol, like the Somerset craft makers. I avoid the mass produced rubbish like strongbow as an example
For myself, especially that I am a vegetarian, the Indian food scene in the in East London/Whitechapel/Brick Lane was really my all time favorite thing to eat in the UK. However, to get the best experience, going to Brick Lane, Whitechapel, and other parts of East London is the way to go.
Beans and tomatoes for breakfast are one of my favorite things! I also wish the US did more pies
I’m with you on the savory pies but I cannot get with the tomatoes and baked beans straight out of the can. I’ve been watching my husband eat this for 23 years and have never _once_ been tempted.
As someone who works in a pub in the UK if you want to tip it doesn't have to be a lot, if you say "take your own" when you give them the money most pubs will take about 25p in the North at least. It's also worth saying everything gets much cheaper outside of London, and the water tastes better the further North you get, because London has annoying hard water.
That editing haha! "See, I still have a few strands left!"
Someone noticed :)
One big tip, never go into a cafe or pub and ask for a 'soda', because you will get exactly that, a soda water. We ask for a Coke, a Pepsi, a Fanta or Lemonade etc. And, as already mentioned, chips are thick cut potato, chips are called crisps in the UK, and fries are thin spindly chip you get from MacDonalds with your burger. Aimed at our American friends.
Damn the food looks good
As soon as I saw it I thought-that’s all comfort food, fills you up
Perfect with a beer
Exactly. That's why I always say go eat at the pub for a good bite and beer
Wolters World can you make a video on English beer please. Especially the ale. Our ale is great. 😊
Nothing beats a full English 😊
Love the shirt! I’m planning a trip to London for next year! It’ll be the first time I leave the US! Your videos are very informative.
Mzdiva924 Good to hear, hope you enjoy your visit! How long do you have? Any particular plans yet?
Take a guided walking tour or two when there. They are informative and entertaining. Bring comfortable walking shoes!
Walks.com
James Sutherland The number one thing is the Warner Bros Studio to see the Harry Potter tour. Having high tea is top priority as well lol. Hopefully I can see the street where Sherlock is filmed. I would like to see as many museums and landmarks as possible. I plan on being out there for a week and one of those days, take a day trip to Paris.
Bruno Schenkman thank you
The Sherlock Holmes museum in Baker street itself is must for fans of the character. It's next to the real 221b which I think was a bank when I was there.
On the drinks front, if your not into ales you can always go for a cider. I believe Americans refer to it as "hard cider", or I may be mistaken. You won't find anwhere near the variety of cider as will for ales if your only in and around London however, although my brother informs me it's starting to become the next "thing" in London. Anyway if you want proper cider and a large variety (which you do) head on over to the West Country and just pick a pub and go.
Would definitely recommend apple pies here amazing usually and served at most pubs.sunday roast is good but usually not the best at pubs better at home
Toby Carvery Sunday Roast!
One thing people get confused about is the difference between shepherds pie and cottage pie. Shepherds pie is made with minced lamb and cottage pie is minced beef. Also try the different flavoured Gins in the pubs. The water in London is awful but it’s ok outside of London.
"looking for an apple pie kinda thing"?
Apple pie is English! Hate the meme that it's an American dessert. Apple crumble is good too and, while on treats, try proper shortbread.
@I HATE TOUCANS yes it is
I HATE TOUCANS the first recorded apple pie was in England in 1381, printed by Geoffrey Chaucer. Read this if you want to see more info: travelmamas.com/where-was-apple-pie-invented/
I’ve lived here for 34 years and this guy knows more about England than I do.
Most important point, similar to the high tea, at many cafes you can get a "Cream tea". It is scones with jam and clotted cream, and a pot of tea. Clotted cream is like cream but 1000x better. It sounds gross but it is so good, I literally dreamed about it last night. A cream tea is a staple and is a lot less of a fuss than a high tea, so you could easily do it every day which you probably will want to once you have tasted it ;)
Also try the brand Galaxy chocolate - it is the best chocolate in Britain, like Cadbury's but better.
Pub food is massively variable in quality and price. The good stuff is superb.
Little tip if you go to Toby Carvery which is a chain of Restaurant/Pub it is possible to get a roast there everyday if you want.
I'm not a breakfast person, but I could totally nosh on an English breakfast. (then take a nap) Not a three meal a day person either....but I think I'd be fine eating in England. It pretty much all looks like comfort food......yum.
It really is. Good for your soul :)