What is the best sandwich shop in London – a Twisted Guide
By Joanna Sarah-Freedman
09 Dec 2020
4m
Finding the best sandwich shop in London can be like hunting for the bacon in a petrol station BLT. Even though you know it’s there somewhere, it almost always gets lost in a disappointing mass of soggy tomato.
We think there’s a better way.
What is the best sandwich shop in London?
The best sandwich shop in London is, of course, a matter of personal taste. If you’re a bacon and egg traditionalist, you’re unlikely to rank a bao bun above a breakfast bap.
To instantly improve your next lunch with a world of flavour, we’ve put together a new guide to the best sandwich shops in London.
Read More: London’s best takeaway revealed
Whether you’ve always wondered, “where actually is the best sandwich shop near me?” or you just can’t find your favourite filling for love nor money, there’s something for everyone on this list.
Eat up and never settle for Subway ever again.
What is the best sandwich shop in London? – Credit: PA
1. Max’s
The menu at Max’s in Stroud Green proves that sandwiches can just as easily be a centrepiece as a snack. North East London’s worst kept secret, the restaurant boasts buns stuffed with the sort of ingredients that can automatically end a hangover.
“Ham, Egg ‘N’ Chips” with shoestring fries and succulent salty ham hock is easily one of the best sandwiches anywhere in London. Deep-fried Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bites are also a must-try.
2. Monty’s
London’s deli scene might not be quite as iconic as its American counterpart, but Monty’s shows that the city can still serve up a mean pastrami and rye.
Featuring so many layers of lurid red meat that it looks like a cross-section of the earth’s core, Monty’s Rueben sandwich has been consistently praised as one of London’s best dishes – never mind sandwiches. No trip to Spitalfields is complete without one.
3. Dusty Knuckle
Fillings are obviously essential, but what really separates the good from the great is the bread. At the Dusty Knuckle bakery in Dalston you will find what many believe to be the best bread on the planet acting as the perfect foil for a smorgasbord of awesome sandwiches.
While the breakfast bacon and egg is unbeatable, we also recommend the mortadella and peperonata loaded focaccia. Make sure you remember a napkin.
4. Sons + Daughters
When a world-class restaurant announces its intention to enter the sandwich game, it can go one of two ways. In the case of King’s Cross’ Sons + Daughters, that way is delicious.
An offshoot of the highly acclaimed Pidgin in Hackney, this new joint has made a serious splash in trendy Coal Drops Yard. Offering fat baguettes bursting with spicy merguez and chips, plus plump prawns on soft with bloomers, it’s easy to see why it’s proved such a hit.
5. Beigel Bake
Brick Lane’s Beigel Bake serves what might be the most iconic sandwich in the whole of London. Like most great things, the menu, and offering, are simple.
Cash only, famously abrasive service and the best bagels outside of New York (or possibly inside as well), Beigel Bake is all about salt beef. Although other options such as smoked salmon and cream cheese are available, it really pays to be a meat-eater.
6. Quo Vadis
Jeremy Lee’s Quo Vadis has a well-earned reputation for exceptional, unapologetically British cooking, becoming a fixture of Soho’s vibrant food scene. At the centre of the menu’s commitment to all things Britannia is its iconic smoked eel sandwich.
Served on thin slices of buttered white toast, it is as delicately simple as it is delicious. We dare you to find a better way of starting a lunch service.
7. Deeney’s
Haggis is a prime example of foods that rest of the world views with suspicion. Although oats boiled in a sheep’s stomach might sound about as appetising as a full nappy, if anything proves that it can be one of the most delicious things on earth it’s a Deeney’s toastie.
Loaded with sharp cheddar, rocket and optional bacon, the sandwich delivers mouthful after mouthful of salty, stodgy awesomeness. Get it at Broadway Market and thank us later.
8. Banh Mi Hoi An
About as nondescript as it gets, few restaurants encapsulate the phrase “Hidden Gem” quite so literally as Banh Mi Hoi An. Despite its baffling opening hours and shabby appearance, you should make no mistake – this is probably the best banh mi in London.
Customers can enjoy crusty baguettes alongside an array of traditional fillings such as grilled catfish, barbecue pork and spicy tofu. You’ll have to time your arrival in Hackney perfectly, but this is one instance where it pays to be organised.
9. Dishoom
Now firmly established as a leading light in the city’s thriving Indian food scene, Dishoom has a reputation for twisting the traditional. One of it’s most straightforward yet enduringly popular dishes is the delicious bacon and egg naan roll.
This riff on the classic breakfast dish delivers everything it promises, becoming so popular that the restaurant even offered it as a takeaway kit during lockdown. One taste, and you’ll see why it’s quickly become one of the best-loved sandwiches in London.
Seeking out the cream of the crop in a restaurant scene as crowded as the capital’s is tricky for anyone. The last thing you want to do is settle for a substandard lunch.
Stick with this guide to make sure your next London sandwich is as delicious as possible.
