18 Best Traditional British Foods to Try in the UK (2025 Guide)
From hearty pub classics to sweet, nostalgic desserts, British cuisine is far more exciting than it’s often given credit for. After 100 hours of research, here’s my ultimate guide to the 18 must-try dishes in the United Kingdom.
- Do you want to taste all the best food in the United Kingdom? Then you’ve entered the right guide.
Today we will learn about the best foods in the United Kingdom. It took me 100 hours of research to write this guide, and I know that some people will argue about it. But yes! This country has countless food options that are worth eating, where you can enjoy amazing flavors that you will carry with you for the rest of your life. After considering the taste and price of the food, I have selected my 18 favorite dishes.
My recommendations are: British food you need to try
Grab a curry from a well-known curry house. Chicken tikka masala or lamb balti are probably the most “English” curries.
Honestly, try some fish and chips. Don’t go to a chain restaurant—find a nice, moderately priced, sit-down fish and chips restaurant. You’ll want battered cod or haddock with a slice of lemon, and if it’s a fancy place, maybe some tartar sauce.
And you can also try a pasty! Find a good bakery and get a delicious Cornish pasty.
I’m not saying that fish and chips from a high-end sit-down restaurant won’t be good, but I will say that to get the real experience you need to buy it and eat it on the beach (even in cold weather). Although I also agree with the guidelines outlined for this dish below.
These dishes are very different from what you usually find in Europe, so if you expect the same taste, you may be disappointed. Keep an open mind, and have a great time. Try some of the dishes below.
The names of the foods on the list are given here:
- Fish and chips
- Full English breakfast
- Sunday roast
- Shepherd’s pie and cottage pie
- Bangers and mash
- Beef Wellington
- Steak and kidney pie
- Toad in the hole
- Ploughman’s lunch
- Cornish pasty
- Scotch egg
- Bubble and squeak
- Lancashire hotpot
- Welsh rarebit
- Black pudding
- Sticky toffee pudding
- Apple crumble
- Victoria sponge cake
1. Fish and Chips
As far as I know, no list of British dishes is complete without this iconic dish. Fish and chips is a traditional British meal made of fried fish served with chips. It is considered by many to be the national dish of the United Kingdom. This dish is often served with mushy peas, tartar sauce, salt, and malt vinegar in most restaurants. It usually costs between £10 and £22. In my opinion, the perfect place to eat this dish is a coastal chippy.
2. Full English Breakfast
A full breakfast or fry-up is a cooked breakfast enjoyed in Britain and Ireland. Depending on the region, this dish can be called a full English, full Irish, or full Welsh. It became very popular during the Victorian era. It includes fried eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, black pudding, toast, and sometimes hash browns or mushrooms. It is a perfect weekend breakfast and a quick cure for a hangover. This dish costs between £10 and £25. Of course, don’t forget to enjoy a cup of tea with your breakfast.
3. Sunday Roast
A Sunday roast or roast dinner is a British meal traditionally eaten on Sundays. This meal mainly consists of roast meat, fried and mashed potatoes, and is served with Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, and gravy. It can be accompanied by sauces such as apple sauce, mint sauce, redcurrant sauce, mustard, or horseradish sauce. A variety of vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, parsnips, or peas can be boiled, roasted, or fried.
Sunday roast is so important to British culture that between 2010 and 2012, it was ranked the second most popular main meal in the UK. The price varies but typically ranges between £25 and £40.
4. Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie
Shepherd’s pie and cottage pie are delicious dishes made of cooked minced meat with a potato topping, baked until golden brown. Shepherd’s pie typically contains lamb, while cottage pie contains beef. This dish originated in the 18th century when poor families used leftover meat. The price can be between £15 and £25.
5. Bangers and Mash
Bangers and mash is a traditional British dish made with sausages and mashed potatoes. It is commonly served in pubs with onions, peas, and gravy. In 2009, a TV channel listed it as one of Britain’s most popular comfort foods. The meal costs around £15 to £25.
6. Beef Wellington
Beef Wellington is a luxurious dish made with fillet steak and mushroom duxelles, wrapped in puff pastry. Some recipes include prosciutto or dry-cured ham to prevent the pastry from becoming soggy. When cooked correctly, it delivers a remarkable flavor. This dish can cost between £20 and £50.
7. Steak and Kidney Pie
Steak and kidney pie is a popular British dish filled with tender steak, kidneys, and rich gravy, all wrapped in buttery pastry. Some people love the strong flavor of kidneys, while others dislike it. This dish typically costs between £15 and £25.
8. Toad in the Hole
Toad in the hole is a traditional British dish consisting of thick sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding batter, served with gravy and vegetables. It can also be made with other meats like rump steak or lamb’s kidneys. It is a perfect comfort meal for a cozy family dinner. The price ranges from £8 to £20.
9. Ploughman’s Lunch
A Ploughman’s lunch is a rustic, traditional British cold meal consisting of bread, cheese, pickles, chutney, and onions. It may also include ham, beef, salad, hard-boiled eggs, and butter. It is commonly served with beer in pubs. The meal costs around £8 to £25.
10. Cornish Pasty
A Cornish pasty is a traditional British baked pastry filled with beef, potatoes, swede (rutabaga), and onion, encased in shortcrust pastry. It was originally made for miners. A true Cornish pasty is protected by EU law. The cost is around £3 to £15.
11. Scotch Eggs
A Scotch egg consists of a soft-boiled egg wrapped in seasoned sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. This dish costs around £4 to £15.
12. Bubble and Squeak
Bubble and squeak is an English dish made with lightly cooked potatoes and cabbage, mixed together and fried. It is considered one of the world’s great peasant dishes. The price is around £7 to £18.
13. Lancashire Hotpot
Lancashire hotpot is a dish from the Lancashire region of northwest England. It consists of lamb or mutton and onions, slowly baked with sliced potatoes. The price ranges from £10 to £25.
14. Welsh Rarebit
Welsh rarebit is a dish of hot cheese sauce, often containing ale, mustard, or Worcestershire sauce, served on toast until bubbly and golden. Despite its name, it contains no rabbit. The price ranges from £6 to £18.
15. Black Pudding
Black pudding is a type of blood sausage eaten in the UK and Ireland, made from pig’s blood, fat, and oatmeal. It is often served as part of a full English breakfast. The price ranges from £8 to £18.
16. Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sticky toffee pudding is a British dessert made with a moist sponge cake covered in toffee sauce, served with vanilla custard or ice cream. It is widely popular in northwest England. The price ranges from £9 to £15.
17. Apple Crumble
Apple crumble is a sweet dessert made with baked apples topped with a buttery crumble. It is served with cream or ice cream. The price ranges from £9 to £15.
18. Victoria Sponge Cake
Victoria sponge cake is a light cake made from eggs, flour, and sugar, sometimes leavened with baking powder. It is a classic British cake. The price ranges from £10 to £20.
British food is more than just sustenance—it’s hearty comfort food, delightful desserts, and centuries-old traditions. Whether you’re enjoying a Sunday roast, savoring a Cornish pasty, or indulging in sticky toffee pudding, British cuisine offers something wonderfully satisfying.
- Full English breakfast – usually best found in pubs.
- Sunday roast – this dish is also usually found in pubs.
- Pie (ideally Melton Mowbray; steak and kidney or something else for snacks).
- Pastries and/or slices – not store-bought; go to a place that serves them hot, but not a chain like Greggs.
Non-chain bakeries have almost all kinds of good food. Exactly what’s good varies from bakery to bakery, but for example, the little bakery I used to pass on my way to school made the perfect chocolate fudge cake.
We are one of the best countries in the world in terms of simple food, with a unique character that is served in a variety of ways.
Chinese takeout – sounds good, and sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice is the standard dish.
Fish and chips on the beach – it’s an experience. But honestly, proper chips soaked in vinegar are really good. Cod is standard; battered sausage is an option. If you want something different, try the scampi, and if you want something sweet, try the pineapple fritters. Honestly, try everything at least once (although it’s better not to eat it all in one sitting). Chips should never be delivered – you want them fresh and hot.
Another tip – if you find yourself at a burger van on a night out, try a half-pounder and cheesy chips. This will be unlike any other meal you’ve had in your life.
As a bonus for snacks:
- Knickknacks (crispy)
- Monster Munch (crispy)
- Digestive foods: Hobnobs, Rich Tea Biscuits
- Mr. Kipling’s range – Cherry Bakewell, French Fancy, Almond Chunks, Bakewell Slices, etc. Most of these items are best sourced from a reputable bakery where they are made fresh, but Mr. Kipling’s products are still hard to beat for cupboard snacks.
If you’re in a hurry and want something tasty and quick, you might be happy with the boxed sandwiches you get from the supermarket. Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose all make good sandwiches. I can’t speak for others like Asda, although I doubt there’s much difference.
When you mention Bristol in your itinerary (or in a comment somewhere), I’ll recommend a few places. There’s a place called Sandwich Sandwich, which is one of the best sandwich shops in Bristol. They have a huge selection of sandwiches, and my favorite is the Coronation Chicken.
Also, if you go there on the weekend, the Harbourside Market has a number of street food stalls selling food from all over the world. My favourites include:
- Dawson’s Bakery (great pastries, great sausage rolls)
- Riceminster (authentic Valencian paella)
- Tia Julia (Brazilian – my favourite is the galinhadas)
- Knotty Brownies (they are also at St. Nicholas Market).
St. Nicholas Market, located in the city centre, also has many international food stalls, both on the street and in the covered market.
In the city centre, from Park Street, Queen Street/The Triangle, and Whiteladies Road to the Downs, there are so many great local chains and independent eateries that it’s hard to go wrong week after week.
I haven’t even mentioned any Indian or Chinese places because there are so many, and I can’t choose just one. I’m sure I’ve missed a few places.
Whether you’re traveling through London, exploring the Welsh coast, or enjoying a pub lunch in the Cotswolds, British cuisine will surprise you with its richness and variety. Try these 18 dishes, and you’ll leave the UK with more than just beautiful photos—you’ll take home unforgettable flavours.
Have you tried any of these UK classics? Let us know your favorite British dish in the comments—and don’t forget to follow us for more local food tips across the United Kingdom.