Museum of London wants to bring back the eel as a late night snack

Eel might not be your snack of choice when you’ve got the late-night munchies, but the people at the Museum of London reckon these slimy creatures are a delicacy worth revisiting.

Eel vendors were once a common sight on London’s streets right up until the 1970s, as you’ll see in photos from the Museum of London’s current exhibition ‘London Nights’.

As part of the show exploring what Londoners get up to after hours, the museum has teamed up with swish 24/7 restaurant Duck & Waffle to bring back this East End treat, which it’ll dish out between 11.30pm and 5am as part of the late-night menu. The smoked eel croquettes might not be served up with a dose of cockney rhyming slang but there will be seaweed mayo for dipping. Plus, ordering the eel dish (or a duck kebab) gets you 40 percent off tickets for ‘London Nights’. 

Not convinced? Eels were a popular source of grub for the Romans, Tudors and Victorians – and for good reason. They’re packed with hangover-busting potassium, protein, vitamins and those omega-3 fatty acids your mum is always going on about. So next time you’re contemplating hair of the dog, why not consider fillet of eel instead?

Get a taster of the exhibition below: 

London Nights, Museum of London

Museum of London

Museum of London

The Duck & Waffle is serving eel until Sep 30. London Nights runs at the Museum of London until Nov 11.