Five London dining experience trends to watch out for

Autumn’s calling and with it, a welcome return to the capital’s eateries of long-established classics to keep you warm from the inside out. As the leaves turn, embrace this year’s penchant for pies, pasties and proper puds given a contemporary, and sometimes global, twist. Devour your most nostalgic dishes at north London gastropubs, West End establishments or even a railway arch bakery truck - then let it power you through a leaf-kicking walk in the park.

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No matter how many sexy new restaurants open in the capital each week, Londoners still can’t get enough of the humble – or really quite fancy – food truck or street food stall. The Time Out team’s current favourites include Filipino meat skewers in Market Halls Oxford Street, po-boy sarnies under an arch in Leyton and simply the best crumble and custard in Old Spitalfields. Bricks and mortar? The best meals (often) come on wheels or under a pop-up awning. 

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Once upon a time, London dining was all about the small plates. And yes, we still love a table heaving with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. But the latest nod towards communal eating focuses on huge slabs of succulent meat (and veg in many forms) piled high like a Dickensian feast waiting to be shared by many. Extra points for whoever first volunteers to ‘be mother’ and serve that giant pie to the rumbling tummies around the table.

Bart Visser, POS Lite Mission Lead at SumUp explains, 'The ever-changing socioeconomic environment is constantly testing the practices of professionals in the restaurant industry, forcing them to rethink their business models. An example would be whether to serve customers "over the counter" or offer table service. These decisions seem trivial but have a huge impact on the day-to-day management of a business and we're proud to be able to provide the right tools that support merchants on a daily basis, regardless of the direction they go in'.

While Londoners love to splurge and indulge, their appetite for boosting the environment is going strong. While other trends relating to taste, texture and cooking technique wax and wane, we’ve seen a concerted effort from eateries and their owners to cut the cost to the planet - and it’s continuing. Three cheers to all the plant-based, zero waste, 100% local, carbon footprint-cutting resto out there, including the tiny businesses doing what they can to transfer to reusables and recyclables.

Committed to doing its bit too, SumUp has pledged to donate 1% of all future net revenues to environmental causes.

Every year London is awash with festive foodie markets and 2024 looks set to be one of the best yet. Whether it’s a deluxe (and maybe boozy) hot chocolate to keep you warm as you browse or a truckload of waxed cheese to send home to mama, the tempting foodie treats at these places are legendary. We say: make like a moth towards the fairy lights and try to visit them all: Winter by the River is a particularly good one for those looking to fill their tums.

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