I think this is the Lebanese place we really liked, not far from The London Eye
Paul Rothe & Son (deli sandwiches to die for, very reasonable prices)
The Golden Hind (fish and chips)
Borough Market (if everyone wants to try a bit of everything - food stalls)
The lamb and flag, Dishoom, Red Lion, and Borough Market are all excellent recommendations. Iâve been to all. Within the borough market Iâd recommend The Ginger Pig for sausage rolls, humble crumble for apple crumble, Turnips for the viral chocolate and strawberries. Stalls I wanted to visit but ran out of time were the Black Pig )pork sandwiches) and Kappacasein (grilled cheese and raclette). My daughter studied abroad and also highly recommends Padella at the Borough Market, itâs known for house made pasta.
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Edinburgh:
Edinburgh Larder - wonderful breakfasts and lunch
London
10 Greek Street - fabulous, great location too if youâre going to an evening show (itâs not Greek food, thatâs also the address)
â10 Greek Street is a bustling, neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of Soho. Featuring a daily changing, seasonal menu and an evolving, exciting, reasonably priced wine list.â
Lina Stores - There are several of them; terrific, fresh Italian
Ottolenghi - Nopi, any of the shops
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@CTmom2018, are you talking about London?
I think you meant to tag @CTmom1971 (and I never knew there was another member with so close a username until now!)
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Yes I meant London. Someone else recommended these places so didnât think I had to say London. Sorry!
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Edinburgh suggestions:
Dishoom - for Indian
Cafe Marlane - for French
Kyloe - for steaks
Chaophraya - for Thai
Scottâs at South Queensferry - for view of The Bridges
The Kitchin for Tom Kitchin chefâs restaurant (pricey but great food)
The Witchery for an Edinburgh experience (Dinner is pricey, but lunch is more reasonable and casual than dinner. Historically interesting location by the Castle.)
Hope this helps!
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+1 for the Dishoom rec. my husband and D were just there and loved it. There is one in Edinburgh. There was a great Bahn Mi spot just outside the train station.
In London, Borough Market has some great eats. Mercato Mayfair is pretty cool too, in a converted church.
We were so bummed, we wanted to go to the Borough Market to The Ginger Pig, but ran out of time.
I know you didnât ask for hotel recommendations but I wanted to give a plug to Wilde Aparthotel in Edinburgh (in case you are looking). Great location, great service and depending on when you are going - fairly reasonable in price.
We just got back from London and Edinburgh. We had a very good meal at Leicester Square Kitchen in London. My niece who lives in London recommends Flat Iron, but we didnât get a chance to try it. In Edinburgh we had a nice meal at Twenty Princes Street and good fish and chips at Landyâs. Edinburgh was much more crowded than I expected, and dinner reservations were a must, even at pubs and casual places. Have a great trip!
I agree! I stayed there last year with my daughter at the end of her year abroad. The grass market area nearby has so many fun pubs and is close to everything!
Iâd definitely check out the food halls at Harrods and Fortnum and Mason.
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The trip just started and those food halls are on the list!
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They are still travelling. Food in London was generally mediocre. The best foods were from the food hall at Selfridges and a cinnamon roll place they found in Holburn. Other highlights were an excellent breakfast at Little Larder in Edinburgh (I think somebody here had recommended that). Also, outstanding pizza at a place in York.
They could not get near Dishoon in London, line around the block every single time they passed, any time of day.
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They are wrapping up their trip. Had a great time, sunny and warm throughout the UK (odd weather for them). The best meals they had were from small places in the countryside (they were in southwest England).
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I think one of the hardest things we had to internalize when planning trips to the UK/Europe is that reservations are now pretty mandatory for restaurants if you want to ensure quality meals and not land in mediocrity.
Lots of restaurants have two lines: one for reservations, one for hopeful walk-ins. The reservation line is often hard to spot as it doesnât usually have a long queue.
Also, if someplace is a tiktok/instagram fav, we try to avoid as a matter of principle. Not always successful on that (sometimes a fav becomes instagram famous) but that usually means busier than all get out.
I love vacation planning, but donât like to be tied in to a set schedule. I hate having to decide the hour of entry for a museum and the exact time I want to eat. There is value in wandering around, discovering places, finding restaurants, etc. Seeing where the day and mood takes you.
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I think finding the balance of planning versus serendipity is what we are all searching for in our travels. 
If food quality is paramount, more planning is usually required. If the party doesnât care about food all that much, there can be a lot more flexibility.
We are usually juggling allergies when traveling, so meal planning becomes quite important for us. We usually make a reservation for one meal a day (which one depends) and do a deep dive into what restaurants in the general area of where we want to be also work for the restrictions of those traveling. That planning allows us more flexibility in everything else we choose to do.
As for museum entry timesâŠyikes! The only timed entry I will do is before/after hour touring. Iâm only willing to be tethered to the clock at a museum if it guarantees me much reduced crowds/an almost empty museum.
Edited to Add: As someone who navigates allergies/food restriction constantly, food planning is probably much more built in for me as a must do as opposed to people/travel groups without the number of restrictions and allergies we are dealing with. 
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