London’s ‘greatest’ food festival is returning — these are the dishes to try

It’s a truth, universally acknowledged, that London’s food scene is pretty spectacular.

Don’t believe me? It was even recently named the fourth best city for food in the world by Time Out.

As such, you might find yourself struggling to nab a table at top restaurants across the city, as they’re just so dang popular.

But did you know there’s a way to skip the queues and try some of the hottest dishes London has to offer, all in one place?

You can do exactly that at Taste of London, a food festival that is running from June 17 to 21.

What is Taste of London?

Hailed as the city’s ‘greatest restaurant festival’ on Tripadvisor, Taste of London has been taking place annually in the capital since 2004.

It first debuted at Somerset House, but for the last few years has been transforming a portion of Regent’s Park into a ‘foodie paradise’.

The event celebrates the capital’s culinary scene, bringing some of the best restaurants together to offer more than 130 different dishes to visitors. 

As well as this, there’s also live cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, bars, and a market featuring 160 artisan producers. 

The dishes you have to try 

For 2026, there are a few dishes you won’t want to miss out on if you’re attending Taste of London.

Along with signature dishes from restaurants, some of the spots will also be showcasing what are known as ‘Taste Exclusives’. These are one-of-a-kind creations only available at the festival, and there are 26 in total. 

The selection includes items such as ancho chilli-glazed braised wagyu taco topped with tahoon mayonnaise and crispy shallots from Sexy Fish, ume miso cod kushiyaki by Los Mochis, and Roti King’s XL Lamb Chops with an aromatic spice mix and peanut sauce.

Find the full list of all 26 dishes at the end of this article.

How to get tickets?

Eight different sessions are running for Taste of London, starting with an opening night party on June 17 from 5:30pm.

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, there’s a daytime session from 12pm to 4pm, and evening sessions from 5:30pm to 9:30pm.

The final session takes place on Sunday, June 21 from 12pm to 5pm.

It’s worth noting that it’s not the cheapest event, as a general entry ticket costs £24. This price doesn’t include any dishes, so you’ll have to pay for all your food and drinks on top of this.

Prices for individual dishes range from £6 to £10, with exclusive dishes costing a little more, around the £12 to £14 mark.

Alternatively, tasting tickets start from £39, with this getting you entry to the festival and two signature dishes.

VIP ticket packages are also available, allowing guests to skip the queues for fast-track entry, access a VIP lounge and private bar, try the Taste Exclusive dishes, enjoy a glass of champagne, a complimentary snack bar, and entertainment.

For more information, visit london.tastefestivals.com/

What have people said about the food festival?

Online reviews are mixed, with some calling it the ‘best’ food festival in London, but others suggesting it’s overpriced.

On Google, Jana Abelovska said: ‘Tickets start at £24, small tasting plates and drinks range between £8-12, so if you try 4 meals (sharing between 2 ppl) and 2 cocktails, you spend on average £60-90pp, which surely is a bit spenny considering you could get a lush dinner for that in a high-end restaurant.

‘However, Taste is the biggest and best food festival in London, and if you love food and discovering new places, I think it’s worth going at least once!’

Alba AB praised it as ‘the greatest food festival in London’, while Matthew Clarke said it had an ‘excellent atmosphere’ and was ‘easily the best food festival [he’d] ever been to.’

But Katie Sandford wasn’t as impressed, claiming the ‘food quality is average’ and ‘extremely expensive for what you get’.

And Li Mu added that it was ‘a bit hit and miss’.

‘Some of the stalls were offering really great food, and I had some delicious dim sum. Other stalls offered food that came in tiny portions and was about the same quality as something you’d buy in Greggs.’

Metro’s specialist food writer, Courtney Pochin, has been regularly attending the festival since 2018, and while she agrees it’s a pricey event, she can’t stop going back for more.

She said: ‘What I enjoy most about Taste of London is that I always discover something completely different and exciting each time – whether it’s a Taste Exclusive dish from a restaurant I like, or a quirky product from an independent business that you just wouldn’t find in the supermarket.

‘I always leave at the end with a new food obsession, and plenty of fab freebies too.’

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