Dining
The 6 Best Pies in London
From a Bermondsey marble counter pouring parsley liquor to a Mayfair pie room with nine in-house varieties, here are six London places that still treat the pie as a serious thing.
In short: our top picks are M Manze, Goddards at Greenwich and The Windmill Mayfair. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
A good pie tells you a lot about a kitchen. There is no garnish to hide behind, no clever plating, just pastry that either holds or collapses and a filling that has been cooked properly or hasn’t. London does both ends of this beautifully. At one extreme you have the eel and pie shops, all white tile and marble, where the menu hasn’t changed in a century and the liquor is luminous green. At the other, chefs in Mayfair laminating suet pastry like it’s a croissant. We have eaten our way across both. The places below range from a fiver-a-plate Bermondsey institution to a private pie room you book weeks ahead. What they share is that the pie is the point, not a nostalgic afterthought.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| M Manze | Bermondsey | |
| Goddards at Greenwich | Greenwich | |
| The Windmill Mayfair | Mayfair | £££ |
| The Pie Room at Holborn Dining Room | Holborn | ££££ |
| The Newman Arms | Fitzrovia | ££ |
| Pieminister | Borough |
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Editor’s choice
M Manze
Why we pick itThe oldest surviving pie and mash shop in London, trading on Tower Bridge Road since 1902 and still using the same recipes. Order minced beef pie with double mash and a ladle of parsley liquor, eat it at a marble-topped bench, and you are basically having lunch in 1920s Bermondsey. Eels if you're brave.
Traditional pie and mash
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Goddards at Greenwich
Why we pick itThe Goddard family have been making pies since 1890 and have stood on this Greenwich spot, right by the market, since 1952. A proper minced beef pie with mash and liquor comes in under a tenner, and there's a vegetarian version and a decent jellied eel for the purists. Handy after the Cutty Sark or the Observatory.
Traditional pie and mash
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The Windmill Mayfair
Why we pick itA backstreet pub off Regent Street that takes pies very seriously: nine made in-house with homemade suet pastry, and a shelf of British Pie Awards to prove it, including a recent silver for the Guinness braised short rib. Book one of the two Pie Rooms upstairs or down if you want the full sit-down treatment.
Gastropub, in-house pies
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The Pie Room at Holborn Dining Room
Why we pick itInside Rosewood London, this is pie as serious craft: over 200 made daily, lattice tops and pate en croute that look almost too good to cut. The takeaway counter (Tuesday to Thursday, 11am to 3pm) lets you grab a hand-raised pork pie without a reservation; the private room behind it is one of London's more theatrical dinners.
British pastry, takeaway counter and private dining
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The Newman Arms
Why we pick itA Fitzrovia pub since 1730 with a tiny upstairs Pie Room that has built its whole reputation on the things. The £20 pie and pint deal is one of the better-value lunches in the West End, the pastry is short and buttery, and the cellar snugs downstairs are made for a long, low-lit afternoon.
Pie pub
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Pieminister
Why we pick itThe Bristol pie company has held a counter at Borough Market since 2004, and it's still the best handheld pie in the area. The Moo (steak and ale) is the safe order; the Kevin (chickpea, spinach and butternut) is the one that converts vegetarians. Eat it on the hoof with a coffee and watch the market churn.
Modern British pies, market counter
Before you book
The old pie and mash shops (Manze, Goddards) are cash-friendly, cheap and walk-in only, best at lunch. The Windmill and the Newman Arms take bookings and are worth it on a weekday. Holborn Dining Room’s takeaway counter runs Tuesday to Thursday, 11am to 3pm; its private Pie Room books well ahead and costs accordingly. Pieminister at Borough trades market hours.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
M Manze is our editor's choice: The oldest surviving pie and mash shop in London, trading on Tower Bridge Road since 1902 and still using the same recipes. Order minced beef pie with double mash and a ladle of parsley liquor, eat it at a marble-topped bench, and you are basically having lunch in 1920s Bermondsey. Eels if you're brave. M Manze, Goddards at Greenwich and The Windmill Mayfair lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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