The Atlas · Nº 18 ·England

Most Popular British Food

English food is comfort and nostalgia: fish and chips from the paper, a Sunday roast, a pie with a proper crust, and a pudding to finish. Its real pride is baking, a long shelf of tarts, sponges, and regional treats like sticky toffee pudding and Cornish clotted cream, all washed down with tea.

151 dishes ranked·1 in the global top 1,000 ·6,890 diner ratings·Best rank Nº 945

Plate I — The Origins

Fig. 1 Where 151 ranked british dishes were born. Dish origin

Drag to pan · Double-click or +/− to zoom · Select a marker for its entry

The Signature Dishes

The twelve highest-ranked British dishes, by global position.

Clotted Cream Ice Cream, ice cream from England
Plate IIIce Cream · England

1 Nº 945 worldwide

Clotted Cream Ice Cream

Ice Cream · Cornish Ice Cream · Cornish Clotted Cream Ice Cream

An extravagantly rich ice cream made with Cornish clotted cream, denser and more buttery than the ordinary kind. A West Country specialty now sold across Britain, it tastes like a scoop of the thick golden cream that tops a scone.

★ 4.0|100% positive |11 ratings

Cream Tea, assorted small dishes or ritual from England
Plate IIIAssorted Small Dishes or Ritual · England

2 Nº 1,059 worldwide

Cream Tea

Assorted Small Dishes or Ritual · Devon Cream Tea · Devonshire Tea · Cornish Cream Tea

The West Country's afternoon ritual: a pot of tea with warm scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam. Devon and Cornwall have argued for generations over the order, cream-then-jam or jam-then-cream, and each is certain the other is doing it wrong.

★ 4.0|82% positive |40 ratings

Triple-Cooked Chips, side dish from England

3Triple-Cooked ChipsNº 1,071

Side Dish

Chips reinvented by the chef Heston Blumenthal in the 1990s, simmered soft, then cooled and fried twice, so they come out with a glassy, shattering crust and a fluffy interior. A modern British restaurant staple that treats the humble chip as something to engineer.

★ 4.0|78 ratings

Banoffee Pie, sweet pie from England

4Banoffee PieNº 1,380

Sweet Pie · Also Banoffi Pie

An English invention of banana and toffee, the name a mash-up of the two, layered with whipped cream over a crumbled-biscuit base. Rich, sweet, and no-bake, it dates only to the 1970s but has become a pub-dessert fixture.

★ 3.9|88 ratings

Sticky Toffee Pudding, dessert from England

5Sticky Toffee PuddingNº 1,439

Dessert

A dark, moist sponge studded with chopped dates and drowned in a hot toffee sauce, served with custard or vanilla ice cream. Claimed by the Lake District, it is the warm, sticky king of the British pudding trolley.

★ 3.9|135 ratings

Roast Leg of Lakeland Lamb, lamb dish from England

6Roast Leg of Lakeland LambNº 1,452

Lamb Dish

A Cumbrian Sunday roast built on Herdwick lamb, the hardy breed that grazes the Lake District fells and gives dark, deeply flavored meat. Roasted on the bone with rosemary and served with mint sauce, it is upland England on a plate.

★ 3.9|7 ratings

Cornish Fairing, cookie from England

7Cornish FairingNº 1,722

Cookie

A crisp, domed ginger biscuit from Cornwall, spiced with ginger and cinnamon and cracked with a network of fine lines across the top. Once sold at country fairs, hence the name, it has been baked by the same Cornish firm since the 1880s.

★ 3.9|6 ratings

Treacle Tart, tart from England

8Treacle TartNº 2,106

Tart

A shortcrust tart filled with golden syrup thickened by breadcrumbs and brightened with lemon, baked until set and sticky. A frugal Victorian sweet made from pantry staples, it is nursery food that grown-ups never quite stop ordering.

★ 3.8|29 ratings

Bedfordshire Clanger, sweet pastry from England

9Bedfordshire ClangerNº 2,160

Sweet Pastry

Bedfordshire's answer to the Cornish pasty, a long suet crust with a savory filling at one end and a sweet one at the other, a whole meal in a single pastry. It began as a field laborer's lunch, dinner and dessert wrapped together to carry to work.

★ 3.8|4 ratings

Black Pudding Scotch Egg, egg dish from England

10Black Pudding Scotch EggNº 2,183

Egg Dish

A pub twist on the picnic classic, an egg wrapped not in plain sausage but in black pudding, breaded and deep-fried so the yolk stays soft inside. The blood sausage gives it an iron-rich, peppery depth the standard version never had.

★ 3.8|4 ratings

Eve's Pudding, pudding from England

11Eve's PuddingNº 2,243

Pudding

A homely baked pudding of soft apples beneath a light Victoria sponge, the fruit going jammy as the cake bakes above it. The name nods to Eve and her apple, and it comes to the table warm under a pour of custard.

★ 3.8|4 ratings

Grasmere Gingerbread, cookie from England

12Grasmere GingerbreadNº 2,388

Cookie

A dense, chewy gingerbread from the Lake District village of Grasmere, somewhere between a biscuit and a cake, made to a recipe kept secret since Victorian times. Buttery, spiced, and still sold from the tiny shop where it was invented.

★ 3.8|8 ratings

The Departments

Every British dish in our ranking, grouped the way you'd order them.

The Complete Ledger

All 151 British dishes in the world ranking. Every entry, leaf by leaf.

151 entries
  1. 945 Clotted Cream Ice Cream Ice Cream Cornwall ★ 4.0
  2. 1,059 Cream Tea Assorted Small Dishes or Ritual Devon ★ 4.0
  3. 1,071 Triple-Cooked Chips Side Dish England ★ 4.0
  4. 1,380 Banoffee Pie Sweet Pie Jevington ★ 3.9
  5. 1,439 Sticky Toffee Pudding Dessert Cumbria ★ 3.9
  6. 1,452 Roast Leg of Lakeland Lamb Lamb Dish Lake District ★ 3.9
  7. 1,722 Cornish Fairing Cookie Cornwall ★ 3.9
  8. 2,106 Treacle Tart Tart England ★ 3.8
  9. 2,160 Bedfordshire Clanger Sweet Pastry Central Bedfordshire ★ 3.8
  10. 2,183 Black Pudding Scotch Egg Egg Dish England ★ 3.8
  11. 2,243 Eve's Pudding Pudding England ★ 3.8
  12. 2,388 Grasmere Gingerbread Cookie Grasmere ★ 3.8
  13. 2,436 Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce Lamb Dish England ★ 3.8
  14. 2,452 Lincolnshire Sausage Sausage Lincolnshire ★ 3.8
  15. 2,568 London Particular Soup London ★ 3.8
  16. 2,826 Parmo Fried Chicken Dish Middlesbrough ★ 3.8
  17. 2,954 Roast Beef Beef Dish England ★ 3.8
  18. 2,964 Cumberland Scotch Egg Snack Cumbria ★ 3.8
  19. 3,049 Devonshire Split Sweet Bread Devon ★ 3.8
  20. 3,063 Yorkshire Curd Tart Tart Yorkshire and the Humber ★ 3.8
  21. 3,075 Sussex Pond Pudding Dessert East Sussex ★ 3.8
  22. 3,076 Pan Haggerty Casserole Northumberland ★ 3.8
  23. 3,095 Rum Butter Spread Cumbria ★ 3.8
  24. 3,559 Egg Banjo Sandwich England ★ 3.7
  25. 3,589 Birmingham Balti Stew Birmingham ★ 3.7
  26. 3,669 Pollock Fish and Chips Saltwater Fish Dish England ★ 3.7
  27. 3,817 Mackerel Bap Sandwich Axminster ★ 3.7
  28. 3,878 H Hawkshead Wig Bread Hawkshead ★ 3.7
  29. 4,025 I Isle of Wight Doughnuts Fried Dough Isle of Wight ★ 3.7
  30. 4,118 Kentish Huffkins Bread Kent ★ 3.7
  31. 4,454 Shrewsbury Cakes Cookie Shrewsbury ★ 3.7
  32. 4,462 Skate Fish and Chips Saltwater Fish Dish England ★ 3.7
  33. 4,530 Cumberland Sauce Sauce Cumbria ★ 3.7
  34. 4,534 Gypsy Tart Tart Kent ★ 3.7
  35. 4,651 Steak and Ale Pie Savory Pie England ★ 3.7
  36. 4,696 Yorkshire Pudding Side Dish York ★ 3.7
  37. 4,707 Hog's Pudding Sausage Devon ★ 3.7
  38. 4,889 Panackelty Casserole City of Sunderland ★ 3.7
  39. 5,158 Cornish Saffron Buns Sweet Bread Cornwall ★ 3.6
  40. 5,196 Rag Pudding Ground Meat Dish Oldham ★ 3.6
  41. 5,255 Goosnargh Cake Cookie Goosnargh ★ 3.6
  42. 5,352 Stottie Cake Bread England ★ 3.6
  43. 5,362 Black Peas Street Food Lancashire ★ 3.6
  44. 5,490 London Cheesecake Sweet Pastry England ★ 3.6
  45. 5,561 Staffordshire Oatcakes Pancake Staffordshire ★ 3.6
  46. 5,594 Eton Mess Dessert Eton ★ 3.6
  47. 5,611 British Burrito Wrap Halifax ★ 3.6
  48. 5,622 Cornish Hevva Cake Cake Cornwall ★ 3.6
  49. 5,638 Jam Pennies Sandwich England ★ 3.6
  50. 5,643 Bakewell Flapjack Dessert England ★ 3.6
  51. 5,724 Victoria Sponge Cake England ★ 3.6
  52. 5,791 Traditional Cumberland Sausage Sausage Cumbria ★ 3.6
  53. 5,806 Beef Wellington Beef Dish England ★ 3.6
  54. 5,807 Cheese Scone Snack England ★ 3.6
  55. 5,828 Ploughman's Lunch Assorted Small Dishes or Ritual England ★ 3.6
  56. 5,832 Manchester Tart Tart Manchester ★ 3.6
  57. 5,840 Lemonade Scones Dessert England ★ 3.6
  58. 5,968 Plaice Fish and Chips Saltwater Fish Dish England ★ 3.6
  59. 6,040 Saffron Cake Dessert Cornwall ★ 3.6
  60. 6,047 Banbury Cake Sweet Pastry Banbury ★ 3.6
  61. 6,056 Cherries Jubilee Flambéed Dessert London ★ 3.6
  62. 6,124 Cod Fish and Chips Saltwater Fish Dish England ★ 3.6
  63. 6,232 Afternoon Tea Assorted Small Dishes or Ritual England ★ 3.5
  64. 6,241 Lemon Drizzle Cake Cake England ★ 3.5
  65. 6,275 Bakewell Pudding Tart Bakewell ★ 3.5
  66. 6,283 Fat Rascal Cake York ★ 3.5
  67. 6,450 English Breakfast Breakfast England ★ 3.5
  68. 6,515 Bakewell Tart Tart Bakewell ★ 3.5
  69. 6,568 Potted Shrimps Shrimp/Prawn Dish Lancashire ★ 3.5
  70. 6,575 Knickerbocker Glory Frozen Dessert Sherston ★ 3.5
  71. 6,578 Haddock Fish and Chips Saltwater Fish Dish England ★ 3.5
  72. 6,585 Parkin Cake Yorkshire and the Humber ★ 3.5
  73. 6,665 Cheese and Onion Pie Savory Pie England ★ 3.5
  74. 6,713 R Roast Goose with Sage and Onion Stuffing Goose Dish England ★ 3.5
  75. 6,724 Stargazy Pie Savory Pie Cornwall ★ 3.5
  76. 6,757 Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Savory Pie Melton Mowbray ★ 3.5
  77. 6,762 Syllabub Dessert England ★ 3.5
  78. 6,882 Game Pie Savory Pie England ★ 3.5
  79. 6,943 Pie and Mash Savory Pie London ★ 3.5
  80. 6,964 Fidget Pie Savory Pie Shropshire ★ 3.5
  81. 7,053 Simnel Cake Cake England ★ 3.5
  82. 7,088 Fruit Scone Dessert England ★ 3.5
  83. 7,093 Lardy Cake Sweet Bread Wiltshire ★ 3.4
  84. 7,117 Cherry Bakewell Tart Bakewell ★ 3.4
  85. 7,151 Meat and Potato Pie Savory Pie England ★ 3.4
  86. 7,191 Barm Cake Bread North West England ★ 3.4
  87. 7,202 Hard Sauce Spread England ★ 3.4
  88. 7,261 Salmagundi Salad England ★ 3.4
  89. 7,308 Bath Bun Sweet Bread Bath ★ 3.4
  90. 7,401 Lancashire Butter Pie Savory Pie Lancashire ★ 3.4
  91. 7,447 Eggy Bread Breakfast England ★ 3.4
  92. 7,473 Toad in the Hole Meat Dish England ★ 3.4
  93. 7,527 Lancashire Hotpot Casserole Lancashire ★ 3.4
  94. 7,655 Phall Stew Birmingham ★ 3.3
  95. 7,708 Fruit Fool Dessert England ★ 3.3
  96. 7,766 Bubble and Squeak Vegetable Dish England ★ 3.3
  97. 7,800 Jam Roly-Poly Dessert England ★ 3.3
  98. 7,812 Chelsea Bun Sweet Bread London ★ 3.3
  99. 7,863 Shepherd's Pie Savory Pie England ★ 3.3
  100. 7,931 Pie Barm Sandwich Wigan ★ 3.3
  101. 7,967 Newmarket Sausage Sausage Newmarket ★ 3.2
  102. 8,023 Steak and Kidney Pudding Beef Dish England ★ 3.2
  103. 8,057 Scouse Stew Liverpool ★ 3.2
  104. 8,060 Devils on Horseback Appetizer England ★ 3.2
  105. 8,067 Steamed Pudding Dessert England ★ 3.2
  106. 8,088 Bread Sauce Sauce England ★ 3.2
  107. 8,193 Cornish Pasty Savory Pastry Cornwall ★ 3.2
  108. 8,239 Pease Pudding Porridge England ★ 3.1
  109. 8,245 Coronation Chicken Chicken Dish England ★ 3.1
  110. 8,272 Fish and Chips Saltwater Fish Dish England ★ 3.1
  111. 8,275 Summer Pudding Dessert England ★ 3.1
  112. 8,304 Apple Sauce Sauce England ★ 3.1
  113. 8,321 Piccalilli Relish England ★ 3.1
  114. 8,376 Rock Cakes Cookie England ★ 3.1
  115. 8,425 Eccles Cake Sweet Pastry Eccles ★ 3.0
  116. 8,440 Brandy Snaps Dessert England ★ 3.0
  117. 8,456 Bangers and Mash Sausage Dish England ★ 3.0
  118. 8,458 Madeira Cake Cake England ★ 3.0
  119. 8,458 Omelette Arnold Bennett Egg Dish London
  120. 8,467 Horseradish Sauce Sauce England ★ 3.0
  121. 8,471 Mulligatawny Soup England ★ 3.0
  122. 8,473 Jellied Eels Eel Dish London ★ 3.0
  123. 8,479 Steak and Kidney Pie Beef Dish West Sussex ★ 3.0
  124. 8,492 Bacon Butty Sandwich England ★ 3.0
  125. 8,523 Cauliflower Cheese Vegetable Dish England ★ 2.9
  126. 8,581 Peach Melba Dessert London ★ 2.9
  127. 8,611 Hot Cross Buns Sweet Bread England ★ 2.8
  128. 8,638 English Muffin Bread Plymouth ★ 2.8
  129. 8,639 Faggots Offal Dish West Midlands ★ 2.8
  130. 8,648 Scotch Eggs Snack England ★ 2.8
  131. 8,666 Bread and Butter Pudding Dessert England ★ 2.7
  132. 8,679 Egg and Cress Sandwich Sandwich England ★ 2.7
  133. 8,697 Battenberg Cake Cake England ★ 2.6
  134. 8,706 Mince Pie Sweet Pie England ★ 2.6
  135. 8,708 Trifle Dessert England ★ 2.6
  136. 8,731 Flapjack Snack England ★ 2.5
  137. 8,732 Devilled Kidneys Offal Dish England ★ 2.5
  138. 8,780 Egg Sandwich Sandwich type London ★ 2.3
  139. 8,791 Black Pudding Blood Sausage England ★ 2.2
  140. 8,800 Saveloy Sausage England ★ 2.1
  141. 8,802 Christmas Pudding Pudding England ★ 2.1
  142. 8,841 Cucumber Sandwich Sandwich England ★ 1.1
  143. 8,844 Marmite Spread Burton-on-Trent ★ 0.6
  144. 8,912 Angels on Horseback Oyster Dish England
  145. 9,445 Dorset Knob Rusk Dorset
  146. 9,448 Queen of Puddings Pudding England
  147. 9,487 Liquor Sauce Sauce England
  148. 10,069 L Langley Wakes Cakes Cookie Derbyshire
  149. 10,135 T Tutti Frutti ice cream Ice Cream England
  150. 10,356 Savoury Pattie Snack Borough of Hartlepool
  151. 10,566 C Colston Bun Sweet Bread Bristol
Leaf 1 of 5

Gazetteer

A Regional Tour of British Food

Where England's ranked dishes were born, and what to order there.

Questions, Answered

British food, frequently asked. Answered from the data.

What is the most popular English food?
By ratings, the classics you would expect: Fish and Chips leads, followed by the full English Breakfast and Shepherd's Pie. Our ranking, which rewards how well a dish scores, tilts instead toward English puddings and desserts, topped by Cornish Clotted Cream Ice Cream. All 58 English desserts & sweets →
What food is England known for?
Comfort food and a heroic sweet tooth. The savory icons are Fish and Chips, the fried English Breakfast, and pies like Shepherd's Pie and Steak and Ale Pie. But England's most distinctive strength is baking: tarts, puddings, and cakes, from Treacle Tart to Sticky Toffee Pudding.
What is England's national dish?
Fish and Chips is the enduring symbol, battered white fish with thick-cut chips eaten from paper by the seaside. The Sunday roast and, more surprisingly, chicken tikka masala are also claimed. In our data the top-ranked English dish is the humbler Clotted Cream Ice Cream.
What is the most famous English dessert?
The pudding trolley is England's pride. Sticky Toffee Pudding, a date sponge under hot toffee sauce, is the best known, while Banoffee Pie layers banana, toffee, and cream. For something older, Treacle Tart fills shortcrust with golden syrup and breadcrumbs, a frugal Victorian classic.
What should I eat in Cornwall?
Cornwall means clotted cream. Have a proper Cream Tea, scones with clotted cream and jam, and the rich Clotted Cream Ice Cream churned from it. For a biscuit, the spiced Cornish Fairing has been baked in the county since the 1880s.
What should I eat in London?
London's ranked dishes run old-school. London Particular is a thick pea-and-ham soup named for the city's pea-souper fogs, and Pie and Mash, a minced-beef pie with mash and green parsley liquor, is the classic East End lunch. Cherries Jubilee, flamed in brandy, is the grand-hotel dessert.