Seen in London: Bleecker and Little Pudding at Seven Dials Market
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I’m conflicted about food markets. We’ve had some good experiences with them in Thailand, including Or Tor Kor Market and The Commons, as well as the famous floating markets of Bangkok. But most urban markets lack the little juice stands and fruit vendors that make a Thai market fun, meaning your experience is dependent on whichever eatery you choose to get your food from during your visit.
And food halls, like food trucks, sometimes (usually) have sub-par options. Even when you pick something good, you’re still only able to try one thing, meaning the fact that it was in a market is useless. Japanese department stores can be the same way: we loved eating at Gracia last year, but that hasn’t caused us to come back and try any of the other restaurants in that building.
Our food from Crackhouse at The Commons in Bangkok was great, but better than the restaurants we tried? Hardly nardly, as the kids say. Add on the fact that you have to carry your food around and find a place to sit and the fact that there might not be a good bathroom, and I usually prefer a restaurant to a food hall.
This trip, we had some hits and some misses with markets. La Boqueria in Barcelona had a great atmosphere and delicious juice, though the Iberico ham and burritos we had from there were just okay, and the most popular eateries were really crowded. London’s Borough Market was so crowded that it was one of the worst moves we made during our trip.
Nonetheless, on our first full day in London, after an afternoon of shopping through our jet lag (and buying nothing because I am too fat for all clothes), we found ourselves passing by a London market not far from the Waldorf Hilton where we were staying. We decided to give it a shot.
Seven Dials Market
Located in Covent Garden, Seven Dials Market is a modern food hall: there’s no seafood or produce stands here, just a lot of eateries, with cuisine ranging from West African to Syrian to a conveyor belt cheese restaurant. It seems like the kind of place you could meet up with some friends after work if each of you wanted to eat a different kind of food, and also indulge in the alcoholic offerings.
When we walked in, we were struck both by how big it was (the ceilings are approximately 1 billion feet high) and how empty it was. It was a weeknight, and maybe that had something to do with it, but there would have been no trouble finding a table. While Eriko went to the ladies’ room, I perused a few of the food offerings on the basement floor, and they mostly looked… underwhelming. I won’t name which ones, but I saw quite a few featuring disaffected staff standing behind food that looked like it was left over from lunch.
Displeased with the offerings at the Banana Warehouse basement (Banana Warehouse is what they call this part of the market), we went upstairs to try something not as adventurous, but with more of a pedigree.
Bleecker: the best burger in London?
Bleecker is a bit different from some of the other offerings at SDM, as it has its own dedicated seating, more like a restaurant at a Tokyo department store than at a food court. It’s also hyped up as being London’s best burger, with a number of locations around town.
Wanting to be responsible and healthy, we ordered a double bacon cheeseburger and fries with a black-and-white milkshake (and a water!). We got our buzzer and took a seat. It wasn’t long before the burger was slapped up there. We shared because we weren’t too hungry and wanted to save room for dessert on the way out.
The fries were really good. That’s about all I have to say about them. Five Guys-style and definitely salty. The milkshake was fine but forgettable. As for the burger, we had differing views on it.
Eriko LOVED this burger. She thought it was so delicious and flavorful. I can’t totally argue with her - it was definitely tasty, good patties and cheese and bacon - but what turned me off was the level of grease. This isn’t a nice, clean In-N-Out situation. This is a window to weight gain situation. This thing could make birds crash into the wall of a Krusty Burger.
That greasiness took it down just a bit for me. Best burger I’ve had in the UK? Yes, as I’ve only ever had one other burger in the UK, and it sucked. But I couldn’t see myself eating this thing more than once a year. This is not an “I’ve been a good boy at the gym I’m getting a burger for lunch today” type of cheeseburger. If you eat this for lunch, you’re taking the rest of the day off.
Bleecker is expensive, but so is everything in London. It’s a lot to splash for a burger and fries, but was also one of the better things we ate during our time in the city. If you live in The Devil’s Fart Palace (London’s traditional nickname), you probably already know about Bleecker, and should try it. If you’re visiting, you may want to focus on British food, but if you’re in the mood for a decadent burger to put you to sleep, Bleecker has you covered.
Little Pudding: donut bread pudding with speculoos
Aside from the main food hall, there’s “Cucumber Alley,” another part of the market that does not need its name. In this alley lies the reason we came to Seven Dials Market in the first place: Little Pudding, which specializes in bread pudding. If you’ve never had bread pudding, it is a sinful treat that is the best thing England has ever produced (sorry, Florence Pugh).
Little Pudding takes the bread pudding recipe a step further, using donut dough to make both its donuts and its bread puddings, which come in many varieties. We got the speculoos bread pudding because I love speculoos more than life itself, and got some custard on top because existence is meaningless and one day we shall all die.
I love bread pudding and love speculoos, so it should be no surprise that I liked this thing, but I was surprised at just how much I liked it. Every bite of this dessert was an orgy for my tastebuds. Thick, sweet, comforting, loyal, giving, pure, motherly goodness. And it was big and not too pricey. I can’t say enough good things about this place.
You have absolutely got to try Little Pudding, whether it’s for a dessert with a friend or ordering treats for the office or just stopping by when you’ve had a bad day so you can pig out. Locals, go to this place. Tourists, find an excuse to be nearby so you can be like, “Oh, well, I’m feeling peckish, I guess we should really try it for science research we can share actually I’m getting my own actually I’ll get two.”
Finding Bleecker and Little Pudding at Seven Dials Market
Seven Dials Market
Address: Shorts Garden, Seven Dials, WC2H 9AU, London, United Kingdom
Hours: 11am-11pm Wed-Sat; 11am-9pm Sun; 12pm-10pm Mon-Tues
Overall, Seven Dials Market was a great experience. In fact, now that I think about it, I think this was the best meal we had in London. No weak spots. I wouldn’t have predicted it, but there you have it. The best food I ate in London was a burger and bread pudding at a food hall. Go there.
