The hunt for the best proper pies in London
No mucking about... these are proper pies!
Mmmm, who can resist a sumptuous meaty filling in a bowl with a puff pastry lid?
EVERYONE.
Everyone can resist that - because it's not a proper pie!
A proper pie has pastry all around it, top and bottom - not just a faffy, flaky lid atop meat soup. When Marty Pellow sang "love is all around" it was an allegory for a pie. You are the meaty filling and love is pastry. Everyone knows that.
It's plain to see that we're pie pastry fascists here at AIL, so lucky for you, we've been on the hunt around London for some proper pies... and by Jove, we've found some!
Manze's
204 Deptford High Street SE8 3PR
Cafes & Tea Rooms
Opening Times
You can’t beat Manze’s for tradition, as this pie and mash shop has been in the Manze family for over a hundred years. Here the pies are served with liquor, which before you get overexcited is a parsley sauce rather than 40% proof booze. The menu also has jellied eels, the cockney classic everyone has to try at least once.
This may be sacrilege to purists, but we’ll guiltily confess to liking the posh pies at this Putney restaurant. What pastry lover can resist venison and salami, pork belly with bacon and apple, and even a chili con carne pie with guacamole and Cheddar cheese? Plus you can complete the experience with a starter of “pie bites” and mini beef Wellingtons.
Poor mashed potato rarely gets the recognition it deserves, despite being a constant presence at the dinner tables for centuries. While mash is the specialty here, its natural accompaniment is the pie, and there’s Aberdeen Angus steak, chicken and leek, and Mediterranean roast veg to swirl your potato around.
As well as having a permanent home in Covent Garden’s market, Battersea Pie Station pops up at festivals like Glastonbury and Bestival. As well as classic hot and cold pies they offer pasties and gloopy puddings.
Stolle
45 - 47 Parkway NW1 7PN
There’s no denying Britain’s reputation when it comes to making a good pie, particularly in the north of England, however central European nations like Austria and Germany are also a deft hand at pastry-making. Stolle takes its cue from these countries with savoury fillings like cabbage, chicken and spring onion, and indulgent deep-filled sweet pies with blueberry, strawberry and plum. Order by the slice or push the boat out and buy a kilo.
