Let’s set the record straight: the humble sandwich isn’t so humble in London. In fact, it’s a full-blown obsession. There’s nothing more satisfying than a sexy cross-section when it comes to this handheld food, and if there’s one place that knows how to serve a scorcher, it’s our capital.
Here, we love our lunchtime staple, and with good reason: it was none other than John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich - a Brit - who allegedly invented the concept in the 18th century. So, from sell-out subs to top-secret joints to queue-worthy eats, here’s our guide to the best sandwiches London has on offer.
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The 22 Best Sandwiches In London
1. Mondo Sando
- Where: 26 Camberwell Grove, SE5 8RE
- Best for: inventive fillings, especially for vegetarians
- What to order: Mondo Frango
Grove House Tavern in Camberwell loved Mondo Sando so much that they gave them a full-time residency to serve up their ever-changing menu of sexy sandwiches to revellers.
If you’re a fan of bold fillings, then you’ll want to get a load of their Mondo Frango with peri-peri chicken thighs, pea salsa verde, matchstick fries and peri mayo. For the vegetarians and vegans among you, there’s a tempeh version of the beloved Frango, containing vegan peri mayo and marinated tempeh.
The type of sandwich that would make Ross from Friends mad if you stole it.
2. Gerry's Hot Subs
- Where: 50 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QE
- Best for: sloppy sandwiches that'll make you drool
- What to order: the meatball sub
Found among plenty of other buzzing Exmouth Market hotspots, Gerry's Hot Subs is a prime example of American hoagies at their finest.
From the same founder as the award-winning Bodean’s - renowned for their Kansas City-style BBQ - this place has a reputation to uphold in the meat department, and boy do they deliver. Think some of the best Philly cheesesteak, top-notch smoked beef pastrami, and even meatball parm oozing out of a fluffy sub.
Gerry's Hot Subs (pictured) are taking hoagies up a notch.
3. The Breakfast Club Hoxton
- Where: London-wide
- Best for: breakfast
- What to order: TBC Breakfast Burger
Start your day (or end it) with a sarnie from The Breakfast Club Hoxton, which also has locations in Canary Wharf and Croydon. Browse their droolworthy menu against the backdrop of a retro restaurant, equipped with a custom-built disco ball and gorgeous, plush coral pink booths.
Served in a warm brioche bun, fillings include sausage and crispy bacon, or an avocado and egg vegetarian option, oozing caramelised onions and chipotle harissa mayonaise.
The most important meal of the day.
4. Quo Vadis
- Where: 26-29 Dean Street, W1D 3LL
- Best for: a classic (yet slightly peculiar) bite to eat
- What to order: the smoked eel sandwich
This entry is more of a posh affair for those who fancy themselves a sophisticated bite to eat. Quo Vadis is a historical Soho restaurant, nestled on Dean Street, sharing the ground floor space with its tapas-serving sister, Barrafina.
What was once a brothel and home to Karl Marx is now a buzzing
dining destination where you can get your chops around its popular
smoked eel sandwich, which was first whipped up in owner Jeremy
Lee's Blueprint Cafe 30 years ago. It's constructed
with toasted Parisian sourdough from Poilâne, a hint of
mustard cream and horseradish, then topped by ribbons of
half-pickled red onion. One of the best sandwiches in Soho? We
think so.
Check out Quo Vadis for a quirky bite to eat; it's eely good.
5. The Clerkenwell Tavern
- Where: 2 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4PX
- Best for: some classic salt beef
- What to order: The Reuben
Located near one of London's bustling street food markets, The Clerkenwell Tavern has been a Farringdon fixture since 1876 - and rightfully so, as its sandwiches are some of the best in town.
Stuffed between Rinkoff bakery's freshly baked bread, The Reuben is particularly tasty, featuring salt beef (which is brined in-house for 14 days and poached for eight hours), Swiss cheese, gherkins, tangy slaw, and Russian dressing. Venture here for lunchtime and enjoy these decadent bites washed down with a crisp pint or soft drink and thank us later.
Get your chops around a beefy delight (pictured) that's worth the praise.
6. The Dusty Knuckle
- Where: Abbot Street, E8 3DP and 429 Green Lanes, Harringay Ladder, N4 1HA
- Best for: exceptional, homemade bread
- What to order: the menu's forever changing, but we've loved the aubergine, walnut and pomegranate sandwich
A strong contender for the top sandwich spot is The Dusty Knuckle, an unsuspecting bakery with an HQ in Dalston, tucked away behind the high street. This old 40ft shipping container has now become a hanger-curing cafe and dough supplier to some of London's swankiest restaurants.
Pop in or pre-order your new favourite; previous menus have seen pork meatballs with raclette and mustard creme fraiche, as well as charred hispi cabbage, cime di rapa slathered in romesco sauce and vegan aioli.
Pop into The Dust Knuckle for bubbly bread
and loaded layers.
7. Comptoir Café And Wine
- Where: 21-22 Weighhouse Street, W1K 5LU
- Best for: elite toasties
- What to order: Croque Monsieur
If you find yourself in search of the best sandwiches in Mayfair, then consider having a spot of lunch at Comptoir Café And Wine, a gorgeous cafe by day and wine bar by night (with over 500 bottles of the stuff).
Not only does it boast an extensive wine collection curated by owner and master sommelier Xavier Rousset, but it also has a selection of seriously cheesy, decadent toasties on its menu that could woo even those on a dairy hiatus. The New Yorker is one to look out for, with Dedham Vale pastrami, mature cheddar, Dijon mustard and a generous helping of pickles.
The toasties at Comptoir Café And Wine are bound to make you smile.
8. Dom's Subs
- Where: 262 Hackney Road, E2 7SQ and 8 Ludgate Circus, EC4M 7LF
- Best for: an Instagrammable cross-section
- What to order: The Grapow
Looking for a feast in the East? Then you'll want to hit up Dom's Subs. While these bun barons are creating coma-inducing grub like The Spicy D (chiacciata piccante, salame Napoli and burnt chilli mayo) and The Vegan Dom (Thai-style spicy aubergines marinated in ginger), they're also doing fashion drops with Carhartt.
For those who aren't local to Hackney, they've opened a kiosk in Ludgate Circus to rival the best sandwiches in Central London. Lunch break, anyone?
Absolutely sub-lime: Doms Subs is taking over London.
9. Chatsworth Bakehouse
- Where: 120a Anerley Road, SE19 2AN
- Best for: focaccia by the slab
- What to order:
Boasting queues around the block, Chatsworth Bakehouse started as founders Tom and Sian's lockdown project and has now expanded into one of the most talked-about small-batch bakeries, dishing up the best sandwiches in South London.
Sandwiches here are only available to pre-order every Monday at 12.30pm for pickup between Wednesday and Friday, so now there's no need to grab a camping chair and line up for them, unless you're looking to chow down on slices of Basque cheesecake or slabs of focaccia, of course. Savoury wise? Dig into the likes of previous stars of the menu: The Kimchi Faceplant or The Paulie, a truffle ricotta and pickled mushrooms-filled feast.
These Instagrammable sandwiches are worth the wait.
10. Max's Sandwich Shop
- Where: 19 Crouch Hill, Finsbury Park, N4 4AU
- Best for: creative fillings
- What to order: Ham, Egg 'n' Chips
Changing the game with gravy mayonnaise, it’s no wonder Max’s Sandwich Shop is the breadwinner of our guide. Owner Max’s creations have graced the covers of multiple magazines and seen brand collaborations with the likes of Branston Pickle.
Make your way to Crouch Hill to get your mitts on a ham, egg ‘n’ chips sarnie, or an Et Tu, Brute? Murdering The Caesar, which features poached chicken, pickled grapes and tarragon salsa, chicory and anchovy mayonnaise.
Max's Sandwiches doesn't hold back on its fillings.
11. Dal Fiorentino
- Where: Fitzrovia, Hoxton and Brick Lane
- Best for: Italian-style, focaccia sandwiches
- What to order: Da Vinci
Using a traditional recipe born in Tuscany, Dal Fiorentino's schiacciate fiorentine is an Italian flatbread that's worth every bite. Slap bang in the middle of Hoxton, Fitzrovia or on Brick Lane, you'll find the most authentic bite to eat outside of Florence.
Devour fresh, pink folds of Parma ham, lashings of buffalo mozzarella and beef tomatoes in their Dante, or for the sweet-toothed, a thick layer of pistachio cream squished between two slices of sugar-dusted bread.
The best Italian sandwich in London? We think so.
12. Secret Sandwich Shop
- Where: 103 Talbot Road, W11 2AT
- Best for: shokupan bread lovers
- What to order: The Breakfast BLT (made with Coca Cola bacon)
Secret Sandwich Shop isn’t doing a good job of staying hidden in Notting Hill, as its Japanese wanpaku (meaning cheeky or naughty) based sandwiches are in popular demand every day, from 8am 'til 3pm.
Colourful layers of meat and eggs are pressed together between soft pieces of shokupan bread and are available for you to order in advance, so you don't miss out. Their signature sando is a must-try, filled with five seasonal vegetables, avocado, tomato and Kewpie mayo.
Shhhh, don't tell anyone about The Secret Sandwich Shop (pictured).
13. Rogue Sarnies
- Where: 263 Poyser Street, E2 9RF and The Queens Walk, SE18XU
- Best for: wood-fired sandwiches
- What to order: Sloppy Giuseppe
The origin story of Rogue Sarnies is not a simple one. Founders Zac Whittle and Freddie Sheen battled the challenges lockdown brought to hospitality with a string of short but sweet pop-up concepts, however, this woodfired sandwich haven caught on and they now have a permanent takeaway shop.
Head to the arches on Poyser Street, or it's pop-up at Between The Bridges, to find rotating epic eats such as the OG Cheesy Marmite or the Shloppy Giuseppe, finished with homemade roast garlic and burnt lemon aioli.
Rogue Sarnies offers a sandwich that's sure to get you all fired up.
14. Café Kitsuné
- Where: 19 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8LB
- Best for: French and Japanese fusion eats
- What to order: the egg sando
A classic Japanese bakery named after the fox (a legendary creature in the country), Café Kitsuné is a popular eatery at Pantechnicon, a collection of restaurants, on Motcomb Street near Hyde Park.
Visit for the Insta-famous double-baked matcha croissant and stay for the fluffiest sandos you've ever set your eyes on. The egg with truffle, mayo and mizuna is the perfect pick-me-up sandwich, with a yolk so yellow and runny you won’t be able to resist taking a snap.
Head to Café Kitsuné with your friends for an aesthetic midday pick-me-up.
15. Bánh Mì Kêu Deli
- Where: Soho, Shoreditch, The City, and Borough
- Best for: Vietnamese bánh mì baguettes
- What to order: Bánh Mì Heo Quay (crispy pork belly)
Our guide wouldn’t be complete without the mouthwatering Bánh Mì Kêu Deli, with locations in Soho, Shoreditch, Borough, and the City.
The French introduced the baguette to Vietnam in the mid-19th century, and Saigon developed the popular street food sandwich that Keu Deli prides itself on dishing up. Our picks? The crispy pork belly with hoisin, house daikon and spring onions, or the kimchi roast chicken marinated in five spices.
Bánh Mì Kêu Deli's baguettes are a feast for the eyes and mouth.
16. The Black Pig
- Where: Borough Market Kitchen, Winchester Walk, SE1 9AG
- Best for: slow-cooked meats
- What to order: The Best
One
Few have managed to wander around Borough Market and resist the temptation of The Black Pig's sandwiches. From the moment the rich aroma of slow-cooked meat fills your nostrils, you're locked in for one of the most iconic dishes in the city: their signature honey truffle and parmesan pork ciabatta, finished over coals in a Big Green Egg ceramic grill.
Bread Ahead provide the fluffy dough and The Black Pig team up with local suppliers to top it with smoked scamorza, fennel and apple slaw, plus 30-month-old parmesan, to name a few.
The Black Pig is a go-to when it comes to hunger-fuelled strolls around Borough Market.
17. The Cheese Bar
- Where: Camden, Seven Dials and Paddington
- Best for: grilled cheeses
- What to order: Goat's Cheese, Honey and Walnut
If you find yourself in Central London, scouring the cobbled piazza for the best sandwiches in Covent Garden, then make a pit stop at The Cheese Bar, located in Seven Dials Market (fear not, it also boasts locations in Camden and Paddington).
Not only is this conveyor belt-style eatery the ultimate destination for unlimited dairy delights, but it also serves up a killer toastie. Opt to go 'off belt' with a golden, grilled sandwich filled with Rosary goats' cheese, honey and walnut, plus rosemary butter, or add glazed ham to a cheddar and onion feast.
Cheese on rotation? Yes please.
18. Sandwich Sandwich
- Where: 1 Gresham Street, EC2V 7BX and 70 Mark Lane, EC3R 7NQ
- Best for: layers upon layers of fillings
- What to order: Rare Roast Beef
Names don't get much more self-explanatory than Sandwich Sandwich, where they're serving up fully loaded (you guessed it) sandwiches. Originating in Bristol, their Gresham Street and Mark Lane locations in London are whipping up Instagrammable eats that are perfect for your midday cravings.
Open every single day for breakfast and lunch, you can get your hands on the likes of Spanish chicken and chorizo, hoisin pulled pork, sweet potato falafel, and so much more as fillings, with flatbreads and burgers on the cards too.
Sandwiches so good you have to say it twice.
19. Crunch
- Where: 16 Horner Square, E1 6EW and 60 Dean Street, W1D 6AW
- Best for: indulgent, crispy eats
- What to order: Michael's Chicken
Crunch is the revolution your taste buds have been waiting for. Forget boring, bland sandwiches - this is a whole new level of deliciousness. Each golden brioche loaf is stuffed with mouthwatering combinations, from the crispy, southern-fried chicken cutlet in Michael’s Chicken Crunch to the za'atar roasted aubergine and spicy harissa hummus in the Veg-King Roast.
Think of options like the juicy Angus beef patty in the JF Burger, the umami-packed Umami Shroomwich, and the indulgent Katsu Sando. Each sandwich is crafted with care and packed with flavours that’ll have you questioning how you ever lived without them.
Get your mouth around a burger sandwich at Crunch.
20. Moody Dip Sandwiches
- Where: 116 High Road, Leyton, E15 2BX
- Best for: gravy - need we say more?
- What to order: The OG Beef Dip
Say hello to London’s only dip sandwich brand - and trust us, it’s a messy masterpiece worth every bite. After nabbing the 'best sandwich' title at the 2023 British Street Food Awards, the team behind It’s All Gravy has brought their rich, roast-soaked creations to The Leyton Star, and the result? Moody Dip Sandwiches.
Each sandwich starts with freshly baked French-style bread, layered with slow-cooked meats or veggies, punchy garnishes, and then comes the magic - Au Jus, the golden juices from the roast, ready for dipping, drizzling, or fully dunking your sandwich into. Fan favourites include slow-cooked beef with beef-fat onions and crispy bits, tender pork with provolone and spinach, or the umami-packed mushroom version with garlic mayo and caramelised onions. And don’t sleep on their legendary chips with cheese curds and gravy.
Moody’s at The Leyton Star: It’s all gravy, baby.
21. Pockets
- Where: 367 Mentmore Terrace, E8 3RT
- Best for: stone-baked, plant-based pittas
- What to order: Falafel Pocket
Tucked just around the corner from Netil Market in London Fields, Pockets is the pita-slinging sensation that’s turning humble falafel into a full-blown obsession. What started as a market stall has now evolved into a sleek little spot with a permanent queue snaking down the pavement.
Picture this: crunchy, herby falafel balls, nestled inside pillowy-soft, stone-baked pita that feels like it’s been sent straight from a carb-lover’s dreams. It’s then loaded with all the best trimmings - think zippy pickles, crispy fried potatoes, and a riot of fragrant sauces. Whether you drench it in eye-watering chilli, go creamy with tahini, or add a zing of pickled mango, each bite is an explosion of plant-based joy. What's more, the sandwich is under a tenner. Score.
Pockets in London Fields is a plant-based dream.
22. Fink's
- Where: 70 Mountgrove Road, 88 Gillespie Road, 62 Chatsworth Road, and Clissold Park
- Best for: fluffy, sloppy sandwiches to enjoy in a park
- What to order: the chicken Caesar
Fink’s is part brunch haven, part neighbourhood pantry, part lifestyle moodboard, and - rumour has it - home to a mysterious basement pool (don’t ask, just nod knowingly). But above all, it's where seriously good food meets serious local love. Their supply chain reads like a who's-who of local legends: Dusty Knuckle bread, Scenery coffee, Wildfarmed grains, and Natoora produce.
Nine years ago, Mat and Jess ditched their 'sensible' careers to open a little deli on a Highbury corner. Fast-forward to today, and they’re still there - running the kind of place where everything is made with intent and flavour. Think scratch-made sandwiches with previous fillings like panko-fried chicken smothered in house katsu curry on focaccia, or ricotta piled high with preserved courgettes and Cobble Lane fennel salami. Oh, and fried fish with Béarnaise and slaw, because why not?
Pop by Fink's in North London for a coffee and a memorable sandwich.
Hungry for more? Then you'll love our guide to the best cafes in London.
