Getting to London remains affordable: by Eurostar, a one-way ticket from Paris can be had for around fifty euros. It’s on site that it gets complicated. As soon as you get off the train, the British cost of living, feverish by inflation, has the effect of a hammer blow. A trip on the metro, for example, costs 2.70 pounds (3.15 euros) or more depending on the destination and travel times. City center hotels, taxis, outings (count the equivalent of 40 euros for a visit to Madame Tussaud’s)… any expense risks making your wallet sweat.
Restaurants are no exception to the rule. According to our observations, for equal quality, a restaurant costs around twice as much in London as in Paris. The bill is even steeper if you take wine (count around a dozen euros for an average glass of nectar) rather than beer, which remains accessible. Foodstuffs are among the products that have increased the most recently, and this increase has caused restaurant prices to soar.
A French person who pays his bill for the first time may have surprises, because the service is not included in the prices listed on the menu. It often amounts to 12.5% of the bill, a little more than in the rest of England, and it even happens in certain establishments that, when booking, the customer must commit to consuming for a minimum amount. But do you have to empty your savings plan to be able to celebrate in London? No, because the capital has a street food scene that is as attractive as it is accessible, and some tasty and affordable places.
Beigel Bake, corned beef and smoked salmon
It’s barely 8 a.m., but a colorful crowd is already crowding in front of the gigantic white sign hanging above the Beigel Bake store. In Brick Lane, which is home to countless thrift stores, the queue resembles a slightly bizarre fashion show, where the most improbable outfits and haircuts follow one another at a frenetic pace. A historic establishment in London, this bagel factory founded in 1974 opens twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and has seen a succession of onlookers and stars (from Madonna to members of the royal family).
The house specialty is obviously bagels, which look like small balls of brioche bread, here with barely a hole in the center. We see them coming out of the ovens, before being sliced and stuffed with salted beef brisket (an Irish specialty) combined with mild mustard and pickles, or smoked salmon with cream. We try the beef: the softness of the bread combined with the chewiness of the meat, very fragrant, creates a simple and effective combo! And the whole thing, ultra accessible (6.20 pounds, or 7.25 euros), is offered by salespeople who have not forgotten to be funny. “I hope you’ll talk about the beautiful blue-eyed blonde who served you!” »says a dapper sixty-year-old while holding out a bagel.
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