Jump to: Best pies | Pie week specials
For British Pie Week (3-9 March 2025) it's time to pick out some of the best pies to be had in our fine capital, from the downright decadent to humble (but still delicious) pie & mash shop versions. While some foodies are pedantic about pies, for us whether it was encased in pastry or topped with mash, if we cleared our plates, then it made the cut.
The Georgian Pie at The Georgian
Knightsbridge - 4th Floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XL
The chef who's probably best known for his pies, Calum Franklin, returned to the UK to lead this evening-only restaurant inside Harrods. As expected, pies were a big deal and there are five on the menu including an Atlantic lobster pie and a leek and potato pie. But to do it properly, you'll need to have The Georgian Pie Experience which includes a big pie for two featuring slow-cooked shoulder of British lamb - a proper showstopper.
Potato pie with truffle purée at Holborn Dining Room
Holborn - 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
Indisputably London's mecca as far as pies go, the Holborn Dining Room takes them very seriously. There's a Pie Room private dining room in the restaurant and a special pie section of the menu too. One of Head Pie Maker, Nokx Majozi's classics is this amazing veggie option, an updated version of a potato pie that's always been on the menu. This pie features thinly sliced potatoes, rich truffle purée, savoury Comté cheese, and sweet caramelized onions. If you're serious about pies, this is the one place you must visit. If you're strapped for time, order one of their pies to take away from The Pie Hole hatch.
Cheese and onion pie at The Hero
Maida Vale - 55 Shirland Rd, London W9 2JD
This pub from the team behind the Pelican features pub food downstairs and a grill menu upstairs. There are pies in both sections (including a chicken leek and tarragon pie for two downstairs) but it's this vegetarian option that's the real winner. Inside here, you'll find a gooey concoction of Cheddar, Stilton and Red Leicester making it the cheesiest of cheese pies and an absolute must-have.
Lobster pie at Mount St Restaurant
Mayfair - First Floor, 41-43 Mount St, London W1K 2RX
The dish to order at this Mayfair spot is 100% the lobster pie which arrives at your table with a lobster head protruding from the buttery pastry. It's then scooped into bowls revealing a rich bisque sauce and generous amounts of lobster meat.
Also see - The Audley pub downstairs is from the same team so if you're after a more affordable pie, try their chicken, ham and leek pie.
Beef and bone marrow pie for two at The Game Bird
St James - The Stafford London, 16-18 St James's Place, London SW1A 1NJ
Set in the cosy confines of this St James's hotel, The Game Bird is led by Executive Chef, Jozef Rogulski, who works on the menu with Lisa Goodwin-Allen, the Michelin-starred Executive Chef at Northcote. There's always a pie on the menu and at the time of writing, it's a pie with Stokes Marsh Farm aged beef fillet, sticky beef cheek, bone marrow and sweet onion.
Macaroni pie at The Shoap
Islington - 406 St John St, London EC1V 4ND
Glaswegian Gregg Boyd, the man behind this shop and cafe at Angel, had previously been trading under his Auld Hag brand before The Shoap became a big hit. Come for a pint of Tennents and one of his amazing pies. You can of course get the classic Scotch pie, but it's the classic macaroni pie that really gets homesick expats excited.
Sea bass en croute at The Connaught Grill
Mayfair - The Connaught, 16 Carlos Pl, London W1K 2AL
Secreted away inside The Connaught is the beautiful grill where this always-on sharing dish is a great option for groups. A spectacular-looking fishy dish your only heartbreak will come in destroying that elaborate pastrywork when it comes to eating it.
Beef pie at Manze's
Southwark - 87 Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 4TW
The original Manze’s pie and mash shop was founded here on Tower Bridge Road in 1903 and is still doing a roaring trade today. All pies are made from scratch on-site, starting with the beef which is minced using only prime cuts. As for the liquor, apparently, it includes a ‘special secret ingredient’ which they’re not about to divulge now. We love the Manze website, which bigs up the fact that Jim Davidson is a regular and also boldly states ‘It is also said that David Beckham eats here when he is in England.’ Well, you can’t blame a place for trying.
Always-on pie at The Drapers Arms
Islington - 44 Barnsbury St, London, N1 1ER
This much-loved gastropub in Islington always has a pie on. At the time of writing it was a suet crust steak and Guinness pie. But, there's more. "Best thing about our suet crust pies?" they say is that "People eat them steadily every week whether it’s hot, cold, wet or dry... which is why we picked it as the always-on dish that triggers a £1 payment to Action Against Hunger." Nice one.
Steak and kidney pie at The Guinea Grill
Mayfair - 30 Bruton Pl, London W1J 6NL
There's been a pub on this spot since the 15th century and happily, The Guinea still looks fabulously unreconstructed. The steak and kidney pie is an always-on dish that's so important the pie's recipe is kept in the pub safe. The suet lid is baked onto the pie filling and - nice touch - is always served with a ruff. They also have a beef, Guinness and oyster pie that's excellent.
Chicken, mushroom and Champagne pie at Bob Bob Ricard
Soho and the City
The deliciously OTT Bob Bob Ricard will never be out of vogue. Only they would take something as down-to-earth as a chicken and mushroom pie and elevate it to decadent heights by cooking the filling in champagne, topping it with a pretty patterned crust, then serving it with truffle gravy. Even better (if you're a vegetarian), they also do a Champagne and truffle humble pie made with Jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms and celeriac in a truffle and Champagne veloute.
The seasonal pie at The Marksman
Hackney - 254 Hackney Rd, London E2 7SJ
Head to Hackney's The Marksman and the one thing that's guaranteed to be on the menu all year round is a pie. Every pie is for two people and the current pie, at the time of writing, is a chicken and girolles affair.
See also: their sibling restaurant Lasdun at the National Theatre, which also has a pie on its menu.
The pie of the week at Quo Vadis
Soho - 26-29 Dean Street, London W1D 3LL
There's always a pie by chef Jeremy Lee on the beautifully designed Quo Vadis menu. It changes regularly - it might be something like a chicken and rabbit velouté or a guinea fowl, hare and bacon effort that Nigella Lawson previously described as 'sublime'.
Cow pie at Parlour Kensal
Kensal Rise - 5 Regent St, London NW10 5LG
Inspired by The Dandy, Desperate Dan's famous cow pie with bone marrow is the dish you want to order at this Kensal Rise gastropub. It's huge, so you'll definitely want to share. There's also the Redefine Cow Pie for vegetarians, using Redefine pulled 'beef' and a parsnip instead of bone marrow.
Willie's Pies
This mainly delivery pie shop was created by Will Lewis who has worked in the kitchens at Brat, St. John Bread and Wine and Rochelle Canteen. His pies range from traditional to modern takes, like beef shin, smoked bacon & Tring ale or braised pork, fennel & oregano. They come fresh or frozen (if delivered) if you want to get stocked up for the future.
Delivery range: Delivers across London, or find them in some football stadiums
Pie Week specials
There are plenty of one-week-only specials going on menus across London for British Pie Week. Here's our pick of the best out there.
The Dorchester (Mayfair) - Tom Booton has teamed up with East London pie shop G Kelly for a special pie inspired by the shop's heritage, with a filling of pork and mushroom filling of pork and mushroom in buttery pastry. G Kelly itself will be returning the favour with a new limited-edition chicken and mushroom pie inspired by Tom’s pie at The Dorchester. Both pies are available from 3-9 March,
The Libertine (Royal Exchange) - Northcote chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen is launching a series of pies for Pie Week for this bar underneath the Royal Exchange. The three pies will be a traditional Lancastrian brown butter pie with brown sauce, a native lobster pie and a chicken turnover pie. Available 3-9 March
The Mayfair Chippy (Mayfair and Knightsbridge) - At both of the Mayfair Chippys you can try a new special of a Lobster Pot Pie (featuring lobster, crab, crayfish tails, smoked haddock and tarragon) and Balfour sparkling wine as well as some extra bisque pan gravy to pour over it all. 3-9 March, £48.
The Wolseley (City of London) - For Pie Week, the City branch of The Wolseley is introducing a special of Pie and Mash with Parsley Liquor. That's a traditional minced beef pie, served with mashed potatoes, a parsley liquor and chilli vinegar. March 3-9, £24.50.
The Audley (Mayfair) - For Pie Week, the Mayfair pub is teaming up with chef Alex Dilling for a pie which they're billing as a "posh pork pie". Notably more indulgent than the regular pub offering, it features black truffle, boudin noir, Alsace bacon, duck liver, Paris ham, Lardo di Colonnata, trumpet mushrooms, vin jaune, pork mince and Cognac - all served with a side of mash and a roast chicken sauce with morel mushrooms. 3-9 March, £70.
And more...
- Cubitt House (3-6 March) - For Pie Week, they're introducing special pies across seven of their pubs. That includes a Black Pork Kari pie from Karan Gokani of Hoppers for The Builder's Arms (Chelsea), a guineafowl, margherita onion & wild garlic pie from Lorcan Spiteri of Caravel for The Grazing Goat (Marylebone) and Willy's Pies creating a suet pie with beef short rib, Henderson’s relish and Devon blue with mash, gravy and greens for The Thomas Cubitt (Belgravia)
- Boundary (Shoreditch, 3-9 March) - Two new pies are going on the menu for the week. There's a corn-fed chicken, mushroom & champagne pie as well as a Comté cheese & caramelised red onion pie (and a new rhubarb pie for dessert).
- The Connaught Grill (Mayfair, 3-6 March) - They've created a special pie menu for the week. On there, you'll find a braised ox cheek pie with confit Yukon gold potato, parsley, bitter leaves and bone marrow sauce as well as a leek & spenwood cheese tart with white asparagus, morels, hazelnuts and a wild garlic sauce.
- Boxcar Bar & Grill (Marble Arch, 4-8 March) - They're adding two new pies to the menu. First up is the Surf n Turf Pie with slow-braised beef and oysters. They're also adding a new Shepherd's pie featuring slow-cooked lamb.
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