National english meals

Fish & Chip Shops
It doesn’t get more British than fish & chips, which is a dish that became a fundamental part of the English diet in the 1800s thanks to Jewish refugees. Traditional English fish & chips is typically a large fried fillet of either cod or haddock served on top of thick chunks of fried potatoes, or “chips” with a side of mushy peas. Best eaten with malt vinegar.
While the question of where the first fish & chip shop (also known as a “chippie”) originated is hotly debated, the two very viable possibilities are Lancashire and East London. What we do know is that the rise of this favourite English meal came about thanks to the country-wide implementation of the steam rail system, which meant fresh fish from the North Atlantic could be transported south quickly for the first time ever.
In the late 19th century, fish & chip shops were largely family-run businesses that operated from the ‘front room’ of the home, just like pubs. Soon, when a wave of immigrants moved to England. They saw the business that fish & chip shops drew, and jumped on the business opportunity. After this, chippie’s spread to become a mainstream phenomenon with shops spreading to Scotland, Ireland & Wales.
Fish & Chips shops really rose to fame during the industrial age when consumers needed a quick, cheap, and filling meal. During both World Wars, Fish & Chips became the national dish of England, as it was one of the few foods not rationed. It is said that fish & chip shops helped Britain win the war as they kept people sustained during wartime—staving off a revolution. At the time, chippie’s were so popular that shops would often have a queue all the way down the street!
Today, almost every town and a lot of small villages will have at least one chippy, serving fresh fish & chips to the locals. These are often the best places to get a quick meal and are much tastier than traditional fast-food chains (thought England even has national chains of fish & chip shops).
Builder’s Cafes
What we know as ‘Cafe’s” today in England were originally coffeehouses where only men were allowed to gather to socialize and discuss important facts of the day. These institutions greatly evolved over time to become stops where working men could get a quick, cheap meal.
Also referred to as “working man’s cafe”, “greasy spoon”, and a “transport cafe”, builder’s cafes often serve classic British comfort food, from full English breakfasts to English bacon sandwiches to hot jacket potatoes.
Cafes started to decline as bigger fast food chains popped up, but they have experienced somewhat of a revival recently. Builder’s cafes are unique to English food culture and are therefore a novelty. Plus, they have something larger food chains can’t offer—the promise of fresh food that tastes like something made from home.
Here are some quintessential British cafes you can visit in London, England:

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  Andrew’s Restaurant, Clerkenwell
  
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  The Electric Cafe, West Norwood
  
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  E Pellicci, Bethnal Green
  
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  Regency Cafe, Westminster