Restaurant
St. JOHN Smithfield
Fergus Henderson's influential Smithfield restaurant, founded in 1994 and known for nose-to-tail British cooking from a daily changing menu.
A family-run pie and mash shop in Bermondsey, trading under the Manze name since 1902 and serving pies, mash, liquor and eels.
Good to know
M. Manze on Tower Bridge Road is a family-run pie and mash shop that has traded under the Manze name since 1902, and it is often described as the oldest surviving pie and mash shop in London. Pie and mash was once the everyday food of working Londoners, especially in the East End and south London, and shops like this keep the tradition alive. The interior, with its tiled walls, marble-topped tables and wooden benches, has changed little over the decades.
The menu is short and traditional. The classic order is a minced beef pie with mashed potato, served with liquor, a green parsley sauce made fresh each day, and vinegar or chilli vinegar to taste. Jellied or stewed eels are the other historic staple. A vegan pie made with soya mince is also available, along with simple desserts. Portions are inexpensive and filling, and the food arrives quickly from the counter.
M. Manze suits anyone curious about traditional London food, budget travellers, families and visitors exploring Bermondsey or walking south from Tower Bridge. It is a casual, quick place to eat, rather than somewhere for a long meal, and the atmosphere is friendly and unpretentious. First-timers should try the classic pie, mash and liquor at least once.
Opening hours are 10:30 to 17:45 Monday to Thursday, 10:00 to 18:45 on Fridays, 10:00 to 19:45 on Saturdays and 11:00 to 14:45 on Sundays. Takeaway orders can be placed for up to 15 minutes after closing from Monday to Saturday, and the shop also sells pie and mash boxes online. If driving, note the shop's advice about parking on Tower Bridge Road, which helps avoid entering the congestion charge zone.
The shop is on Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey, about a mile south of Tower Bridge and a few hundred metres north of the Old Kent Road. Borough and London Bridge stations are within walking distance, and Bermondsey station on the Jubilee line is also nearby. Bermondsey Street, with its cafés, restaurants and the Fashion and Textile Museum, is a short walk away, as is the weekend food scene along the Bermondsey Beer Mile.
Yes, a vegan pie made with soya mince.
A parsley sauce made fresh on the day, served with pie and mash.
Monday to Thursday 10:30 to 17:45, Friday 10:00 to 18:45, Saturday 10:00 to 19:45 and Sunday 11:00 to 14:45.
It has traded under the Manze name since 1902.
Yes, takeaway is available, including up to 15 minutes after closing Monday to Saturday.
Yes, eels are a traditional part of the menu.
No, it is an inexpensive, quick place to eat.
On Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey, about a mile south of Tower Bridge.
Thing to do
London's celebrated food market beside London Bridge station, with traders selling produce, cheese, bread, street food and specialist groceries.
Attraction
Britain's great museum of world history and culture in Bloomsbury, with free entry to a permanent collection spanning two million years of human civilisation.
Tour operator
A long-running London walking tour company offering guided walks every day, from Jack the Ripper and Beatles routes to village London and pub walks.
Café
A specialty coffee shop and roaster's outlet at Borough Market, serving filter and espresso coffee and selling beans that can be sampled in store.