There are plenty of awareness days not worthy of our time but British Pie Week, running from 4 – 10 March 2024, is something we can definitely get behind. A staple of British dining since restaurants began, the variations of a pie, both what’s inside and what encases it, are endless (and sure to cause plenty of debate around the dinner table). One thing you can be sure of? When the best chefs in London create a pie for their menu, there’s a very good chance that it will become your go-to comfort food for years to come. Whether you like them topped with potato or hidden under a thick pastry crust, bursting with beef or luxurious with lobster, these are the best pies in London for celebrating British Pie Week (and beyond).

Guinea Fowl Pie at Caravel, Angel

Caravel, an intimate restaurant located on a converted barge on Regent’s Canal, has quickly gained a worthy reputation. Bistro-style classics are elevated to new heights under the expertise of head chef and co-owner, Lorcan Spiteri, and its guinea fowl pie is a case in point. Fittingly served in a boat-shaped pie dish, a well-baked crust covers the entire affair. Inside you will find a mix of golden chanterelles and sweet leeks, punctuated with perfectly cooked guinea fowl meat – an ingredient that Spiteri is well accustomed to after running a guinea fowl market stall in Soho for years before opening Caravel. If the pie isn’t enough to whet your appetite, the silky-smooth mash with puddles of butter alongside is sure to entice you in.

172 Shepherdess Walk, N1 7JL, caravelrestaurant.com

Chicken & Mushroom Pie at The Grill by Tom Booton, Mayfair

Tom Booton, one of London’s most exciting talents and the youngest head chef to grace The Dorchester’s fabled Grill restaurant, continues to prove why ingredient-led, classic British cooking is fail-proof when done well. What reads as a humble chicken and mushroom pie on the menu, comes a portion so perfectly plated that it seems a shame to break the glossy sphere of golden pastry or to muss up the flawless creamed potatoes and buttery gravy that encircle it. But you will not regret it when you do. Four types of mushroom are combined with tender chicken breast to bring a whole new level of complexity and depth. A lightly brined cabbage adds a touch of acidity, resulting in a dish you’ll want to break into again and again.

53 Park Lane, W1K 1QA, dorchestercollection.com

Lobster & Monkfish Pie at The Pelican, Notting Hill

For 150 years The Pelican was a typical local boozer but, in 2022, new ownership prioritising high-quality, local and sustainably-sourced ingredients transformed the restaurant into something so much more. The lobster and monkfish pie is an elite example of what the team here is all about: hearty fare (think double pastry crusts atop plentiful meaty chunks), exquisite execution (latticework as neat as a pin, but edges bursting thanks to the goods within), and thoughtful preparation (the delectable gravy is made using the lobster heads, minimising waste and maximising flavour). The decadent pie is enough to share between four but we recommend making it a seriously indulgent dinner for two.

45 All Saints Road, Notting Hill, W11 1HE, thepelicanw11.com

Classic Fish Pie at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill, Mayfair

Ask anybody to name a classic British restaurant and its must-try dish, and Bentley’s classic fish pie is sure to feature. Famed for serving the best of British waters, its fish pie offers a combination of the freshest cod, smoked haddock, salmon and prawns, coupled with a light and creamy white wine sauce before being topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and a touch of parmesan for good measure. If you're looking for a dish that balances decadence with comfort, this classic is everything you're hunting for.

11-15 Swallow St, W1B 4DG, bentleys.org

Slow-cooked Beef & Onion Pie at The Wigmore, Marylebone

Overseen by one of Britain's best chefs, Michel Roux Jr, the menu at The Wigmore offers quintessential British pub fare using seasonal ingredients cooked to show off every ounce of their potential. Using feather blade beef, slow-cooked for 12 hours in red wine and port, along with baby onions that have been glazed and caramelised, the suet crust pie is nothing short of a gastronomical marvel. If the depth of flavours in the pie weren’t enough, the accompanying gravy is made using the wine and port leftover from the beef, and spring onion topped mash served alongside makes the meal complete.

The Langham Hotel, 15 Langham Place, W1B 3DE, the-wigmore.co.uk

Dauphinoise Potato Pie at The Holborn Dining Room, Holborn

With a dedicated division called ‘The Pie Room’, it would be a travesty if Holborn Dining Room didn’t make it on our list. Known as the treasure trove of savoury delicacies, the ‘Pie Hole’ chefs handcraft around 200 pies per day, ranging from a rich lamb shank or a classic pork pie, through to the dreamy Dauphinoise potato pie, complete with caramelised onions and oozing with Comté cheese. So popular is the in-restaurant offering, in fact, that you can pre-order slightly smaller deli versions via the website, ideal for taking home or eating on the go.

Rosewood Hotel London, 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN, holborndiningroom.com

Spiced Goat and Potato Pie at Rochelle Canteen, Shoreditch

Rochelle Canteen opened in 2004, starting life as one big sharing table with a box for a till, and growing to become a London culinary landmark. The seasonal menu is listed in simple terms, but be assured that any dish you order will unlock a depth of flavour you won’t believe. The spiced goat and potato pie uses sustainable British meat sourced directly from a farmer in Herefordshire, cooked low and slow until it falls off the bone, before being combined with a spiced white sauce and braised vegetables. It is topped with a crispy suet crust, laced with turmeric to give it a golden glow – similar to that you’ll have when you eat it.

16 Playground Gardens, E2 7FA, rochellecanteen.com

Pie of the Day at Quo Vadis, Soho

Headed by the great Jeremy Lee, the menu at Quo Vadis is built on the principles of high-quality, hyper-seasonal produce, and frequently changes to ensure that every plate served is a modern British dish that showcases every ingredient and effort that has gone into it. It comes as no surprise, then, that the menu simply says ‘Today’s Pie’. What to expect? Sustainably sourced meats cooked until they’re falling apart, game so rich you’ll be asking when the season starts, and the creamiest chicken velouté – almost always with a suet crust atop.

26-29 Dean St, W1D 3LL, quovadissoho.co.uk

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