An unexpectedly large Waitrose store in Canada Place of London's business district, Canary Wharf -…read moreit is over multiple floors and has much more than what one would expect from Waitrose including a home and clothes section - which one would associate more with Waitrose's sister brand, John Lewis. They did have a pretty large selection in most areas I looked at the store including with desserts, yoghurts (Pots and Co!), to-go food and fruit juices, the latter was actually quite reasonably priced for a freshly squeezed juice. The store did seem to have an annoying habit of making announcements regularly, it felt like I couldn't walk down an aisle without "DING DONG DING DONG", eventually I muttered to myself "Welcome to Waitrose Canary Wharf please note... announcement for..." etc, I get they do need to do this but so constantly is just really irritating. The café area could have been larger however but I was overall impressed with this store in a useful location for Canary Wharf's shopping centres and tube/DLR stations. 4*

This place is my little haunt when I pass through Canary Wharf. I can't help but feel drawn to…read morehere...with my mind always telling me that I may need to 'pick up' something, like say pasta or milk...only to find that I leave with a scarf, cushion or toilet seat! How does this happen? The food quality is always good and competitive with Marks & Spencer. There's dining to the rear of the lower ground (behind the supermarket). The rotisserie and curry section is VERY popular and good value with office workers popping out at lunchtime. The seating gets really busy at this time too, so best to come early if you dont want to fight for a seat. There's also a yummy oyster bar to the right and a wine bar to the left (the selection is very good). Street level has something for the ladies: handbags, jewellery, shoes, lingerie (I've been pulled in all directions of this place). Then there's toys, travel goods and sportswear. Go up another level to find TV and electricals, furniture, bathroom accessories, soft furnishing, garden furniture, stationery and seasonal Christmas decorations. Oh boy, how do I know all this off by heart? I get all loved up when I shop at Waitrose...a bit sad, but true.

Such a superior corner food shop. Thanks to Rob H & Katie B for reporting the findings...from the…read moreoutside, this appears just to be a regular, run of the mill market...but once inside you'll be treated to a pleasant surprise. A huge organic selection. A whole shelf of tea. Racks of dried fruits (I am not addicted to dried figs), nuts (cashews!) and I even found jars of sunflower butter here...which is surprisingly good and a good alternative to peanut butter (which they also have). Fantastic ethnic cooking section chock full of sauces, ingredients, grains, rices, beans and any element you probably need, spices, decent bakery with breads, rolls, pitas, etc. Eggs and dairy, beer, wine, a lot of coconut water, and a fresh produce section (outside) which is standard, but nice to have. Things you won't find: fresh meats or fish. Par for the course! The family that runs it is very friendly as well (always so polite!) and I always leave feeling quite good about supporting a local food shop that is not only convenient, but tucked away from the madness of the Old Street roundabout. Yours Food Centre = My Food Centre = LOVE. *they do not accept AMEX.

This place just looks like a normal, random off licence but when you step inside, you'll be…read moresurprised by the variety and diversity of products they have! You can find almost everything in there, from bubble gum to grains, dried fruits, fresh fruits (very good selection), alcohol... Almost everything except fresh fish and meat. It is not the cheapest place to do your shopping, but for the quality they offer, it is quite fair. And the people that works there is always helpful and polite.

We stepped off the train at St Pancras and found our first Benugo, where we began our love affair…read more Today was our fourth day in London, and the fourth day we were getting Benugo for breakfast (our third location). Our typical order: - a cappuccino and the Londoner - a mocha and the Eggs Royale The coffees were good, but the Londoner was missing tomatoes, and the Eggs Royale contained a fraction of the eggs that I'd had for the past 3 days. We talked to them, and they added tomatoes and eggs respectively, which was good. Neither sandwich came wrapped as they had at the other locations. The difference COULD be attributed to the fact that this location is considered a 'restaurant' instead of a 'cafe' ...they brought our food instead of us having to pick it up, and they collected our dishes. But...just beware! This location doesn't seem up to par.

This is a chain but what separates it from the likes of Pret and Eat is that the sandwiches are…read morefresh and in the open air under a counter, rather than stuffed into cardboard boxes. Salads are in boxes, obviously, but they looked packed with variety of ingredients and they looked fresh. I ordered a Brie and bacon sandwich and the staff heated it up for me - which already puts it way ahead of other chains. Coffees are on the cheap side - approx £1.75 - but they're also on the weak side. This almost led me to mark it a 3, but then I tried a Millionaires Shortbread cake which was chocolatey, buttery and delicious and highly likely to be home-made. So I'd go back for food but perhaps try somewhere else for a post lunch caffeine fix.

As Tom Jones sang:…read more "It's not unusual to find Lebanese nut shops on side streets in London" OK... that wasn't a hit song or pleasurable lyric. But here indeed is a small shop offering nuts from the middle east. They also offer Baklava-like pastries and other dry goods, but by any measure it's not a standard corner shop. The owner is an absolute delight... Mr. Happy. But as mentioned, this is a tiny store - not a destination to find everything you want like the Harrods of Nuts. The selection is much smaller and simple. If walking near, stop by for a snack. Go somewhere else for a meal.

This is a great little shop which I walk past every day on my way to work. They have a supply of…read moredifferent flavoured cashews, peanuts, and my favourite - chinese peanut crackers, which are a pound for 100gms. They also have a range of other jarred bits and pieces and sacks of lentils and beans but I only go for the nuts. The shop owners are really nice and happy to help.

Quick and convenient -- the basics are available to go. This location also has a section of wines…read moreavailable, for those long train rides. The turn around in this location is rather fast, so by the evening, the prepared food section is rather limited.

They've got the staples here. I don't typical shop at M&S because it's expensive compared to the…read moreother supermarkets; but in the Charing Cross area this is one of your only options.

In my dreams, I shop at Sainsburys Islington, in reality, I go to the rubbish Tesco at Liverpool…read moreStreet because I don't drive and can't face catching two buses each way to the holy grail of weekly food shopping destinations, Sainsburys Islington. We're hard done by supermarket wise us Shoreditch residents. Sure, there's a health food store here and a Tesco Express there but we don't really have our own supermarket. A thousand and one places to buy a vodka tonic? Sure. A place to stock up on food essentials? In your dreams. The closest thing we have is Sainsburys Islington and boy is it a good supermarket. Great deli and meat sections, a good range of produce, hard to find health foods and a diet busting bakery all conspire to make us Shoreditch residents wish we resided in N1 instead. This place makes a mockery of Tesco with its superior quality and similar prices and all things considered, it's probably worth non-Islington residents going to Sainsbury's Islington every week or so and just catching a cab home. It's that good.

Sainsbury's is my supermarket of choice. Even though Waitrose is just next door, I nearly always go…read moreto Sainsbury's. Why? 1) I am used to it and know I can get everything I am looking for there. 2) The quality of the food is high and selection is good. 3) I also sometimes buy their 'Taste the Difference' foods which usually deliver as well as the 'Basics' range (eg loo rolls which are great value). 4) Prices are good. The only downside to the Islington branch is that it doesn't have the best layout (long and wedge shaped) and the car park stuck at the back means you have to schlep your trolley in the rain through an obstacle course all the way around the side of the store past the crowds waiting for the bus along the pavement but this is a minor complaint really given the central London location. The Camden Town Sainsbury also has an underground car park but is a newer store. That branch also has an in store bakery which Islington doesn't. Weekends, especially Sunday, also tend to be a zoo so either be prepared for the crowds or go during the week. Bonus of the car park however is that you can visit the excellent market stalls in Chapel market and pick up some great bargains on fruit and veg as well as fish. There is an excellent fish stall in the market with much lower prices than you'll find in Supermarkets and probably fresher.

This Tesco Express is one of the best things ever created. They have a nice selection of various…read moregrocery items, plenty of ready-to-eat items like salads, mixed berries, and pastas, and even some fresh fruits and vegetables. They are open on weekends and late at night, which is somewhat rare for places in this neighborhood. And prices are super reasonable; £1.40 for a little pack of sushi, £2 for some mixed berries, etc. If you're staying at a nearby hotel and not keen on paying £20 for your dinner, you can eat well from this store for a third of the price. Highly recommend!

A convenient place to pick up snacks or some items for home when in a rush. It was right across…read morefrom my hotel so I would stop in here to buy water and snacks during my London stay. The place could use a little cleaning up as it looked a little disorganized.

I came here the other day in need for some New Zealand wine - it only makes sense to serve wine…read morefrom said location when having a New Zealand themed party at the office ;-) The staff here was super friendly and they helped me get a selection of various different wines. The party in the evening was a big success - both thanks to the New Zealand wine, as well as to the Anzac & Hokey Pokey Biscuits that I had baked the night before (see image of all three items). Today I called Philglas & Swiggot and inquired about Brazilian liquor - Cachaça. (Guess what - we're having a Brazilian-themed Happy Hour at the office ;-). Unfortunately, they don't carry it, but the person on the phone was very helpful nevertheless and pointed me to a shop where I would definitely find Cachaça: at Gerry's in Soho. That's what I call great service, thanks!

A few blocks off Oxford Street it just feels very tranquil when stepping into this small wine shop…read more They used to have a clear focus on Australian wine (and too some extent also New Zealand) but the past years strengthening of the AUD has made it more tricky to sell Aussie wine (and other stuff from down-under as well). Luckily they carry a good selection of wines from many other parts of the world as well. The selection from South Africa was respectable but there are better places for it in London as well (check my other wine store reviews). Service was really friendly and extremely knowledgeable and helpful (great recommendations for other places to go to as well). The selection of wine dis however to some extent fail to excite me so while a respectable selection of wines I only found a few things that really got me interested. As they did not really have much to taste I did not really feel like picking up that much but ended up buying some 'house' champagne Louis Barthelemy Brut at a decent price. It is one of three outlets and I am yet to check out the others as well but this is a goos choice if close to Marble Arch and in need of wine. Check http://thewinecurious.wordpress.com for more information on London wine stores and wine reviews.