London eats out: 500 years of capital dining

This lavishly illustrated book offers a cultural survey of the Londoner's eating habits from 1500 to the present day.

In a series of well-researched and nicely footnoted essays, London Eats Out opens the door to the public eating that was a critical component of urban life. Attractively illustrated, London Eats Out focuses on the day to day comestibles, and how they were brought to the public; it is a fascinating and largely neglected story that deserves a wide audience. From the Cooks' Guild Company of the 16th century through Alexis Soyer's 19th century soup kitchens to the modern empire of Terence Conran, London's public culinary heritage evolves in an engaging and thoughtful work that pulls together many different strands of culinary history in a fresh and accessible way.