Geezer grub reinvented

Cor blimey, what do I know about real cockney nosh?

Coming from the north of England, not much. Jellied eels and pie and mash with eel liquor are as foreign to me as a Polish pierogi.

But with real cockneys becoming a dying breed, the grittier end of London cuisine is hard to find. The once ubiquitous shellfish stalls selling pints of winkles have made way for smart restaurants, while pie and mash shops have been all but usurped by fried chicken or kebab shops.

With British food having a resurgence, though, cockney grub is being kept alive by some of the capital's more refined restaurants.

Eels have been put back on the menu at some of London's classiest venues, chefs such as Gordon Ramsay are bringing the likes of boiled beef and carrots and vinegary cockles to a new audience and upmarket restaurants such as Scott's are
serving whelks and winkles.

So, in the spirit of equality, I decided to give traditional London cuisine a go from both sides of the culinary divide: the old guard and the new wave.

New Wave

The Narrow

Gordon Ramsay's newest venture serves up an all English beef in beer pie with mash (£11.50), as well as offering boiled beef and carrots on the specials board. Drinkers can also enjoy pots of cockles (£1.50) served behind the bar, alongside pints of London Particular.
44 Narrow Street, E14 (020 7592 7950, gordonramsay.com/thenarrow)

Quality Chop House

Though established in 1870, this lively restaurant has benefited from a modern menu makeover — succulent duck breast, lamb cutlets and salmon fishcakes — while retaining a taste of old London. Head chef and patron Michael Soutar has been serving up jellied eels for three years, and says he is constantly surprised by how popular they are. 'Businessmen and tourists love them,' he says. Jellied eels as a starter, £5.95; pie with mash, £12.95.
94 Farringdon Road, EC1 (020 7837 5093)

Bumpkin

The restaurant famous for offering size-zero models free nosh during fashion week has plenty of ribsticking London cuisine on its menu. The seasonally changing menu offers three types of pie, but don't miss the traditional Charter pie — a mix of chicken, spring onion and a creamy sauce topped with golden pastry (£8 or £11). A side of creamy mashed potato is £3.
209 Westbourne Park Road, W11 (020 7243 9818, bumpkinuk.com)

Scott's

Originally an oyster warehouse dating back to 1851, Scott's, one of Mayfair's most glamorous restaurants, is eons away from its proletarian past. However, the food remains rooted in the region. British ingredients feature heavily, with pies and eel available most of the year. A starter of smoked eel with horseradish is £13.75, while Stargazy pie — a concoction of rabbit and crayfish — is £21.75. Accompany it with a side order of buttered mash (£3.75).
20 Mount Street, W1 (020 7495 7309, scotts-restaurant.com)

J. Sheekey

With its seafood stall pedigree, there's no squeamishness about aspic at Sheekey's. A starter of jellied eels (£6.50) has no cosmetic makeover, it's simply chunks of eel, mounds of jelly and coarsely chopped parsley. Platters of fruits de mer (from £25 per person) offer fresh whelks and cockles, or try potted shrimps for £10.25.
28-32 St Martin's Court, WC2 (020 7240 2565)

Old School

Mick's Eel Supplies

Jellied eels are a quintessential component of cor blimey cuisine. Enjoyed with pie and mash or on their own, they're boiled with herbs and left to cool in their own jelly. Find them for sale on shellfish stalls alongside pints of prawns, whelks, winkles and cockles, or get up early and buy a whole tub.
Billingsgate Fish Market (020 7515 2249)