Crystal Palace FC: Selhurst Park

Most, if not all, Crystal Palace fans will have heard of Tasty Jerk. Goat, pork, or chicken, the meat is always powerfully succulent, with those charred anointing edges apparently only possible when barbecue is performed on bent black steel. The spice and heat builds gradually with each mouthful and the smokey flavour is intensely moreish. A bed of rice and peas is always an addictive happy stodge, and the chilli sauce, piquant with scotch bonnets, will always provide a match day kick.

Crystal Palace FC: Selhurst Park

Up the road from Selhurst Park is Doneagles, another mainstay of South London dining, where warmth replaces a dull reticence too often seen in hospitality today. Doneagles is a proper chippie — no paying extra for sachets of sauce, and clean cut potatoes are untouched by shards of batter bits. Here, cod is enrobed in the deepest gold, and chips are soft and fluffy. There is no better beer soaker-upper; Doneagles does a good and necessary curry sauce.

Arsenal FC: Emirates Stadium

It’s stupidly difficult to get a table at Xi’an Impression on a match day. In fact, it’s difficult on any day. But it’s doable if tactical. Just leave lots of time before or after kick-off… and get a little lucky. It’ll happen eventually and it’s worth the effort — the restaurant is a tour of the senses, where spicing is astute and sauces first sticky, then sweet, and then joyfully unforgiving in their tartness. On match days, the pot sticker dumplings and ‘beef burgers’ are generous, but the real prize is the biang biang noodles in special chilli sauce.

Arsenal FC: Emirates Stadium

Sambal Shiok, once a pop-up, now a fully fledged restaurant, is known for its deep and complex laksas, eclectic in their flavours and sumptuous with chicken, prawns, or tofu. It is the type of restaurant where, whether it’s the injection of chilli, the earthy undertones of lemongrass or the fiery escalation of ginger, lips will not go unlicked for more than 30 seconds. How a mouth can experience quite so much in one spoonful of broth is beyond comprehension to many. Malaysian food is not abundant in London — a visit to Sambal Shiok would convince any diner that the city needs more.

Chelsea FC: Stamford Bridge

There isn’t much average match day fare at The Harwood Arms; far from it, it’s the only Michelin-starred pub in London. But this is Chelsea, and what the area lacks in quality football, it makes up for in posh snacks. Menu at The Harwood Arms changes regularly, but certain morsels will usually be found — think gamey venison Scotch eggs and sausage rolls of tender meat and buttery casings. Food here brings a sense of refinement, but also a comedic edge: pollock might be served on toast; whipped chicken livers dished up with thyme hobnobs. Three courses are decent value at £49.95 — one to try after an away win at Stamford Bridge, perhaps.

Chelsea FC: Stamford Bridge

Unimaginative as it might seem, while Chelsea is abundant in pubs, restaurants are a harder sell — only restaurants that are in the relatively immediate vicinity of stadia count. So it’s entirely reasonable to lineup Pizza Express, an omnipresent venue of familiarity and dough balls. Try the new carbonara pizza, which will raise the eyebrows of faux aficionados but will please anyone who likes the taste of cream, cheese, bacon, and sweet dough, which, let’s face it, is basically everyone. To avoid disappointment, be sure to ensure that the central egg is still runny. It can be hit and miss.

West Ham FC: London Stadium

Barge East, a crooked green boat moored a short swim away from Hackney Wick station, is a buzzing spot. Somehow, in cramped conditions, fine cocktails have been made possible, and beers are produced with graceful speed. There are little notes of ingenuity in dishes such as chickpea fries covered in parmesan, and wonderfully sweet baby squid served with saffron aioli. The food far surpasses what would normally be possible on a barge in East London.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Chick King is, perhaps, Tottenham’s own version of the South London institution Morley’s. There are a handful of storied fried chicken shops in the capital which set themselves apart — this is one of them. Still, such sentimentality is built on food, and Chick-King’s is excellent: the chicken brings more appreciable succulency than most, its crispy coating jackets seasoned masterfully. This is a must when visiting White Hart Lane.

Tottenham’s new stadium is unwavering in its promise and its expectation. It shows football’s big money but it also shows progress: the stadium has been built for the fans and they are catered for. Yes, traditional pies always deliver, but at White Hart Lane visitors will find everything from steak sandwiches and fish and chips to from BBQ chicken wings and pizza.

Wembley Stadium

The menu at Dosa Express is vast and might be a little daunting — it is more readily and authoritatively condensed in our ‘cheap’ eats guide, but further recommendations might be the butter masala dosa, which tastes very similar to the one served at the Indian Coffee House in Shimla, north India, and the spectacular rava cheese and onion dosa. With Tottenham finally decamped, pay a visit after watching England’s new young stars. Dosa Express must and will endure.

Brentford Community Stadium
Packed out before and after match days, this pub’s outstanding range of cask ales and bottles from craft breweries all over the country draws in the local congregation. The food’s more hotel on the riviera than half-time, with tinned fish galore, but the kitchen puts out roasts, burgers, and more of serious ballast.