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A sliced Thai sausage on a platter scattered with chilli
Thai lime leaf sausage at Kiln
Kiln [Official Photo]

12 Superb Sausages to Try in London

Currywurst, black pudding, sai ua, merguez, and more

by Helen Graves Updated
Additional writing from James Hansen
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Thai lime leaf sausage at Kiln
| Kiln [Official Photo]
by Helen Graves Updated
Additional writing from James Hansen

Is there a meat product more universally loved than the sausage? Invented as a method of using up less immediately appealing parts of an animal, they’ve become a cherished exercise in frugal upcycling. Although sausages are often made with pork, those who avoid the animal — often due to religious observance — have invented beef, lamb and, less successfully, chicken versions. The appeal of the sausage lies in its potential for variation in ingredients, of course, but also in form: compare a shimmering puck of fried blood sausage to a taut, chilli laced merguez to wafers of baby skin-smooth mortadella. Here’s where to find the best bangers in London.

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Seftalia at Paneri Taverna

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There is a strong case to be made for simply ordering a large plate of seftalia, yoghurt and a pile of pitta and ignoring pretty much everything else on the menu at Paneri. A house speciality, the seftalia are juicy pork bombs full of bouncy, full-flavoured meat studded with hefty chunks of onion. The caul fat used to encase them brings a deeply satisfying funkiness, further enhanced by grilling. A taste of sun-soaked Greek grilling in Wood Green.

340 High Rd, Wood Green, London N22 8JW, UK
020 8888 3111
020 8888 3111

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Sai ua at Singburi

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Sai ua is the sole sausage on offer at chef-owner Sirichai Kularbwong’s outstanding Leytonstone restaurant. He makes the sausage using red curry paste, lemongrass and roasted garlic and shallots, for added depth of flavour, with a genius touch in smoking the sausages over desiccated coconut. Served with nam prik num packed with bitter-sweet grilled chilli, it’s a classic, thoughtfully remastered.

593 High Rd Leytonstone, Leytonstone, London E11 4PA, UK
020 8281 4801
020 8281 4801

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Currywurst at German Gymnasium Grand Café

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All the sausages at German Gymnasium are made by farmers in Northern Germany especially for the restaurant, and the currywurst is particularly good fun. Handmade to a traditional method, this curried pork sausage is served sliced and topped with a rich, (again) curried tomato sauce and triple cooked chips. A street food staple in grand surroundings. 

King's Blvd, Kings Cross, London N1C 4BU, UK
020 7287 8000
020 7287 8000

Black pudding at The Quality Chop House

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Shaun Searley works closely with farmers Hugh and Kathy Brooks at Penlan Heritage Breeds to rear Mangalitza pigs to the highest possible standards of welfare. When the pigs are slaughtered, Hugh collects the blood and speeds it to the restaurant where Shaun’s kitchen turns it into a French-ish style black pudding — rich, flavoured with onion and black pepper and studded with squares of bacon from the same pigs.

88-94 Farringdon Rd, Farringdon, London EC1R 3EA, UK
020 7278 1452
020 7278 1452

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Turmeric and lime leaf sausage at Kiln

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This firecracker sausage is well prickled with chilli, heady with turmeric and perfumed by the extraordinary citrus fragrance of lime leaves. A coarse-textured, lightly smoky sausage. it’s served simply sliced — the complexity of flavour means that no condiment or garnish is necessary. Possibly one of London’s best single-item orders.

58 Brewer St, West End, London W1F 9TL, UK
(02) 8099 8799
(02) 8099 8799

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Merguez sandwich at Sam Sandwiches

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Sam’s is so tucked away on the edge of Shepherd’s Bush Market it almost feels like Not London, but for the chugging traffic of Uxbridge Road a stones throw away. The merguez — made especially for Sam by a London butcher — is fried on a hot plate, sliced and mixed with scrambled egg and chips. This guaranteed-to-please concoction is piled into fresh, fluffy bread with harissa, mayo, olives and pickles to make a large and immensely satisfying sandwich, which is great value at just £4. The inclusion of egg also makes this sandwich feel appropriate for any time of day, which would explain the steady stream of customers waiting outside.

9 Shepherd's Bush Market, Shepherd's Bush, London W12 8DE, UK

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Mamuśka! Polish Kitchen and Bar

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This cavernous Polish restaurant famous for great value food and dangerously large shots of vodka upped sticks from its original location in Elephant and Castle and moved to a railway arch in Waterloo in 2018. Mamuska does the job of feeding people with very few frills and the atmosphere veers wildly between deserted bunker and (former) freshers party. However, the food is satisfying, particularly the snappy white kielbasa flavoured with garlic and marjoram, served in a bun with onions and sauerkraut.

9 Addington St, South Bank, London SE1 7RY, UK
020 3602 1898
020 3602 1898

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Dồi tiết at Pho Thuy Tay Cafe

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Thuy Nguyen’s blood sausage is exceptional and it has an exclusivity that it deserves — only available from a Thursday and Friday litany of specials that Eater contributor Jonathan Nunn aptly describes as “Hanoi deep cuts.” Served boiled or fried, its husky, iron-sweet quality floods the palate, and is best when compounded by Nguyen’s mam tom.

899 Old Kent Rd, London SE15 1NL, UK
020 3105 6453
020 3105 6453

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Sausage roll at The Ginger Pig

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There are many fine sausage rolls to be consumed around London but the Ginger Pig recipe is something of a cult classic. One of the first shops to gain attention for selling the now-popular XXL style of sausage roll (something close to 80:20 ratio of meat to pastry), it quickly became a regular sight on social media. Pork and stilton and merguez versions are now available, though the traditional is best for nostalgic satiation, made with a simple mix of good-quality pork meat and fat, dried herbs, and seasoning. Various locations.

61 Church Rd, Barnes, London SW13 9HH, UK
020 3869 7870
020 3869 7870

Also featured in:

Battered saveloy at Fladda

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Camberwell has a really decent chippy in Fladda, although customers will find their lunch is accompanied by the soundtrack of local crows, not seagulls. It’s pleasing to find a choice of battered sausage on the menu, including excellent free-range pork sausages from The Butchery. When it comes to deep-fried sausage though, saveloy really is the one — the blandness of an emulsified sausage just works best in batter. This is not the time for herbs.

55 Camberwell Church St, Camberwell, London SE5 8TR, UK
020 8127 6297
020 8127 6297

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Merguez wrap at Salas Wraps

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The chicken, halloumi and falafel wraps are all worth more than the mere fiver asked for at Salah Yaiche and Yamani Berhi’s North African sandwich van but somehow, the merguez is overlooked and underrated. Fiery lamb sausage is sizzled then wrapped in toasted flatbread with whichever dips they’ve made that day. The Merguez works best with the creamy feta and olive dip and spicy red pepper hummus. It’s also huge.

4TL, 5 Parkstone Rd, Peckham, London SE15 4UQ, UK

Mortadella at manteca

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Chef founder of Manteca Chris Leach always had the intention to buy whole pigs and break them down in house; he started making mortadella — a cooked sausage — as a way of having preserved meat ready to serve right away. The sausage is 25 percent fat, combined with the meat, various spices and garlic which are minced together 4-5 times with crushed ice. It’s poached inside an ox stomach, which arrives salted and is rehydrated for purpose. The recipe is constantly tweaked and right now, Chris says, it’s the best it’s ever been.

49-51 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT, UK
020 7139 5172
020 7139 5172

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Seftalia at Paneri Taverna

340 High Rd, Wood Green, London N22 8JW, UK

There is a strong case to be made for simply ordering a large plate of seftalia, yoghurt and a pile of pitta and ignoring pretty much everything else on the menu at Paneri. A house speciality, the seftalia are juicy pork bombs full of bouncy, full-flavoured meat studded with hefty chunks of onion. The caul fat used to encase them brings a deeply satisfying funkiness, further enhanced by grilling. A taste of sun-soaked Greek grilling in Wood Green.

340 High Rd, Wood Green, London N22 8JW, UK
020 8888 3111
020 8888 3111

Sai ua at Singburi

593 High Rd Leytonstone, Leytonstone, London E11 4PA, UK

Sai ua is the sole sausage on offer at chef-owner Sirichai Kularbwong’s outstanding Leytonstone restaurant. He makes the sausage using red curry paste, lemongrass and roasted garlic and shallots, for added depth of flavour, with a genius touch in smoking the sausages over desiccated coconut. Served with nam prik num packed with bitter-sweet grilled chilli, it’s a classic, thoughtfully remastered.

593 High Rd Leytonstone, Leytonstone, London E11 4PA, UK
020 8281 4801
020 8281 4801

Currywurst at German Gymnasium Grand Café

King's Blvd, Kings Cross, London N1C 4BU, UK

All the sausages at German Gymnasium are made by farmers in Northern Germany especially for the restaurant, and the currywurst is particularly good fun. Handmade to a traditional method, this curried pork sausage is served sliced and topped with a rich, (again) curried tomato sauce and triple cooked chips. A street food staple in grand surroundings. 

King's Blvd, Kings Cross, London N1C 4BU, UK
020 7287 8000
020 7287 8000

Black pudding at The Quality Chop House

88-94 Farringdon Rd, Farringdon, London EC1R 3EA, UK

Shaun Searley works closely with farmers Hugh and Kathy Brooks at Penlan Heritage Breeds to rear Mangalitza pigs to the highest possible standards of welfare. When the pigs are slaughtered, Hugh collects the blood and speeds it to the restaurant where Shaun’s kitchen turns it into a French-ish style black pudding — rich, flavoured with onion and black pepper and studded with squares of bacon from the same pigs.

88-94 Farringdon Rd, Farringdon, London EC1R 3EA, UK
020 7278 1452
020 7278 1452

Turmeric and lime leaf sausage at Kiln

58 Brewer St, West End, London W1F 9TL, UK

This firecracker sausage is well prickled with chilli, heady with turmeric and perfumed by the extraordinary citrus fragrance of lime leaves. A coarse-textured, lightly smoky sausage. it’s served simply sliced — the complexity of flavour means that no condiment or garnish is necessary. Possibly one of London’s best single-item orders.

58 Brewer St, West End, London W1F 9TL, UK
(02) 8099 8799
(02) 8099 8799

Merguez sandwich at Sam Sandwiches

9 Shepherd's Bush Market, Shepherd's Bush, London W12 8DE, UK

Sam’s is so tucked away on the edge of Shepherd’s Bush Market it almost feels like Not London, but for the chugging traffic of Uxbridge Road a stones throw away. The merguez — made especially for Sam by a London butcher — is fried on a hot plate, sliced and mixed with scrambled egg and chips. This guaranteed-to-please concoction is piled into fresh, fluffy bread with harissa, mayo, olives and pickles to make a large and immensely satisfying sandwich, which is great value at just £4. The inclusion of egg also makes this sandwich feel appropriate for any time of day, which would explain the steady stream of customers waiting outside.

9 Shepherd's Bush Market, Shepherd's Bush, London W12 8DE, UK

Mamuśka! Polish Kitchen and Bar

9 Addington St, South Bank, London SE1 7RY, UK

This cavernous Polish restaurant famous for great value food and dangerously large shots of vodka upped sticks from its original location in Elephant and Castle and moved to a railway arch in Waterloo in 2018. Mamuska does the job of feeding people with very few frills and the atmosphere veers wildly between deserted bunker and (former) freshers party. However, the food is satisfying, particularly the snappy white kielbasa flavoured with garlic and marjoram, served in a bun with onions and sauerkraut.

9 Addington St, South Bank, London SE1 7RY, UK
020 3602 1898
020 3602 1898

Dồi tiết at Pho Thuy Tay Cafe

899 Old Kent Rd, London SE15 1NL, UK

Thuy Nguyen’s blood sausage is exceptional and it has an exclusivity that it deserves — only available from a Thursday and Friday litany of specials that Eater contributor Jonathan Nunn aptly describes as “Hanoi deep cuts.” Served boiled or fried, its husky, iron-sweet quality floods the palate, and is best when compounded by Nguyen’s mam tom.

899 Old Kent Rd, London SE15 1NL, UK
020 3105 6453
020 3105 6453

Sausage roll at The Ginger Pig

61 Church Rd, Barnes, London SW13 9HH, UK

There are many fine sausage rolls to be consumed around London but the Ginger Pig recipe is something of a cult classic. One of the first shops to gain attention for selling the now-popular XXL style of sausage roll (something close to 80:20 ratio of meat to pastry), it quickly became a regular sight on social media. Pork and stilton and merguez versions are now available, though the traditional is best for nostalgic satiation, made with a simple mix of good-quality pork meat and fat, dried herbs, and seasoning. Various locations.

61 Church Rd, Barnes, London SW13 9HH, UK
020 3869 7870
020 3869 7870

Battered saveloy at Fladda

55 Camberwell Church St, Camberwell, London SE5 8TR, UK

Camberwell has a really decent chippy in Fladda, although customers will find their lunch is accompanied by the soundtrack of local crows, not seagulls. It’s pleasing to find a choice of battered sausage on the menu, including excellent free-range pork sausages from The Butchery. When it comes to deep-fried sausage though, saveloy really is the one — the blandness of an emulsified sausage just works best in batter. This is not the time for herbs.

55 Camberwell Church St, Camberwell, London SE5 8TR, UK
020 8127 6297
020 8127 6297

Merguez wrap at Salas Wraps

4TL, 5 Parkstone Rd, Peckham, London SE15 4UQ, UK

The chicken, halloumi and falafel wraps are all worth more than the mere fiver asked for at Salah Yaiche and Yamani Berhi’s North African sandwich van but somehow, the merguez is overlooked and underrated. Fiery lamb sausage is sizzled then wrapped in toasted flatbread with whichever dips they’ve made that day. The Merguez works best with the creamy feta and olive dip and spicy red pepper hummus. It’s also huge.

4TL, 5 Parkstone Rd, Peckham, London SE15 4UQ, UK

Mortadella at manteca

49-51 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT, UK

Chef founder of Manteca Chris Leach always had the intention to buy whole pigs and break them down in house; he started making mortadella — a cooked sausage — as a way of having preserved meat ready to serve right away. The sausage is 25 percent fat, combined with the meat, various spices and garlic which are minced together 4-5 times with crushed ice. It’s poached inside an ox stomach, which arrives salted and is rehydrated for purpose. The recipe is constantly tweaked and right now, Chris says, it’s the best it’s ever been.

49-51 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3PT, UK
020 7139 5172
020 7139 5172