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5 Best Fast Food Restaurants in London (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

Thorne Savarin
By Thorne Savarin, Culinary Explorer · ✓ Data verified August 2026 · 8 min read

Fast food restaurants in London cover a lot more ground than a drive-through burger these days, spanning Filipino fried chicken, Naples-style pizza and hand-cut fries. Between them the names on this page have logged over 47,700 Google reviews, and the busiest single name here, Jollibee Leicester Square, accounts for more than a third of that total on its own.

Short answer: Jollibee Leicester Square leads with 4.6 stars across 17,667 reviews, the most-reviewed fast food spot on this page, known for its fried chicken and loaded fries. Marugame (The Strand) rates highest overall at 4.7 stars on udon noodles and tempura. For a classic burger, Shake Shack Leicester Square holds 4.3 stars across 11,056 reviews.
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Fast food in central London, compared

# Business Rating Reviews Best for
1 Jollibee Leicester Square 4.6 17,667 Filipino fried chicken and loaded fries View ›
2 Shake Shack Leicester Square 4.3 11,056 Classic American-style burgers View ›
3 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo Pizzeria London🍕 4.5 6,067 Naples-style pizza near Trafalgar Square View ›
4 Marugame (The Strand) - Japanese Udon Noodles & Tempura 4.7 4,175 Fast, self-service Japanese udon View ›
5 Five Guys Burgers and Fries Piccadilly Circus 4.3 8,766 Hand-cut fries and made-to-order burgers View ›
5 Best Fast Food Restaurants in London (2026)

The shortlist, reviewed

Jollibee Leicester Square logo
#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Jollibee Leicester Square

4.617,667 Google reviews

Jollibee Leicester Square is the flagship London branch of the Filipino fast food chain, known globally for its Chickenjoy fried chicken, Jolly Spaghetti and Yumburgers. It's been serving the same family-style recipes since 1978, and this Leicester Square location offers both ground-floor and upstairs booth seating to handle the crowds it consistently draws. It's the most-reviewed fast food restaurant on this page by a wide margin, reflecting its position as a genuine tourist and expat destination rather than just a quick bite.

What people praise

  • Chicken strips and loaded fries repeatedly called out as standout dishes
  • Comfortable booth seating upstairs, a step up from typical fast food seating
  • Reviewers consistently compare it favourably to KFC and McDonald's on flavour

Worth knowing

  • Waits can stretch to 30 minutes or more during busy periods
  • Food temperature reported as inconsistent when the kitchen is under pressure
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.6 / 5
Review volume17,667 · 97th
Confidencevery high
Recency13 days ago
Info completenesssite · hours
Rating breakdown82% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The most-reviewed name on this page by a wide margin, and the reviews back up the popularity. This is the pick if you want a genuinely different fast food experience from the usual London chains.

22 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7LE

Shake Shack Leicester Square logo
#2🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Shake Shack Leicester Square

4.311,056 Google reviews

Shake Shack Leicester Square is the London outpost of the US burger chain, serving its signature ShackBurgers, hot dogs and shakes from a Leicester Square location that stays open until 3am most nights. It now offers a halal beef option alongside its standard menu, a detail several reviewers specifically praised as a welcome addition. The open kitchen layout lets diners watch their order being prepared, and it's built its reputation on consistent, straightforward burger quality rather than anything experimental.

What people praise

  • Halal beef burger option now available, praised by reviewers
  • Open kitchen adds transparency and energy to the space
  • Late hours, open until 3am most nights

Worth knowing

  • Bathroom cleanliness flagged as below the standard of the rest of the space in one detailed review
  • Can run pricier than expected for a fast food format
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.3 / 5
Review volume11,056 · 92th
Confidencevery high
Recency6 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown62% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The classic burger pick on this page, and its late hours make it a solid option after a show or a night out, not just a lunchtime stop.

Square, Leicester, 1-2 Coventry St, London W1D 6BH

50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo Pizzeria London🍕 logo
#3🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo Pizzeria London🍕

4.56,067 Google reviews

50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo Pizzeria London is the London branch of a Naples pizzeria run by third-generation pizzamaker Ciro Salvo, known for extremely hydrated, easily digestible dough. The original Naples location holds a Michelin Guide mention, and this London site has been named one of the best Italian pizzerias in the city by the Gambero Rosso guide. It sits right by Trafalgar Square, and reviewers consistently rank it among the strongest pizza options in central London, some calling it the best outside Italy itself.

What people praise

  • Dough consistently praised as light and easy to eat, even by reviewers who don't usually finish a pizza
  • Central Trafalgar Square location with a visible open oven
  • Homemade desserts get repeat mentions alongside the pizza

Worth knowing

  • Service described as a little slow by one reviewer, with room for a warmer touch
  • One reviewer noted their delivery order arrived cold
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.5 / 5
Review volume6,067 · 81th
Confidencevery high
Recency2 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown70% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A step above typical fast food in both price and ambition, but it earns its place here on speed and casual format. The pizza itself is the strongest single dish across this whole list.

7 Northumberland Ave, London WC2N 5DU

Marugame (The Strand) - Japanese Udon Noodles & Tempura logo
#4🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Marugame (The Strand) - Japanese Udon Noodles & Tempura

4.74,175 Google reviews

Marugame (The Strand) is a canteen-style Japanese restaurant serving udon noodles, tempura and katsu curry, part of the Marugame Udon brand that bills itself as Japan's number one udon chain. The format is self-service: diners pick their noodle base, add tempura from a pick-your-own bar, and move through quickly, with bowls starting from £4.95. It sits opposite Charing Cross Station, making it a natural stop for a fast meal on the way through the area.

What people praise

  • Genuinely fast, self-service format that lives up to the fast food promise
  • Pick-your-own tempura bar praised as a fun, customisable touch
  • Highest rating on this page at 4.7 stars

Worth knowing

  • One reviewer familiar with the brand in Japan found the London udon less authentic than expected
  • Smaller review base than the other names on this page, though still over 4,000
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.7 / 5
Review volume4,175 · 53th
Confidencevery high
Recency6 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · hours
Rating breakdown87% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The highest-rated restaurant here, and the one that most closely matches the classic fast food formula, quick, self-service and inexpensive, while still being genuinely well reviewed.

449 Strand, London WC2R 0QU

Five Guys Burgers and Fries Piccadilly Circus logo
#5🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Five Guys Burgers and Fries Piccadilly Circus

4.38,766 Google reviews

Five Guys Burgers and Fries Piccadilly Circus is the Piccadilly Circus branch of the US burger chain, known for hand-cut, boardwalk-style fries cooked in peanut oil and burgers with more than 250,000 possible topping combinations. The location is larger than many central London branches, with more seating to handle the steady footfall of its Piccadilly Circus spot. It runs no freezers in the restaurant, cooking everything fresh to order, which reviewers consistently point to as the reason the food tastes noticeably fresher than typical fast food.

What people praise

  • Fries hand-cut fresh daily and cooked in peanut oil
  • Large seating area, a rarity for a central London fast food branch
  • Praised for accommodating families, including baby seats and changing facilities

Worth knowing

  • Prices run noticeably higher than a typical fast food stop
  • Long waits reported during the busiest periods, given the location's popularity
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.3 / 5
Review volume8,766 · 86th
Confidencevery high
Recency6 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown57% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The priciest option on this page by reviewer accounts, but the freshness and portion size explain the loyalty. A solid pick when you want a proper burger rather than the fastest possible option.

Unit 1, 2 Coventry St, London W1D 7DH

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Watch: 5 Best Fast Food Restaurants in London (2026)

How we score these restaurants

Rating is each restaurant’s live Google average. Review volume measures how many diners have actually left a review, ranked against the others on this page. Confidence weighs the rating against that volume, so a rating built on thousands of reviews counts for more than one built on a few hundred. Recency checks how current the reviews are. No business can pay to change any of these numbers.

What does fast food cost in London? (August 2026)

Prices vary by cuisine and portion size. Reviewers on this page reported the following per-person ranges, and a few called out individual item prices worth knowing before you order.

JobTypical price
Udon noodle bowl (Marugame menu)From £4.95
Burger and shake combo (Five Guys, reviewer reports)£13-£20
Meal for two with drinks (reviewer reports across chains)£20-£30 per person

Compiled August 2026 from reviewer-reported price ranges (Google review “price per person” highlights) and Marugame’s own published menu pricing.

Fast food across central London

All five sit within walking distance of Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus or the Strand, so any of them work as a quick stop before or after a show, a museum visit or a day of sightseeing in the West End.

What to check before you order

  • Is there a halal or vegetarian option on the menu?
  • How long is the wait during peak lunch or dinner hours?
  • Is seating available, or is it takeaway only at busy times?
  • Does the location offer delivery if you’d rather not queue?
  • What are the late-night hours if you’re eating after a show?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner (badge and top placement), but that never changes another business’s score or position.

How did you choose these restaurants?

We pulled real Google ratings and review counts for fast food restaurants across central London and ranked them by rating, review volume and how recently people are still reviewing them.

How often is this list updated?

We refreshed this page in August 2026 using current Google ratings and review counts.

Which fast food restaurant in London has the most reviews?

Jollibee Leicester Square leads with 17,667 Google reviews at a 4.6-star average, the deepest track record on this page.

Is there a halal fast food option in central London?

Shake Shack Leicester Square now offers a halal beef burger option alongside its standard menu.

The bottom line

For the widest review base and a genuinely different fast food experience, Jollibee Leicester Square is the safe default. If you want the highest-rated option on this page, Marugame’s self-service udon format delivers both speed and quality.

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