Where to eat and drink around campus

Across UCL you will never be far away from a café for a quick pit-stop or a catch up with friends over lunch. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, some places mentioned below may have different to usual opening times so do check their website ahead of time so you're not caught short and stuck feeling hangry! Here is a roundup of the best places to eat and drink:

Wilkins Lower Refectory, Main Building

Accessible via the North Cloisters, the Wilkins Refectory dishes up a variety of freshly-cooked meals, with counters serving a globally-inspired menu that is delivered sustainably. Expect baked potatoes with a variety of fillings, soups of the day, hearty salads, and a rotating menu on our chicken, plant-based and traditional counters too! Our favourite? It’s got to be fresh fish and chips on a Friday!

Lunch is served Monday-Friday 11:30am-2:30pm, with a grab and go range available from the Wilkins Shop, and barista coffees and bakes from the Wilkins Café.

Cafés, so many cafés...

There are cafés everywhere, including the Old Refectory (opposite the JBR in the Main Building), the George Farha, and the Print Room Café. They are also in the Bloomsbury Theatre, School of Pharmacy, Instutute of Education, Institute of Child Health, Bartlett, Student Centre Level 3 (try our exclusive-to-UCL coffee) and Engineering buildings (where you can also get a bubble tea)! Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Here are a couple of non-UCL options close by:

Lever and Bloom Coffee, Byng Place

Sustainable and homely, Lever and Bloom Coffee serve hand-pulled hot beverages, alongside artisan pasties and cakes – true quality! Run by the friendly Elena and Mounir - look out for their little red coffee van on Byng Place, next to the Church of Christ the King. Open 8am-5pm.

South Block Café, Senate House, Malet Street

Around the back of the grand, cascading staircase in Senate House, you will find the South Block Café. Serving pastries, sandwiches, home-made soups, jacket potatoes, and all other snacks under the sun, it is a fantastic, quieter place to enjoy some lunch. Free Wi-Fi attainable from reception! Open weekdays 8.30am-6pm.

Find out more about Food at UCL

UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team