London is a city that's constantly spawning new food spots for people to visit. It offers places ranging from the quirky – such as Attendant, an underground cafe that used to be a Victorian toilet – to the cool, like the restaurant Jacuzzi, which features disco toilets.

Although the city is teeming with exciting places to visit, it seems to be the same handful that are constantly recommended and advertised as must-visit spots. And yet, not all of them are worth visiting. Often, such spots focus more on appearance over substance or else are simply overpriced. As someone born and bred in London, here are the spots that I think are overrated and where you should visit instead.

Overrated #1: Chocolate-Covered Strawberries from Borough Market

Image Credit: Frankie Lopez from Unsplash

If you visit Borough Market (a viral London food spot in itself), then you're likely to come across a table of plastic cups filled with bright red strawberries and melted chocolate. This, combined with the many videos of the strawberries on social media, manages to lure in hundreds of customers every day.

Unfortunately, however, this spot leans towards being overrated. This isn't to say the strawberries don't taste good – they do. The problem is their price. Each cup of strawberries and chocolates costs £8.50 ($11.61).

There's really no justification for that sort of cost. If you're after strawberries and chocolate, it makes more sense to simply put them together yourself. All you need to do is buy a tub of strawberries from the supermarket and melt some chocolate. You'll get more products for half the price.

Take the Quiz: What Musical Should You Watch?

Worth Visiting: Bread Ahead Bakery

Image Credit: Bex Walton from Wikimedia

If you continue wandering through Borough Market, you'll come across another stall: Bread Ahead Bakery. This London bakery is best known for its donuts. They offer a range of flavors, including pistachio, sea-salted caramel, and blackcurrant cheesecake.

Notably, it's only at their Borough Market stall that you can buy their crème brûlée donuts. The donuts are filled with crème brûlée cream and the the brown sugar on top of the donuts is torched, creating a sweet, crunchy shell.

The classic donuts are currently priced at £4 ($5.46) while specials like the crème brûlée donut are £4.50 ($6.14). Although this is pricey, I'd say the donuts are good enough that they're worth it. Unlike the strawberries, you're unlikely to be able to make them yourself, making the money spent worth it for this unique treat.

Overrated #2: Italian Bear Chocolate

Image Credit: Cala from Unsplash

Italian Bear Chocolate is a cafe located in Soho. They're best known for their artfully decorated cups of hot chocolate. They offer three flavors – milk, gianduia, and dark.

A small cup is £4.90 ($6.69), a regular is £6.50 ($8.88), and a large is £7.50 ($10.24). If you pay a little extra, you can get a mix of all three flavors. The drinks are then poured into mugs, with chocolate carefully dripped over the side and onto the plate.

Often labeled 'London's most luxurious hot chocolate', this hot chocolate is undeniably tasty. The drinks are rich and sweet, a definite level up from your classic hot chocolate powder and water concoctions.

However, as with the chocolate-covered strawberries, I once again think that this is a drink you can make yourself for a cheaper price. If you swap out chocolate powder for genuine chocolate and melt it with a little milk on your hob, I guarantee you could come out with something similar. Ultimately, there are other hot chocolate places in London that offer more for your money.

Worth Visiting: Festok

Image Credit: Areesha A

This leads me on to Festok. Although they mainly advertise themselves as a Lebanese ice cream shop, they also sell other treats such as coffee and hot chocolate. Indeed, it's their hot chocolate which stands out to me the most.

Not only is the drink itself delicious, but you can get it topped with candy floss and chopped pistachios. This gives their hot chocolates an unforgettable edge, making it stand out from more standard spots such as Italian Bear Chocolate.

Overrated #3: EL&N Cafe

Image Credit: Sebastian Coman Photography from Pexels

This is a spot that has recently gone viral. Stores have begun popping up all over London. Their pretty, pink interiors are highly Instagrammable, and their desserts – such as Dulce de Leche cake and cube strawberry croissants – are tastefully arranged.

Considering how expensive a major city like London is, I don't think EL&N's prices are anything too outrageous. What makes this place overrated is that it's ultimately a fairly standard dessert shop. EL&N does nothing special that makes it worthy of being considered a 'must-visit' London spot. As a result, you may find it worthwhile checking out other, lesser-known cafes.

Worth Visiting: Qima Cafe

Image Credit: Areesha A

This is a Yemeni cafe, which not only offers wonderful coffee but also, for every cup sold, donates a young coffee tree to a farmer to bridge 'the perceived gaps between profit and purpose'.

Their interiors are also lovely to sit in, making this a great option for those who enjoy being in aesthetically pleasing spaces. To make it even better, Qima sells tasty homemade pastries, such as pistachio canelés and berry cheesecake croissants. This underrated cafe is definitely worth your time.

Indeed, I'd argue that all three spots I've recommended are more than worthy of a place on your London checklist. Still, it's important to remember that there are hundreds of other food spots that aren't that well-known in London. Instead of crafting an exact itinerary of what you're going to eat and when, you could try simply stumbling into places that look appealing. Doing so is a fun way of discovering new spots that are worthy of appreciation.