‘Le Tour de Pret’: Our quest to find the best Pret a Manger around Strand

Your ultimate Pret guide


One of the most important choices we make every day, is what we will eat today, and where we will eat today. Any worthy King's student that studies on the Strand campus knows there's only one answer – Pret a Manger. We are surrounded by them, we can't help but watch our money fly into their cashiers. However, with the wide variety of Prets available by the Strand campus, we went out to hunt down the ultimate Pret for your lunch.

We have evaluated the six nearest Prets to the Strand, Bush House and Holborn campus, from stock to business of the store, to location and proximity to lectures. Let this guide decide for you where you're going to pick up grub today.

1. Strand Pret

182 Strand, London WC2R 1EA

182 Strand, London WC2R 1EA

We being begin our journey with the Strand Pret. Due to the proximity to the Strand campus, this Pret begs to gain the title of the Ultimate Pret. But what's that we see outside? A construction site? Takes away from the sophistication of Pret and even the cute "We're still open" sign doesn't look as inviting. Due to how close this Pret is, during lunch hour, it's rush hour – so while you may only be thinking of popping in, you'll spend your whole break in the queue.

2. Fleet Street Pret

143 Fleet St, London EC4Y 1HY

143 Fleet St, London EC4Y 1HY

After our brief visit to Pret 1, we press on, to one of the biggest and busiest Prets – the Pret opposite The Royal Courts of Justice. This Pret is perfect for meet ups due to the partitions in the back that allow big groups to be separated from each other and remain perfectly cozy. The sofa booths are also rather comfortable. But because of how busy this Pret is, there's hardly any room to sit down and food seems to be permanently "temporarily out of stock".

Spoilt by all the choice of foods (or lack thereof)

Spoilt by all the choice of foods (or lack thereof)

3. Fetter Lane Pret

110 Fetter Ln, London EC4A 1ES

110 Fetter Ln, London EC4A 1ES

If you don't get munchies when at the library, then this Pret isn't for you, but for those who's second house is the beautiful Maughan, this and the next Pret should be considered your life lines. This Pret is hardly ever busy and has plenty of seats both inside and out, but it does have plenty of men in suits. If you want to grab lunch with lawyers but awkwardly avoid them, stay at this Pret, if not – come along.

4. Chancery Lane Pret

This quaint little Pret, in a painted white building is suprisingly fairly large. This Pret is the perfect place to continue reading the book you got from the library if you're not ready to put it down. There's plenty of room and this Pret is hardly ever busy, the shelves are fully stocked and the heart eyes emoji has never been more fitting.

81 Chancery Ln, London WC2 1DD

81 Chancery Ln, London WC2 1DD

5. Waterloo Bridge Pret

135 Strand, London WC2R 1HH

135 Strand, London WC2R 1HH

The second closest Pret to Strand doesn't blow the common Pret goer away. In fact it's quite ordinary. The shelves are stocked but the queues are long. With no sitting areas, this Pret is more of a "Pay and Go" pret, not the most inviting of Prets – but at least the rounded outside is eye catching?

6. Actually on Strand Pret

421-, 418-422 Strand, London WC2R 0PS

421-, 418-422 Strand, London WC2R 0PS

The last Pret of our adventure feels like the most hipster of all the Prets, the queues are short, shelves fully stocked and the Pret feels more like a Starbucks than a Pret. The sitting however isn't the most comfortable – not to say that this Pret wasn't worth the trip though!

Overall, although not the closest, the best and most serene is the Chancery Lane Pret. It remains unmatched by it's other competitors, in both seating, food quality and people who go… although I'll be honest, I'm more of a Starbucks gal.