8 top cooks share their go-to hangover dish

Ever wondered what culinary masters crave when battling a hangover? Read on to uncover their candid confessions, from sweet-salty coconut water to bacon and tamarind chutney sandwiches and pillowy flatbreads from the freezer.

See our collection of hangover recipes for recipe inspiration, plus our guides on how to cure a hangover and the best foods to eat before drinking.

Ceviche – Niklas Ekstedt

Niklas Peter Ekstedt is a Swedish Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur

After a long night, you don’t want anything heavy or greasy. You need acidity and freshness to wake your palate up. The lime juice and the raw fish are light, sharp and exactly what you need to reset.

Buttered flatbreads – Si King

Si King is a cook and broadcaster

Well, if you’re a bit squiffy, you don’t want to be bouncing around the kitchen. I’m not trying to put something complicated together. I buy flatbreads from a great shop in the West End of Newcastle called Premier. They’re made fresh every day and I always have them in the freezer, so I take one of those out, put them in a dry frying pan, heat them up, add lashings of butter and sometimes peanut butter and Marmite, roll them up and shove them in my face. Definitely my go-to hangover food.

Ramen – Tamar Adler

Tamar Adler is a chef, writer and author

It’s true that my top three hangover dishes are ramen, ramen, and ramen. It’s also true that this can be ramen in any form – from a square of noodles with a flavour packet to a really great, restaurant style one. But if I had to add a fourth dish, it would be Luosifen, which I’ve only ever had from a packet. They’re rice noodles in snail broth, and they’re deeply curative.

A full-on fry up – Matt Adlard

Matt Adlard is a pastry chef and bestselling author

You might not believe me but I’ve eaten scrambled eggs on toast everyday for breakfast, for the past 18 years. It’s my go to. My youthful drinking days are definitely behind me so two cosmos and I’m feeling it the next morning. But if I’m a bit worse for wear after a drink, I level up my daily eggs into a full-on fry up. Sausages, bacon, beans, fried mushrooms, fried tomatoes, fried eggs, hash browns and lots (!) of heavily buttered white toast.

Ful medammas – Jad Youssef

Jaf Youssef is a Lebanese chef, restaurateur and author of Lebnani

When I’m feeling rough, I make a ful medammas, slow-cooked fava beans with garlic, lemon and olive oil. It’s messy, hearty and somehow feels like the kind of meal your body actually thanks you for.

Three-cheese toastie (and a full-fat cake) – Alice Shields

Alice Shields is Good Food’s food editor and test kitchen manager

If I’m ever suffering from a pounding headache, I know only a cheese toastie will cure it (well, that and a can of full-fat coke). It has to be punchy, which is why I love this three-cheese toastie, as it’s packed full of sharp Cheddar, creamy red Leicester and tangy farmhouse blue. Ketchup on the side for dipping is a must, too.

Bacon sarnie with tamarind chutney – Gurdeep Loyal

Gurdeep Loyal is an award-winning food and travel writer

A well-done bacon sandwich with tamarind chutney. It always has to be with good thick-cut smoked bacon, which contrasts deliciously with the tropically tart tamarind. Great with bread, even better sandwiched between a frozen paratha.

Coconut water mixed with honey and a pinch of salt – Ranie Saidi

Ranie Saidi is a London-based recipe developer

My go to hangover fix is coconut water mixed with honey and a pinch of salt. Coconut water helps rehydrate you, honey gives you that natural fructose boost and the antioxidants help your body break down the leftover alcohol toxins a little faster. The salt helps replace lost electrolytes too, so you don’t feel as flat and miserable the next day.

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