London - name a more iconic city.
I’ve always been a little intimidated to tackle this city as a tourist because it just seems like there are endless things to do and see. It’s how I imagine people feel about coming to NYC. It’s not something that’s easy to experience in just a short stay.
That intimidation was why I happily took the passenger seat during a recent trip with my friends - letting them set the itinerary, make the reservations, choose the Airbnb, etc. It was really wonderful to be along for the ride and Abby did a phenomenal job making sure we got the full London experience in just 4 days.
What do I consider the full “London Experience?” Well -
Harry Potter
No trip to London would be complete without a little magic. The “Tour for Muggles” that Bertha found has wildly high ratings on almost every website - Yelp, Timeout, TripAdvisor, etc.
One of the reasons I loved it was because it wasn’t only Harry Potter specific. You learned a good amount about the city in general. There was a fair amount of walking, one ride on the tube and it lasted about 2.5 hours in total.
We got to stop at the inspiration for some quintessential Harry Potter locales - Knockturn Alley, Diagon Alley, Ministry of Magic, The Leaky Cauldron, Azkaban and more .
It was a good mix of actual filming locations and the places that inspired things in the books and films. I loved seeing the Millennium Bridge (“Wobbly Bridge”) and hearing the story of Sir Frances Drake, a 16th Century pirate whose Golden Hind replica served as the inspiration for Durmstrang’s ship in The Goblet of Fire.
Just note that this tour doesn’t stop at Platform 9 3/4 - next time I’m in London I’d like to go and take that iconic, dorky picture!
2. Walking Around London-Town
In the Rain
When it started raining at the end of our walking tour, my first instinct was to be annoyed. I was wet, chilly and a little hungry. I tried to channel my crankiness into “it’s London, it’s supposed to be drizzly and gray! This is the full London experience!”
It worked, a little.
Mostly, during this time I was comforted to see that people in London are just as rude on the sidewalks as people in NYC. Just sayin’
Phone Booths
Another charmingly British thing about walking around London were the phone booths - thought we never did get around to a photo-shoot in one. Nonetheless, we appreciated them every time we passed one.
Flowerful Doors
One of my favorite things to take pictures of during the trip were all the doors covered in gorgeous flowers. They made the streets seem so springy and happy despite the fact that it was November.
adorable flats
So many streets with gorgeous, symmetrical flats all lined up in a perfect row. They were endlessly appealing. Especially when we found a street full of colorful ones!
Crazy Streets
My last note on walking around London - WE WERE SO SCARED TO CROSS THE STREET! Those Double-decker buses whipping around corners were absolutely terrifying (did you know the Knight Bus in Harry Potter was TWO double-decker buses stacked on top of each other?!) and we never seemed to figure out which way we should be looking before crossing the street. Eventually, we just started looking both ways to be safe.
On our last night we took a taxi home just for the novelty of driving on the opposite side of the road!
3. The Tube
By the end of our trip, it was still fun to say “the tube,” and I was still giggling every time we came to the Cockfosters stop.
I was also still singing every time we passed Waterloo Station.
Other than one disastrous journey and the world’s longest transfer - it was fairly easy to use the tube- though the lack of direction when the trains got messed up was another similarity to NYC as were the crowded rush hour cars.
4. History
I didn’t want to spend all of our time in London walking around museums, but I do try to get in something educational on every trip. I had read a ton of good things about the Churchill War Rooms and I’m really glad that we decided to go.
It was really interesting walking around the actual underground world that existed below the streets of London where Churchill and his advisers worked during World War II.
The portion of the museum where you walk through the war rooms was fascinating, but the museum afterwards that focused on the entirety of Churchill’s life was a little less captivating.
5. Afternoon Tea!
No trip to London would have been complete without an afternoon tea! We chose to do ours at the affordable Ham Yard Hotel.
There are million articles out there listing the “best” afternoon teas in London, but we went with a recommendation from a friend and where she does tea when she’s home. While places like The Ritz and Fortnum & Mason can cost more than $76 - the afternoon tea at Ham Yard came it at a much more affordable $30.
The space was beautiful, the tea was tasty and the scones with clotted cream were…there are no words. One of the best culinary experiences of my life was spreading clotted cream and homemade passionfruit and apricot jam on a warm scone in London at afternoon tea.
(Second only to scarfing down pierogies at 7 am for breakfast in Poland!)
The rest of the food was great as well, fluffy little sandwiches and bite-sized desserts served in a tower that just screamed “TEA PARTY!”
We thoroughly enjoyed this experience and sat long after we’d finished eating, sipping our tea and warming up/drying off after our walk through the London rain.
6. Eating Around the World
While London hasn’t always been known as a culinary destination, in recent years a number of incredible restaurants have opened. Similar to New York, London is a city with people from all of the world - and you can eat food from all of the world here as well.
The saddest part was that with only 4 full days, we only had 8-10 meals we could realistically eat out.
Our favorites were:
dishoom
This was the main event. We worked out, walked around and really got ourselves nice and hungry before our late lunch at Dishoom - what has become an incredibly well-known Indian restaurant with four locations throughout London (we ate at the Covent Garden location).
Chai
We started our meal with heavenly chai tea that was an all-you-can-drink, keep filling up your cup situation that was seriously dangerous (dangerous in the sense that I could have filled up entirely on chai tea!) It was so smooth with a nice little peppery punch at the end.
Bhel
First dish out was “Bhel” - described on the menu as “cold and crunchy, light and lovely.” And that it was. It was a delightful spoonful of flavors- with puffed rice, pomegranate, tomato, onion, lime, tamarind and mint.
House Black Daal
This seemed like a must-order, described as a Dishoom classic dish. It was the perfect dish to scoop up in the warm naan and roti (because yes, you should order both forms of bread. Duh.)
Chilli Broccoli Salad
YUM. My favorite part about these dishes were how many bright, fresh herbs and spices and flavors there were. So much happening in my mouth.
Dishoom Slaw
“Fresh, feisty, crunch” - an apt description of this side dish of shredded veggies, raisins, mint and honey.
Chicken Ruby
This was my favorite of the main dishes - I couldn’t get over how tender the chicken was swimming in a rich and creamy curry that was again pure perfection on roti and naan.
Paneer Pineapple Tikke
WOWOW paneer, you are a dreamy dish indeed. I could eat you forever.
Basmati Kheer
The number one rule of vacation is that you must always order dessert. This was a rice pudding with hints of coconut and cardamom (my flavor of the moment) and a blueberry compote.
This meal was exceptional - so many flavors weaved together and I only wish that my stomach had had more room to order more dishes. As it was, this was our only real meal of the day.
borough market
This outdoor market has operated in London for 1,000 years. Yeah, you read that right. America is over here less than 250 years old and London has a market that’s been selling produce since 990. I can’t even really wrap my head around that.
Now, Borough Market is a cross between La Mercado in Barcelona and Chelsea Market in NYC. There’s a good mix of stalls selling fresh ingredients while others sell prepared and ready to eat fare like paella, baked goods, sandwiches, pad thai and much more.
On our walking tour we found out that all of the vendors here use ingredients purchased from other vendors to make their food! I loved that concept of them all working together to keep the market going.
We wandered around the market when it was first opening in the morning but couldn’t stay long because we had to get to our Harry Potter walking tour. After perusing the different stalls, we decided to try the thai coconut rice pancakes at Khanom Krok and oh my word were they good! They were sweet, but not overly, and they had the crispiest crunchiest outside layer before a creamy center. I still think about them longingly from time to time…
Shockingly, Bertha and I passed on the donuts from Bread Ahead, but they’re apparently very good. If I’m ever back in London, I would love to take one of their cooking classes.
the palomar
The Palomar was trendy and packed when we showed up - and it’s a miracle that our small corner table held all of the dishes we ordered!
It was impossible not to be enjoy a meal in such a buzzy, beautiful restaurant.
The three of us are no strangers to eating Israeli/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern small plates together - it’s kind of our thing. So The Palomar’s Jerusalem-inspired menu was filled with our favorite things.
Including labneh (served here as a beet-infused spread), m’sabacha, handmade puffy pitas, glazed octopus and kubaneh bread served with silky tahini and tomato (again - both forms of carbs are always needed).
harrods food hall
No trip to London would be complete without a stroll through the aisles of Harrods. Though we couldn’t afford the couture gowns and outrageously priced perfumes, we did were elated to find the plethora or free samples and delicious finds in the food hall!
One of my favorite parts were the rows upon rows of dates stuffed with all different fillings. It was incredible!
honey and co.
Upon landing and getting to the Airbnb, I quickly changed and headed back out the door for our first meal. Abby had made a reservation at Honey and Co., another restaurant featuring food from the Middle East.
Perusing the menu, we found ourselves distracted and salivating over the counter full of baked goods and cakes. It’s no wonder - Honey and Co. is the project of Ottolenghi’s former pastry chef Sarit Packer and husband Itamar Srulovich.
We started with the labneh - that’s never a question. It was served with the most colorful array of veggies and herbs.
Our Mudfunia main, though not colorful, was full of flavors - chicken tagine with fragrant chestnuts and topped with crispy kadaif that lent a subtle sweetness to the dish. The side salad overflowed with plump fresh figs.
Dessert was a slice of the most gorgeous cherry, pistachio and coconut cake which paired perfectly with a thick Turkish coffee spiced with cardamom. We didn’t know when we ordered that we were choosing one Honey and Co.’s original cake!
farm girl chelsea
We stayed in the Chelsea neighborhood during our visit, and everyone who heard this had the same reaction: “So posh!”
Chelsea’s posh aesthetic was on full display at Farm Girl, where we ate brunch one morning. Though the food wasn’t anything to write home about, the menu was full of healthy ingredients and buzzwords - there’s fancy lattes (activated charcoal, turmeric, CBD and more - though I stuck with a Chai), avocado toast, things served in bowls and fluffy pancakes perfect for photographing.
Though reviews aren’t great, we enjoyed the meal in a pretty space.
I needed to link to that review for some excellent lines like, “At the bottom is a “cashew aioli”, which is the kind of discharge you get when you torture nuts.” Give it a read if you want a laugh. But know we weren’t offended by anything we ate at Farm Girl!
7. Singing in a Pub with Rowdy English Boys
This is on everyone’s London Bucket List, right?
Wednesday and Saturday nights at Norman’s Coach & Horses turns into a sign along where patrons are handed lyrics to traditional British songs and invited to join the pianist and singer/tambourine man.
We had a blast and befriending a group of local lads - friends since elementary school and out for their monthly pub night. At one point they booked a trip years-in-the-making and their excitement results in us all screaming and a chair being lifted into the air. No one else in the place batted an eye.
It was a grand old time, especially when Abby and I headed up to the piano to sing The Shirelles’ “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “You’re The One That I Want” from Grease.
8. Strolling Through Hyde Park
As someone who spends a large amount of time in New York’s Central Park, it’s hard for an urban park to impress me.
Hyde Park was beautiful! We loved walking around before our lunch at Dishoom. I finally understand what it’s like for tourists in NYC to see a chipmunk in the park and get excited - I thought it was insane when we saw a little fox running across the path!
I fell in love with this tree that we passed, which is apparently known as “The Upside Down Tree.” It was magical! It’s here if you want to go visit it!
9. Shoreditch in the Afternoon
If T-Swift writes about it in a song - it’s gotta be something you should do.
We headed to Shoreditch to explore what’s known as a trendy and eclectic neighborhood. We scoped out some vintage and design stores, looked at the street art, and eventually stopped by Cereal Killer Cafe for a peek inside the 90’s-inspired restaurant that serves all cereal all day.
It was awesome.
There was Spice Girls wallpaper, framed TY Beanie Babies, Trolls Dolls and any other relic of the 90s you can think of.
We weren’t particularly hungry, but I really wanted to try something, so we made a concoction of sugary nostalgia and snacked on ranch-coated Cheerios.
Immediately following our mid-day sugar rush, we walked into the Dark Sugars Cocoa House and emerged 20 minutes later in a full-on sugar-coma.
The two guys working the shop were like Italian grandmas who push another helping of chicken parm on you. Except that these guys were handing us cups full of rich hot chocolate, entire truffles, and pieces of dark chocolate while music bumped and they told us the story of coming from South Africa to work in the Brick Lane shop.
I left with a build-your-own-box of beautiful chocolates and truffles for my Grandma. If you’re not lucky enough to visit the shop, you can order from them online!
10. Hang out with Ed Sheeran at the Pub
Maybe a slight exaggeration, but it’s my blog, so I’m allowed to use creative license.
All week, we talked about what would happen if we were eating at Ed Sheeran’s new bar/restaurant Bertie Blossoms and he walked in.
Would we ask for pictures? Would we play it cool? What would you say if you could say one sentence to Ed?
After the tube had a meltdown on our journey from Shoreditch to the Notting Hill restaurant, we felt we were due for some good luck. Especially because we had helped an incredibly pregnant women navigate the mile-long transfer through Paddington Station.
We walked into the small, but cute pub and were seated at a both next to the bar. We loved our little corgi lamp and got to business ordering a bunch of dishes to split (wild mushroom risotto, lamb meatballs, artichokes and a flatbread).
The real highlight were the snowlobe-sized glasses filled with the most incredible gin and tonics that I’m still thinking about months later. Grapefruit and juniper, mint and elderflower, rosemary and lemon - these herby cocktails really hit the spot.
At some point we realized that the people at the bar seemed flustered. The 5 people that had been there seemed to be talking in hushed voices about something. Nicer chairs were brought to the bar and a table setting was put out. They were checking their phones a lot. They were talking about someone potentially sitting upstairs. Our ears perked up and the three of us went straight to the obvious conclusion - Ed Sheeran was about to come into Bertie Blossoms for dinner.
We picked up our conversation about what we would do if presented with a living, breathing, Ed Sheeran in the flesh in the same room as us and I was getting more and more flustered.
We settled in for more gin and tonics - we were committed to seeing this through. If if it was a big old nobody that walked into the restaurant.
Our gin-drinking and patience and slight-craziness paid off and ED SHEERAN WALKED IN.
There were probably about 8 people in the restaurant total, but I still chickened out when it came to asking for a picture. He just looked like such a normal, chill guy with his little black backpack and he was RIGHT THERE in front of me.
Sadly, after a few minutes he went upstairs to eat/drink with friends and we never saw him again. But we stayed until well past closing talking to the waitstaff and soaking in what had just happened. It was apparently the first time he’d come since opening night!
FATE. And all I have is a picture of this corgi lamp.
11. Take In the Sights
What trip is complete without a scenic overlook? In London, we chose a free trip to the observation level at the Tate Modern museum.
Entry is free, though some exhibits and areas of the museum require paid tickets. After checking out the views at the top, we walked around some of the free areas… modern and contemporary art is my favorite art!
Other places around London recommended for good views are:
One Tree Hill (Free)
Sky Garden (Free, but need a reservation)
The London Eye (£27-£44)
One New Change Rooftop (Free)
The Shard (£30)
ArcelorMittal Orbit (Slide Down! £11-22)
12. The Rest…
Other highlights from our trip included a walk through the beautiful Daunt Books
A workout at the local F45
Walking through Paddington Station and snapping a picture with the cute little bear statue
And playing board games at Draughts Board Game Cafe. Our favorite was Colorbrain Disney where we answered trivia questions like, “What color is the jewel in Jasmine’s headband?” We are almost 30 years old, I swear.
I particularly loved walking through the Leake Street Tunnel and seeing all of the graffiti art - when we were there, there were multiple groups in the middle of painting!
Sipping wine in a hidden little alleyway at Gordon’s Wine Bar was a nice way to kill some time before a nearby dinner reservation. The heat lamps helped, but it would have been more enjoyable in the summer - and with less smokers!
I was completely charmed by London - it really did have a magical feel to it. The most enjoyable part was not having a ton of expectations and just going with the flow - there was no pressure to do every touristy thing or to leave feeling super educated on British history - we just wandered and ate and checked off the top few things on everyone’s list.
It’s a city you can keep going back to without ever running out of things to do or places to see and as a New Yorker, I felt very at ease with the big city feel. Everything is pretty and has so much history! I could just walk around forever. And we really lucked out with pleasant late-fall weather with a touch of Christmas in the air.
Have a favorite place in London? Let me know in the comments!
And let me know if you got the title reference…
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