London
Oh London, thank you for being home for so many months. This city is really one of the most unique in the world. To me, it is a huge and diverse city filled with exciting happenings, busy people, constant cars and buses, opportunities for every type, and something new around every corner.
Do
When people ask me "What did you do last weekend" the answer is almost always walking or biking the areas surrounding home. We love to just explore and see what we see. Some of our favorite areas to visit:
Regents Canal, walk all the way from Camden to Victoria Park, but our most visited is Angel to Broadway Market
Brick Lane, this street and surround area is filled with the grungy east London character, it also usually has a variety of street markets including food, flea markets, and vintage shops
Exmouth Market, cute walking street with plenty to enjoy
Hackney City Farm, visit the farm animals and walk the community gardens
Broadway Market, a very common destination for us, one of our favorites
Columbia Road, whether its market day or not I love the little shops that line this old London street
Notting Hill, explore the curved streets in the fancy neighborhoods of Notting Hill
Other nice areas to explore are Shoreditch High Street, Kensington, Portobello Road and Marylebone, Chelsea
Markets. Go to all the markets. One of my favorite things about London is how much is going on all the time. There are the regular markets (those you can probably look up online and know when to expect them), and there are the pop up markets which I wouldn't even be able to tell you how to find other than to wander around the city on a sunny weekend day. Be sure not to miss Spitalfields, Borough Market (visit when hungry), Whitecross Market (weekday lunches of every flavor), Columbia Road Flower Market (Sunday mornings - my absolute favorite, recommend to go early and avoid the crowd, visit multiple times to see how the selection of flowers changes over the seasons), Broadway Market (lively, boozy Saturday afternoons).
Parks. London is filled with parks and one can spend a whole day enjoying them - basking in the sun with wine on a nice day, enjoying a picnic, biking , or the occasional run. Our favorite parks are Victoria Park for biking and running, Regents Park for flowers, Holland Park for afternoon strolls, London Fields for hanging with friends, Haggerston Park for seeing the farm animals, Saint Dunstan in the East for a peaceful garden moment, Kensington Palace Green for some royal feels and Shoreditch Park for morning workouts.
Museums. London is filled with them! My favorites are the Churchill War Rooms (take a trip back in time World War II), Design Museum (the building and the free exhibits are perfect for a chilly day), Geffrye Museum (London homes and gardens through the ages - this place also has an amazing courtyard to enjoy some hard to find quiet in London), Tate Modern (both the art and the building), British Museum (it is massive, so pick an area or some highlights to visit), Wellcome Collection (unusual museum that was exhibiting how design impacts medicine when I visited) and the V&A museum (check out the visiting exhibits, we saw Balenciaga). There are also the classic London sites, which should be viewed at least from afar, especially Saint Pauls Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.
See. Of course there is lots to see in London, including plays! We saw Book of Mormon, Aladdin and Fantastic Mr. Fox. All make for a great evening out on the town.
Food
There are just so many. And I could go on for a long time about all the different places we tried and why some were tastier, or trendier, or more exciting than others. However, for all of our sake I think the easiest thing is to just list it out, so here we go.
The regulars and favorites:
Towpath Cafe - hands down my favorite spot in London, it's a small, mostly outdoor cafe (a few tables, coffee bar, small kitchen) on Regent's Canal serving home style dishes using local products. I love to go here in the mornings for breakfast and sit outside in the sun, watch busy life go by and read or paint. Get a flat white, a spiced cake and any of the egg dishes. The menu is always changing and the food is always delicious.
Padella - handmade delicious pasta at a simple and enjoyable restaurant. New favorite types of pasta by Padella are Pici and Straci. The simple dishes are almost the best - cacio e pepe is my favorite. Definitely order about two dishes per person, you won't regret it
Nanashi - favorite Sushi restaurant, especially the salmon sushi burger. Also go for lunch for the lunch special
Dishoom - indian restaurant serving bottomless chai and breakfast egg and bacon naan rolls, enough said
Leila's Shop - grocery store that serves simple breakfasts, grab a table outside after the flower market and order the pan eggs with toast
Ottolenghi - try food from the famous Ottolenghi cookbooks. There are a few locations in London, but I always go to the Islington one, good for cakes (the window display will make you cry of happiness), lunch of various salads and unique breakfast options
Ozone - super trendy coffee shop that serves delicious breakfast and is admittedly obsessed with avocado (toast)
Jamie Oliver's 15 - unusual, delicious upscale dining close to home, it's a great place to spend a cosy evening in the cold winter months
Prufrock - coffee shop that serves fresh and delicious breakfasts (think kale pesto with parm and eggs, yes please)
Rok - cosy scandanavian restaurant serving unique flavors, one of my favorite dinners we had in London
Popolo - small Spanish restaurant with a great waitstaff and even better tapas to share, burrata with figs and walnuts, raviolis, fried olives and garbanzo, and so on
East London Juice Co - edgy and magical hole in the wall service juice, smoothies and other elixirs
The Grind - before work coffee shop with locations on Old Street and Exmouth Market
Beigel Bake - salt beef bagel 24/7, yes please
Brunswick East - cafe tucked away in a quiet courtyard that serves delicious bagels, smoothies and other treats, good place to sit in the sun with a friend (or sister!)
Frizzante - rustic cafe on Hackney City farm, visit for lunch or a Thursday evening full dinner menu with live music outside. The menu is based on local produce and is delicious
Clove Club - old club house serving fancy food. I would recommend an unusual cocktail and the bar menu to try a few things. Be sure to check out the house cured meats as you walk in the door. Very classy and enjoyable evening.
Jar Kitchen - this is the best place for a pre-theater dinner menu, go for the three course and a carafe of wine before a show. Laid back and trendy place to enjoy
Polpetto - another tapas bar tucked away in the busy part of town, enjoy a unique cocktail and some snacks to take a break from the crowds
Tayyabs - one of the favorites in London, especially to try with visitors, it is a lively and authentic BYOB Pakistani restaurant, be prepared to wait but the line moves quick
The Great Chase - stop in for brunch and a rare tea or coffee, small place with a comfortable feel
Others to try:
Lantana - a morning breakfast stop and evening wine bar, simple food with good vibes
TWIGS - plant shop and cafe which is just adorable, covered and plants and serves rice waffles with eggs
Jimmy & the Bee - neighborhood cafe thats good for a hang or quick stop by, my favorite is the avocado toast with poached eggs, kouign amann and smoothies
Apres Food - healthy comfort food in the cutest little restaurant, my favorite was breakfast (not surprising)
Kipferl - an Austrian place that serves unique breakfasts on Camden passage
La Bouche - upscale grocery store that sells all sorts of breakfast treats, great place to sit outside in the morning and watch life go by with an egg dish and coffee
Flatiron - this place only serves steak, a variety of sauces and sides. Great if you're in that mood
Cay Tre - favorite Vietnamese place for Pho
The Duke of Cambridge - old pub turned restaurant serving organic food and drink, good place for east London vibes in my opinion
Ceviche - you guessed it, they serve ceviche, and it's delicious
8 Hoxton Square - simple and delicious brunch tucked back on the peaceful Hoxton square, sit outside and definitely order the benedict
Long White Cloud - homemade ethically sourced breakfast menu, the place itself is nothing special but the food is delicious and they actually serve vegetables here which is a plus
Caravan - restaurant in Exmouth market that serves tapas from all over the world, nice place to sit outside in the area
Sardine - French restaurant close to home that serves early evening fixed menus for a weekday treat
Old Royd - unique small bites to share, small restaurant with upstairs seating in Angel
Angel Delicatessen - Italian place on one of my favorite streets in Islington, tables outback and simple Italian inspired meals
Granger & Co - another trendy (and usually busy) breakfast spot with a wide variety of healthy and glutenous options
Drink
Early of Essex, or what I will consider our local pub, has been one of my favorites from the beginning. It's good for a drink (drinks, let's be real) and Sunday Roast. The Blacksmith and the Toffee Maker is another nearby watering hole. Strongroom is always a go to after work in the summer. Sager + Wilde is a classy spot to enjoy a wine. Singer Tavern is a bar near work to spend some time unwinding, go downstairs for couches, cocktails and on point playlists. Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels Seven Dials is probably the cutest wine bar in the whole world, we spent an evening with a bottle of Rose after seeing a play and it was just perfect. Westland Coffee serves coffee in the mornings and wines with cheese plates in the evenings, casual place to have a glass and chat. And my now favorite wine bar, Humble Grape, works with smaller vineyards around the world to hand pick delicious wines, the place is trendy and serves a great appetizer too.
And if the interest of DRINK is coffee and not booze, try these places: MacIntyre Coffee, CoffeeWorks Project, Wild and Wood Coffee House, Ozone, Giddy Up Coffee, Nkora, Climpson and Sons Cafe, Pavillion Bakery (bread too!), Gata Oliva, Smug Cafe and so many more.
Cake...
...It's a fact that Max believes this warrants its own section. Afternoon tea is obviously a must when living, or probably even visiting here. We tried The Wolseley early in our stay, and also the Orangery in Kensington Gardens, which was even better. I honestly think there must be some special gene for the ability to effectively perform at afternoon tea. Everyone knows Max and I can eat a lot, but we just can't make it through the cakes and biscuits and champagne quite as well as the locals do! Don't get me wrong though - it's worth it, every single time. Also pick up a cake from Ozone, Gails (anything from the bakery is a win), Lantana, Kahaila, Ottolenghi, Nkora, and of course Towpath Cafe or really just anywhere because they are all delicious (especially the carrot cake).
Some other favorites
Spend a few hours at Artwords Bookshop on Columbia Road. It's a tiny corner bookshop with an unusual and entertaining selection
Stop by Libreria Bookshop for another unique collection of books
Walk the streets of the Seven Dials filled with shops, cafes, restaurants and lots of people to watch
Spend a day at Kew Gardens, the most amazing botanical gardens, green houses, walking paths and just collection of plants. Bring a picnic or stop for an afternoon tea in the park
Take a scenic boat ride to Greenwich and walk through the tree lined Greenwich Park. Of course take a photo at the observatory and Meridian, and then stop in Greenwich Market for a snack.
Wander down Kensington Palace Gardens Road and guess which massive embassy belongs to which country. Some are an easy guess (notice the flags) and others are mysterious.
Outside London
Sometimes its nice to catch a train out of London and see the other parts of this beautiful country. Brighton is a seaside resort town that I found to be overwhelming but if you like the beach, flashy things and ridiculous people watching then it is an experience. For some hiking we visited, the White Cliffs of Dover which was just amazing. Walk from the entrance to the lighthouse and the end and stop inside for tea and cakes (try the cheese scone for something savory). I would also highly recommend taking the tour into the World War I tunnels it is eye opening.
