Being an epicenter of art, culture, history and food, London is one of those places no matter how many times you go there’s always something new to do. From the architecture to the cultural fusion of foods, London is one of my favorite places to always frequent. Having traveled here for business and leisure a lot, I have quite an extensive list of places to go and enjoy but I’ve tried to narrow it down to some of my most favorites.
CURRENCY: British Pound
HOW TO GET AROUND: Uber, Taxi & The Underground
London is a great visit anytime of the year, however in March through May the weather is nicer and warmer making it perfect for walking around the city. If you want to brave the cooler months it can be a nice time to see all the holiday lights and decor in the winter. I’ve gone during early fall and late winter and have experienced relatively nice weather.
WHERE TO STAY
Where do I begin?! London has quite a few ideal areas to stay depending on proximity to sightseeing and your trip itinerary. Hyde Park is pretty much a centralized spot in London, so I will being using that as the main point of reference for the areas to stay in. Another perk is that all these areas are walkable or a short Uber or taxi ride to main attractions.
- For business I’ve stayed in the Marylebone area which is to the North East of Hyde Park and along the outskirts of the popular high streets Oxford and Bond Streets.
- Directly to the east of Hyde Park is Mayfair area. Here you will find many upscale hotels directly in the center of main London and within close proximity to many shops and restaurants. If you like to be in the middle of all the action, here is where you’ll want to be and you will pay for it.
- For my leisure trips I like to stay just South of Hyde Park in South Kensington. I prefer it here as the area is a little more chic, quiet and less crowded. There are also plenty of eclectic restaurants and museums and it’s close to shopping in Knightsbridge, hello Harrods. Here, I stayed at the newly renovated 100 Queen’s Gate Hotel.
WHERE TO EAT
Ok, food, one of my favorite pastime’s besides shopping but I’ll get into that later! In the city there is a great mix of cultures that translate into some delicious fusion food options.
BOMBAY BRASSERIE
Bombay Brasserie brings you a taste of authentic Bombay right to London. I love Indian food so I was excited to try their extensive menu and it did not disappoint. I had Tawa Suwa Jhinga (herb grilled prawns), Patrani Macchi (lemon sole fish steamed in a banana leaf with spices, chili and coconut), Nilgiri Seekh (minced lamb kebabs), naan and steamed rice. The ambiance is very warm and low key so if you love Indian food or haven’t tried it, this would be a great place to try a variety of dishes.
SKETCH – THE PARLOR
Located in Mayfair, Sketch had been on my go-to list for while. Situated within a townhouse, Sketch consists of 5 artsy restaurants that stimulate your decor senses and food palate. For all the creatives, this is definitely the spot for all your instagram worthy pics!
- The Parlour – We had a quick lunch here for tea and comfort food. At night it turns into music and cocktails.
- The Gallery – Most in likely you’ve seen this pink restaurant all over instagram and you can dine here for afternoon tea or for dinner. I wanted to try them out this trip but didn’t get a chance, so I will try next time I’m back in town.
- The Lecture Room & Library – Securing 3 Michelin stars, here you can experience refined, fine-dining.
- The Glade – Decorated like an enchanted forests, diners can enjoy more fancy curated comfort food.
- East Bar & Pods – This imaginative bar is set within a spaceship globe and offers quirky cocktails and loos (the bathroom) are located in individual pods.
Fish and Chips
NANDO’S
We heard that Nando’s was a popular spot and decided to give it try at the South Kensington location. Nando’s has an Afro-Portuguese menu and are known for their flame-grilled peri-peri chicken with a South African spiced peri-peri sauce that you can choose from mild to as spicy as you can handle. I can see how it is one of those easily enjoyable places you keep going back to because it’s consistent with good food. This was clearly proven by the constant crowd that formed throughout our entire time there.
PATARA
Patara has quite a few locations throughout London and on the eastern side of the world. The fine Thai dining restaurant has a very relaxed environment and a great selection of traditional dishes. I had vegetable spring rolls, king prawn & chicken satay, vegetable red curry with noodles and calamari & shrimp fried rice. Everything was delicious.
SELFRIDGES
If you are spending a little time in Selfridges shopping and need a refuel, they have a number of really cute restaurants and cocktail bars. If you’re looking for some instagram worthy spots, I highly recommend the Aubaine french bistro, the EL&N Café with artisanal lattes and the Veuve Clicquot Champagne Bar with exclusive cocktails.
TREVI TIRAMISU
We had a major sweet tooth one night after dinner and Trevi Tiramisu was the only spot open and within a short walk near our hotel. They have an extensive list of pastries and coffees. We had a hazelnut and mascarpone tiramisu and a pistachio & chocolate chip cannoli along with some cappuccino’s to top it off.
Additional eateries to check out:
- Chiltren Firehouse – fine dining with an American flare; try the crab donuts.
- The Berkeley London hotel – for afternoon tea; all my fashion nerds order the Prêt-À-Portea where all pastries are current season haute couture themed works of art.
- Hakkasan – Cantonese cuisine; crispy duck salad, that is all.
- Novikov Restaurant & Bar – Asian & Italian cuisine
WHAT TO DO
ATTRACTIONS
There are many sights to see in London and luckily most are clustered together and are in great walking distance to each other or a short taxi/Uber ride away. These are the most popular to see to get in some historic architecture and locations.
Some other things to see and do:
- Hyde Park
- London Eye
- Victoria & Albert Museum – A lot of fashion design exhibits
- Tate Museum – See the Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrored Rooms until 9 May 2021
- Trafalgar Square
- The colorful townhouses of Notting Hill and if you’re there in August and up for some fun and dancing, you can catch the 2-day Caribbean Carnival
SHOPPING
OXFORD STREET / REGENT STREET / BOND STREET
Now on to my specialty; shopping. Here you have the most popular shopping areas. Regent St. stems off of Oxford St and along these streets you will find a bunch of your popular high street shops from Zara, Topshop, River Island, COS, Burberry, etc and Selfridges department store. Venturing on to Bond St you can find all the designer shops such as Gucci, Chanel, Hermès, Dior and Louis Vuitton. If you want to splurge on something fancy that you can’t find or is sold out in the US, (trust me, you’d be surprised how many sought after items are right in-store in Europe) here is where you’ll want to shop for it.
HARRODS
Heading south into the posh Knightsbridge area, you have Harrods. Making it’s mark as a top premium shopping destination, Harrods stands as more than just a department store, but a complete lifestyle. I can literally spend the entire day in here and make sure it’s a stop every time I’m here.
Within Harrods, aside from housing over 5,000 international fashion brands they boast some really iconic departments. On the ground floor you can find the ultimate Food Hall containing luxury pastries, breads, candies, coffee, fish and meats. In the tea shop, I like to stock up on my favorite gourmet teas to bring back and they make great gifts for friends or family. If you get hungry, throughout the store you can find 21 different varieties of eateries including sushi, Mediterranean, Pan-Asian, caviar and the Tiffany’s Blue Box Café just to name a few.
On the 5th floor, my favorite floor, you can whisk yourself away inside the marble lined “Shoe Heaven” exhibiting some 55 of the worlds best designer shoe brands. It truly is heaven.
Aside from fashion and food, you can find some specialties such as a Moroccan spa, hair salon, pharmacy, bookstore, fine bedding etc; literally everything their clientele needs. At the gift shop you can purchase souvenirs and gab an iconic green shopping bag and be sure to check out the Egyptian escalators. The entire store is outlined by thousands of lights at night which is also really pretty to see.
Other great shopping areas:
- Saville Row – Bespoke tailoring for men
- Harvey Nichols – A upscale department store with cafe’s and restaurants
- Selfridges & Co.
- Portobello Road Market – great for vintage shopping and antiques
- Remember just by going out, walking around and exploring you can find some really great local boutiques and shops as well.
When internationally shopping, don’t forget to get your VAT refund form, especially at high-end shops. This form allows you to get your taxes back that were paid while shopping during your trip. Sometimes the cashier can supply you with the form or if you’re in a department store they will have a Client Services area to have your receipts validated there or at the airport. Be sure to check with your Sales Associate for specific details.
London is full of great food, fashion and architecture that always makes a trip here worthwhile. I’m sure I’ll be trying new places and things to do to keep updated in the future. Who knows, maybe I could live here one day! If you’re planning a trip to London or have some suggestions or comments let me know below!
-B