Where do I begin when I talk about London? It is a place that is very dear to me. When I was
six years old, my dad announced we would be moving there so he could work at the U.S. Embassy in Grosvenor Square. To a girl from a small town in Maryland, I had never been exposed to so much culture. London is a very international city and it assaults the senses. There are the ancient ruins of the old Roman settlement that you just might see when you are visiting the Tower of London. Or there are the curry houses on Brick Lane, the historic bookstores, and the pomp and circumstance associated with tradition which oozes from every corner.
For me though, London has a deeper personal reason for being a place that I hold as very special. My dad, Ken, began traveling there for work in the early 1960s. He had exotic trips for work to Japan, India, Korea, the Philippines and countless other destinations, but London was his favorite place. He looked for ways to get back there many times and from what I heard, worked hard to get the plum posting. It has become even more dear to me because in 2019 my dad passed away. All of my wonderful memories of getting hamburgers at the original Hard Rock Café on Park Lane, eating the peanut salad at the Granary in Mayfair, or going for cannoli on Greek Street, can be traced back to the happy years when we lived there and my dad was healthy and vibrant.
What I love most about this amazing city are the neighborhoods. And for me, Hampstead, Primrose Hill and Marylebone are top of my list. I love wandering in these places. The smile never leaves my face, possibly because of happy memories, but also because these quaint and beautiful places are so unique and charming. The Hampstead Heath is wild and wonderful. It’s not as manicured as the other London parks and I literally could spend all week in it reading my books and sitting in the sun (if the rain gods are kind). Primrose Hill is a high point where historically pagans and druids visit on summer solstice. And Marylebone has a gorgeous high street, with some of the most coveted shops and boutiques in the entire city. This is the area where we lived. Where I had my communion, and my sister attended St. Vincent’s. Where I learned how to roller skate with my friend Lynn and was taught French by a girl my age who had just moved from Brussels.
I try to get there every few years and fortunately went on a trip by myself before things became too challenging in terms of travel, and simply spent the days wandering around to my old haunts. It is the place I feel safest in the world, but it’s very far from the people I love, so I visit and that’s what I enjoy best.
Special Things
I really can’t write about London without sharing some of my absolute favorite things in the world, which hold true to this day:
Soft Ice Cream with Flake Bar – if you see a truck near a park when you are in London, stop and order one of these stat. Flake, made by Cadbury, is a right mess, but the whole experience of the flaky milk chocolate with the soft vanilla is sublime.
Waitrose – I can’t express enough how much I love this grocery store and wish I could visit it every day. The last time I was in one, Jeremy Irons of all people was standing in line next to me. If we had take away items like the ones they sell here, I wouldn’t cook (as much!)
Scotch Eggs – there are places around London, where you can find the most amazing variety of scotch eggs and I highly recommend going and trying them. Broadway Market and Borough are two places where you will find them, and I hope you thank me later!
Sausage Rolls – sometimes in a pub you will see these on the counter, and I implore you to order one and try the flaky delicious pastry that surrounds the sausage with a pint of beer. To me this is shear delight and I love it.
Maldon Salt – for those who have not yet been initiated, this is the best salt in the world. It has large flakes that I use in just about everything. When I run out, it is like the world has ended. I have tried just about every salt out there and there is nothing that comes even close. Try it on a soft-boiled egg or steak and see what I am talking about.
Real Cadbury – the sweetness and creaminess ratio in a real Cadbury bar is something that cannot be expressed unless you try it. And I can tell immediately when it has been made in America and when it is “off.” Don’t get me wrong, I am still a nut for Reese’s and Almond Joy bars, but when I taste Hershey’s, it tastes bitter to me. I’ve been spoiled for years on Cadbury. The second I arrive in the UK, the very first thing I do is hit the candy store. And I’ve created monsters since my kids love them too!
Pimm’s Cup – On a warm summer day, one of my favorite things to do is to sit outside at a lovely pub (I’m thinking the Spaniard Inn) and enjoy a Pimm’s cup cocktail. It’s a blend of mid-proof spirit with lemon, ginger and fruits including cucumber and there is nothing more refreshing. My husband John was appalled when I insisted on ordering one at Heathrow on a layover. The bartender was excited and said no one ever ordered them and was proud of his concoction. And why not? It’s one of the most delightful drinks around. I personally like mine with the British sparkling lemonade, not Sprite.
Crisps – okay, I want it on record that our potato chips in the U.S. are getting better, but they still come in a distant second to me compared to UK crisps. The flavors are so fantastic – roast chicken, prawn, Worcestershire sauce. The one I go bananas for to this day though is plain old salt and vinegar. My mom always tells a story about Marks and Sparks (Marks and Spencer) and how she went to find the roast chicken flavored crisps only to be told they had to discontinue making them because they were “too popular.” They make them now thankfully and I’m so glad for it!
Restaurants
This is my very personal list of places I love and revisit when I am in town. It’s very eclectic, just like the city I love so much.
Lansdowne – this is probably one of my personal favorite pubs in all of London in my favorite neighborhood, Primrose Hill. My sister and I once rented a flat just so I could be right near it. Inside are long wooden tables in a huge bright dining room packed with locals. They have an excellent and affordably priced wine list along with delicious pizzas and other offerings. Their sticky toffee pudding is the stuff that dreams are made of in my humble opinion.
Honey & Co – On one of my recent trips I visited this tiny Middle Eastern spot on Warren Street in the shadow of the old Post Office Tower and ran into the owner on the street who mentioned that they had lost power, but he promised to take care of me and he and his lovely wife, who is an amazing cook certainly did. This is the kind of place that feels like you’re in someone’s home as there’s always lamb roasting in the oven, salads and tahini with everything and cheesecake for dessert. The couple who own the restaurant are warm and thoughtful in their approach to everything. For vegetarians, I highly recommend the aubergine with barbequed tahini and jeweled rice. It sounds odd, but it is amazing!
Dishoom – For those who love Indian food, this is one of those spots I wish we had in the U.S. There are a bunch of locations, but the one I love is in Granary Square at King’s Cross. The setting is romantic and reminiscent of a bygone area. The food is where Dishoom really shines, however. Start with the lamb samosas or the prawn koliwada. For your meal, try the bright colored chicken ruby, the muttar paneer or the gunpowder potatoes. If you have any room, be sure to order the jackfruit biryani. This is a fun, affordably priced spot that is very popular with Londoners.
Tayyabs – This restaurant often has long queues for a very good reason: affordable, and delicious food. It has set the standard for Punjabi food since it’s doors first opened in Whitechapel in 1972. This is home to one of the best, largest and cheapest mango lassis in all of London. And if you like lamb chops, you need to have them here. My sister and I dream about them, seriously. They are that good.
Fischer’s – a gorgeous Viennese café located right in the heart of Marylebone on the High Street, with a menu that runs from breakfast and lunch to tea and dinner. It reminded me of one of my trips to Vienna with my family, where my dad took us to Demel’s for kaffe mit schlog. I love the wiener schnitzel and the wurst. If you want to be transported to another place, I can’t recommend this jewel box of a café enough.
Halepi – my dad loved this Greek restaurant near Lancaster Gate and always made sure to visit it when he was in town. They offer an amazing array of grilled meats from lamb and chicken to quail. The meze is legendary and should be sampled by everyone.
La Fromagerie – have you ever walked into a restaurant and wished on the spot you owned it? This is one of those places. This spot is located off one of my favorite streets, Marylebone High Street. Admittedly, I love cheese and fortunately my sister and I have the same taste for what we call “stinky” cheeses. There is a small room where they keep the special items from France and the coast of England to name just a few spots where you can find amazing offerings. I highly recommend going for brunch and having eggs on sourdough toast, or for lunch, one of their savoury tarts or twice baked souffles.
Ottolenghi – a pilgrimage to this amazing communal café is a must for anyone visiting London. My personal favorite of his locations is in Islington, not far from the Angel tube stop. The process for ordering is unique and fun. You walk in and are immediately taken in by the displays of fabulous desserts, salads, and main courses. You want to try everything, but you narrow it down to a few items and add the pillowy meringues to go, because everyone must try them! My favorite items from my last visit included the green harissa chicken, roasted aubergine with tahini and preserved lemon and spiced cauliflower and chickpea falafel. For vegetarians, Ottolenghi is a master and turns vegetables into main courses that are the star attractions.
Golden Hind – as a child, one of my favorite things was unwrapping the newspaper wrapped around freshy fried fish piled on top of piping hot chips. I also loved batter fried sausage, to my mom’s complete disgust. To this day, if I am presented with a Cumberland sausage aka a traditional banger or a sausage roll, I am in heaven. This is not one of the many take away chippies that one finds around London. It’s an upmarket spot run by Greeks and Italians who know how to handle their fish in a classic somewhat fancy restaurant located off of Marylebone High Street. Whenever I come here, I make sure to order the mushy peas for the full experience and a pint of ale or a shandy.
Recommendations
1. See the famous sights like the Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and even Madame Tussauds if it is your first visit. But above all, check out the amazing FREE museums. The British Museum has one of the world’s finest collections of antiquities with more than 13 million artifacts from the ancient world. The Victoria and Albert Museum is a treasure with 145 galleries spanning some 5,000 years of art and related artifacts and the Imperial War Museum (located in the famous hospital known as Bedlam), is the world’s leading museum of war. It gives voice to the people forced to live their lives in a world torn apart by conflict. If you see any museum during your visit, I encourage you to go to this one for a profound and moving experience.
2. Go to the parks. London has some of the most stunning green spaces in the world. To this day, I still marvel over the many gorgeous varieties of flowers one can find in a London park. My personal favorite is Regent’s Park, since my flat overlooked it and it’s where I learned to ride a bike. This is where you will find the world’s oldest zoo (it’s where the term was coined!) and the Queen Mary Rose Garden, with its stunning array of flowers of all colors. It is a gorgeous space as it has some facades that were originally designed by John Nash, who created terraces and villas around the perimeter of the park. But don’t stop with just one. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are also lovely destinations. Hyde Park has the famous Serpentine, which is a wonderful place to rent a boat. I also love Kew Gardens, which is a bit of a hike out towards Richmond on the tube, but well worth it to see one of the world’s largest and most diverse botanical collections in the world. Another absolute favorite for me is Hampstead Heath where I once ran for gym class, as my school was a short distance away! The Heath’s Parliament Hill is one of the highest points in the city and it is a beautiful place to take a picnic on a warm sunny day.
3. Walk on the Regent’s Canal. This offers an oasis of calm in a thriving metropolis. It’s like stepping into a hidden world. You see a different side of life here. There are colorful narrowboats where people live year-round and you walk through some of the best neighborhoods the city has to offer from Little Venice and King’s Cross to Camden and Bow Wharf. It is quite narrow in a few places and you will encounter joggers and bikers, but it’s a pleasant walk that introduces you to another side of London largely unseen by tourists. I highly recommend a stop at the Towpath Café. It’s located in Haggerston Riviera on the Canal and has a great range of breakfast and brunch options along with alcoholic drinks. Try the cheese toastie, sort of a grilled cheese. You won’t be disappointed!
4. Visit the Markets. Of course, you have probably heard of Borough Market, one of the oldest and most celebrated markets in London. There has been a market on this site dating back to the 12th century. It’s steeped with history, but it is also an amazing place to visit with a wide array of foods from paella and empanadas to duck buns and sausage rolls. Bring an empty stomach! But explore the area around the market as well and visit Monmouth Coffee for truly amazing blends or Neal’s Yard Dairy for a terrific selection of cheeses. I also have a tradition now of going to Wright Brothers for oysters and a glass of champagne on every trip (thank you Sybille and Laura for the inspiration!) Another truly wonderful market is Broadway Market, located in Hackney. There is a wonderful array of cuisines, places to grab lunch and small bakeries. It’s off the beaten path for many tourists, but I implore you to go! Finally, Maltby Street Market, spread out along Bermondsey’s Ropewalk alley is another fun spot with high quality street food, craft beer and produce. It’s a fun place to eat and relax with some wonderful stalls for exploring.
5. Have tea and cocktails in some of the most beautiful and historic spots in the world. On one of my most recent trips to London, I sat next to a man at the Savoy’s American Bar who was working his way through a classic cocktail book and was traveling to the famous spots in the city to sample the offerings. He was so excited he allowed me to have the first sip of his very expensive drink! The American Bar is one of the oldest cocktail bars in Britain first serving guests with American style drinks in 1893. There are too many cocktails to mention, but I highly recommend looking at the Savoy Songbook and picking out an elixir to your liking. Another classic cocktail bar that must be visited is the bar at Duke’s Hotel for a classic martini prepared tableside. This bar was a favorite of James Bond author Ian Fleming. The martini is made with a rinse of English dry vermouth. Next comes the gin, so cold that the consistency is almost syrup like. The final key ingredient is a twist of lemon from the Amalfi coast. Not just any lemon will do! Either of these experiences will cost you, but they are once in a lifetime experiences that everyone must have once. Tea is one of those British experiences that for me lives up to the hype. As a child, my friend’s mom would invite my mom over for a spot of tea and cookies and cakes. I thought this was the most amazing thing ever and couldn’t understand why we didn’t do it in America! The epitome of a classic afternoon tea experience is Brown’s Hotel, where supposedly Queen Victoria liked to take her tea. If it was good enough for the Queen, then surely it must be one of the best! Scones with Devon cream and jam are the highlight along with tea sandwiches with egg salad and sliced cucumbers.
6. Visit the Bookstores. When I go to London, the first places I often visit are the amazing bookstores. At the top of my list is always Daunt Books, located right down the street from our old flat on Marylebone High Street. Daunt is probably the most gorgeous bookstore you will ever set foot in, but it also has a very impressive travel book collection. I also love Foyle’s on Charing Cross Road, the original street for books, which stretches across several floors and has an amazing cookbook selection. I literally spend hours trying to decide which books to bring home and narrowing down my list since I can only bring so many home in my already very heavy suitcase! Hatchard’s in Piccadilly near Fortnum & Mason is another stop. It opened its doors in 1797 and is home to 100,000 books over four floors. For a more unique experience, there is no better place to visit than Word on the Water. This bookstore is housed in a 100-year-old boat sitting on the Regent’s Canal in King’s Cross. It’s fun to check out the wood burning stove in the winter and the delightful mix of children’s books. Finally, in my absolute favorite neighborhood, Primrose Hill Books is a lovely, family-owned bookstore selling new and used books on one of the prettiest streets in the city.
7. Eat Indian food. When I visit London, I end up usually eating Indian food at least three times on every visit. On one trip for my birthday, I had it twice in one day. It’s not an exaggeration to say that some of the Indian restaurants in the city are thrilling in a way that cannot be expressed unless you visit them in person. Londoners are spoiled for choice when it comes to fine Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Indian, and Pakistani restaurants. There is a deep history between the UK and India, so it is not a surprise that curries are so popular. It has been said that Queen Victoria loved Indian food a great deal and given that the upper and middle classes loved to copy her, it became an integral part of the British diet. For me, I love the variety and the flavors at even the most simplistic restaurant. But, of course, I have my favorites. Trishna, Gunpowder, Dishoom, Roti Chai. Basically, anywhere. The level of cooking is higher than what we are used to stateside and the dishes are really adventurous.
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