Iām heading home from London today and I gotta admit, Iām thrilled to get back. Donāt get me wrong! I had a great time, but ten days of non-stop activities (alone) is a lot. For someone who likes to travel, I surprisingly get homesick often. Iāve noticed that by the fourth day, without fail, I start to feel sad and silently count the days until Iām in my own bed. I still manage to enjoy myself, but thereās just nothing like that feeling when you walk in the door and drop all your bags down. Iām looking forward to cuddling with Maisie and sleeping in my own bed tonight. Nothing - nothing - beats your own bed.
That being said, my time in London was well-spent. I hit up several museums, I saw two incredible shows, did some shopping, got a tattoo (hehe) and best of all, ate my heart out. (Luckily, I was able to walk it all off with my 20k steps a day.) Here are a few of my favorites spots:
Farm Girl, Notting Hill ā My first sit down meal in London was this cute little cafe tucked behind some trees. I ordered the rose matcha latte, sourdough with scrambled eggs and a side of broccolini. As I was eating the unsalted eggs I was thinking, āwow, do I even like eggs??ā I knew people made jokes about the British not seasoning their food, but I didnāt think that included salt! They were slammed minutes after opening so I didnāt feel like bothering the waitress for salt. I ate what I could. A+ for ambiance, though.
The Elephant and Castle, Kensington - That night I wanted to swing by a nearby pub for a cocktail before bed. On their specials board they had a porn star martini and I thought, well obviously I need to try that. Viewed as a modern classic, the porn star martini is a cocktail made with vanilla-flavored vodka, PassoĆ£, passion fruit juice and lime juice. It is traditionally accompanied by a chilled shot glass of Prosecco. And apparently it was the most ordered cocktail in the U.K. in November 2018. (Very specific statistic.) āI called it the Porn Star Martini because I thought it was something that a porn star would drink. Itās pure indulgence, sexy, fun and evocative,ā says the creator, Douglas Ankrah. Sure. šø
HIDE, Picadilly - Nothing like a Michelin-star restaurant to start your day! HIDE came as a recommendation to me from my friends Tracey and Travis. We are kindred spirits and I trust their recommendations above most. I came for breakfast right at opening because I figured Iād have a better shot of squeezing in. I ordered a matcha latte and the truffle scrambled eggs on toast, per the waiterās recommendation. I was concerned about the Ā£27 price tag (for eggs on toast?), but figured what the hell. Iām on vacation! But when it came out, I realized when they said truffle, honey, they meant truffle truffle. Thatās probably like $20 worth a truffle shavings alone! So, in a sense, it was actually a steal! Again, the eggs could have used a healthy dose of salt. This time, I wasnāt above asking though. I was spending sixty-five American dollars on breakfast, the least they could do is pass the salt.
Buns from Home, Notting Hill - Iām never too full for a cute bakery. While walking around Portobello Market, I got a whiff of these delicious-looking buns. I got the cardamom (pictured above) and a spinach feta one for the road. I ate the cardamom immediately and ate the spinach while walking to Buckingham Palace the next morning. They were magical.
The Ivy, Kensington - I wanted some good āole fish and chips and this place was nearby with outdoor seating available. These were about as good as fish and chips get. I could have done without the cold unsalted pea mash, but ya know, when in England! I also got a flowery gin and tonic, another English classic.
McDonaldās - Look, donāt judge. I like to try McDs in other countries because they have different stuff! Plus, itās nice to have something familiar to fall back on when youāre feeling homesick. I was excited to find out that they still serve chicken selects here - bring these back, America!! I also ordered mozzarella sticks (these were eh) and a banana milkshake. Iām not a banana fan generally, but honestly, pretty good! (Also they still do the McDonaldās Monopoly game here. Have they not seen the McMillions documentary??)
Circolo Populare, Fitzrovia - I made lunch reservations after hearing about this place on TikTok. (Who have I becomeā¦) Give it a quick Google search and youāll understand the hype. Itās a gorgeous restaurant with greenery covering the walls and ceilings, plus 20,000 bottles of liquor lining the walls. (Yes, 20,000. I kept looking around wondering how much money they spent on these bottles alone. Half a million, at least?) I ordered a āhot girl summerā margarita, the prosciutto and melon as a starter and the cheese ravioli with fried sage. One of my favorite meals of the week. I didnāt even have to ask for salt!
Choo Cafe at Harrods, Knightsbridge - I mean, come onā¦how cute! Harrods was an entire experience on itās own, but when I saw the Choo Cafe advertised on a taxi - it was pink! - I knew it needed to be a must. The cafe was wall to ceiling hot pink, with the JC emblem on just about everything. I ordered a cappuccino and a strawberry eclair, to keep with the pink theme. I came for the pics but honesty, it was pretty delicious and the staff was really friendly. (Overly friendly staff is not something I encountered a lot.)
sketch, Mayfair - The second I booked my tickets to London, I knew I needed to make my way to the Instagram darling, sketch. Known for their baby pink dining room (now turned yellow) and overall whimsy, Iāve had this on my bucket lists for a long time. They have several different dining rooms, each with itās own unique decor. I ended up booking their Parlour room for breakfast, again, figuring itāll be easier to get a spot. It was precious - the dining chairs had little ballet shoes painted on the legs! - and the food was just as whimsical. I ordered the tempura eggs on avocado toast. So many questions - How do you batter a poached egg? How do you get avocado to have this silky of a texture? How am I not expected to steal these mini jars of jam??? (I did, by the way.) And if youāre wondering what that murky lake water was in my glass, itās green goddess juice. I was feeling healthy-ish that morning, I guess
Flat Iron, Spitalfields - Another TikTok find. This place is famous for their Ā£12 steaks; they have one cut available and you pay extra for the sauces and sides. I wasnāt expecting much, but believe it or not, this was one of my best meals of the week. I got my steak with the peppercorn sauce and the bone marrow garlic mash on the side. To drink, I got the toasted popcorn old fashion. They had me at āpopcorn syrup.ā You also get a free ice cream as you leave!
Taste Film x Parlour, Kensal Green - Taste Film is an immersive dining experience where they collaborate with local chefs and restaurants to create set menus timed to compliment the film. These tickets are hard to come by and I had to be up at 2 am mountain time in order to secure one. (Luckily I had a delayed flight where I was already awake against my will.) Apparently these tickets sold out in one minute. I was imagining one of those theaters where they serve you food, but it was actually a lot more intimate; a small dining room with maybe 15-20 people.
This monthās movie was Chef (2014), where a chef loses his job at a popular restaurant and tries to start fresh by fixing up a food truck. Sounded like the perfect movie for this event! I grabbed a themed cocktail while we waited to be seated - a spicy margarita, of course. The menu was five courses, plus two cocktails - pork fritters with smoked bacon mayonnaise, a New Orleans-style Hurricane, a gourmet grilled cheese with the crusts cut off, a triple chocolate lava cake (āItās f*cking molten! A**hole!ā), a mojito, a Cuban sandwich and fresh mini beignets with three dipping sauces. Everything was delicious. This was definitely a highlight of my entire trip!
Ave Mario, Covent Garden - Another recommendation from Tracey and Travis. I remember them posting about caviar pizza once and I was thrilled to learn that it was here in London. I made my lunch reservation as soon as I could! Ave Mario is owned by the same restaurant group as Circolo Populare, so it was no surprise that the decor was just as amazing. These restaurants have cracked a rare code that combines fun interiors, great food, strong drinks and a buzzing atmosphere ā all without breaking the bank. I ordered the baby pizza with Italian caviar and for Ā£16 itās actually a pretty good value. It was perfect for just one person. Was it the most amazing thing Iāve ever had? Not really, but itās fun to say Iāve tried caviar pizza.
Thanks for reading, sweeties! š
Fantastic London review, Meagan. I enjoyed it sooooooooooo much. You would be a great one to travel with as you don't miss taking advantage of what's there.