The Beauty of London

London is our final stop. With only three nights to spare, we wanted to make the most out of every moment. The only problem about those three nights is that…they were not enough! I could have used ten more nights in London to get completely marinated in the awesomeness of it all.

From the port of Southampton, it was almost two hours to get to London. I suggest booking a taxi van ahead for convenience. There is also public transportation available by train and subway, which might be of a hassle.

This city has been in my radar for quite some time now. I often hear that when in London, you’re going to be faced with boring English food. Quite the contrary. Yes, the cuisine of the English MIGHT be boring for some, but not if you experience the various cuisines that blossom collectively such as: chinese, indian, vietnamese, korean, japanese and god knows what else. London is alive and kicking, on top of the surprising culinary scene, this metropolitan elevates the feeling of wanderlust to a whole new level. There’s so much to explore and do that you’ll find your head turning left and right and become indecisive of which street to take. It feels like I would miss out on something whenever I choose a path to take. London is electrifying!

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Where to go

There are plenty of places to visit in London and you will notice that I even missed some of the most prominent places such as the Westminster Abbey and Borough Market. But then again, it is better for you to really be immersed in a place that you’ve visited rather than to be shallowly involved just to say that you’ve been there. Below, you will see where our feet were able to take us. Oh, skip Camden Market and Notting Hill by the way. hahaha.

We got situated in the Piccadilly area which was an advantage for all the major attractions were nearby. A fifteen-minute walk to the east takes you to the Big Ben, London Eye and Westminster Abbey, while the Museum of Natural History was literally right across our hotel. Neighboring landmarks to the west were Chinatown which was about a ten-minute walk & Soho, my favorite area, about three minutes farther than Chinatown. If you are looking for a hotel to book, check out Page 8 hotel.

The Parliament Building is next to the Big Ben.

I took a photo of the heads of the people, not the Big Ben. It was tooooooooo crowded.

I'm at a payphone, trying to call home, all of my change I spent on you...

The Sherlock Holmes Lounge Bar stood out from the rest of its surroundings. We didn't come in, although I assume that you'll have to solve a riddle before you can even get a cup of coffee.

Rows and rows of shops, department stores and other novelty finds are everywhere. London has everything that you need. The Leicester Square and Shaftsbury Ave are where most of the foot traffic is at that’s close to our hotel. You can’t miss it, once you see the shops, huge screens and signages, you have arrived!

London’s Chinatown

London’s Chinatown tramples Amsterdam’s by a mile. I mean, really, this has got to be the busiest place I’ve seen in awhile. The pictures do not do justice since we were not on the main road. The hanging lanterns create a very festive and colorful feel to the streets reflecting the heritage of the immigrants who have set shop.

While America’s image of chinese cuisine is to-go food, London’s is geared towards the buffet side. When in Chinatown, it’s difficult to miss the countless buffet restaurants that are competing for your business. They even post the words “eat as much as you like” outside their shops. People flock this area like pigeons. It is amazing and so entertaining to see that the chinese culture thrives and is openly embraced in this part of the world.

Soho

Soho is where you go for good restaurants and nightlife. It has been my favorite area of all that we’ve visited. Kricket and KILN were amongst the restaurants that we found in Soho— more on them later. The fascinating thing about Soho is that it is amazing during any time of the day. Feel free to window shop when the sun is up and dine in the evening.

You will also be rewarded to find that there are hidden food courts or halls if you just know where to look. But if you don’t find them, it’s ok, for there are thousands more restaurants to choose from. One of these “Oh em gee” discoveries that we found was Kingly Court, a multi-level food court that will have any cravings satisfied from ramen, tapas, thai food to ceviches and everything in between.

Hyde Park

We had a good time here in the park. This is a huge recreational area that has full of life! There are plenty of activities to be involved in such as riding a pedal boat, playgrounds, biking and people watching. We biked twice around the park and was exhausted afterwards, it took us around 20 minutes per round.

You can see people in their roller blades, dancing and doing some cardio. Feeding pigeons and swans with breadcrumbs might be my favorite past time when I become of old age. Get a coffee, sit down on a bench and watch people go on with their lives. I mean, it’s really a place to experience. I admire cities that have green areas for people to relax and unwind. The good thing about this spot is that you don’t even need to get away from the city to relax, it’s that convenient.

If you have spare time, then I definitely recommend visiting here around 2:00pm-5:00pm and just let time pass while you’re sipping a cup of your favorite beverage, a huge playground for families and friends.

Tower Bridge of London & River Tour

From the hotel, we traveled west, about twenty minutes to get to the tower of London. I swear, at this point, I was really enjoying the underground train system of London. It was so convenient to just hop on one of the subways to get to your destination. They even let you pay using you credit card and other operating payments systems.

The area is touristy, so just be on the lookout for pickpockets. But other than that, you can admire the beautiful bridge along with the Tower of London and all the modern architecture on both sides once you are standing in the middle of the bridge.

After we took photos, we decided to take a river tour that took us back to the Big Ben, which was close to the hotel. Rather than getting on the subway or taking a taxi, doing the river tour was the best choice for there was live commentary that was hilarious. The commentator will explain some unique landmarks that you will pass by along the way with quirky remarks.

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Let’s talk about gastronomy

To those who said that London’s food scene is boring, I don’t know what in the nine hells you are talking about. There is no shortage of amazing restaurants in London. In fact, there’s too much of them. If you open the Michelin Guide app on your phone, you will be bombarded with tons of restaurants with varying recognitions. London has at least four or five three-star restaurants, plenty of two’s and one’s, and a truck load of Bib Gourmands. We opted to look for mostly Bib Gourmand restaurants because that’s where the value for money lies, and we never, ever got disappointed.

Here’s a list of recommendations.

Lunch at Bancone

First meal was at Bancone, a bib gourmand Italian restaurant that was next to our hotel. They also have another shop in Soho, just to let you know. You will be greeted with a chef making the pasta by hand right in front of the restaurant’s facade. Plenty of bar seatings and high tables. It gets really packed and never stops the moment it opens at noon! So be sure to get there early or you will have to wait in line. The servings were just right and will not leave you feeling stuffed.

Pasta Handkerchiefs with brown butter. Amazing.

View of the expo station. Got the chance to see things being plated. Amazing.

Dinner at Kricket

Kricket was a restaurant that got featured by the folks at Topjaw. If you don’t know what Topjaw is, look them up on Youtube and be entertained. Kricket serves contemporary Indian food in tapas form. Everything is in small quantities that is meant to be shared. We opted for the tasting menu which had thirteen different items in it which I regret doing so because there was so much leftover! Most of our group members were not huge eaters, I forgot about that. It’s a far cry from your usual buttered chicken and chicken tikka which already deserves an applause. The place gets busy as well so make sure to have a reservation!

Upon entering, you can see that the kitchen is pumping a lot of food. We got sat down at their basement, away from all the action. They have two bars that service each floor, respectively. That’s a good thing because I don’t want my drinks to travel too far. My precious…

Rice puffs with cilantro, yogurt and tamarind sauce

Date puree and pistachio naan, almost like a dessert

Financier, yogurt foam and marinated cherries. It was cherry season!

Lunch at Bao Kings Cross

This restaurant has been recommended by my friend who’s a chef, Chester. Aside from his recommendation, I also see this restaurant being revered by a lot of guides and top must-go-to lists. Well, let’s cut the story short and say that it was just worth the trouble.

The bao’s were good and they are famous for it. Although, in my opinion, I can skip these and just go straight to the rice and noodle dishes. The 40-day dry-aged beef bowl and the bbq chicken with rice were the outstanding choices.

Dinner at KILN

If there is anything I hate and dread about dining out, is waiting to get seated for an hour and a half.

An hour and a half! It’s crazy and that’s exactly how we found ourselves during our second night in London.

KILN is a bib gourmand thai restaurant whipping Isan style dishes. Isan is the northern region of Thailand, and its cuisine has garnered a big reputation that is celebrated by adventurous chefs around the world. KILN’s kitchen uses a very particular earthen vessel, resembling an urn, loaded up with charcoal to cook their hot dishes.

The menu was small and concise but that doesn’t mean that their food fell short of expectations. We were afraid that they would hold back when it comes to the spiciness and flavor of the dishes since westerners are not really fond of the “real & authentic” thai food. It turns out that they didn’t cut back on anything and the food was tasty. Hands down to the team for banging out a lot of food! The restaurant was worth the wait, but i’ll never do that again.

Cocktail with mint syrup, infusion of kaffir and lime juice

Grilled chicken marinated in soy, lime and lemongrass

Coffee at Monmouth

Monmouth Coffee was our go to coffee in the morning. It is situated in the perfect and tranquil street of Poland. There are no construction noises, no people yelling and no cars passing by. You buy your coffee and pastries and sit outside. This is the perfect way to start your day.

The company has an array of coffee beans that they sell by the kilo. They can even grind them for your convenence. Have a specialist help you and guide you in finding the perfect coffee beans that will energize you in the morning!

Lunch at Machiya

Machiya is your typical Japanese restaurant serving comfort food classics like curries, donburis and other small tapas plates. It doesn’t push the envelopes but it surely will make you nod in silence. It’s a quick lunch fix to support your busy day ahead.

Dinner at Pavyllon London

Every year, I make it a goal to dine at a restaurant that showcases talent and passion. For this time, we opted for a one-star fine dining concept. The dining experience at Pavyllon was splendid. It was my first time trying a Yannick Alleno restaurant and it did not disappoint. For more information about our dinner, check out the Restaurant Spotlight Tab or click here!

Aside from these recommendations, I’m sure London has more restaurants for you to explore. Go ahead and let me know where to go next!

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Where to go for shopping

Alright girls…and boys. If shopping is your thing, then this is for you! London is a world hub and they don’t skimp in housing some of the finest brands. Their department stores are well known around the world and you can only imagine how much merchandise go through the doors of these famous malls. Nonetheless, when in London, shop with panache and get what your heart desires.

Harrods

It’s mandatory to visit Harrods when you’re in London, not going here means like you’ve never been to this city at all. Harrods is the famous department store that everyone knows about. Be lost in the multilevel shopping experience combining luxury, high fashion and everything in between. Harrods is synonymous to gastronomy as well. When you’re done pampering yourself, head to their huge dining hall that combines multiple concepts like italian, japanese and french to name a few. Next to it, is a dedicated area for retail food purchases equipped with a bakery, a butcher shop, a seafood shop, a patisserie and other speciality goods.

Liberty

The Liberty department store to me feels more local than Harrods, although, they cater to different markets. Harrods is dedicated to clothing, leather goods and jewelry. On the other hand, Liberty, is like your ultra high-end Target, offering a combination of fashion, home goods, emerging global brands, and other novelties. They are synonymous to rare fabrics, dinnerware and other displays that demand a price that will even make your dead relatives jump out of their graves.

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A lil’ Bit O’ History ?

History buffs, do not fret, the collective UK has so much treasure to offer that I bet, you won’t even be able to visit all of the historical sites in your lifetime. There are plenty of castles, courts, palaces, churches and other distinct structures that boast English history scattered around the British islands. For this particular trip, we uncovered the hidden history of the Hampton Court.

Hampton Court

This palace was built in the 14th century for King Henry the VIII. A pleasure complex complete with lush gardens, a maze, magnificent kitchens and elegant apartments, it was a way for the king to show off that the English can live a lavish lifestyle as well. Come on French, not everything is about you guys!

To get here takes at least 30-45 minutes from the Charing Cross Train Station towards Waterloo. It’s a convenient journey and hassle free since the station is literally 2-3 minutes away from the place.

It was a holiday when we went here and didn’t realize that there was a family event happening in the gardens. Good thing that the main palace was spared from the festivities, and allowed us to enjoy the amazing history hidden in the walls of this place. Be sure to get an audio guide tablet from the souvenir shop so you can understand everything that is showcased.

The palace is divided in areas that is well mapped out. Amongst the places are the Great Kitchens, the Apartments of King Henry VIII and Tudor World. There are also other sections that serve as additional compliments to the entirety of the palace.

I admire the beautiful and massive garden waiting for you in the back with such lush green trees that resemble inverted cones. When we were there, there were at least more than a thousand people doing picnic, with hundreds of merchants under tents selling goods and services. In the center of the garden is a water fountain.

I wish to come back here and spend time with my first born daughter with an english accent and sit down just like this. I'll tell her that the only man allowed in her life is me. hahaha.

For the first stop…

Main Palace Hall & Apartments

Before you enter the apartments, the floorplan leads you to the main hall where all the parties, festivities and gatherings mostly happen.

As compared to other palaces that I’ve been to, this is smaller than usual. Although, I believe that there’s still plenty of space for at least 200-300 people here, depending on the occasion. Nonetheless, the space gives a very warm atmosphere and had a Game of Thrones-ish setting. The North Remembers.

From the great hall, the tour leads you to some areas such as the corridor where it is rumored to be hunted by one of the king’s ex-wives who got dragged to her death—pretty barbaric, if you ask me. Another one of these places that you will encounter is the room where all the prominent figures of the king’s court gather and discuss battles, politics and other knightley conversations.

You will see that the palace doesn’t shy away from paintings, artifacts and other antiquities that you expect out of living in the high life. Everyone who’s important had gotten their portrait painted to their liking, hanged and adorned by the visitors.

Once you get visually overwhelmed by all the paintings at this point, then you can get started with the apartments or the court rooms where even the ceilings are… wait for it…

painted lavishly.

The details in these painted ceilings are so intricate and meticulous that you wonder, how did they do it back in the days? The rooms are spacious and the high ceilings contribute to make them even bigger. Most of the time, the paintings’ stories depict of biblical events, how one king was able to trample another and reminiscing of a victory won over battle.

The Kitchens

It was told that there were at least eight hundred servants working in these kitchens to manage such a lavish and extravagant lifestyle for the monarchs. There were banquets and parties every single week that demanded some serious talent and logistics in order to feed such hungry guests. I would assume that being a chef for the king was a noble and yet, a stressful occupation to have.

The tour will take you from where the court staff receive all the goods where they were showing a perfectly displayed wooden cart and barrels, signifying the old ways of transporting goods. The tour then leads you to where they process and sort the ingredients. Next is a long narrow way with several doors on both sides that leads you to the main kitchen. These doors are actually storage areas for tools, dry goods and other things.

Finally, the main kitchen will welcome you into this massive area with two main areas. The first area is dedicated to all the preparations while the back end is more for the cooking and grilling. They even showcased the main grill area where there’s an actual museum staff explaining how they used to roast proteins in the past. I can only imagine that it was not comfortable being in a kitchen this big full of people in the summertime. But like the audio guide mentioned, during the summer, it was hell for people as the heat in the kitchen can become unbearable. During the winter though, that’s a different story, for everybody wanted to be next to the fire pit and have their hands avoid frostbite.

Im not going lie, it is a huge compound that would embarass even modern kitchens of magnitude.

Receiving Area

Main Kitchen

Forget everything, just not the wine cellar!

When there’s too much sensory overload already, take a breather and enjoy the fountain in the middle of the palace.

And finally…

The Tudor World

This area showcases some of the artifacts that they royalties had in the past.

You can easily get lost in the palace for at least two hours, immersing yourself in the beauty and tragedy of it all. It was a truly magnificent experience to visit this place. Don’t forget to get a souvenir from the shop.

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And that’s it for London, folks! I hope you enjoyed my journey from Iceland all the way to England. It was such a wonderful experience being close to nature and getting to know other wonderful cities.

A voyage that took a year in the making has now ended. We are refreshed with uplifted spirits and fueled by drive to save up and travel again next year.

Travel when and while you still can. The world is a big place for you to just admire photos. Be there in-person and most importantly, savor the experience that your travels bring you!

Sincerely,

Stan

EuroTrip ‘24 Part IV: London

Where to go

Let’s talk about gastronomy

Where to go for shopping

A lil’ Bit O’ History ?

EuroTrip ‘24 Part III: Amsterdam & Bruges