After 2 whirlwind days of hanging solo in London, (plus a side adventure to Brussels), I was able to spend the next 3 back in London at a more leisurely pace. I loved the opportunity the opportunity to get out and enjoy the city.
A late night of drinking and partying like (with) rock stars, resulted in the next day starting very slow with a hotel move close to the action of Trafalgar Square. It was also time to start cracking down on my London musts. At the top of that list was a visit to a proper English pub for some grub. I’d seen the Lamb and Flag, around the corner from where I was staying on Top Chef All Stars and found it was also recommended by a few other sources. It was a great mix of tourists and locals and the perfect choice.
I was excited to finally have a proper English pint, but went with a traditional cider versus a beer. As I browsed through the menu, there was so much I wanted to try, but I stuck with the tried and true. My order of beer battered haddock and chips and a steak and ale pie did not disappoint.
With a bit of energy pre-nap and no line up to get into the National Gallery, it seemed the perfect opportunity for a visit.
As day turned to night, I noticed the light in the sky was presenting some incredible colours. I jumped at the opportunity to wander the streets.
Dinner plans took me back to Shoreditch for the evening. Arriving with enough time for a pre-dinner drink, I wanted to stop in at the Seed Library, billed as a neighbourhood bar by Mr Lyan (of Lyaness bar) and located in the One Hundred Shoreditch Hotel. The bar had great energy aided by a dj playing an amazing set. The drink menu was short but I had no problem finding one (or more) that I wanted to try. I went with a spicy cucumber margarita with bright, energetic flavours that perfectly matched the ambiance of the bar.
Dinner at Michelin * rated Lyle’s came highly recommended and its Modern British menu using “micro-seasonal’ ingredients. While the dishes looked simple, they were all packed with complex delicious flavours. My favourites of the night were the Carlingford rock oysters with rhubarb mignonette, the pork broth with calcots & a cured egg yolk and the lemon sherbet to finish.
As I mapped out my time in London, I knew walking along the South Bank was a must since the route took me to me to a lot things I wanted to see.
First stop was the Tate Modern, which I thoroughly enjoyed exploring, even though much of the exhibition wasn’t quite to my taste.
But what was spectacular were the views across the Thames.
The Borough Market with its many food options came highly recommended, but I feared it would be overly touristy (crowded), which it was. After a quick wander, I knew I wanted to press on in my day, but not before trying an iconic British staple.
Ginger Pig, an old school butcher, located at the entrance of the Market was on my list for another must try. Unfortunately they only sell their scotch eggs cold. I have been spoiled in my life being served incredible Scotch eggs, also eaten cold by my paddling team’s “cook” and Ginger Pig’s paled in comparison. But not all was disappointing as their “famous” sausage roll, hot out of the oven, was one of my best tastes of the whole trip.
My walk continued along the South Bank to catch in some more sights.
An impromptu reach out let to evening plans for a drink with a friend from Vancouver living in London. She asked me to choose a spot, and in speaking to a few a few bartenders at other bars I’d visited, Nipperkin was the most recommended as somewhere to try that wasn’t yet “found” (along with Wacky Wombat).
Walking into Nipperkin, I felt like I’d been transported into someone’s old English library for a drink. The seating surrounds a centralized table where bartenders craft their cocktails focusing on seasonal British ingredients.
My first drink, Padron & Shisho had mezcal and English based-liqueurs. It was vegetal, savoury and fresh, 3 of my favourite adjectives when it comes to cocktails. My second drink was a Beetroot & Yoghurt, which despite its vibrant colour, was luscious and velvety.
Our drinks led us to dinner at The Wolseley, an iconic brasserie. Known to have a fantastic breakfast, their dinner menu ran classic European bistro. We enjoyed sharing the steak tartare, steak frites with creamed spinach and a simple gem salad.
We had energy for one last stop for the evening, which led us to Kwant Mayfair. I’d told the bartenders I’d hoped to return after my first great night there, and I was happy I did and able to share it. Their hospitality was just as warm as my first visit and the cocktails, as deliciously well-balanced as I’d remembered.
The next morning was grey with chances of rain, but plans for the day had us staying close and we were prepared for winter in London weather.
I’d planned the British Museum first thing in the morning in hopes to beat the weekend/tourist crowds. Unfortunately I wasn’t the only person with that thought and the queue to get in went around the block, even with a reserved ticket. As my interests in the museum went past the Rosetta Stone, I was able to find moments away from the crowds to enjoy their incredible collection.
(I was impressed to see poles from home from the Nisga’a and Haida nations in and amongst the greatness of so much incredible from all parts of the world. While I understand that these pieces are in hot debate for return home, I do also think that rings true to so many pieces housed in museums all over the world.)
One of the things I was most excited to taste in London was its Indian cuisine. I was looking for flavours that were different from what I normally have. At home, my main experience with Indian food comes from Northern India with its dairy/meat focused dishes. I’m also sure that my Indian favourites are akin to ordering sweet & sour pork and lemon chicken at a Chinese restaurant. I scoured menus to and there were so many great options, but in the end there was only time to visit 2.
Hoppers, offers a lineup of riffs on street food from the Indian South and Sri Lanka. Their menu, which lists a handy glossary of terms was exciting and I’d wished I were there with more people to have bigger sampling. While I really wanted to try the bone marrow varawul + roti, I was a bit bone marrow-ed out after my indulgence at St John a few nights before. Instead, we ordered the chicken chettinadu bites which were fried nuggets spiced with a bit of zing and a lot of other flavours. Next up were their prawn and aubergine karis. Both were perfect saucy to dredge the wonderful roti and hopper through. I left feeling like I’d just scratched the surface on Hoppers and put it on my list of places I’ll return to the next time I’m in London.
As we were wandering out through Soho after lunch, it started to rain, so we decided to stop in for a little drink to pass the time away.
Coupette Atelier is the stylish little (and better located) sister to Coupette in Bethnal Green. I loved their “smaller sized” drinks which allows the perfect excuse to sample more than one. Both their black truffle Negroni and sweet miso Old Fashioned were whimsical riffs on the standards and fun to ponder over.
Dinner reservations were in Marleyboyle and the closest pre-dinner cocktail spot I had on my list was at Artesian located in the Langham Hotel. The bar was opulent, but perhaps a bit more stuffy than I would have preferred on my last evening out. My Pandan “bubble tea” cocktail was creative but lacking a bit of wow on the taste side compared to everything else I’d been imbibing during the week. I enjoyed it for one drink, but know that London’s incredible cocktail scene has better choices for me in the future.
My curiosity in exploring Indian dining in London led me to research Michelin starred restaurants. While I have mixed feelings on Michelin dining for the sake of Michelin dining, I do think it’s a good guide to start in my research on food choices when I visit a city.
I didn’t realize that Trishna was related Hoppers when I booked it, but I don’t know if that would have altered my choice. I had looked at their other restaurant Gymnkhana as well, but decided that Trishna looked more casual. Although truth be told, it was the mention of Trishna’s famous crab dish that had me sold.
Settling into Trishna on a cold and wet evening, everything on the menu looked delicious. I wished my stomach were bigger, or been with a bigger group so I could have tried more things. The highly recommended Dorset brown crab with coconut oil, pepper, garlic and curry leaf was decadently rich and swoonworthy. The masala-fried baby aubergine vathagal was just as wonderful as was the puffy naan I used to sop up all the tasty sauces.
One last morning in London to take a walk before heading to the airport home. I really can’t believe it’d been so long since I’d visited London. I’ll definitely prioritize it to return again soon.
Places I visited in this post:
Call Me a Food Lover... 