London

[HornPhD 1316]

Over the weekend, we booked a place in Islington. Time to start researching the neighborhood and mapping out the closest pub to each place we want to visit during the trip. Traveling with my wife, our two kids (daughter, 11 and son, 14), my SIL, her two girls (13 and 16) and my MIL will require frequent breaks. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by HornPhD

[thunderlounge 7637]

With a crew like that, I’d need frequent pub breaks too. 

[kevwun 15309]

If you are in Notting Hill / Kensington.  The Eagle is a really good pub in Ladbroke Grove.  Food is very good also.  It's near a tube stop so it's easy to get to even if you're not int the area.  It's worth the trip.

[kevwun 15309]

Also if The Blackbird is done being renovated, definitely go to it.  They have great food, especially the meat pies.  They have been voted the best ones in London multiple times.  It's right across the street from Earl's Court station.  Fuck, now I want to go to London again.

Edited April 19, 2022 by kevwun

[HornPhD 1316]

16 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Also if The Blackbird is done being renovated, definitely go to it.  They have great food, especially the meat pies.  They have been voted the best ones in London multiple times.  It's right across the street from Earl's Court station.  Fuck, now I want to go to London again.

Thanks for the recommendations. I’m saving bars where I’d like to stop in for a pint, if given a choice, in green (light blue are restaurants). I won’t hit them all; however, I’ll do my best. 

[midtown 3338]

Made it into Ikoyi for anyone who is interested. $360 for the tasting menu with wine pairing. Worth every penny. The service was fantastic.

[CooterBrown 17735]

It’s a glorious high of 72 degrees in London today.

I don’t get why so many locals are wearing a North Face puffer jacket zipped up like it’s sub freezing.

[Doug E. Fresh 452]

12 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

It’s a glorious high of 72 degrees in London today.

I don’t get why so many locals are wearing a North Face puffer jacket zipped up like it’s sub freezing.

I leave town for 10 days and it’s beautiful in London and raining in Bosnia and Croatia.

[HornPhD 1316]

On 5/4/2018 at 7:57 AM, kevwun said:
You can get a lot closer to Stonehenge than I thought.

How did you get to Stonehenge, public transportation or private tour?

We’ll be in London next month (8 people, including my 78-year old MIL) and I’m trying to plan our trip to Stonehenge. We’re leaning toward a private tour as we won’t have to worry about transfers and will have the flexibility to see other sites. 

[kevwun 15309]

We did a private bus tour.  We came back through Bath and got to walk around a few hours there also.  I believe I used Viator and just went with a highly rated one.  Have had several good experiences doing that.  Iirc, the Cotswolds were also an option instead of Bath.

Edited June 11, 2022 by kevwun

[kevwun 15309]

I have never felt like we didn't get enough time to see everything when doing the tours and I love not having to worry about the travel logistics.  Some tours give you the option to explore on your own and just be back at the appointed place by a certain time.  We have done it both ways.  The Stonehenge tour was like that.  You don't really need a guide there.

Edited June 11, 2022 by kevwun

[HornPhD 1316]

5 minutes ago, kevwun said:

I have never felt like we didn't get enough time to see everything when doing the tours and I love not having to worry about the travel logistics.  Some tours give you the option to explore on your own and just be back at the appointed place by a certain time.  We have done it both ways.  The Stonehenge tour was like that.  You don't really need a guide there.

We like the flexibility of going with a private tour for this part of our trip. Getting picked up and dropped off at our VRBO is a huge selling point as it will be a long day with visiting multiple sites.  

[kevwun 15309]

You can also get more access at certain sites with a private tour because they aren't open otherwise.  In Rome we got to tour Augustus' house on a Forum tour because it wasn't open to the public unless you were with a licensed guide.

[4th&Five 41189]

We did Tower of London a couple weeks ago and showed up 90 minutes before it closes and had the place to ourselves. Not even a line for the Crown Jewels. Recommend that strategy. 

[CooterBrown 17735]

Doing all of the tourists stuff this trip since it’s the kids’ first time here.

British Museum is so worth it. Spent 6 hours there. There’s a pizza place in the museum that is actually really excellent.

I was a bit indifferent to the Natural History Museum. It’s definitely good but it’s not on the same level as the British Museum. The Dino exhibit in Houston smokes the one here.

Toured Windsor Castle the other day. It is jaw dropping even if it looks just like Disneyland and the surrounding town is a giant tourist trap. Tourists see maybe 5% of the castle. It’s is gigantic.

[CooterBrown 17735]

A confederate flag is in the stained glass at St Paul’s Cathedral.

[RamjetFDO 10547]

Heading back to England in one month - only flying into/out of London, so probably won't post anything on this thread, but rather may start a separate Cotswold thread if there's any interest.

[Doug E. Fresh 452]

2 hours ago, RamjetFDO said:

Heading back to England in one month - only flying into/out of London, so probably won't post anything on this thread, but rather may start a separate Cotswold thread if there's any interest.

Count me in on the Cotswolds thread. May try to do a week there late summer but may have left it too late without a booking.

[thunderlounge 7637]

Beats checking out Cornwall, right?

[RamjetFDO 10547]

Just started The Cotswolds thread.

[After irth 1240]

5 hours ago, RamjetFDO said:

Just started The Cotswolds thread.

Yeah, you did!

[HornPhD 1316]

Anyone use the London Pass or Explorer Pass during their visit? Any issues with either?

We have four full days to explore London (not including a day reserved for trip to Stonehenge and Windsor Castle) with two days that are more structured and two days that are more open. 

I’ve drafted an itinerary for us (4 adults/4 kids, 11-16) to see some of the main sites (e.g., Tower of London, Churchill War Rooms, Westminster Abbey), as well as places to eat and a few “hidden gems” by general neighborhood. I’m still playing around with the itinerary and would welcome “must-sees” to consider. 

Our evenings are mostly free at the moment as we’ll check out our neighborhood for dinner spots.

We may see a performance of King Lear one night.

After dinner, my wife, her sister, and I will check out local pubs and some bars/clubs I’m interested in checking out (e.g., Trisha’s, Discount Suit Company).

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by HornPhD

[CooterBrown 17735]

Just left London today. While it’s easy to get around with the tube and busses, it takes time. You’ll also walk a lot. We scheduled one tourist thing per day and still put in 8+ miles a day. Two is definitely doable but by the 3rd straight day, everyone will be done.

If you’re planning on pubs, several turned us away with kids after 7pm so go earlier.

Another thing is it’s fucking hot right now. Our flat didn’t have AC so I had to go buy stand fans for the bedrooms. Do this day one if there’s no AC. I’m posting from Paris right now in the same situation. It’s hot as fuck with no breeze. I’m about to consider this VRBO a sunk cost and head to a hotel with AC for the rest of the week.

[thunderlounge 7637]

AC isn’t really AC over there though. Think more like swamp cooler feel. Slightly cooler air.

 

[4th&Five 41189]

Our 2 hotels there 3 weeks ago had great AC but they were both American brands. Weather was perfect though. My kids wouldn’t have done the 25,000 plus steps per day in that heat. 

[The Ace of Aces 5054]

2 hours ago, HornPhD said:

Anyone use the London Pass or Explorer Pass during their visit? Any issues with either?

We have four full days to explore London (not including a day reserved for trip to Stonehenge and Windsor Castle) with two days that are more structured and two days that are more open. 

I’ve drafted an itinerary for us (4 adults/4 kids, 11-16) to see some of the main sites (e.g., Tower of London, Churchill War Rooms, Westminster Abbey), as well as places to eat and a few “hidden gems” by general neighborhood. I’m still playing around with the itinerary and would welcome “must-sees” to consider. 

Our evenings are mostly free at the moment as we’ll check out our neighborhood for dinner spots.

We may see a performance of King Lear one night.

After dinner, my wife, her sister, and I will check out local pubs and some bars/clubs I’m interested in checking out (e.g., Trisha’s, Discount Suit Company).

 

Passes like that are nearly universally a ripoff. Especially with an itinerary that doesn’t include visiting 4 high-priced attractions every day, which yours doesn’t. 

[HornPhD 1316]

1 hour ago, The Ace of Aces said:

Passes like that are nearly universally a ripoff. Especially with an itinerary that doesn’t include visiting 4 high-priced attractions every day, which yours doesn’t. 

I hear ya; however, I created a spreadsheet that compares a la carte admissions vs. a 3 or 4 day pass and it’s pretty even. Mostly due to the London Pass being offered at a discounted price until June 30. Supposedly, the London Pass can also be used to skip lines for some venues. 

[McCroskey 1483]

On 6/16/2022 at 6:55 PM, thunderlounge said:

AC isn’t really AC over there though. Think more like swamp cooler feel. Slightly cooler air.

 

Just takes a few more $$ and it's glorious.  When searching AirBnB or VRBO in summer months, you've got to make sure units have A/C even if the chances are 50/50 you'll need it.

[gsoda3 3194]

On 4/18/2022 at 5:07 PM, HornPhD said:

Over the weekend, we booked a place in Islington. Time to start researching the neighborhood and mapping out the closest pub to each place we want to visit during the trip. Traveling with my wife, our two kids (daughter, 11 and son, 14), my SIL, her two girls (13 and 16) and my MIL will require frequent breaks. 

did you go yet?  my family lived in islington for a bit.  i love that area.  that corner where the foxglove, the regent, and some vietnamese restaurant are-  all three places are good.  foxglove's roast is a great deal if you're there on a sunday. my MIL loves the pho at that vietnamese restaurant.  on the high street there's la petite auburge.  low key hole in the wall type but great food.  there's also a really good indian place on the high street we used to get takeout from all the time but the name escapes me now.  they're open late.  and then there's a pret opposite the angel station.

Edited July 5, 2022 by gsoda3

[HornPhD 1316]

35 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

did you go yet?  my family lived in islington for a bit.  i love that area.  that corner where the foxglove, the regent, and some vietnamese restaurant are-  all three places are good.  foxglove's roast is a great deal if you're there on a sunday. my MIL loves the pho at that vietnamese restaurant.  on the high street there's la petite auburge.  low key hole in the wall type but great food.  there's also a really good indian place on the high street we used to get takeout from all the time but the name escapes me now.  they're open late.  and then there's a pret opposite the angel station.

Thanks for the info. We leave on July 16. 

[Doug E. Fresh 452]

5 hours ago, McCroskey said:

Just takes a few more $$ and it's glorious.  When searching AirBnB or VRBO in summer months, you've got to make sure units have A/C even if the chances are 50/50 you'll need it.

It makes a big difference. We’re expecting some days in July in the mid 30s. We have portable AC units in the living area and our bedroom, and it makes all the difference. But I know plenty of people that just grind it out. I can’t sleep at night in the heat.

[CooterBrown 17735]

Thanks for the info. We leave on July 16. 

We just stayed in Islington. The best pub for food is The Pig and Butcher. Avoid Steam Passage pub. The food is mediocre. On Chapel Market, there are three restaurants I’d highly recommend: Terrace Turkish Kitchen is excellent, Delhi Grill is widely regarded as one of the best Indian restaurants in the city, Mangia Bene is some of the best Italian I’ve had. Don’t be turned off by the cheesy sign.

Don’t miss the Imperial War Museum if you are interested in the Churchill War Rooms. One of the best museums I’ve ever been to.

It’s a newer pub but if you’re going to the Tower of London, grab lunch at Hung, Drawn and Quartered. The food was excellent. Best meat pies and chips I’ve had in London.

If you have kids in tow, take them to see a show. We went to Matilda and it was great. Tickets are cheap and second row balcony seats had a perfect view.

Go to Borough Market and browse the food vendors. Get a grilled chorizo sandwich and beer for £10 at Brindisa.

Go down and do a micro brewery crawl on Bermondsey Road under the rail arches.

[The Ace of Aces 5054]

Just saw the exchange rate. We really need to make our December trip happen. 

[squib 1112]

Yep, exchange rate is great right now. Headed to Manchester, Edinburgh, Dublin, Galway, Limerick starting this weekend for two weeks. Have given my liver a rest for the last 14 days. It has no idea what it is about to deal with. 

[HornPhD 1316]

7 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

We just stayed in Islington. The best pub for food is The Pig and Butcher. Avoid Steam Passage pub. The food is mediocre. On Chapel Market, there are three restaurants I’d highly recommend: Terrace Turkish Kitchen is excellent, Delhi Grill is widely regarded as one of the best Indian restaurants in the city, Mangia Bene is some of the best Italian I’ve had. Don’t be turned off by the cheesy sign.

Don’t miss the Imperial War Museum if you are interested in the Churchill War Rooms. One of the best museums I’ve ever been to.

It’s a newer pub but if you’re going to the Tower of London, grab lunch at Hung, Drawn and Quartered. The food was excellent. Best meat pies and chips I’ve had in London.

If you have kids in tow, take them to see a show. We went to Matilda and it was great. Tickets are cheap and second row balcony seats had a perfect view.

Go to Borough Market and browse the food vendors. Get a grilled chorizo sandwich and beer for £10 at Brindisa.

Go down and do a micro brewery crawl on Bermondsey Road under the rail arches.

The Pig and Butcher and Borough Market were on my radar. Thanks for the other recommendations (they’ve been added to the list)! We’ll have 4 kids (12-17) with us and we definitely want to see a show. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 18490]

Headed to London on the 29th for a work trip.  Holy shit with airfare.  I am doing the day flight from NYC, so flying Prem Economy becuase it was still 3k (business was 8k, from NYC...ridiculous).  

Staying at St. Ermin.  Our office is in Victoria.  On Friday, will move to Bermondsey as I am heading to Chiselhurst on Sunday to hang with friends.

So I am making a list of places in London.  Victoria is a good base as there are lots of good links out of there.  

Definitely that Friday night, going to hit 40 Maltby.  Then will breakfast at Borough berore meeting my friends in Greenwich to hang for the day on Saturday (touristy things and pubs).

Have bookmarked a few places, but wanted to get the thoughts of our resident Londoners.  

1.  Chishuru looks very, very interesting, and since it is only an 8 minute tube ride from Victoria station, thinking that might be a good place during the week.

2.  Ikoyi - Looks interesting.  Closed until September 1, so that Thursday would be my only opportunity, but not sure if I want to do something that formal.

3.  Kiln - Always a sucker for good Thai.

4.  Noble Rot - I know there are two locations.  Is one better than the other?

5.  Paradise - Sri Lankan in Soho

6.  Evelyn's Table - Traditional British

7.  The Barbary - Northern African in Neal's Yard

8.  Gymkhana - Excellent Indian

9.  Cinnamon Club - More excellent Indian that is close to the office - might hit this at lunch one day

I am definitely really intrigued by No. 1, thus it's reason for being at No. 1.  The rest, I am just interested in finding out more, since they all seem to be highly recommended.  I am not sure I can even get a reservation at Evelyn's Table, but I am going to see.  

Thanks in advance.  

[6th Street 6297]

Heading there this Friday with the fam, $800 RT from Denver.

Heard great things about Gymkhana, but prob won't get around to it. The Sri Lankan place in soho sounds incredible. Looking forward to some lagers and curry chips.

[Doug E. Fresh 452]

13 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Headed to London on the 29th for a work trip.  Holy shit with airfare.  I am doing the day flight from NYC, so flying Prem Economy becuase it was still 3k (business was 8k, from NYC...ridiculous).  

Staying at St. Ermin.  Our office is in Victoria.  On Friday, will move to Bermondsey as I am heading to Chiselhurst on Sunday to hang with friends.

So I am making a list of places in London.  Victoria is a good base as there are lots of good links out of there.  

Definitely that Friday night, going to hit 40 Maltby.  Then will breakfast at Borough berore meeting my friends in Greenwich to hang for the day on Saturday (touristy things and pubs).

Have bookmarked a few places, but wanted to get the thoughts of our resident Londoners.  

1.  Chishuru looks very, very interesting, and since it is only an 8 minute tube ride from Victoria station, thinking that might be a good place during the week.

2.  Ikoyi - Looks interesting.  Closed until September 1, so that Thursday would be my only opportunity, but not sure if I want to do something that formal.

3.  Kiln - Always a sucker for good Thai.

4.  Noble Rot - I know there are two locations.  Is one better than the other?

5.  Paradise - Sri Lankan in Soho

6.  Evelyn's Table - Traditional British

7.  The Barbary - Northern African in Neal's Yard

8.  Gymkhana - Excellent Indian

9.  Cinnamon Club - More excellent Indian that is close to the office - might hit this at lunch one day

I am definitely really intrigued by No. 1, thus it's reason for being at No. 1.  The rest, I am just interested in finding out more, since they all seem to be highly recommended.  I am not sure I can even get a reservation at Evelyn's Table, but I am going to see.  

Thanks in advance.  

I can only comment on a few of these.

 

Noble Rot is a good place but only been to the one near Holborn. I try to avoid Soho as much as possible.

Evelyn's is supposed to be great but it is tiny and therefore a tough table. I went to its predecessor, an Italian joint, a few years back and it just does't seat that many patrons

Gymkhana is great. It's high end, expensive curry with a cool scene and the food is spot on. Couple of decent pubs right across the street too.

Haven't done Cinnamon in over a decade but it used to be solid.

Paradise - don't know this one but Hoppers is another Sri Lankan place that is really good.

 

[The Ace of Aces 5054]

One of the top 5 meals we’ve ever had is from Gymkhana. It’s a must imo. We go every trip. 

Didn’t love Evelyn’s Table. I’m weird though and if I want quintessential Brit fare give me Rules all day, every day. 

[Doug E. Fresh 452]

3 hours ago, The Ace of Aces said:

One of the top 5 meals we’ve ever had is from Gymkhana. It’s a must imo. We go every trip. 

Didn’t love Evelyn’s Table. I’m weird though and if I want quintessential Brit fare give me Rules all day, every day. 

Haven’t been to Evelyn’s but it’s not traditional British fare. Quite a bit of Japanese influence in the preparation.

[The Ace of Aces 5054]

1 hour ago, Doug E. Fresh said:

Haven’t been to Evelyn’s but it’s not traditional British fare. Quite a bit of Japanese influence in the preparation.

Huh, looked it up and you’re right. I must have it confused with somewhere else in my head. My bad.

Been since 2019 when we were in London so far too long.  

[PenelopeWitherspoon 18490]

Ok, so Tuesday night is Chishuru.

Wednesday night is Brat in Shoreditch.

Thursday night, going with Cavita.  

Friday night, 40 Maltby.  

Looking forward to it!  Last time I was in London was 2019.

 

[Doug E. Fresh 452]

47 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Ok, so Tuesday night is Chishuru.

Wednesday night is Brat in Shoreditch.

Thursday night, going with Cavita.  

Friday night, 40 Maltby.  

Looking forward to it!  Last time I was in London was 2019.

 

Good choice on Cavita, it’s great. The Baja fish tacos are fantastic. Also had the mole chicken which was also great and could easily feed three.

 

 

[Sbbruin 21588]

The boy leaves a week from Saturday for a year in London.  Will be living in the Spitalfields area (in the Chapter Spitalfields dorms).  So just north of Tower Bridge.  The one challenge is no food is included.  His studio has a little 2 burner cooktop and a oversized toaster oven.  He'll split between cooking in and eating out.  Any cheap eats suggestions are welcome.  

[CooterBrown 17735]

The boy leaves a week from Saturday for a year in London.  Will be living in the Spitalfields area (in the Chapter Spitalfields dorms).  So just north of Tower Bridge.  The one challenge is no food is included.  His studio has a little 2 burner cooktop and a oversized toaster oven.  He'll split between cooking in and eating out.  Any cheap eats suggestions are welcome.  

Every supermarket has a huge selection of ready to eat fresh meals for like £6. I could see never cooking while living there. Get a sausage roll at Gregg’s for breakfast for £2.50, a meal to go from Waitrose for lunch for £6, a pint and a burger at a pub for dinner for £15.

[Armybrat 40545]

31 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

The boy leaves a week from Saturday for a year in London.  Will be living in the Spitalfields area (in the Chapter Spitalfields dorms).  So just north of Tower Bridge.  The one challenge is no food is included.  His studio has a little 2 burner cooktop and a oversized toaster oven.  He'll split between cooking in and eating out.  Any cheap eats suggestions are welcome.  

Around this neighborhood?

 

[sidis 9660]

33 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

The boy leaves a week from Saturday for a year in London.  Will be living in the Spitalfields area (in the Chapter Spitalfields dorms).  So just north of Tower Bridge.  The one challenge is no food is included.  His studio has a little 2 burner cooktop and a oversized toaster oven.  He'll split between cooking in and eating out.  Any cheap eats suggestions are welcome.  

he'll get to know pret. 

[4th&Five 41189]

22 minutes ago, sidis said:

he'll get to know pret. 

I think my kids ate it every day we were there. 

Edited August 22, 2022 by 4th&Five

[Sbbruin 21588]

25 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Around this neighborhood?

 

Close.  What was formerly the New College of the Humanities just officially became Northeastern University London.  Very close to there.  It's literally just a couple hundred yards from the bridge.  But the housing is like a 10 minute walk from the campus.

[Sbbruin 21588]

36 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

Every supermarket has a huge selection of ready to eat fresh meals for like £6. I could see never cooking while living there. Get a sausage roll at Gregg’s for breakfast for £2.50, a meal to go from Waitrose for lunch for £6, a pint and a burger at a pub for dinner for £15.

Yeah, trying to figure out a food budget.  Thinking like $700/mo?