Last week, I was lucky enough to spend a few days with my cute girl in her new city–London! I got to see what her life looks like these days and it was just wonderful. Honestly, I’m not sure there is anything better than watching your kids get after their dreams. It’s just the best!
On the chance you’re heading to London any time soon, here’s a recap of where I stayed, where we ate, and what we did while I was there.
Where We Stayed
There are so many incredibly beautiful hotels to stay in London and my goal for this visit was to stay in a different neighborhood from where Grace currently lives. I wanted her experience a different part of the city, while not breaking the bank.
We stayed at The Lime Tree Hotel in the Belgravia neighborhood and it was everything I hoped it would be. It’s nestled in one of London’s most beautiful neighborhoods, once home to Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming. There are cute boutiques, pubs, and bakeries everywhere, including Me + Em, Jo Loves, Peggy Porschen, TomTom Coffee House, and The Thomas Cubitt. The Lime Tree Hotel is located between the Victoria and Sloane metro stops making it super easy to get anywhere you’d like to go. I also loved that it was a short 15-minute walk to Buckingham Palace.
Our room was super spacious for downtown London and really had everything we needed. Our room was cleaned daily and was absolutely immaculate. My only complaint if I had to give one is that the walls were a little thin. There were a couple of times our neighbors were going into their rooms and it sounded like they were coming into ours. But that is absolutely my only criticism. I would definitely stay there again.
I did crowd source hotels from you before I left and rounded them up into a post. If you’d like to see that story, click here.
Where We Ate
Grace and I really kept our plans pretty loose for this trip, so I didn’t make any reservations before I got there. That said, we had some of the best meals I’ve ever had. Also, never mind that it was February. Nearly every restaurant we went to had outdoor seating as an option. It’s definitely a way of life in London to enjoy a meal with your coat on! I can only imagine how great this option is when the weather is nice.
Breakfast
The Buttery: This was the 10-table restaurant attached to our hotel and this may have been my favorite restaurant this trip! I had their homemade granola bowl and Grace and I shared their pancakes and we are still talking about them. Highly recommend making a reservation early in your trip if you’d like to dine there because seating is limited.
Morena: Another darling place and we were able to just walk in and have a delicious breakfast. I’m in my granola yogurt bowl era and the one at Morena was fab!
Timmy Green: We met two of Grace’s school friends for breakfast and this place took reservations. I think Timmy Green is part of a bigger restaurant chain but this place was hopping when we met on Saturday morning. I had a portobello mushroom toast that was the toast of my dreams! And I’m still dreaming about the flat white coffee I had there, too.
Cheeky Scone: When we moved Grace to London last August, we did a very fancy tea before we left. Before I got to London this time, I told Grace I just wanted to go for tea and scones. I didn’t need all of the other stuff. She delivered by taking me to Cheeky Scone in Notting Hill. For less than $20, Grace and I shared two scones, tons of clotted cream and jam, and two perfect cups of tea. I LOVED it and can’t wait to go back. My only regret is that we only had time to go there once while I was there. There will be a next time for sure!
Snack
Peggy Porschen: The most instagrammable bakery in London! This was right across the street from our hotel. Before we headed to Windsor on the train, we stopped in and picked up a slice of their orange carrot loaf and their chocolate marble loaf. This little gem of a bakery is a must visit if you happen to be in Belgravia.
Borough Market: Right near Tower Bridge are loads of little food markets just waiting to be sampled. Grace and I had lunch from fish!kitchen it was the fish, chips, and mushy peas of my dreams. If you don’t mind crowds, this is a very fun way to try to some of London’s fare.
Dolce Vyta in Covent Garden: This little walk-up window is serving the viral, creamy brioche buns that are all over London TikTok channels. These weren’t quite the 10 I was hoping for, but they were awfully good. And I felt pretty cool trying them!
Chestnut Bakery: Another little treasure of a bakery! This one had a number of twice baked croissants on their menu and of course Grace and I had to sample a couple. We chose a raspberry and pistachio as a sweet and a parmesan truffle one as our savory. So darn good!
Dinner
Rosa’s Thai: We hit this little neighborhood chain restaurant on my first night in London when we just wanted a quick bite. Their focus is Thai food and it was great. Great vibe on a Thursday night.
Circolo Popolare: This Italian place was awesome! We had an early dinner here before going to the theater and it was fantastic. Grace and I split a pizza and a salad. It was plenty of delicious food that was served quickly. The ambiance was also stunning!
Dishoom: I can’t remember the last time I had Indian food, so this was such a treat. Dishoom is THE PLACE all the young people talk about. They don’t take reservations. The trick is to stop by before you are hungy to put your name on a waitlist. Then you can enjoy a drink in the bar or outside until your table is ready. We only had to wait an hour, which was enough time to sample their incredible mocktail menu. I had a “no-groni” that was FABULOUS! Then Grace and I were seated and our server suggested we order three small plates and some garlic naan bread and it was all perfection. We ordered the house chaat, the chili broccoli salad, and the mattar paneer. Truthfully, I really don’t know what I was eating, but I enjoyed every bite.
What We Did
Sky Garden: This is one of the best things you can do in London for free! You can make a reservation up to three weeks in advance and get to see panoramic views of London. Additionally, if you want to grab a drink or a snack, there is also a restaurant available on the same floor as the viewing.
Windsor: I hadn’t been to Windsor since college and couldn’t wait to take Grace. It takes less than 30 minutes to get there from London and it’s such a nice way to see some “countryside.” Windsor, itself, has a ton of wonderful shopping, in addition to beautiful walking trails near the castle. Grace and I toured Windsor Castle with an audio tour that was fine, but a guide would have made it so much better. We spent a half day in Windsor and that felt like enough.
Portobello Markets and Notting Hill Shopping: This was just so much fun. Lots of vintage and antique market stalls mixed in among the beautiful boutiques in Notting Hill. Grace bought some cute overalls and I came home with some colorful Addidas Sambas that I love!
Theater: Don’t sleep on going to the theater! There are so many shows happening and it’s easy to score some affordable tickets. We saw Tina at the Aldwych Theater, the biographical musical about Tina Turner’s life and we enjoyed it so much.
Museum Exhibits: While I was in town, both the Tate Modern and Albert and Victoria Museum had exhibits I would have loved to have seen. The Tate Modern was showing “Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind” and the Albert and Victoria Museum was hosting “Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto.” If only I’d had a few more days! It’s definitely worth checking out what the museums have on their calendars.
Hyde Park: London is a city of walkers and runners and you see them all at Hyde Park. I loved walking through the park and seeing all of the dogs and their owners.
Princess Diana Memorial Statue: I finally got to see this statue that is located in the Sunken Garden of London’s Kensington Palace. If you loved Princess Diana like I did, this is a really moving place to visit. It’s open to the public and free to visit.
Can you tell I had a great time? I’m literally counting the minutes until I get to go back. Please let me know if you’ve been to any of these places or if you have a trip planned soon!
xo,
P.S. This is your public service announcement to get Global Entry for yourself if you don’t already have it. Customs took me less than five minutes compared to the hour or more others who didn’t have it endured waiting in line. Here’s the link if you want to look into getting it! It’s so worth it!
