I feel so lucky that we got to spend this year’s spring break in London visiting our daughter Grace. I loved it even more that we could take Jimmy with us. We have never traveled to Europe with our kids before and this felt like such a treat. This post recaps where we stayed, the restaurants we tried, and what we did the five days we were there.
Where We Stayed
When we travel as a family, we often stay on my husband’s Marriott points, and that’s what we did on this trip to London. Marriott has tons of options. Because of where our daughter lives, I wanted to be in the South Kensington area. We stayed in Kensington at the Xenia Hotel, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, between the Gloucester Road and Earl’s Court stops on the Metro. For Europe, we had a nice sized room that was super clean and a staff that was very helpful. We were actually able to check into our hotel before the typical check-in time because they had availability. That is always such a luxury after an overnight flight.
I can only think of two small negatives to this location. 1. The restaurant was only okay. We grabbed a quick breakfast one morning before an early tour and I thought it was expensive for what it was. Again, super nice staff but there are better dining options nearby. 2. The hotel is located near a hospital so there are lots of ambulance sirens at all hours. If you are a light sleeper, this might be something to consider.
Otherwise, this location was central enough for us to easily navigate the city. Here is a list of other hotels my followers have shared with me that they have stayed in and loved. Additionally, I have a love affair with the Lime Tree Hotel in Belgravia that I have written about here.
One note: When we were checking out, the desk staff pointed out a housekeeping tip that was built into our final bill. We always try to leave a tip in the room for our housekeeping staff, but I loved that the hotel included this and let us know.
Where We Ate
I told Jimmy I wanted him to try all of the things while we were in London and he was a pretty good sport. Here are the places we enjoyed the most while we were in London.
Breakfast/Brunch
Farm Girl Cafe: I think breakfast is my favorite meal in London and this restaurant is darling. I think they have a couple of locations throughout London.
Granger & Co.: Another gem we discovered around the corner from where we went to church in Chelsea. We walked right in and the food and service was fantastic. When we were finished, we walked around Sloane Square and I dreamed about Princess Diana who once lived in this neighborhood and earned her the name, the “Sloane Ranger.”
Glamarama: A very cute spot in South Kensington that’s part of the Daisy Green chain of restaurants in London. It has a very farm-to-table flair and one of the best flat whites in London. (I’ve done the research.)
Bill’s: This is a good, safe go-to if you’re in a hurry. It’s a chain all over London and reminds me of Walker Bros. or Egg Harbor.
Dinner
Jacuzzi: Grace’s 25th birthday was our first night in London and we let her pick the restaurant. She chose Jacuzzi. It was a fabulous Italian restaurant–great decor, service, and food.
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 the “Sober Negroni” that was FABULOUS! When we were seated, our server suggested we order several small plates to share and some garlic naan bread. It was all perfection. I really don’t know what I was eating, but I enjoyed every bite.
Mestizo Mexican Restaurant & Bar: This Mexican restaurant was a little off the beaten path but it was worth the trip. The food was authentic Mexican with a staff that could speak to all of it and make knowledgable suggestions.
Traitor’s Gate Pub: We only had the chance for fish and chips once and I’m thrilled that we got to have them here. Located right across the street from Tower Bridge, this might be a touristy place but the food was quick and delicious.
What We Did
London Taxi Guide Tour: This is an absolute must do! One of my favorite influencers, Living with Landyn, visited London earlier this year and raved about her tour guide–Mark from London Taxi Guide. I reached out to him when I knew we would be in town for spring break and he connected me to one of his colleagues, another fantastic guide named Mark. He was amazing! We spent four hours in his British taxi, touring all of the things you have to see while you’re in London. He definitely asked for our input, but we were open to go wherever he took us. He had some great tips for other things to do while we were in London and left us with his cell should we have questions on our stay. The tour cost £300, but it was worth every penny. Our daughter (who didn’t come with us because she had to work) couldn’t believe how many times we referenced Mark later in the week. I highly recommend doing this early in your London stay so you can make a list of all the things you want to revisit later in your visit.
Tower of London: Our tour of the city ended about 1 p.m., right across the street from the Tower of London. We decided to finish our day of historical sites by taking a Beefeater tour at the Tower. That lasted 45 minutes and then we popped into see the Crown Jewels, which of course I loved and the boys rolled their eyes at me. You can cross this off your list in about 90 minutes.
Westminster Abbey: Being such a royal watcher, I had to get inside Westminster Abbey since so many memorable weddings and funerals have been held there. It’s £30 to get inside and get access to an audio tour. We were able to do it in an hour. If you happen to be near the Abbey about 4:30 p.m. most days, you can enter for free and enjoy their choir. While you can’t wander around the Abbey at this time, it’s a wonderful way to be indoors and enjoy the surroundings free of charge.
Churchill War Rooms: This is a must see on your London stay. I’m not much of a museum-goer when I travel, but I’m so happy I went. Our son Jimmy was also completely enthralled by all he saw while we were there. Plan on about 90 minutes for your visit here.
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.
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 Mamma Mia at the Novello Theatre and it was FANTASTIC. Even Jimmy enjoyed it (although I’m sure he will tell you otherwise).
Princess Diana Memorial Statue: I had to take Jimmy to see the Sunken Garden of London’s Kensington Palace. If you loved Princess Diana like I did, this is a really moving place to visit and it meant a lot to me to share with Jimmy. It’s open to the public and free to visit.
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. You have never seen such well behaved dogs in your whole life.
Changing of the Guard: The Changing of the Guard takes place at Buckingham Palance on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 11 a.m. I hadn’t seen the Changing of the Guard since my parents took me to London in the early 90s. One of the best tips our tour guide Mark gave to us was to go to Marlbourough Street and stand in front of the monument to Queen Alexandra at 10:30 a.m. From here, you see the guards leave for the ceremony–you can practically pet the horses you’re so close. While you don’t see the actual changing of the guard from this perch, you get a very good idea of what’s going to happen. And as our luck would have it, we were just down the way from Clarence House–the royal residence for King Charles and Queen Camilla. We saw King Charles leave Clarence House for an event and that literally made my trip!
Day trip to Oxford: We caught the train from Paddington station to Oxford. The train ride took about an hour. Once there, we hopped a bus with a great audio tour that allowed you to jump on and off as you saw things where you wanted a closer look. Our bus driver told us about a little pub called Turf Tavern that was so charming and made the trek to the countryside worth it.
Soccer game: Our daughter’s boyfriend is a huge Chelsea soccer fan. At his suggestion, we went to a World Cup qualifying match at Wembley Stadium between England and Latvia. It was so much fun. We really appreciated how passionate the English fans were and it was an experience to be at Wembley.
I hope this helps you plan your next London adventure!
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!
