Is there any other way to travel other than a food tour?
London is everything. Every time I’m ready to cancel my return flight and relocate. One day my friends. But until then, I soak up every restaurant I can while in London.
Being in a city, where that best mashed potatoes (and mushy peas) and good beer, are at any turn, well it’s basically in heaven. London is full of parks and garden. People meeting with their friends to have drinks in a mini park after work. Bar patrons spilling out on to the streets to chat. Everyone has style, like New York City, but British. People are friendly, and everywhere feels like Cheers.
I’ve wandered into several places just to stop and rest my weary feet, but here are a few of the favorites that I would return to today!
Pieminister (Pies & Mash): This place is awesome. Spilling over with people on the streets, they offer a great beer and amazing Pies & Mash. It may have been my favorite Pies & Mash around. Head upstairs for actual tables and some space. And warning the bathrooms in Europe are impossibly small. Be prepared to swing a leg over a toilet seat to get in the stall. Oh and bring tissues in your purse. I encountered a lot of lacking toilet paper dispensers.
Beer Garden by the Tower of London Bridge: Right below the bridge, on the other side from the fortress but same side of the river, there is a little suedo garden space with a Starbucks and a couple food trucks. Grab a beer here and enjoy the view. You won’t get a better Instagram picture than that. It may have been one of my favorite moments.
The Vault: A bar hidden under the Tower of London bridge, on the opposite side of the river. There’s a little walk way leading to the museum that shows you the steam room for the bridge. The bar is right next to that. Grab a Pimms there. It’s delicious!
The Wolseley (Afternoon tea): Fancy and gorgeous. The tea and snacks are absolutely perfect, and they have a little bar waiting area. Make a reservation for sure. It’s right across the park from the palace so it’s the perfect time to do that entire area and get your royal vibes on. There’s a bar down the street that will give you a great beer too. The Wolseley door man will lead you in the right direction. Oh and we had a Harry Styles spotting there. So, that checked off our British Celeb spotting. If only Taylor Swift was there instead. If only.
Tonkotsu Bar & Ramen: I LOVE Ramen. This place was spot on with deliciousness. With homemade noodles, you can’t miss. I added an extra egg to get the full hard boiled egg. They usually only put in half. I wish I could have this once a week. Do not miss this place!!
Chor Bizarre (Indian): Dead serious Indian food. We ate our faces off here. A little more like a date night, in a nicer part of town. We had a great meal here.
Snowflake Gelato: Absolutely delicious. We stopped in here after Indian for a sweet treat. It was the perfect end to a date night.
Buns and Buns on a work trip to London we had a healthy breakfast at Buns and Buns. It’s in the middle of tCovent Garden which is just the cutest place you can ever fine yourself. Stop in a grab a green juice to refresh from the pubs. Stay a stop around. The Ordinary is there as well as thrifting stands; all limned with cobble stone streets.
Paddington Station: I found this by accident looking for a toddler Paddington costume, but OMG Paddington is the CUTEST!!!! If you exit South toward the Paddington store, it’s not great. But if you exit North toward the Little Venice Rivers, you will never want to leave. The water is lined with boat bars, and you can RENT BOATS to have little parties on. People were just chilling on little boats and drinking beers. The canals are so cute and as you walk down the street, you forget where you are completely. It’s a hidden gem.
Sketch: This place is pricey but adorable. If you are on a budget, you can stop in any time for a drink in the tea room. Do that and then use the bathroom. It’s the original gramm-able space.
Enjoy and tell me any of your favorite spots.
OOTDs
Warmth and function was priority at this point. Be just as comfortable as you are cute when traveling. Read my packing tips HERE.
Red OOTD: Amazon Red Dress (amazing! TTS) // Adidas Sneakers // Amazon Sunglasses // Amazon Faux Gucci Belt Bag
Black and White OOTD: Jacket by Forever21 (Similar) // Top by Target // Jeans by Paige Denim // Sweater by Bar III (old) // Boots by Frye // Backpack by ShoeDazzle // Hoops by Nadri
This post was originally written in 2015. It has been updated and recirculated for 2020.