London Trip

Towards the end of October a friend and I took a trip to London. I absolutely fell in love with the city. I have some family who lives in London and I always fly through Heathrow on the way to Ireland, so I had been there a couple of times before. However, it’s definitely different when you’re younger and with your family. Before, I had done mainly the typical touristy things. During this trip I feel like I discovered a whole different side of the city. I was extremely pleased with our itinerary - we fit a lot into our 3 days! It also did not feel like we were surrounded by tourists all the time like with many of the other places we have been to. The whole city had a really nice atmosphere; even though it was only the end of October it felt super festive already with the cold weather and stores’ having their Christmas decorations up. 

Our Itinerary:

Thursday

On Thursday we landed around 2:30pm. We had to fly into Gatwick Airport, which is not the most convenient as it’s pretty far from the city. However, it’s actually pretty straightforward getting into the city from there; it just takes a while. We were able to take the Gatwick Express for £19 to Victoria Station, and from there transferred to the Tube. We were staying with my family who lives in London, so once we arrived at their house we just hung out and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Friday

We started our day bright and early to make it to our 9:30am class at the SoulCycle Soho studio that opened this past summer. The studio is super nice and it was one of the things we had always been looking forward to doing in London. The class itself wasn’t my favorite (I guess I’m used to the instructors in California!), but it was still cool to go check it out. We spent the rest of the morning walking around Soho, Carnaby Street, Oxford and Regent Street. I loved the area! We got post-workout scones and lattes at an adorable bakery called Bread Ahead on Carnaby Street and of course shopped at the Topshop flagship store on Oxford Street - it’s huge! That afternoon we met my cousin for tea at the Berkeley Hotel near Kensington. The Berkeley Hotel is known for their “Prêt-à-Portea” fashion tea, and it did not disappoint. Instead of the usual scones and pastries, all of the treats were inspired by designer runway looks and were mini dresses and purses. Not only did they look amazing, but they tasted really good too. They also bring you as many pots of different teas as you would like to try. The room had a very sophisticated yet cozy atmosphere, and we sat there for hours. Later that night we went back out towards Soho and went to a pub called The Three Greyhounds, which was fun. It’s pretty small on the inside so most people stand on the sidewalk outside it, and there are a lot of other places around it as well, so the area has a nice buzz. After a while we decided to find another place to go to, and we came across a bar called Barrio. It looks like a pretty calm cocktail bar on the street level, but it actually becomes more like a dance club once you go downstairs. We only stayed for a while but it was fun and would also be a good place if you had a bigger group. 

Saturday

We had another early start on Saturday, and we headed off to Notting Hill. I had heard of two popular brunch places there called Eggbreak and Farm Girl, but both had super long waits (not sure if they take reservations but it would probably be best to try and make one if you really wanted to go to one of them). We ended up coming across this restaurant called Timo and having a really good English breakfast style brunch there. After that we strolled through Portobello Market and of course admired the colorful houses. Overall I loved the area and think it’s definitely worth a visit. After that, we made our way to the London Stadium for a West Ham game. Although I wouldn’t say I’m a major soccer fan, it was really fun to get to see the Olympic Stadium and experience an English soccer game. The stadium is right next to a huge Westfield, so of course we stopped there afterwards. That night we headed out to Shoreditch and went to a pub called The Crown and Shuttle. We stayed there most of the night and I would definitely recommend it; it was super lively and had a fun vibe. 

Sunday

On Sunday we set off to Covent Garden. We had initially planned on staying there for just a while then working our way back to the Kensington area; however, we didn’t initially realize just how much there is to see in Covent Garden. We went to The Ivy Market Grill for brunch (we were fine without a reservation) and sat out on the terrace; it was so cute and our Eggs Benedicts were delicious. After that we walked around the area, admiring the market, quaint streets, and of course the stores - London has so much good shopping everywhere; it’s amazing but dangerous! Our flight was that evening but we had to start heading back around 3 to give ourselves enough time to get our bags and transport back to the Gatwick Airport. 

One more recommendation I have for London is to take advantage of the Tube! It’s super easy to use, relatively inexpensive for a day pass (which we got each day), and gets you anywhere you could want to go in London. 

It was an amazing trip and up there as one of my favorites so far. We definitely could have used more time there, as London has so much to offer. I’m already looking forward to going back!

Prêt-à-Portea at the Berkeley Hotel

Almost too pretty to eat…

Adorable houses in Notting Hill

West Ham Game at the Olympic Stadium

Covent Garden

Amazing brunch at The Ivy