London Recommendations
I <3 London, so let’s not dally.
First Up: Pubs
The most important. Ask me for my pub list. (I’ll write a blog post for it eventually.)
Second: Non-food Things
In no particular order.
- Regent’s canal walk and Thames river walk: good way to see a bunch of different neighborhoods, and everyone likes water features.
- Portobello Road market: huge antiques-ish market, with an endless selection of silver in particular.
- Highgate Cemetery: actually really cool architecture and some interesting history. Very close to Hampstead Heath, which is a particularly nice big park, among all their great big parks.
- Globe Theater: yeah, touristy, but it’s hard to go wrong with Shakespeare… though there are so many shows to choose from (like The Burnt City, which is the same troupe that did Sleep No More).
- British Museum: obviously, but specifically, the Sutton Hoo exhibit. Also the Rosetta stone is also just like, right there in the hallway.
- Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A): ironwork, fashion, plaster casts… it’s interesting and high quality stuff you won’t find in the British Museum.
- London Transport Museum: if you’re into buses ‘n’ shit. I liked it.
- Parks: the Brits are good at parks, so if you’re out for a walk, try to route through one of the big ones nearby (there are a lot of those).
- Literally any historic tour: I did Parliament, the Tower of London, and Hampton Court, all of which were a good time, especially the first one.
- Sunset drinks: the Shard and the Walkie Talkie have sunset drinks on their top floors.
- St Pancras station (just if you’re nearby): it’s reaaaally pretty, and King’s Cross is not, which is why the Harry Potter movies lied and used it for filming instead of the real King’s Cross.
Third: Food Things
Please note that I am not a Restaurant Person. London is like NYC or LA in this domain – they have literally everything, somewhere, and it’s good. You could very well just find a listicle and not be led too far astray.
Also, British food isn’t as bad as people make it out to be, mostly because they’ve figured out how to make it better and also because you have to expect the right thing – all British food is, basically, fall/winter comfort food. They don’t eat fresh things.
Anyway:
- SUNDAY ROAST: yes, it’s actually only available on Sundays, and yes, you have to go to a pub to eat it, but no, you don’t even have to order a pint. Check the pub list for recommendations.
- Borough Market: a little touristy, but lots of good food choices (including a guy who sells straight sea urchin that I went to several times).
- Postcard Teas: small, fancy tea store with curated and actually interesting collection of teas, plus tastings (though sign up way in advance if you want to do that).
- Bone Daddies: ramen, in particular, the dipping ramen which I’ve never seen anywhere else, and the Soho one is the original.
- Pick & Cheese: sushi belt cheese. Also nearby the famous Neal’s Yard Dairy so you can just… buy cheese. To eat.
- Dishoom: the Indian restaurant on every “best Indian in London” list. It is good, though.
- Lahore Kebab House: recommended by Meera Sodha in this interview (and previously on her site). Was excellently delicious, but the next day was not so great.
- Gunpowder: also recommended by Meera Sodha. Trendy and and a little fusion-y.
- Abeno: okonomiyaki/teppanyaki place right next to the British Museum.
- Savory pie, in general: the one I would have recommended had the chef die (!) while I was there last. (I don’t know if this is the same thing as a hand pie.)
Last and Certainly Least: Anti-recommendations
Don’t do these.
- Battersea: the hip new converted-coal-power-plant-development thing. It’s just a mall, though the building itself is really impressive. You can get a similar effect from the Tate Modern, also an ex-power-plant, which is more worth seeing (if you like modern art).
- Changing of the guard: it’s just some dudes in silly hats marching around. I wouldn’t even bother taking a look at Buckingham Palace unless you’re in the area, since it’s just another European king’s house which are all rather same-y.
- Camden Market: probably cooler in the past, but mostly just an outdoor punk-hipster mall.
- Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus: just straight-up tourist traps.