Recently I took a trip with my sister to visit some friends in London! London is one of my favorite cities! We took a red eye and knew once we landed we needed to make sure we kept busy all day. It’s not fun, but it’s so important when traveling to Europe!
Thursday
We got to our friend’s flat (apartment) by 11 am, and headed to Covent Garden to walk around. We ended up going to the Lamb and Flag for lunch and a pint. They have wonderful Fish and Chips which should be a must on your London to do list. We were starting to get tired and knew we needed to get outside and walk around. We walked to Buckingham Palace and stopped in the gift shop. If you are a corgi fan, this is a MUST as they have tons of fun corgi paraphernalia. We then decided to walk to Harrod’s. We ended up at the Champagne Bar and sat for a few drinks while waiting for a friend.
Friday
We knew we wanted to see Diana’s clothes at Kensington Palace, so that was our first stop of the day. It was fun getting to see her outfits next to a photo of her wearing them and the reasoning behind each choice. She really thought about every detail behind choosing a style, designer, color, etc! We toured the rest of the palace and ended at the sunken garden for afternoon tea. This was my favorite tea we had in London, as the view was beautiful, the food was good, and it wasn’t overly priced (£36 with a glass of sparkling rosé).
We were meeting out friend near Leadenhall Market, a very quintessential Victorian market with lots of bars and restaurants, but most importantly filming for Harry Potter. If you like Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron, this is a must do! Nearby is a beautiful Soho House hotel called The Ned and had a drink at Millie’s while waiting. From there we went to the Jamaican Wine House for some pints in a very traditional English Pub, followed by The Banker. The Banker was really cool as it’s right on the Thames!
Saturday
The Trooping of the Colour was on Saturday morning at 10 am, and this was the only thing on our visit we knew we HAD to do. We woke up a little late, but made it to the Mall by 9:15 and there was only one row of people between us and the barricades. We stood at the corner of The Mall and Horse Guards Road. Charing Cross was the closest Tube Station and it was a very short walk. We were able to see the whole parade and the Queen twice, once as she entered the Horse Guards and again as she exited. We also got to see Kate, Camilla, Harry, Meghan, etc! If you are in town for this, you would be silly to miss it! It started at 10 am and we saw the Queen by 11 am and then again around noon!
We then visited friends out in the countryside for the rest of the afternoon visiting small towns and pubs. If you like the Holiday, try to make the trip out to Shere and visit The White Horse.
Sunday
By Sunday we were pretty tired! We made a 3:30 tea time at Wyld Tea and the Mondrain London. The space is very adorable, but the tea was not our favorite. I would recommend stopping in for just a drink! We then walked down the Thames to view the Globe Theatre and then proceeded to the Shard. We have a lovely time with views of the Thames from the 32nd story of the Tower of London as well as Tower Bridge. I personally think this is a much better way to spend your money by ordering a cocktail at one of their bars instead of something like the London Eye.
For dinner we went to Gordon’s Wine Bar, London’s oldest wine bar. It’s small inside, but they have seats along the entire alley for you to grab a bottle of wine and a cheese plate to enjoy with friends.
Monday
We decided to walk around Notting Hill on our final day and found the blue door. We ended up at The Churchill Arms for lunch, which has great Thai food. They are known for their overly floral exterior which was so beautiful!
Later that afternoon, we headed to Duke’s Bar for one of their famous Martinis, rumored to have inspired James Bond himself. If you are a martini fan, you have got to go here. They create the martinis table side.
We needed to kill a little bit of time before dinner, and ended up finding Mr. Fogg’s Residence. and I am so glad we did! A little hidden, but once you enter you feel like you’ve traveled to a different place. The eclectic decor paired with an exotic menu really sets the mood for a fun time. And if that’s not enough, there was a magician! I will always make sure to visit Mr. Fogg on future trips to London!
I hope this helps give you some ideas of things to do and places to drink on your next trip across the pond!