How To: Eat your way through London

Two girls. Four days. Lots good food. As I said in my last post, I wanted to write a separate post just about my wine and dine dash through London with my friend Caela.

I loved everything about London, but perhaps what I enjoyed most about my time there a week and a half ago now was all of the amazing food options. Don't get me wrong--I love Spanish food, but sometimes it's all a bit homogenous. The delicious variety in London was like a little taste of home, and Caela and I took advantage of that to the fullest. 

So, without any further ado, here is my first-hand guide to eating your way through London in six easy steps. (Although I claim absolutely no expert status...)

1. GO TO AFTERNOON TEA.

Of primary importance in a weekend trip to London is the quintessential afternoon tea. This British tradition gained its popularity in the 19th century, when the Royal Duchess of Bedford, Anna, solved her afternoon energy pit by having a pot of tea and a small snack. She eventually began to invite her friends, which started a chain reaction of popularity of the afternoon tea in houses of Britain's elite. 

Those who know me know how tea-obsessed I am. My parents took me to my first real afternoon tea at The Plaza in New York last year. Since then, I have fallen in love with the tradition, and even planned an extravagant Afternoon Tea Bridal Shower for my sister last summer. So, I knew that of all of the abroad experiences I was hoping to have, afternoon tea in London was pretty high up on the list.

After doing lots of research, I decided that The Orangery seemed like the best combination of not totally breaking the bank but still having a very regal and traditionally British experience. The Orangery is in a building right next to the Kensington Palace that used to be the summer garden house of the queen. 

Like most afternoon teas, our meal came with unlimited tea (or coffee, as Caela opted for), an assortment of tea sandwiches, one plain scone and one raisin scone for each of us (served with delicious clotted cream and strawberry jam), and an assortment of beautiful desserts. I got Earl Grey tea (one of my favorites), and it was the perfect pair to the amazing food!

How beautiful is that china?

 

Happy, lucky girls!

It was an experience I will absolutely never forget. I strongly recommend that anyone who goes to London has afternoon tea. It was a "souvenir" that meant so much more to me than any tangible thing would have! (Although I did buy myself some tea!) 

2. GO TO CAMDEN MARKET.

The Camden Market is a huge outdoor & indoor market in the Camden area of London that not only just sells anything from donuts to falafel, but also many goods like souvenirs, art, clothing, and more. On our last morning in London (Sunday), we went to the Camden Market for a couple hours. We weren't that hungry when we were there, so we just got smoothies. Nonetheless, the smoothies were great and by the looks of it, it would be a great place to indulge in a nice, big lunch from one of the stands serving food from all around the world!

3. HAVE DINNER IN SOHO. MORE THAN ONCE.

Caela had read on one of her favorite blogs, A Piece of Toast, about a restaurant called Jackson + Rye in the Soho area of London. We didn't know much about the area, but we headed over there after doing a little shopping on Oxford Street (just a short walk away) on our first night in London.

We ended up having one of the greatest nights ever having dinner at the bar and talking to the bartenders and everyone around us. We had lots of drinks (too many, but they were just too good) and we both had steak and eggs for dinner on the first night, followed by the most delicious molten chocolate sunday ever...

We noticed that Soho was full of so many fun bars and restaurants when we were walking to Jackson + Rye, so we ended up going back to the area for dinner the next night. We went to a French place called Cote, where we both had yummy salads and wine.

On our last day, we couldn't help but reminisce on our amazing first night in London at Jackson + Rye, so we ended up going back for dinner! We were very happy with our decision, as we had more great conversation, drinks, salads for dinner, and the molten chocolate sunday I am still thinking about.

4. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LONDON'S BEAUTIFUL SCENERY.

Much of London's important sights can be seen from along the river, so a riverside lunch was a very fun way to take in the ambiance of the city!

On our first full day in London (Friday), Caela and I spontaneously ended up getting lunch at Swan at the Globe, a restaurant right next to Shakespeare's Globe Theater. It was such a chic place full of well-dressed "ladies who lunch." We both enjoyed delicious salads-something we don't get as much as we'd like in Spain- while taking in the beautiful view across the Thames River of the St. Paul's cathedral and other sights.

On Saturday, after going to the top of the Tower Bridge, we decided to enjoy the uncharacteristically warm London weather by eating outside along the Thames River. We ended up at The Butlers Wharf Chop House, where we both devoured giant veal burgers with blue cheese and a fried egg, paired with big fries and ketchup. It was, without a doubt, one of the best burgers I've ever had in my life, and the views were pretty incredible on their own.

5. ENJOY THE FANCY DEPARTMENT STORES.

London is home to several famous high-end department stores that are much more than your typical American department store. These mega-stores are complete with cafés, high-end grocers, champagne bars, and restaurants. During our short stay in London, Caela and I made it to Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, and Liberty of London. 

I bought myself some tea at Fortnum & Mason, and although we wanted to have tea or a snack in Harrods, it was a bit too crowded. However, even just looking around at all of the goodies in these stores made me excited, and is definitely something I would recommend to future visitors.

Macarons at Fortnum & Mason

One of the tea blends I bought, along with Earl Grey

6. HAVE MORE AFTERNOON TEA.

And last, but certainly not least, eating your way through London wouldn't be complete without as much tea as you can get. That is, if you're a tea fan like me. But Caela indulged in lots of coffee-including her beloved and missed iced coffee- and she seemed equally as happy. My hotel room had tea and an electric kettle, so aside from starting my day with tea in the room, I had tea both on the go or sitting in from several cafes.

On Sunday, or last day, we went back to walk around in the Kensington Gardens, and we ended up getting lunch at the cafe right by The Orangery. I couldn't refuse when I saw the same scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam that I had two days before at The Orangery. With some more Earl Grey tea and a salad, it was a perfect last meal in London.

There you have it, folks. A true amateur's guide to dining and drinking in London- one of my new favorite cities on the planet.

Ta ta!
A