Beyond the Postcard

    London is a biggg city with more to see and do than is even imaginable. Just the thought of fitting it all into one weekend is overwhelming enough to stop your itinerary planning before it’s even begun. But trust me, “just winging it,” will most likely, not lead to a weekend lived to the fullest. Thankfully, some amazing restaurant recommendations, a weekend guide to London, and some things I learned along the way are all listed below! This way, all the hard work is done and you can focus solely on enjoying your trip.

Restaurant Recs

The Breakfast Club:

Cozy, retro, nourishing for the soul. This little breakfast spot was like an oasis of cheerful people, warm food, and good vibes. The prices were very affordable, which is somewhat of a rarity in London, and the menu range was incredible. There were traditional dishes, like the classic breakfast sandwich, to creative options such as the bean and chorizo shakshuka. Both of which, happened to be amazing and provided plenty of fuel for a day full of walking around in the cold. There are also multiple locations around the city for optimal convenience!

The English Rose:

Traditional afternoon tea at The English Rose was one of my favorite and most memorable experiences from the entire weekend. You are able to select any hot drink of your choice and with it comes an assortment of tea sandwiches, an assortment of tea cakes, a scone, and clotted cream and jam. And they even serve it on a tiered stand! The homemade soup of the day and grilled cheese were also delicious and I truly believe you could order anything from this menu and leave feeling blissful. 10/10.

Borough Market:

This place is incredible! I have never seen a food market on this level and it might have set the bar way too high for other food markets to even compete in the future. I have a feeling you really can’t go wrong with any of the vendors here, but I had to include Fish Kitchen in this list because you can knock out 2 birds with 1 stone. You get to try fish and chips in England, which is already a must, as well as being immersed in the hustle and bustle of Borough Market, which is also, already a must. 2 birds, 1 stone! It would be criminal to not give the chocolate covered strawberries at Turnips a shoutout too. This produce stand offers fresh, juicy strawberries smothered in chocolate, which have become a staple of the Borough Market community for excellent reason.  

Lina Stores:

This restaurant is absolute perfection. It is extremely affordable, with the menu ranging from £8-16, located in the heart of Soho, has a great ambiance, and amazing food! If you are a lover of Italian food, specifically, homemade Italian pasta, make your reservation now!

The Lost Elephant’s Kitchen:

The Lost Elephant’s Kitchen knows how to do breakfast. This cute little restaurant is located in Camden Town and is a wonderful place to start your morning. Ever heard of pancakes with cream cheese spread, topped with smoked Salmon, partnered with curly fries, scrambled eggs & roasted veggies? Not kidding. The menu at this place is seriously one of a kind and made breakfast feel so fun!

Weekend Itinerary

Day 1

• Breakfast in the Theatre District: Neal’s Yard and surrounding areas have lots of cute shops, cafes & restaurants. This is where we went to The Breakfast Club.
• Explore Covent Garden and be sure to visit the beautiful marketplace.
• Walk about 20 minutes along the river from Covent Garden to Big Ben and admire the London Eye from afar.
• See Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and The Palace of Westminster: go inside/ tour if it suits you or appreciate from outside.
• From this area walk another 15ish minutes to Buckingham Palace, passing through St. James’s Park.
• Mid-late afternoon, head to the English Rose Café, which is only a 3-minute walk from The Palace. Relax and enjoy traditional high tea and snacks, order lunch foods, or both!
• Now with lots of sightseeing done feel free to take a few hours to nap, rest, or get ready for the evening!
• Since staying in Camden Town is highly recommended, this evening is devoted to exploring the neighborhood. The Camden Market is a great place to start with lots of food and shopping to be done.

Day 2

• Breakfast in Camden Town: The Lost Elephant’s Kitchen is my vote.
• Tube about 30 mins from Camden Town to the Tower of London. Tour if wanted, this is where they keep the crown jewels.
• Walk across Tower Bridge to Borough Market (around 15 minutes) and get lunch! Be sure to check out Fish and get the chocolate covered strawberries.
• Next, tube to Hyde Park where you can walk, bike, or chill. This tube ride should take around 25 minutes.
• You now have a few hours to head back to your Airbnb/ residence to rest and get ready for the night.
• Now it’s time for dinner in Soho: Lina Stores is my personal recommendation but there are tons of cute restaurants in this area that I’m sure have great food.
• After dinner, take an evening stroll around Carnaby, Regent and New Bond St.
• Finish the night at a local pub!

Day 3 (bonus ½ day)

• Go to Portobello Market & explore Notting Hill before heading to the airport.

Things I learned along the way:

1. London is very expensive so be prepared. Most tourist attractions like Westminster Abbey and The Tower of London cost around £30 to enter.
2. You can tap your debit/ credit card on the tube readers if you want to pay individually per ride. If not, you can purchase an all-day pass for zones 1-4 for £15.
3. Stay in Camden Town! The housing accommodations are much more reasonably priced and getting to any other part of the city is very easy by tube.
4. Make dinner reservations! And make them in advance! We had half-empty restaurants turn us away without a reservation and day of reservations are hard to come by.
5. If possible, avoid flying into the London Stansted airport. The flight may be cheaper, but it’s 1.5 hours away from the city and it will cost you around £20, each way, to take the train from the airport to the outskirts of the tube system. If you do have to fly in/ out of this airport, give yourself at least 2.5 hours to get through security and to your gate (and don’t expect anything to be organized).