My first international trip was epic, indeed. Like a vintage lady from the past, I crossed the Atlantic on a grand Oceanliner instead of by airplane, and a few days after docking in Southampton, I visited London. In the months leading up to this adventure, I did a great deal of research to customize an itinerary which would please both me and my husband’s interests (fashion, food, history, and London tourism). Reflecting back on our 3 days in London, I would like to share with you my personal top 15 suggestions for what to experience while in London.
1.) Have a drink in the lobby at St. Pancras Hotel , and Explore the Opulent Staircase
My husband and I arrived to London by way of the UK’s National Railroad, from Brighton. Lucky for us, the most practical train depot to exit into London, St. Pancras Station, was also a destination in and of itself. The station features masterful Victorian Gothic architecture, and the massive scale of it took my breath away. The arches and exterior are grand and elegant. My first suggestion here, is that when you arrive at St. Pancras Railway Station, you do not just leave and go about your travels. Rather, you should enter into the attached hotel, St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, and have a drink in the Hansom Bar, located in the lobby. Then peek around the corners until you find the grand staircase. It is beyond impressive and free to admire, and trust me, admire you will!
2.) Enjoy breakfast looking over London from 40 stories high at Duck & Waffle
The restaurant Duck and Waffle, located at 110 Bishopsgate, is a fancy way to start your London vacation morning. They are well known for their signature namesake, duck confit and waffles, but some other breakfast offerings include lemon meringue waffles, smoked salmon royale, eggs florentine, along with many other options. With a 40 story high view, you can imagine that this is a popular restaurant, so no matter what time of day you intend to visit, it is a good idea to have a reservation.
3.) Or and alternative, have a classic English Breakfast at a casual diner, The Breakfast Club
In my research ahead of time, I decided to pinpoint The Breakfast Club diner near the London Bridge station, as a point on the map to enjoy breakfast, due to the impressive reviews. This is conveniently located very close to my #9 suggestion, Burough Market, and rather close to The Fashion and Textile Museum, my #8 suggestion, so you might build your morning around those ideas. Here we enjoyed a traditional English breakfast they call the “Full Monty”. This included bacon, sausage, black pudding, home-style potatoes, creamy mushrooms, beans, tomatoes, eggs, and toast. You probably will not need to eat lunch after a meal like that! This diner has a relaxed and cheerful bustling vibe, and we quite enjoyed it.
4.) Take photos in a garden that is one of the best (and FREE) vantage points overlooking the city from above, Sky Garden.
Sky Garden is free to visit, but you need to book your free ticket in advance on their website for your time slot. Once you are there, you will take an elevator to the top of the building where you will be able to go out on the wrap around balcony and take photos of the city from above. Inside you can walk around the garden, and get a bite to eat if you wish. One thing to note however, if you are a person who does not like riding in very full elevators, this might not be for you.
5.) Immerse Yourself in Art and Culture at the Victoria and Albert Museum
While my photo here does not give the best impression of the museum’s classical art collection, I included it because when I was there, I was able to see a fashion exhibit featuring Mary Quant. At the same time, the Christian Dior exhibit was also going on, albeit, totally sold out. There is always a wonderful array of exhibits rotating at the museum, and you will probably find one to suit you. While you are there you should check out the dining area which was quite exquisite.
6.) Are you a Beatles fan? Walk the Famous Abby Road Crossing.
One of, what turned out to be many coincidences on our trip to London, was the fact that the very day we visited the famous Abbey Road crossing, it happened to be the 50th anniversary of the date the famous album cover photo was taken. I kid you not, we did not know this fact until we were riding a red double-decker bus to Liberty of London (see my # 12 suggestion) away from Abbey Road, and saw a newspaper about it. That explained why it was so busy that day! We thought it was just because everyone is as much a Beatles fan as we are. Here is a link to some instructions on how to get to Abbey Road.
8.) Take in the latest fashion & textile exhibit at the London Fashion and Textile Museum
The London Fashion & Textile Museum was founded in 2003 by the renown fashion icon, Dame Zandra Rhodes. It features a wide variety of temporary exhibits. If you are staying in London for a while, it might be worth nothing they offer many courses and talks on different subjects. When I was there, the exhibit was on Peruvian weaving.
9.) Walk through and explore the local goods of merchants at Borough Market.
At this market we were able to locate one of the vendors I was hoping to find, a place known for hot, fresh, delightfully tasty grilled cheese sandwiches, called Kappacasin. In writing , I am getting hungry just thinking about how good that sandwich was.
10.) Shop around in the famous London department store Selfridges and perhaps buy yourself a lipstick shade to match that of Queen Elizabeth, at the Charlotte Tilbury makeup counter.
400 Oxford Street
Have you seen the marvelous TV series about this store, Mr. Selfridge? If not, I highly recommend watching it prior to your trip to London. It is truly one of my top 3 favorite shows, as it is a historical drama series, starring Jeremy Piven, based on the store’s founder in the earliest days of fashion retail. It is based on a book by Lindy Woodhead, the same lady who wrote War Paint, that I recently reviewed. Here is a tip for your trip planning, Selfridges is in very close walking distance to The Wallace Collection, which is my next suggestion.
11.) Have afternoon tea in a gorgeous pink and white courtyard at The Wallace Collection, and then explore the museum itself.
This London experience was perhaps my favorite of all, if I had to pick one (and that is not easy!). When I went, there happened to be a Manolo Blahnik shoe exhibit inside the museum. You can read that blog post here.
12.) Visit Liberty of London, and pick up a Liberty print souvenir.
Some of you may be aware that I am a big textile print and pattern lover, so a point of great interest to me in London, was the department store know for the famous Liberty Prints. A keen eye will know a Liberty Print when you see one. I found that while this department store carries items as pricey as Chanel and Monolo Blahnik, it also has affordable Liberty Print gifts you can buy for a value price, for yourself or loved ones. A medium sized cotton handkerchief which can be worn as a neck scarf, or a scented soap wrapped in a Liberty Printed wrapper, are both delightful and totally London-centric souvenirs that are 100% classy and not tacky. As a tip, you can walk from here to my #15 suggestion for an English pub meal.
13.) Try a bike carriage ride to view landmarks such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and / or Trafalgar Square.
If you decide to do this, certainly barter the price ahead of time. In our case, we had walked from Covent Garden (my next suggestion), through Trafalgar Square, over the bridge, and along the water before asking one of these bikes to take us to a nice hotel bar near Buckingham Palace.
14.) Another Must – See Market to wander is Covent Garden.
Here you can hear live music, grab a bite to eat, or explore the shops everything from Chanel to vendor art booths. You know how I mentioned in my suggestion above, about going to the Charlotte Tilbury makeup counter at Selfridges? Well her extremely glamorous, “Old Hollywood” inspired flagship store, decorated in rose gold, burgundy velvet, and ostrich feathers, is located here, and I absolutely had to peek in.
15.) Eat Your “Goodbye to London” dinner in a Traditional English Pub, Coach & Horses.
Coming from the Midwest, we were familiar with the bicycle brand Shinola, so when we discovered one of their boutiques in London, we entered the shop ended up talking to the staff. We asked where this particular gentleman would advise visitors like us, to go for a classic and final meal in London. Right away he knew his choice of suggestion for us, Coach and Horses. We walked there from London of Liberty, and found it to be just what we had hoped for, classic English pub meals.
I hope these suggestions will strike a chord with you like they did me. Have you been to London? What were some of your favorite experiences?
Covent GardenDuck and WaffleEnglandLondon
Mickie Dunkle
May 31, 2020Thanks Adrianne, I loved all the pictures and recommendations. I hope to see them all some day!