For Spring of 2023, I had initially planned on heading to Lisbon for our first holiday of the year.  However, on one fateful weekday morning in fall of 2022, I started my day perusing social media and saw that British Airways was having a sale.  I pretended to book a trip to London just to see what kind of discount was to be had with the intention of booking for the following year, but as I soon discovered, the British pound was the weakest it had been in a long while, and the discount offered by British Airways for two roundtrip fares, ground transportation to/from the airport and a nine day stay at a hotel in Kensington with breakfast could not be ignored so after a day of pondering and getting final approval from my husband, I booked our trip to London.  

Fast forward six months later, we were finally on our way to the UK. Fortunately, our flight from Los Angeles to London was nonstop so it was a pretty seamless experience.

Once we landed, it didn’t take long to go through customs and retrieve our bags. It was the first time we ever made arrangements for a driver to pick us up from the airport and though there was a thirty-minute delay in locating us, it was a great perk to be personally attended to and before we knew it, we had arrived at The Rembrandt in Kensington.  

Upon entering the lobby, we checked in and was told that our room wasn’t ready which we had anticipated since we arrived before the regular check-in time. After dropping off our bags, we headed out to an early lunch. We walked from our hotel for about 5 minutes, checking out other fairly empty restaurants before heading towards Honest Burger which I heard was one of the top casual burger joints in the area.

Much to my surprise, the restaurant was packed and a line was forming behind us which only got longer as time went on.

It was a fun, buzzy spot filled with both locals and tourists alike. The music was a mix of upbeat songs which was set to a decent volume. Service was spot on with the servers and busboys moving and grooving. 

I ordered the South Ken which was fine but not spectacular. The beef seemed a bit dry and the tzatziki was a bit bland, lacking in lemon zest and dill flavor.

My husband’s pesto chicken sandwich was much better. The chicken was tender with a light creamy sauce that blended harmoniously with the chicken, and the bun was lightly toasted giving it a bit of texture. My husband’s slaw was also exceptional and unique as it had a pineapple zing to it.

After lunch, we meandered around the block and found our closest subway, buying a week’s worth of Oyster rides. Then we headed to a small market just outside the subway to buy water before heading back to the hotel.

Our room was on the third floor and was located in a quiet part of the hotel.  Though the room was small, because the configuration was L-shaped, it provided a somewhat hidden area where we stored our luggage. The room came with an electric kettle to heat up water for our morning tea and coffee. It also had a mini bar which we didn’t even open as we had packed our own adult beverages and snacks. The bathroom was a decent size and had a tub. There were two small closets and a dresser as well as a desk and television. 

After a quick nap, we got ready and headed out to dinner.  I had made reservations for the newly opened Jacuzzi restaurant in Kensington after reading an article that my much beloved Pink Mamma chain was opening up a sister restaurant in London.  A few other restaurants by the same chain were already in existence in London but Jacuzzi was the closest to our hotel.  

It had started to drizzle on our walk to the train station and as I was on holiday, I failed to acknowledge that it was rush hour, and people were in a hurry to head home so the train station was packed and I got a bit discombobulated.  I saw a train coming in and just hopped on, failing to take note where the train was heading which ended up with us being dropped off at the wrong location, resulting in a last-minute decision to contact an Uber while standing out in the pouring rain at Earl’s Court.

The hostess at Jacuzzi was accommodating and still honored our reservation, despite being 20 minutes late, and we were escorted upstairs to my requested dining area. The restaurant was kitschy but warm with an element of Greco Roman architecture and design.

The dining room had stunning pink chandeliers above the middle section of the room. Jacuzzi’s clientele fell in the same mold as its Parisian sister restaurant, Pink Mamma: upscale, educated, stylish and likely well-traveled.  

We started with the beef carpaccio served with rocket which was quite good and drizzled with a nice dressing, served with herbs and cheese. 

Our second starter, the endive salad, was a nice contrast as it was a bit bitter but softened by the balsamic vinegar and had a bit of crunch and texture from the walnuts. 

Our third starter, which we had loved so much at Pink Mamma in Paris, was the burrata al tartufo but unfortunately, we were served the wrong order, the pistachio, which was a fail as it tasted like air, laden with fat grams and calories.  

We asked for our original order which was slightly better as it had a bit of saltiness and earthiness in each bite. 

The next dish to arrive was the truffle pasta which was beautifully presented in the cheese wheel, but I’m sad to say it paled in comparison to the Pink Mamma version.

Our tiramisu was a very generous serving and had a lovely bitter chocolate creamy bite. Overall, service was a bit spotty but we found out that it was our server’s third double shift, and he was likely tired. He comped us a few items after mistakenly serving us the wrong dish and as an apology for the extended wait times in between the dishes. Overall, it was an okay experience but the quality of the food and the services at Pink Mamma in Paris was far superior. 

Day Two was our first breakfast at The Rembrandt.

They offered a nice savory buffet as well as a decent selection of beverages.

After breakfast, we headed to the Victoria and Albert Museum which was conveniently located across the street from our hotel.

The collection was expansive though we opted to only visit the first floor.

They had an array of art and sculpture from Europe, Asia and Africa.

One could definitely spend several days absorbing everything the museum had to offer.

Much like many other British museums, admission was free.

After our museum outing, we hopped on our first double decker bus using our Oyster card and grabbed front seats on the top deck as we headed east. It was great to have that vantage point as we rested our weary feet. We had to transfer for a quick ride on the tube before we arrived at our lunchtime destination, Borough Market. It was much smaller than I anticipated with fewer vendor stalls.

We came upon a stall where a woman was flipping an enormous amount of mushrooms over a giant wok, and it stopped me in my tracks.

Though we had lunch reservations, something intuitively told me that the mushroom risotto she offered would be right up our alley.  

It was a spectacular earthy aromatic dish which was reasonably priced for the quality.  

Then we meandered around a bit more before heading to our lunch destination.  Lucky for me that I had enjoyed a pre-lunch treat as our actual lunch at Burger & Beyond was a disappointment.  

I ordered a bougie burger which was mildly better in flavor than the prior day’s burger. However, the beef patty was incredibly dry. Dunking it in the steak sauce added the much-needed moisture and a savory oniony bite. 

We also ordered a salad which had grated cheese and slightly oily dressing that blended harmoniously with the crispy slightly bitter veggies.

The banana peanut butter shake was thinner than shakes in the U.S. but had a good flavor. 

One upside to the meal were the truffle tater tots which were fantastic. The mayo dressing on top was laced with an intense truffle infusion.

After lunch, we headed to the Millenium Bridge to observe the view and the sights. 

The bridge and the adjacent area were filled with kids who had just ended their school day. Most were in various types of uniforms representing their schools or perhaps their grade levels in school. It was lovely to see the revelry with kids enjoying their schoolmates’ company outside of the hallowed halls of their chosen educational establishment. 

After our bridge crossing, we headed back to our hotel where we took a much-needed nap.  Somehow, we woke up 15-20 minutes late which resulted in us being late yet again for our dinner reservation.

Dishoom Kensington which was fairly close, only two train stops away, but like the day before, the trains were busy and full.  This time, upon arriving at the restaurant, we lost our reservation, and we had to put our name on the waitlist.

We spent that time at the bar ordering our drinks and luckily were seated 20 minutes later. 

The restaurant’s interior design was a subtle weaving of Art Deco and British sensibilities. Its interior was fairly large, with several sections of seating. We were seated in a booth to the side and had an expansive view of the dining room. Not one table was open and if it was, it was quickly cleaned and seated with new diners. 

Our first starter was the chili cheese toast which was perfectly crisped and robust with a hot spicy flavor. 

Next up were the okra fries were super unique. As our server Susannah pointed out, they were created for people who hate okra and that was definitely me. Just the mention of okra whisked me back to awful childhood memories of the slimy center but the preparation and presentation at Dishoom almost made me almost forget. 

Their version ofchicken tikka was tender with a slight heat and a citrus peppery aftertaste. The daal on the basmati rice gave it a mealy spicy layer. The citrusy herbaceous potatoes were bumped a few flavor notches when dipped in the creamy dill dip. The veggies were perfectly al dente with a subtle layer of sourness. All in all, we had an amazing time at Dishoom, and we fully understood why it had such a great reputation. 

The next morning brought us to the famous Bond Street for some luxury shopping.

Our first stop was Chanel where I had made an appointment with a sales associate but as luck would have it, he out sick that day, and I was assigned to another gentleman who, to be honest, initially appeared reticent to assist me, but when it appeared that I was a legitimate buyer, he was a bit more helpful.

Next stop was Hermes where my husband made his first purchase from the brand. I was also in search of sandals but they didn’t have my size and color in stock which ended up working out for the best because I ended up making a purchase at Mulberry which was a few minutes walking from Hermes.  

I had been eyeing the Mini Alexa online as a possible everyday bag.  It had reached its popularity over a decade ago when the brand initially collaborated with Alexa Chung in its design. When I laid eyes on the bag in store, I was immediately besotted and even though they only had the floor sample available, I still bought it. 

After our morning shopping trip, we headed via subway to our lunch reservation at Aqua Shard.  We got a bit lost as google maps steered us in the wrong direction but we eventually found our way.  They had a security line which luckily wasn’t very long. Once we were led to the proper elevator, we headed up, walked over to the hostess table and were seated a few minutes later.  

Our table was right by the window with a fantastic view of the river and the bridge.  

The rolls were served warm and had a nice toasted exterior. The chilled butter gave it a bit of salty bite.

The venison carpaccio was refreshing as it had a piece of boysenberry but it also had a bit of earthiness from the hummus.

The salmon was exquisitely flavored with a bit of citrus and creaminess from the potato salad.

The chicken was pretty moist and tender despite it being a breast. The exterior of it had a subtle tomato aftertaste. The mealy beans also absorbed more of the tomato flavor but also had a bit of heat.

The gnocchi were earthy pillowy bites set atop a creamy mushroom broth. 

The salad was arugula based and slightly bitter contrasted with the small refreshing pear bites.

The gingerbread cheesecake had a powerful flavor punch accented by the tartness cherry syrup base and toned down by the ginger mousse.

The pistachio was an interesting combo of pistachio mousse, crunchy cocoa crumble, moist cake and peanut brittle.  Despite the great view and the beautifully presented food, service was painfully slow and truthfully our server disappeared for a certain period of time.  

Also, after a certain point, sitting in front of the floor to ceiling window, it  became unbearably hot and the lack of air conditioning circulating within the restaurant contributed to us being physically uncomfortable. I definitely would not recommend a full meal at the restaurant and would likely opt for another establishment in the building with a similar view for either drinks or one with better and more prompt meal service.  Another option would be to dine at night when the temperature is more moderate.

After a brief rest at the hotel, we headed out for dinner. I again underestimated the rush hour crowd at the tube and forgot from the prior two evenings how my router and Google maps failed me upon exiting the subway station. We were 20 minutes late the last two nights and 30 minutes our third night. Unlike the other 2 restaurants, we were turned away at Barrafina which had a strict 15-minute late policy.

As luck would have it, a kind young fellow overheard our plight and recommended a restaurant which also was fully booked for the evening but a few doors down we came upon Thai Pot which ended up being quite a find. We were told there would be a 5-minute wait but after a minute or two, we were promptly seated. Our entrees were served a mere 5 to 10 minutes after ordering.

The yellow curry was incredibly tender. The chicken was shredded and almost melted on the tongue.

The pad kee mao had a kick as it had chilis interspersed. The beef could have been more tender, but it went quite well with the noodles.

The stir-fried chicken with lemongrass was practically unadorned but also incredibly tender and the lemongrass gave it a citrus zing.

The double scoop coconut ice cream was just perfect and whimsical with the blue cotton candy! 

We were just minutes away from the theater where we had tickets to the 8 p.m. performance of “Six.”  

I had been looking forward to the performance which was 90 minutes straight through without intermission. I had purchased front row balcony seats through TodayTix a few months prior so I knew we had extra leg room and would have an unobstructed view of the stage from our nearly center row seats. What I did not anticipate was the lack of air conditioning which made it very difficult to stay awake after a heavy dinner and donned in winter clothing.  What we also realized during the show was the humor and digs intertwined within the script and songs were regionally targeted.  

We missed some of the British references as a result but overall, it was a really great musical and the singing and performances were spectacular. 

Post musical, we headed to an adult venue called Platinum Lace.  My husband was curious what that culture was like in London.  Sadly for him, it was definitely a money grab.  Any adult could enter and get drinks at the bar, but there was a fee to watch the show and each personal dance was £800 so that ended our evening very quickly though I did happen to meet a dancer from Romania and became Instagram friends with her by the end of the evening.  She had a cute dog and shared some insight about her colleagues so it wasn’t a complete loss, at least not for me.  

Day four took us to the Natural History Museum which was also in close proximity to our hotel.  It was, by far, my favorite museum of all the ones we visited in London.

I had always been fascinated by dinosaurs and the time before man and how our earth came to be. There were a ton of school age children there for field trips so it was definitely a very lively scene. The rooms were expansive and the attention to detail and chronology was quite impressive.  I would definitely visit that museum again in a heartbeat as I don’t think I had the opportunity to let it all sink in. 

We headed out by bus to Harrods after our museum visit.  It wasn’t what I expected.  It was a fully interior mall with sections set aside for each luxury designer with various levels for ready to wear and shoes.  

What was impressive was their food court.  

Anything and everything you could want could be found there.  

It reminded me of the underground food halls in Tokyo.  We purchased a few souvenirs for friends and then headed out to lunch outside of the store in search of a more reasonably priced sit-down meal.  

We didn’t have too far to go as I found a restaurant that was a mere two-minute walk away.  San Carlo Cichetti was apparently quite popular with locals as every table was taken by prior reservations. They had a small front section with a few tables for walk-ins like ourselves.  We were promptly greeted, seated and our server arrived to take our order.  

The garlic bread with cheese arrived and one could mistake it for a sauce less pizza the way the crust had risen.

The salad was quite lovely, lightly dressed in olive oil, light salt and balsamic dressing.

The beef lasagne came out piping hot straight from the oven and was smoky, creamy, cheesy and savory. 

The carbonara had a peppery, creamy, silky egg sauce akin to mac n cheese. The pork bits added a bit of saltiness.

The truffle cheddar fries were served hot with cheese and truffle oozing into each fry.

The sea bass presentation and flavor were equally exceptional. The herbs and the salt crust permeated into each crevice.

The filet had a gravy peppercorn coating and the middle was perfectly dark pink. It was incredibly lean and tender.

Our server served us a traditional accompaniment to coffee. I’m not sure the name but they’re lightly crisped and fried, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

The pistachio ice cream had a level of creaminess I’ve not tasted in a very very long time. 

After a brief rest at the hotel, we headed out to Mercato Metropolitano which was essentially a large food hall.  It had previously been a church but was repurposed into a sustainable community market.  We ordered a few items from various stalls.  

Our starters from Steamy & Co. were dumplings which were silky and immersed in a chili oil which had a bit of heat.

The beef bao was super tender with a doughy outer layer. 

The cacio e pepe I ordered from a handmade pasta stall was a generous portion with creamy pasta, crispy bacon and silky mushrooms. 

From a third stall, Santo Grill & Wine, we ordered two entrees.  

The first was were Italian sausages which were perfectly cooked and sliced in half.  They had a nice balance of seasonings and salt. The side dish potatoes had a slightly crisped and salted peppered exterior.

The second entrée was a chicken dish which was grilled to a moist perfection. The accompanying veggies were lightly dressed in olive oil.

The next day was the day we broke all walking records by booking two nearly back-to-back 3- hour walking tours.

The morning tour took us to Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.  

We had a brief break to have a quick lunch at Horse & Guardsman which served pub food.

My husband ordered a salad and a sandwich and I opted for the fish and chips which were both fine but nothing special.  

We then headed quickly for our afternoon tour which took us to the main part of the city of London.

Post tour, we took a quick break and had a drink at another pub during which a storm passed through the city.  It was the strongest downpour we had ever experienced and though the subway wasn’t far, by the time we made it underground, we were completely soaked through so we headed back to the hotel for a brief rest and change of clothes.  

By the time we were heading out to dinner, the storm had cleared.  

We had reservations in Chinatown at Duck & Rice which was by far our favorite of all the restaurants we visited.  

The miso soup was piping hot but sweet from the green onions.

The dumplings were nice and plump and tightly wrapped. They were famous for their duck and though neither my husband nor I were book duck eaters, it was a mandatory order.  

We were incredibly surprised that the skin from the roasted duck and rice were both crispy and savory. The duck meat was super tender, moist and not greasy.

Combined with the wasabi prawns which were slightly hot and the Singapore noodles which had bihon noodles, it was the perfect melding of flavors and textures. 

We ordered a chocolate coconut ice cream for dessert. It was creamy, light, refreshing with a coconut punch. 

In addition, we also opted for the chocolate cake which was a combination of caramel toffee, chocolate, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup. Both were insanely delicious.  

After the diet busting meal, we decided to walk around Chinatown and the theater district and see some of the sights before heading back to the hotel.

Saturday morning took us to the famous Portobello Market near Notting Hill.  

It was pretty much your regular combo antique flea market. It was quite crowded and definitely had a more urban feel than Kensington.  We tried out a few food stalls as we were there around lunchtime.  

I picked up a tasty beef/chicken adobo combo from a Filipino food stall and it only cost £9. 

My husband ordered a shrimp paella from a nearby stall which had a strong saffron flavor but the rice was inconsistent, with some sections slightly undercooked and parts overcooked and mushy. We walked off our lunch a bit before taking the train back. 

After a brief rest at the hotel, we headed out for another walking tour.

This outing took us to the grittier part of the city where the Jack the Ripper murders occurred. We learned who the victims were and what their profession was at the time.  

It was a low-income neighborhood with many homeless people on the streets.  

Though that wasn’t apparent during our visit, it still had that dodgy feel, and it wouldn’t be my choice of location in the middle of the night.  

We did, however, find the Spitalfields food hall, which had a few restaurants open late and willing to serve us.   Brother Marcus was our dinner choice for the evening.  

First out of the kitchen were the fries which were thick, peppered, piping hot and served with a sprinkling of feta cheese which melted onto the “chips.” Next to arrive was the pita which was served warm and was doughy with Zatar spices lightly sprinkled on top. We also ordered the prawns which were so hot that peeling the shell was a difficult endeavor, but they tasted amazing and had a hint of sweet chili oil.

The lamb though, stole the show. It was so flavorful, moist, perfectly seasoned and combined with the creamy sauce and bites of the “chips” it was the unequivocal winner. 

We also ordered a chicken with orzo which was also on par with flavor and quality but had a slightly sweeter side as it had a tomato base. The orzo was silky and the chicken was juicy. 

For dessert, we shared a baklava which had a similar upper pastry crust to the Filipino sans rival and the Parisian napoleon but slightly sweeter and syrupy. It had a nutty crispy flaky texture and combined with the cold creamy pistachio ice cream, it cut the honey sweetness in half making it an excellent pairing. 

Sunday took us to mass at Westminster Abbey.  We were originally going to head to St. Paul’s for service but we had a late start and Westminster Abbey was closer.  As it was, we were a bit late and were seated in the back section with folding chairs.  We were, however, able to receive communion which offered us a few of the Abbey.  On television, the abbey seemed wider and more expansive.  The pews on the sides were much closer to the aisle than I had anticipated.  After the service, we had a brief conversation with one of the ministers.  I mentioned that it was a very similar service to that of a Catholic mass.  He said that they shared the same missal and read the same readings from the Bible.  The difference was their ministers were allowed to marry and the monarch was the head of their church.  

Post service, we headed for high tea at the Savoy.  It took us a few attempts to figure out where the entrance was and I literally had to rewatch a YouTube episode and look at photos online to figure out how to enter the hotel.  

Once we arrived, we were seated promptly and provided menus for the tea options.  

After we were served our chosen teas, the first tray of food arrived. The chicken curry had a hint of sweetness from the raisin with mustard flavor. The ham sandwich was fine but rather plain. The egg salad was my favorite as it had a slightly salty and crispy bite. The mini bagel and lox with caviar was quite nice as well and teensy bit more to scale.

There was also a mini bagel with pesto which was good. 

The “high tea” selection included an entree which was a lovely moist Scottish salmon, crispy skin side up, drizzled with a silky champagne sauce and alongside with a lovely buttered peas and kale combo. 

The sweet part of tea had a nice assortment. We started off with the scones which were served with a lemon custard, strawberry jam and clotted cream. My raisin scone had a nice crispy top coating and dense center. The strawberry chocolate shortbread had a sharp tart flavor alongside the dense almost crispy outer layer. The rhubarb tarte was obviously tart but the fruit was tender. The chocolate bar had a crispy chocolate wafer underneath but the upper portion was dense and slightly creamy. The last dessert had a nutty toasted outer layer and a hollow middle. I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but just like everything else, it was quite good. 

After tea, we headed out to meet a friend who coincidentally was in town. We hadn’t seen him since he moved out of Los Angeles years prior, and after living in New York for a bit, he had relocated to Tokyo so we made it a priority to catch up.  We headed over to Waxy O’Connor’s for a drink and some snacks as well as some festive live entertainment.  

After the excitement of the morning, we had a brief respite at the hotel before heading out for our first Sunday Roast.  Sadly, by the time we arrived, they had run out of their famous roast but we still had an amazing meal at The Builders Arms.  

We started with the nourish salad which had an abundance of broccoli, chickpeas, cucumber and red cabbage drizzled with a light herbal dressing. 

I ordered the fish n chips which was by far thebest version of that entree I had ever eaten. The batter was unique as it was lighter and crispier. As you pierced your fork into it, you could hear the crunch. It was definitely an elevated version of something which seemed so simple.

My husband ordered a pot pie which had a crispy outer crust and a hot savory center and was served with a super dense and creamy mashed potatoes. 

We also ordered a mac n cheese which had some panko style breadcrumbs on the top giving it a crunchy first bite but the rest of it was a creamy cheesy bowl of happiness. 

The dessert of the evening was the sticky toffee pudding cake which was slightly sweet.  The ice cream served with it subdued the sweetness and mellowed the flavor a bit.

The next day, we had booked a full day bus tour to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath.  

Our first stop was Windsor Castle. When we arrived, there was already a very long line of people waiting to enter.  

The area surrounding the castle seemed modest, but the grounds of the castle were fairly expansive with several large gothic structures including St. George’s Chapel which housed the tombs of both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip.  We were allowed to enter and pass by their resting place which felt very surreal.

After our visit to Windsor, we were whisked off to Stonehenge.  Upon arrival, we encountered an incredibly long line to board the bus which took visitors to the monument.  I had time to enter the on-site café, pick up a few items for lunch and finish eating while waiting to be escorted onto the bus.  Sadly, by the time we reached the site, we literally had 15 minutes which we spent running around the monuments and taking a few snapshots to commemorate our time there.  Then we once again had to stand in line to get back on the bus.  In hindsight, we would have had more time had we just walked to the site rather than waiting for transportation.  

The last stop was Bath which was a cute quaint town worth spending more than a few hours.  We entered the museum which gave a very in-depth history of the city, the baths and who was allowed entrance when it was operational. We headed back to London just as the sun was starting to set.

Once back in the city, we walked over to Market Halls Victoria for some much-needed sustenance.  We chose Gopals Corner which seemed very popular with the crowd dining that evening.  

We were served a piping hot chicken roti which was savory, tender and packed with traditional Indonesian flavors. The prawns had a nice heat and the fried chicken was expertly fried maintaining its batter, and the rice with curry sauce rounded out the dish. The banana leaf platters came with two side dishes which were unrecognizable and forgettable.

The noodles were incredibly spicy. 

On our last full day in London, our first outing was the Sky Garden for a bit of sightseeing followed by an exceptional lunch at Darwin Brasserie.  

We were served a bread basket which was reminiscent of Cheesecake Factory’s whole wheat baguette.  It was served warm and tasted a bit nutty. 

We also ordered a soup which was slightly sweet with a hint of coconut. 

My burger was sensational.  The patty was moist, perfectly seasoned and combined with cheese, crispy bacon and sauce. It was delectable.

The green beans were perfectly al dente seasoned with a bit salt, garlic and shallots or possibly onions. The truffle and Parmesan fries were served crisp per my request, coated with cheese, herbs and truffle. The dip for the burger/fries was a combo of melted cheese and thousand island dressing. 

My husband’s entrée was a lovely tender piece of chicken breast which was lightly seasoned.

After our decadent lunch, as the skies had turned gray and the temperatures dipped, we opted to take the Uber Boat and see the sights from the River Thames.  

We took a roundtrip river cruise and then hopped off to head to Tate Britain for a bit of art and culture and to shield ourselves from the gloomy weather.  

After a brief rest at the hotel, we headed off to our last dinner in London.  

The Ivy was a great place to people watch as it broughtin a very attractive, well-heeled clientele, but it also welcomed individuals with strong academic backgrounds and their compelling insight on the country’s politics, financial and socioeconomic issues. Listening to the two gentlemen seated in the booth next to us was incredibly enlightening as it was a healthy open, honest and intelligent debate and conversation rooted in education, life experience and acute observation and awareness. But back to the food, we were served a bread basket with crusty and nutty offerings.  

We ordered the must have cheese soufflé was unreal: smoky, piping hot, doughy, in a pool of cream akin to the consistency of a soft-boiled egg. 

The tuna tartare was also quite good. It was moist and tender with a slight jalapeño kick.

The monkfish was good, served in a savory tomato- based sauce.

The coconut rice had actual slivers of coconut in it.

The peas and beans were really delicious and tasted healthy. 

My husband’s shepherd’s pie with cheese was served piping hot, had a strong bold beef and cheese flavor with a light crust and thick gravy.  While we were dining, we witnessed a marriage proposal which was the icing on our evening.  

Our last meal in the UK the next day was at Giraffe at Heathrow airport where we had dined 18 years prior during our layover for our honeymoon.  

We ordered a chicken teriyaki, chicken curry noodle dish, a grilled salmon and a side of fries.  It was a lovely way to end our English dining experience.

For most of my life, I have always loved the idea of London. As a teen, I immersed myself in “Canterbury Tales” and “Pride & Prejudice.” As an adult, I was transported to London via “Four Weddings & A Funeral” and “Notting Hill” and learned about its history whilst watching “The Tudors.” I was thoroughly amused by the British wit and sarcasm of “Downton Abbey.”

And of course, I have watched every “Harry Potter” movie!  However, there is nothing more memorable than walking the neighborhoods, taking the historical tours and delving deeper into the British roots and traditions.  

We fell madly in love with London, its beautiful magnificent architecture, its culinary delights, and the pulsating energy of the city. Looking forward to returning in the near future!