Looking to tap into the hive mind of ALOTT5MA for some help with a trip to London. I'm going on my honeymoon there at the end of the month (and taking my wife with me!) and am interested in any advice, particularly dining recommendations for young couples on a budget. Things of the must-see/should-avoid variety would also be helpful.
Try Ping-Pong. Delicious dim sum, very cool trendy vibe, amazing drinks and it's really affordable. It is a chain, but I was shocked to find that out!
ReplyDeleteHaven't been there since 2000, so can't speak to the restaurants, but some essential sights:
ReplyDeleteThe Imperial War Museum (convenientely located on the former site of Bedlam). More fascinating than you would think.
National Portrait Gallery
Both the current British Library and the old Reading Room.
Congrats!
ReplyDeleteIf you want to see a play, TKTS is available. In the theatre district, we ate several times at Cote Bistro. Simple,very good French fare. Go early.
Spotted by Locals is a good website to check out. It reminded me of Cafe in the Crypt, the restaurant underneath St. Martin in the Fields. A different space to have a cup of coffee in, it was a great place to stop after the National Gallery, which is free.
The London Pass worked out well last time I went--allows you to prepay for a whole mess of attractions and skip lines
ReplyDeletePricey, but worth it: Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace (particularly if you're interested in the Tudor era--it's a nice day getaway form the city)
Pricey, and not worth it: The London Dungeon, Britain At War Experience (though if you're doing the London Pass, the latter can be good especially if you're a WWII buff)
I haven't been there since 2000 either, but I highly recommend the Sir John Soane's museum.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been there since '96, but:
ReplyDelete-I did a night-time "Jack the Ripper Tour," which was a lot of fun. It was led by a Beefeater and I think it left from the Tower of London.
-We took a day trip to Bath, which was totally worth it. Easy to get to by train, and Bath is (or was) just a cool town. I loved Bath Abbey, and the Roman Baths, and just the fairy-tale look of the town itself.
-Although I am not a war buff, I found Churchill's war bunker pretty effing cool.
Seconded! What a neat house and collection!
ReplyDeleteI'd suggest reading www.Londonist.com before you go. They have info about free events, public lectures, concerts, arts openings, etc., and general goings on. Another great blog is http://www.tiredoflondontiredoflife.com/
ReplyDeleteOn the weekends, there's an outdoor food market at Southbank Centre (near the National Theatre complex). Picking and choosing from various stands made for a great pre-theatre meal, but would also be a good way to start or cap a walk along the south bank. I also enjoyed a Sunday afternoon at the Columbia flower market and walking around Brick Lane and Spitalfields - (more outdoor markets).
London Walks has tons of interesting walks with knowledgable guides. Everything from sightseeing highlights to more neighbor-hoody things. The Olympics walk is a bit off the beaten path but was fascinating - I assume it's even better now as things get closer to completion.
If you're an oyster person, J. Sheekey's oyster bar has a daily special of a half dozen oysters and champagne that's not too outrageous. The staff at the oyster bar are particularly friendly and the setting feels casual, yet special at the same time. Also, a lot of places have good fixed price lunches if dinner is too big a splurge. Places I've loved: Texture, Terriors, Wild Honey. If you really want to have tea, the Orangerie at Kensington Gardens, is a less stuffy, but still delicious setting, as opposed to one of the hotels.
Although he can be a bit nerdy, Rick Steves' London book is worth the $15 just for the info on which museusm/sites open early or have late hours on which days. He also uses a system to prioritize sites - I found it helpful to figure what to see and what to skip if you're pressed for time. When I went with a friend who had never been, we both found the hop-on/hop-off bus tour to be a little cheesy, but worth the money as a way to get oriented in the city.
I could go on for days - London is such a great city and I find something new that I love every time I go.
Also pricey, but unforgettable: take a spin on the London Eye. We also enjoyed taking the train up to Windsor, home of Eton College and Windsor Castle and lots of quaint little shops.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! When I was there in '99, we were backpacking and our budget was very, very tight, so we just ended up walking around a lot. Stuff like Hyde Park and the changing of the guards are free and worth seeing. Have a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteLoved the Victoria and Albert museum. Enjoyed the tour of parliment.
ReplyDeleteWalking around Harrods is fun (and free) don't miss the upstairs toy department
It's not just that I'm a librarian that I recommend the British Library - it's free and has AMAZING exhibits. Right now (through Sept 25), the main one is centered on "science fiction" but with a very loose definition of the term (Alice in Wonderland original illustrations, for example). And in the permanently on display - The Magna Carta, a Beowulf manuscript from the 11th century, Beatles handwritten lyrics. And when I was there, they had a lot of recordings available for listenting - an interview with Ian Fleming, Yeats reading one of his own poems, a recording of Florence Nightingale.
ReplyDeleteIt's also not far from the British Museum, so you can cut your losses in one or the other if it's not to taste.
I'd second the rec for the Churchill Museum/Cabinet War Rooms. Very cool. As far as restaurants, well, I haven't been to London since 2003.
ReplyDeleteI will get Mrs. Earthling to chime in, but before she went in 2002, she got us on the (free!) tour of the Houses of Parliament. It was a terrific tour -- right through the floors of the House of Lords, the House of Commons, the caucus rooms for the House of Commons (where I stole a sheet of paper to submit a question for PM's Question Time -- you write in and the Speaker, apparently, picks the juicy and relevant ones), and various other cool bits (the spot where William Wallace was executed).
ReplyDeleteOne has to write the Houses of Parliament ahead of time to get on the tour. I'll try to get you pointed in the right direction.
Also a librarian, but I second the British Library. The exhibit is simply fascinating and brought me to tears. I also thought the audio tour of Westminster Abbey was awesome. Sadly most of the food places we did on a budget we quite forgettable, but I'll throw another vote in for Cafe in the Crypt, the atmosphere and food were both fantastic.
ReplyDeleteBath was gorgeous, and if you or your wife (mazel tov!) like Jane Austen, it's a must.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was there in 2006, we went to the Theatre museum, and if you have any interest in theater, it's marvelous. And seeing a Shakespeare play at the Globe was a transporting experience, even though it's a reconstruction of the original Globe.
Fortnum and Mason's is a good spot for afternoon tea (less expensive than the hotel teas).
National Portrait Gallery is a must if you have any interest in British historical figures (royalty, writers, etc.).
Time Out London is a magazine that will list events, exhibits, hot dining places, etc., including free ones, for the week. It's very much aimed at 20-somethings on a budget, though it includes pricier items as well.
I don't have any London recs, but I heartily second Maggie's suggestion to read Rick Steves before you go anywhere in Europe. We paid a good deal of attention to his suggestions in planning our (self-guided) trips to Italy in 2000 and Paris in 2001, and we really felt like we maximized our enjoyment of both trips as a result.
ReplyDeleteCongrats and enjoy!
I completely agree on the Cabinet War Rooms. We went because my husband is a massive war buff and I really didn't want to go, but it turned out to be one of my favorite things on the whole trip.
ReplyDeleteHAven't been since 2002, but I loved dining at the Prospect of Whitby for the whole English pub experience. It's been there for 200 years, so I'm sure it still is.
Day trip to Greenwich is well worth it.
If you like Scotch, we went to this fabulous little shop near Covent Garden. Internet searching indicates it has moved - http://www.coventgardenwhiskyshop.co.uk/ but well worth a visit. They do small distilleries and cask-strength scotches and whiskeys. We brought back some amazing cask-strength stuff that we opened (to rave reviews) for our first son's bris. You can taste the stuff there and the owner will work with you based on your preferences to find something you'll love.
Went 4 years ago for a 2nd honeymoon. Here's what I remember best, meaning they were probably the best value:
ReplyDelete1) London Walks. http://www.walks.com/ . I think we did 4 of them, and they were mostly excellent. Great way to see London, interesting tour guides, small groups, and pretty cheap. Definately the best, for us was the Thames Beachcoming. We spent about an hour walking through the mud on the Thames (thick, disguisting, mud...choose clothes/shoes approrpriately) finding 18th and 19th century detris. We found about a dozen pieces, including a little carving, a bunch of pieces of a bottle (including 4 piece that fit together perfectly), etc. I also remember really liking the Sherlock Holmes walk.
2) Ditto on the British Library. The British Museum was also cool, but holy cow, seeing original manuscripts from Newton, Da Vinci, Darwin, the original Magna Carta...just wow.
3) Tower of London. Fantastic tour. Tons of history, and the guides are actual guards who lives on the premises and knows all the stories.
I did a nighttime Jack the Ripper tour too -- it was led by a guy named Donald Rumbelow, and he was fantastic! He's actually written a book about JtR, and used to curate a museum of crime-related things. He's a natural storyteller and the tour was (unexpectedly) one of the highlights of my trip.
ReplyDeleteI loved Westminster Abbey, and found myself really moved and a little overwhelmed at all the history there. I was expecting to only spend a couple of hours there, and we ended up being most of the day.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard not to recommend the British Museum, too, although it is GIGANTIC. If you're only going to go for one day, I would recommend going with a bit of an agenda. I had a list of "greatest hits" that allowed me to see some of the highlights and left some time for just wandering and discovering unexpected things. It's worth the trip, when else are you going to see the Rosetta Stone?
The tour of the (reconstructed) Globe Theatre was hugely entertaining. There were no performances scheduled while we were there, but I wish there had been.
St. Paul's is supposed to be fabulous, I didn't get there because it was actually closed for renovations, but it's a Christopher Wren church and John Donne is buried there.
I'll second Lou W's vote for London Walks -- as I said in my other comment up above, we went on the Jack the Ripper tour they offer and it was fantastic. If you go, make sure you get the one led by Donald Rumbelow. The guy's something of a legend and he really weaves a spell.
I didn't get to the library, and I'm quite bitter about that fact. Especially after reading everyone's comments about it here.
A few places for good (rather inexpensive) food: Borough Market has tons of fresh stuff and it's fun to walk around the stalls. Also, Belgo restaurants have this great deal called "Beat the Clock" that I loved when I was living in London. If you go between 5-7pm (times vary based on location, so check), you pay what time it is for your meal. In other words, if you go at 5pm, you can get a bowl of mussels and chips (they have other menu options) for £5.00. The deal used to include a beer or glass of wine, but I'm not sure that is still included. I would also note that regular grocery stores (even the express ones) have very good take-away food in terms of sandwiches/soups/curries. If you have a microwave in your hotel, you might want to grab a few quick meals from the grocery store while you're there; it is definitely a cheap option and they take their take-away food seriously so the options are good.
ReplyDeleteI was going to recommend getting an EPL game in since there are five clubs in London, but they are on international break (Euro 2012 qualifiers) from 8/28 to 9/10.
ReplyDelete--bd
I second Covent Garden Whisky shop -- my second favorite whisky shop in the British Isles (after Edinburgh's Royal Mile Whiskies).
ReplyDeleteTo piggy-back on Bobby's question (and congrats, Bobby!) - I have a one night layover in London in a few weeks on the way back from a wedding on a Greek island (cue "Mama Mia"). I land around 2pm and leave at 11am the next day, meaning I'll have roughly from 4pm on the day of my arrival to early the next morning to bum around London. And I want to go into actual London, not some airport hotel. I'm going to be exhausted from 4 days of Greek wedding madness and probably will only be up for a fun dinner and a night in a comfy hotel.
ReplyDeleteWould love thing throwers' advice on where to eat (this will be on a Monday night, if that matters) and where to stay. I'm happy to splurge a little - I'm not made of money, but figure it's worth paying a little extra to stay/eat somewhere sort of swanky for one night/one meal. Thoughts?
Link for the Sandeman's tours
ReplyDeleteI went in to watch debate in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords (couldn't get into Question Time - they give priority seating, rightly, to UK citizens). I didn't have to do anything ahead of time to get into the gallery to watch debates - it was interesting and I recommend their excellent brochures/handouts that explain what you're watching.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... this tour we were on was when they weren't in session, so we got to go on the floor of both both houses. Alas, no photography, but I did get to stare down another guy from across the Prime Minister's desk.
ReplyDeleteIf not mentioned before -- I had been to London about 4 or 5 times before my wife and I went on the tail end of our honeymoon, and we got passes on the hop-on-hop-off double decker tour buses. I had almost always gone on the Tube everywhere (or, occasionally, cabs at night), but getting that tour really helped put the city together in a coherent whole.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Greenwich Observatory is cool. Read Dava Sobel's "Longitude" first, so you understand why and how the clocks there are so darn amazing.
Enthusiastically seconding Borough Market! I loved walking from Westminster Abbey along the Thames to the Tate Modern and then Borough Market for a late lunch. The grilled cheese sandwich at the Kappacasein stall is ridiculous (I think Ruth Reichl called it the platonic ideal of a grilled cheese sandwich), and the Burnt Sugar candy stall was my favorite. And it's just a really fun place to walk around. If you love cheese, be sure to stop by Neal's Yard - it's right in the same area.
ReplyDeleteI also strongly second the British Library (I think I spent 10 minutes staring at the Magna Carta in awe), Westminster Abbey, and Tower of London. The Victoria and Albert is one of my favorite museums ever, and the neighborhood is really lovely to walk around. I liked seeing the department stores, and I think my favorite was Selfridge's - I was actually able to buy a few things, which wouldn't have happened at Harrod's or Harvey Nichols, and I had a really nice, reasonably priced dinner at the food hall there.
I'm pretty sure we ended up there on your recommendation in the first place!
ReplyDeleteHighly recommend Camden Yards (and the market). It's astonishing and you can get some of the best street food anywhere. I still dream about the halal Thai green curry I had there. There's also a great (but spendy) restaurant in Camden called Gilgamesh -- we did an afternoon wandering in the market before eating there. It was delightful.
ReplyDeleteMy brother (who lived in London for two years) swears by that cheese sandwich. HOWEVER, it may not be available on the weekdays (it wasn't when we went on a Tuesday and I still question whether this mythical cheese sandwich exists). I'd recommend Borough Market on the weekend anyway, but just be forewarned.
ReplyDelete-A couple of posters have already recommended Borough Market, and that's a must-visit. I lived very close to there when I did my junior year abroad in London. Go on a Friday or Saturday, when all the stalls are open. You could make a whole meal just off of the free samples that every stall offers.
ReplyDelete-Also if you're there on a Saturday, Portobello Road in Notting Hill has an awesome flea market.
-Go to Harrod's, just for the experience, and be sure to check out the food halls.
That sounds really cool - there's bulletproof plexiglass now between the gallery and the floor, so you actually got to see it better than I did.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, Greenwich was great. We did it as part of a day - we rode the London Eye, had lunch there, then got on a whatchicallit--water bus? and went to Greenwich that way. First we walked around the gardens around the Cutty Sark (alas, then and now under renovation). Then, there was some sort of market a little ways up the road and then we went up to the observatory. I think all of that, save the waterbus, was free.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been since '97, but you could eat at a Wagamama, just because Wagamama is fun to say. I did a sememster of school there in '96, and lived about 5 doors down from the British Museum, so I spent a lot of time there, and strongly recommend it. You can do a sprint through of the highlights, for sure. And it's in Bloomsbury, home of a writer or two, which is cool. It's also off Charing Cross Road, which is still home to a number of wonderful bookshops. Or was, back then.
ReplyDeleteDo the British things. Get takeaway from a chippy. Sit and have a drink and chat with strangers in a pub. Enjoy a jacket potato while walking through Covent Garden. Go stare at something REALLY old. When I was there they'd recently dug up an old temple. Was it Zoroastrian? I can't remember, but I think so. Very cool.
As for the museums, those are pretty easy to pick from, though I did enjoy the National Portrait Gallery and The Museum of London, which is geared more towards kids, but had some fun displays. I never even went to the V&A, so you should go for me!
Also, if you go to Salisbury, be sure to read Edward Rutherfurd's book "Sarum" before you go, and then be sure to check out the hill fort of Old Sarum and the newer cathedral. Simply amazing. And Stonehenge!
Sorry to chime in late, but two London things I've enjoyed that I haven't seen mentioned yet are the changing of the horseguards and the National Gallery.
ReplyDeleteThe changing of the horseguards takes place on a parade ground on the side of St. James park every morning. The ceremony itself is not that exciting, but to get to the parade grounds, the replacement troop rides down the street on the north and east side of the park and the sight of ten or so mounted horseguards in scarlet and white uniforms and swords is tourity, but really impressive.
If you have any interest in pre-20th century European art, the National Gallery is amazing, probably the best collection in the world. And it's free, so you can dash in for an hour or two, see some highlights and leave. If you do go, as newlyweds, don't miss 15th century Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck, probably the most famous depiction of a married couple in Western art (and one of the first in which the artist inserts himself into the painting, in a mirror reflection behind the couple). http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jan-van-eyck-the-arnolfini-portrait
Royal Mile Whiskies is excellent! They also have a very good, though small, gin selection. Also, even though the staff there are occasionally totally trying to upsell you the more expensive whiskies/additional tiny bottles of things, they're also super-helpful and friendly.
ReplyDeleteThe street food! Amazing, all of it. Every chinese place seemed to have a deal where you could fill a container with any of the dishes they had/a mixture of the dishes for some ridiculously low price, like 4GBP-ish.
ReplyDeleteThere's a 5th Century Greek Bible in there that caused me to sieze up just a little. A year on, I'm choking up just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I spent ten days in London last summer, and we used the hell out of our London Pass. If you look sharp, you'll see several attractions where the Pass gets you express admittance, and the Tube pass made it really easy to zoom to whatever part of the city we wanted to visit each day.
ReplyDeleteThat cheese sandwich really is one of the most amazing sandwiches I've ever eaten.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I did ten days in England last summer as an anniversary gift to each other, and it really was a life-changing experience. As noted above, the "Treasures" at the British Library are a must-see. Westminster Abbey is similarly transcendent; I recommend going in the late afternoon and then staying for Evensong. We sat before the bust of Newton, listening to the boys' choir singing a Bach cantata, and I don't think my feet touched the ground for the rest of the night.
ReplyDeleteBack on Earth, we found ourselves losing hours upon hours at the V&A. We're both fairly crafty, and while we appreciate high art, we appreciate the practical and decorative arts even more. There's just something about looking at silver and china that people actually used, or carved fireplaces that actually kept houses warm. Check out the exhibition of mosaics. Trust me -- it's more than just floor tiles.
For the morbid and strange, I really recommend the Old Herb Garret and Operating Theater. It's an old-school apothecary attached to a pre-Lister surgery theater where London's up-and-coming physicians learned the state of the art.
For cheap lunches on the go, we had good luck with Pret a Manger. We also had a lovely picnic with some good bread and cheese from Neal's Yard Dairy in Covent Garden. And as mentioned above, there's a lot of good street food options. We were fairly disappointed with most of the pubs in the touristy parts of town; they're tailored for out-of-towners, and they're a far cry from the village Local. Exceptions were the Olde Cheddar Cheese, which was worth it just for crawling around the cellars (a welcome cool retreat from the heat wave we encountered on our trip), and the Jugged Hare in Pimlico, which had some really yummy pub grub.
One lesson we learned is that the days may be long, but visiting hours are short. Our itinerary was based on morning/afternoon/evening destinations, and it wasn't long before we realized that evenings are limited to what happens to be open, and those locations are often crowded with other sightseers. We only saw half the stuff on our list, and we're already talking about a return trip.
Congrats on the nuptials, and have a really good time!
I second Wagamama. Great Japanese noodle restaurant at cheap prices. (Or it was when I was there a zillion years ago.) And I think there's a few locations.
ReplyDeleteAlso seconding Tower of London, which manages to be both incredible, serious history and a lot of fun. And the Cabinet War Rooms, which are fascinating and also a brief visit - it won't take all day.
If you like theater, don't miss the Old Globe - if you can't see a show, take a tour. For museums, I loved the Tate, and the National Portrait Gallery is really cool in how it goes from old-fashioned portraits of royalty to more modern portrait styles.