We decided to go and live in London in 2017, and yet here we are in 2021, still in love with this charming city, and this beautiful country.
We feel obliged to start with London, the city where we still live at the moment, the capital of the United Kingdom is lively and rich in cultures and experiences available.
There are many places to see and visit, and it all depends if you are a tourist or not, but nevertheless, we will tell you the places that we loved the most, as attractions, but as well as restaurants and bars.
This lovely picture here has been taken on our way back from Cambodia, and it shows London in all its beauty.
One of the iconic buildings of London is for sure the Palace of Westminister informally known as the House of the Parliament, famous mainly for the big ben, but this beautiful edifice is a great showcase of Gothic Architecture, and we suggest you have a walk around it.
Trafalgar Square is just 10 minutes walk from the Parliament, but you can even reach it using take the notorious double decker and red painted bus.
The Square name commemorate the naval victory over France and Spain in 1805, and apart from the beautiful lions of nelson column, the huge fountains, you can find the famous National Gallery where a big showcase of painting is totally free to view for everyone.
Covent Garden have a special part in our heart, mainly because Irene spent one year working there, and I wasn't far either, so we spent many lunch break together there, the market itself is worth the visit, but even getting lost in this district has his charm.
If you are a fan of movies then head to Leicester Square where most of the premiere of the big Hollywood films has been held.
And just a stone away from there you will reach Picadilly Circus where you can see the famous displays and neon signs, mounted on the corner building on the north side, you will not miss it. And obviously, the Shaftesbury fountain memorial, known as the Eros Statue, unfortunately, doesn't get enough attention considering the big screen in front of it. If you fancy a walk you can get down Regent's Street and reach the lovely St James Park we spent a lot of sunny afternoons there, surrounded by squirrels and geese.
All of these places are obviously really touristic, so as many other capitals you may find several scams against the tourist, just be careful as always, and in regards to restaurants and bars, to avoid something too expensive with a medium/low quality created only for visitors, then head at the end of this post to find all our best suggestion in terms of bars and restaurants.
The main, huge street that you will cross to reach the park is called The Mall and it connects Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace home to the British Queen, and where you will be able to see the famous royal guard, but If you are interested in seeing the guards from a close range then head to the Horse Guards and in certain times of the week at Horse Guards Parade where you can assist at the change of the guards. Buckingham palace is opulent and stunning, and no unfortunately you will not see the queen waving from the window, mainly because the part that is visible to the tourist is actually only the back of the palace, but still worth of visit.
If you want to head back from Picadilly you will have mainly three choices, roam in the street and the quartier of the shops, relatively Regent's Street and Mayfair, or visit the charming Chinatown where you will actually step into China for a moment, or enter in Soho District (one of our favourite places, where we head most of the time for dinner, drinks, or simply a walk) We assure you that you won't get bored in any of those three places, but still, if you don't have enough time, then our best suggestions are to get into Soho and explore it all.
Now depending on how much time you will spend in London, you can either decided to visit Hyde Park a giant green area in the central west side, where you will forget to be in one of the biggest and most populated cities in Europe, or you can head straight to the south of the Thames, where you will visit another famous attraction, The London Eye We should warn you, the queue is long and the price quite expensive, we only visited this enormous Ferris wheel (The fourth bigger in the world) only because we got a 2 for 1 ticket, we must say that the view was very beautiful, so in the end, is up to you and on how much time you have available. If you want to have a view similar without spending a fortune and maybe having a beer or a glass of wine, then head straight to The Shard you can easily reach it by a walk along the river in 15 minutes, and we strongly advise you to do that.
Luckily for you, the Shard is nearby another big attraction of the capital, the Tower Bridge which became famous thanks to its neo-gothic architecture, who definitely stands out as stunning and beautiful from every point of view.
Not to be confused with the London Bridge, which is a simple, yet large bridge, right next to it.
Coming back to the Shard, the tallest building in London and in the whole United Kingdom, from there many bars and restaurants, where you can enjoy a beautiful view with a drink in your hand.
In the area, all at a good walking distance you will find two famous markets, the Borough Market and the Mercato Metropolitano more information in the foods and drinks section :)
If you want to head a bit out of the tourist route, then Shoreditch is the right place.
A rich urban district, famous amongst the graffiti artist and mostly frequented by locals, the best time to visit is Saturday and Sunday, where markets around the districts start to come out.
Streets like brick lane become more lively, or the Upmarket a lovely place where to eat great street food from around the world, just keeps your heads up and don't miss the amazing graffiti that are basically everywhere in this district.
Interesting to see is the Boxpark a shopping centre with restaurants and bars, built inside shipping containers, an attractive idea that is catching on all over London, so far in Brixton, the Pop Brixton and in Camden, the Buck Street Market in case you are around :) Obviously, the south bank of the Thames has many interesting places to see and live out, but those are the places where we like to spend our time. Districts like Notting Hill are a bit more touristic, and we visited it mainly during the Notting Hill Carnival in August, in our opinion a must go event, but certainly, we can't deny the charm of this neighbour and street like Portobello Road where the markets make everything look more lively animated and typical. Don't worry if you can't visit the coloured house in Portobello Road, you can find many other places similar, for instance, a few minutes from our house you can find a very similar one, Kelly Street in Camden, or head back right in central London at Neals Yard in Covent Garden. London is famous for the huge variety of parks all over the city, some of them are really beautiful, first of all Regent's Park we literally fell in love with it, as well because it was just 10 minutes away from our house, and we explore every inch of it, and if you visit it just don't forget to have a look at Primrose Hill a stunning place where you can see the London Skyline, and you are only 5 minutes walk from Camden Town, so avoid any bus or tube :)
Then if you are still in the area you can visit Hampsted Heat a little bit outside the touristic route this massive park will offer anything you are looking for, you can get lost inside the little forest or have a swim at the lakes or visit the huge mansion at the end of the park, is up to you. If instead, you want to stay close to the centre then head to St James Park a few minutes walk from Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square, this ex royal place is linked to Green Park that is very famous amongst local especially in Summer.
Many people suggest visiting Hyde Park and are definitely a great choice, but we must advise you that is a pretty big park, so is probably better to rent a Bike. Luckily London is full of small green areas, our best suggestion, if you have time, is just to get lost and discover it by yourself, we believe the best season to visit the parks is obviously Spring, but even during Autumn, it has its own charm. The Capital of England is abundant with things to see and places to explore, what we suggested here what we loved most, but is as well just a fraction of what you can do, then it all depends on how much time you can spend exploring, hopefully for you a lot :)
Did anyone say Food or Drinks?!
Here our favourite places
London is a multicultural city, you can find pretty much all types of restaurants and foods all over the capital.
Starting from Central London, if you are a big fan of meat then you have to head straight to Zelman Restaurant here we ate some of the best steaks in all the city. But still, if you love a meat you can hit Sophie Soho and Hawksmoor If instead is a burger that you crave our best suggestion go directly to Honest Burger the one in Soho is the nicest with tables outdoors in a beautiful alley, but the city is full of other Burger Joint.
And if you are not scared of height then you should visit the Darwin Brasserie a really cool restaurant on top of the Sky Garden, facing the Tower Bridge and the Shard, definitely a must for the view, but still a great restaurant too. If you fancy eating some ramen then you can't miss Shoryu the one in Kingly Court is for sure one of the best.
We are a big fan of Indian food, and if you find yourself in the area of Shoreditch then you will be satisfied by so many Indian restaurants all over Brick Lane but if we have to recommend one then you must head back to the centre and have a try at Chettinad by far our favourite Indian restaurant.
Love Paella? Then you will be happy to hear that we had our best Paella ever at Arros a Spanish restaurant in the heart of Fitzrovia, a must for the rice fan.
We love Mexican food, and we advise you to visit Wahaca Southbank or Santo Rimedio the first one is definitely more touristic, but very fancy with the whole restaurant built inside containers, while the second one is a more relaxed place that serves tasty Mexican food.
If you want instead to try some of the English classics like Fish and Chips then two places come to our mind, Fish! Kitchen at borough market and Oliver's in Camden, with the latest one who does gluten free Fish and Chips too :) If you are an early bird and looking for a nice breakfast in town, you will be surprised at how many small cafes and restaurants are out there.
And if instead, you are craving Pie, then head straight to Pieminister always in Borough Market, serving gluten-free pies too.
Probably one of the most famous among locals is The Breakfast Club we personally love the one in Soho with tables in the middle of the street, if instead, you are in the area of Camden/Hampstead then our favourite local restaurant is Silverberry Deli & Kitchen with gluten-free options and a beautiful terrace indoor and outdoor too.
We lived in the area of Camden during our stay in London, all area of Camden market is full of small restaurants or small stalls, who changed almost yearly, so we know pretty well that area, and we have few restaurants where we went basically every month.
Amongst them, Daphne a cosy Greek restaurant run by a lovely family, is by far the best restaurant thanks to the value for money, with 10 pounds at Lunch you can get their set menu, and remember to try out their Moussaka, simply the best one in London.
If you fancy some Ethiopian cuisine then The Queen of Sheba in Kentish town is the right place to be, with gluten-free options too.
And then one of the favourite comfort food of Andrea, the Shawarma, a Turkish version of Kebab prepared only with fresh meat stacked on top of each other and cooked until well crispy, don't get me wrong is a big fan of Kebab as well, but the Shawarma of E Mono is by far one of the best around London, definitely, a must-try if you are in the area.
If instead, you want to try a vegan kebab (Yes Vegan Kebab) then stick in the area of Camden and try What The Pitta you will be surprised at how good it can taste vegan kebab, and you may change side, be careful!
If you want to experience the London Food markets, then our best choice apart from Camden Market is Borough Market right next to the Shard, a typical market crowded with locals and tourists, a must for food lovers.
London is amazingly famous for cocktails, and the scene of mixology offers a huge variety of bars, you will never be tired of a drink here.
Our favourite bar ever is for sure Oriole considered one of the best bars in the world, and we definitely agree with that, you definitely must book a table one week in advance, especially for the weekend, but is definitely worth every single penny. If you fancy some unique cocktails in a unique location... then you should definitely try Mr Fogg's Society of Exploration a very cool bar in the heart of Covent Garden. If you are a Gin lover instead you can't miss Mr Fogg's Gin Parlour always from the same company, but specialised in Gin from all over the world
If you like your drinks with an Asian twist, you should visit Opium a very particular bar in the heart of Soho, just be mindful that the door itself can be a bit difficult to find, simply persist :) In the Marylebone district, you can step inside a very particular bar The Zetter Townhouse that it looks it came out straight from the 19th century.
The Mandrake Hotel is another cool spot for alcohol lovers, where you can create your own cocktails, with flavours and ingredients that change depending on the seasons, definitely, a must try. Not far from it the Artesian bar light up the night scene of London, always proposing new ideas, so far some of the best cocktails around, and to not forget that is located inside a famous hotel, The Langham Not far from it you can have some very cool and nice cocktail in the Bar Americain who is located in an old theatre, we personally really enjoyed our night out there.
Some of the best bars in our opinion is located in the Central East area, so if you are interested we suggest you spend at least one or two evenings there.
Shoreditch is very famous amongst locals, and by night it shows its real face, with many disco and cocktail bars. If you are looking for something a bit fancier with a great view then you must try City Social a restaurant and bar on the 24th floor of a skyscraper, we had a lovely lunch and some really nice cocktails, everything accompanied by a great view.
Then not far from one to another, there are two bars that definitely are worth a look.
Nightjar is considered one of the best cocktail bar in London and the world, it definitely requires a reservation, especially during the night with live music, but the cocktails here are great.
The Gibson is as well considered one of the best cocktail bars in London and the world, with its fancy drink I can assure you will fell in love with it.
Moving south of the river you must have a drink at the Hutong a Chinese restaurant on top of the famous Shard, serving cocktails with an Asian twist.
While if you want to try something different, Gong offers you a blue cheese cocktail, only for the bold.
If instead is a wine that you fancy, then you must have a look at Gordon's Wine Bar very famous amongst local, this place is built inside an old cellar, definitely, wort have a glass of wine there.
And we can't finish this list with one of our favourite bars, Be At One for sure is not one of the best bars in the world, but it provides good quality cocktails at the right price, especially during happy hour (5 pm-7 pm) you can basically find a Be At One in every district of London, but we can definitely recommend you the one in Regent Street
London is a rich city, thanks to the many cultures which have been established there you can basically find a huge amount of different restaurants and bars, and I must say that all this variety is very difficult to find in any other capital around the globe.
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