OT: London trip help

[Newhavenhusky]

Just looking for recommendations on day trips and restaurants. I'm open to any price range and type of food. Thanks!

 

[JSM1970]

Where are you staying? Huge city.
Got tired of pubs so found other types of restaurants and actually Hard Rock, off Green Park tasted very good and great to hear story of it.

Victoria, Paddington, Mayflower all nice restaurants, don't recall specific ones.

Didn't do many day trips but certainly Windsor Castle, heard Cambridge is worth a trip, Liverpool surprisingly nice. Do the bus tours on-off and tube easy too. Tower of London, Harrod's, Eye, Parliment, Buckingham Palace changing of guard, etc.

A great city.

http://travel.usnews.com/London_England/Things_To_Do/

Just looking for recommendations on day trips and restaurants. I'm open to any price range and type of food. Thanks!

 

[husky99]

What's your thing? Sports history food theater more museums period I spent a semester there in 99 and loved it

 

[Newhavenhusky]

I'm staying in Soho but plan on traveling to a different area each day.I will research the bus tours.

Where are you staying? Huge city.
Got tired of pubs so found other types of restaurants and actually Hard Rock, off Green Park tasted very good and great to hear story of it.

Victoria, Paddington, Mayflower all nice restaurants, don't recall specific ones.

Didn't do many day trips but certainly Windsor Castle, heard Cambridge is worth a trip, Liverpool surprisingly nice. Do the bus tours on-off and tube easy too. Tower of London, Harrod's, Eye, Parliment, Buckingham Palace changing of guard, etc.

A great city.

http://travel.usnews.com/London_England/Things_To_Do/

 

[Newhavenhusky]

Food and sports. I'm trying to go see Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham play. If your not a club member it is hard to get tickets.

What's your thing? Sports history food theater more museums period I spent a semester there in 99 and loved it

 

[husky99]

I'm staying in Soho but plan on traveling to a different area each day.I will research the bus tours.

Get a really good map but I will let you know the city is a pain in the ass to walk period but the tube can take you 45 minutes to get ten blocks so walking helps. So how is great. My ex-girlfriend had a ex boyfriend who was a bartender there and we used to drink for free. Long long story. Definitely give yourself time for the Museum's if that's your thing. You're not Louvre crazy big but they are freaking huge

 

[John]

Food and sports. I'm trying to go see Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham play. If your not a club member it is hard to get tickets.

go see QPR if you can't get tickets for the others.

 

[UConn76]

the usual London city highlights are all worth a visit... Tower of London, walking in the area of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace..

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Fwiw, it's very bikeable, if that's of any interest. Also, quite large.

 

[storrsroars]

Got tired of pubs so found other types of restaurants and actually Hard Rock, off Green Park tasted very good and great to hear story of it.

And right there is everything you need to know about JSM. Right out of Accidental Tourist.

As for the OP, when I'm traveling, I generally try to eat like the locals. That's not for everyone. But, if you like Indian/Paki food, odds are you'll find it better there than in CT (or most of US) pretty much anywhere you go in town. I'd also go full fish & chips takeaway (with malt vinegar, not ketchup) at least once - bonus points if wrapped in newspaper. If you find yourself near one of the Barrafina locations, stop in - nothing like it in US I can think of.

I haven't been in a few years, but I'm friends with a number of coffee roasters over there who eat and drink well, and some of their faves at the moment include Dead Dolls House in Islington which parties late, MeatLiquor (can't miss with that name, right?) and for neopolitan pizza, Homeslice, if you really need a pizza. Those are all new names to me and I haven't been, but these guys generally are on point with recommendations. They're also into a lot of Pan-Asian places, but I'm dubious that those would be any better than options over here.

Obviously a lot of history to be seen if that's your thing - and if it is your thing, definitely do the main sites, specifically Westminster Abbey - but it's also cool just walking around the Thames, Picadilly, or the monument sites like Trafalgar Sq. and just drink in the scene. I've done day trips out to Bath, the Cardiff area and of course, Stonehenge. Can't really say I'd highly recommend any of them, but also no regrets spending time in those places. Really up to you what you like.

Obligatory coffee recommendation just because: Square Mile.

 

[huskyinfl]

Museums - The British stole the best of everything and brought it home to London. The food is questionable as the stereotype goes - in quality and portion size. Some stuff makes sense on the menu and appears quite different when served.

Walking or biking like others said is key. Hopping into a Taxi at times can be slower and pointless due to traffic.

Dali Museum is right near the Eye of London. Totally walkable to hit all the sights, museums, etc.

 

[John]

I will say that I found Londoners to be quite rude during my visit. I actually found Parisians much easier to deal with, which was the opposite of what I had expected going into the trip.

 

[husky99]

I will say that I found Londoners to be quite rude during my visit. I actually found Parisians much easier to deal with, which was the opposite of what I had expected going into the trip.

I disagree. My experience was very different.
Skip the Shakespeare globe. It is not the real one and not in the correct place. Buy a timeout magazine the minute you land. Has a ton of info. Do not buy in nyc or the American airport. Out date and old info. London is great but distance is a problem. Plan plan . Do not jump from one side of the city to another...taxi are $$$

 

[nomar]

When I was there a couple of years ago, Chiltern Firehouse was all the rage. Frankly, living in New York, I have to say there was nothing there I can't get at home. That said, if you want excellent (but expensive) food and lots of models and scenesters to gape at, that's as good a place as any.

Also, if you're a meat eater, check out Black Lock. My wife and I basically got a mixed grill and it was A+++.

I studied abroad at Oxford, so we went there for a few hours. It's barely an hour each way. Cambridge is also about that far away as well.

 

[8893]

Skip the Shakespeare globe. It is not the real one and not in the correct place.

Disagree strongly with this. We went to England, Wales and Ireland for almost three weeks last summer, of which we probably spent eight days in London and surrounds. Seeing the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream that we saw at the Globe was the highlight of the trip for me, and it was also among the top for my wife and three daughters--to their surprise.

Groundling seats, which we got, are cheap--like $12-$15 iirc--and the production is top notch and fun. It's also BYOB and food. The setting is cool--it's a replica of the one that burned down on the 1600s and is built maybe a football field away. The surrounding neighborhood of Southwark is the coolest and most historical-feeling one we visited imo. Felt like stepping into a Dickens novel.

Lots of good advice above. I would add the British Museum, which is free and absolutely amazing in its breadth and the treasures it holds from across the globe. And also the Churchill War Rooms and Museum, which I would consider must see.

We did some nice day trips to Brighton, Westminster Abbey and Chartwell (Churchill's residence) and I would recommend all.

Had a great meal and experience at the Mayflower Pub. Borough Market near the Shard and London Bridge is a great place to grab a wide variety of good food. Had my wife's birthday dinner at Champor Champor, a really good Thai-Malaysian fusion place in that same general area.

 

[ivrytontusker]

Oxford is a beautiful city, about a 1 hour train ride outside of London.

 

[HuskyBoi]

go see QPR if you can't get tickets for the others.

lol are you serious please do not go watch them. they are complete wank. even if there's no other tickets. do your absolute best to catch watford/crystal palace/chelsea/west ham/arsenal. ALL London teams worth watching

 

[Newhavenhusky]

Appreciate all of the great information.I will go over everything and try to fit most of it into my schedule.

 

[WhartonHusky]

Went last Summer with family...was amazing trip. I would suggest looking into The London Pass. Not cheap, but offers discounts on lots of touristy things. You can see a list and get regular pricing to determine if it makes sense. No EPL teams were in town when we went, but took the tube to Arsenal for stadium tour that was pretty cool...next best thing to seeing a match.

 

[8893]

Went last Summer with family...was amazing trip. I would suggest looking into The London Pass. Not cheap, but offers discounts on lots of touristy things. You can see a list and get regular pricing to determine if it makes sense. No EPL teams were in town when we went, but took the tube to Arsenal for stadium tour that was pretty cool...next best thing to seeing a match.

I was going to mention the London Pass. We got a good deal on a three day pass but I'm still not sure it paid off for us at the end of the day because my gaggle of girls and wife don't move quite as quickly as I do, and they don't have as much of an insatiable appetite to squeeze the most out of every vacation experience as I do. But for the right people it is a very good option. And the app is good.

 

[John]

lol are you serious please do not go watch them. they are complete wank. even if there's no other tickets. do your absolute best to catch watford/crystal palace/chelsea/west ham/arsenal. ALL London teams worth watching

I'm a fan, so sue me.

 

[husky99]

Oxford is a beautiful city, about a 1 hour train ride outside of London.

cambridge, oxford, salsbury are very nice

 

[WhartonHusky]

I was going to mention the London Pass. We got a good deal on a three day pass but I'm still not sure it paid off for us at the end of the day because my gaggle of girls and wife don't move quite as quickly as I do, and they don't have as much of an insatiable appetite to squeeze the most out of every vacation experience as I do. But for the right people it is a very good option. And the app is good.

I am cheap, I mean "frugal"....so i made CERTAIN the London Pass made economical sense. I also think it gave us a decent discount on Express train from Heathrow to Paddington -- have to work all the angles.

 

[WestHartHusk]

And right there is everything you need to know about JSM. Right out of Accidental Tourist.

As for the OP, when I'm traveling, I generally try to eat like the locals. That's not for everyone. But, if you like Indian/Paki food, odds are you'll find it better there than in CT (or most of US) pretty much anywhere you go in town. I'd also go full fish & chips takeaway (with malt vinegar, not ketchup) at least once - bonus points if wrapped in newspaper. If you find yourself near one of the Barrafina locations, stop in - nothing like it in US I can think of.

I haven't been in a few years, but I'm friends with a number of coffee roasters over there who eat and drink well, and some of their faves at the moment include Dead Dolls House in Islington which parties late, MeatLiquor (can't miss with that name, right?) and for neopolitan pizza, Homeslice, if you really need a pizza. Those are all new names to me and I haven't been, but these guys generally are on point with recommendations. They're also into a lot of Pan-Asian places, but I'm dubious that those would be any better than options over here.

Obviously a lot of history to be seen if that's your thing - and if it is your thing, definitely do the main sites, specifically Westminster Abbey - but it's also cool just walking around the Thames, Picadilly, or the monument sites like Trafalgar Sq. and just drink in the scene. I've done day trips out to Bath, the Cardiff area and of course, Stonehenge. Can't really say I'd highly recommend any of them, but also no regrets spending time in those places. Really up to you what you like.

Obligatory coffee recommendation just because: Square Mile.

On the point about Indian food, Brick Lane is a street of Indian restaurants that are all good, but not great. The reason that you go is you can haggle one against the others if you are into that thing. I think we ended up getting two free bottles of wine with our dinner. Dinner ended up being like $35 all-in. Fun, unique experience, and if I recall that wine lead us right into some fun outdoor bars in the area.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

When you don't have much time
Tours the the Big Red Double Decker Bus
Which stops at all the spots and a new one comes by every 15-20 minutes
How else would you get to David Niven was a bell hop at the Ritz
I usually was in the midlands so
Sites like Blenham Palace
Warwick Castle
Even Stratford on Avon