London

London

“Going to a pub for dinner in London is like saying, show me America, take me to Wendy’s.”
– ex-pat and childhood friend living in London, Elizabeth Vlcek

After 48 hours in London with the above mentioned Ms. Vlcek as a guide for 24 of those hours, we learned about such things as WAGs (wives and girlfriends of footballers—not a complimentary term, only marginally better than a hooker); not to be caught dead in a pub at night (except for the Westbourne in chic Notting Hill and then only for drinks not food); and that London isn’t English (what?), but in fact an international playground. Our second 24 hours were perhaps more traditionally “British” – we discovered true English shops on the painfully cute Ledbury Street in Notting Hill, walked through all of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, had tea at the Dorchester and were taken to a new, favorite,, tiny gem of a restaurant in Soho by true Brits.

What to Pack
Depending on the time of year you are visiting, London can be quite cold. You’ll want to do a lot of walking as it is the best way to explore the city. London is quite a spiffy city too, so keep that in mind.
Comfortable (and stylish) walking shoes or boots
Coat
Jeans
Dresses and tights for night
Blazers
Sweaters

EAT

Ottolenghi
63 Ledbury Road
London W11 2AD
Tel: +44 (020) 7727 1121
ledbury@ottolenghi.co.uk
www.ottolenghi.co.uk/

Lunch at Ottolenghi despite the wait for seats at the ten person community table, is understandably our friend Pickle’s favorite spot in London. While we were tantalized by the biggest and most beautiful meringues and vanilla blueberry cupcakes in the window, we enjoyed the assortment of seasonal salads that puts Dean and Deluca to shame. We are excited that there is a cookbook so we can share our experience with our friends at home.

The Dorchester
53 Park Lane,
London W1A 2HJ
Tel: +44 871 527 0623
www.thedorchester.com

We took a long walk from Notting Hill down Kengsington Palace Gardens Road (aka Millionaire’s Row) and through the Kengsington Gardens and Hyde Park to work up an appetite for high tea at the grand dame, the Dorchester Hotel, which is perched on the edge of the park. Decadent and lavish but still warm and friendly, the tea sandwiches and scones were a highlight and taste even better in the sumptuous living room with live piano music.

The Electric Brasserie
191 Portobello Road
London W11 2ED
Tel: 020 7908 9696
Fax: 020 7908 9595
www.electricbrasserie.com

Dinner at the Electric Brasserie on Portobello Road in Notting Hill is hip and trendy with a young good looking crowd, interesting wine list and fresh, perfectly cooked local foods – we actually love the minted peas and scallops. Upstairs, there is a private club by the same name whose membership is a posh, creative crowd.

The Giaconda Dining Room
9 Denmark Street
London WC2H 8LS
Tel: +44 (020) 7249 3334
www.giacondadining.com

The Giaconda Dining Room is an unassuming new star on the London foodie scene. With only ten tables- they serve traditional English favorites such as Ox tongue and kidneys. We, however enjoyed the fresh fish grilled with parsley. For dessert the Eton Mess, a concoction of fresh strawberries, cream and meringue mashed together, was a must have the evening we were there given our company—two Eton graduates.

DRINK

The Westbourne
101 Westbourne Park Villas
London W2 5ED
Tel: +44 (020) 7221 1332
www.thewestbourne.com

The only pub we had time to check out was the Westbourne – packed on a Sunday afternoon with a good looking, well dressed international crowd all having a good time. Other pubs we walked by and are excited to visit on our next trip are The Oak, Prince Bonaparte and The Cock and Bottle.

STAY

Miller’s Residence
111a Westbourne Grove,
London W2 4UW
Tel: +44 (020) 7243 1024
Fax: +44 (020) 7243 1064
Email: enquiries@millersuk.com
www.millersuk.com

Miller’s Residence was a cozy and convenient home base in Notting Hill and by London standards, very affordable. The drawing room, which is crammed full of bric a brac like you have never seen, has a complimentary serve yourself bar in the evenings and breakfast in the mornings – which is it’s biggest draw. We opted for the smallest (very small!) and least expensive Tennyson room which could stand to be refreshed but we overlooked the cramped quarters and felt like we were staying with a close, albeit eccentric friend’s great aunt. The “suites” which are really larger rooms are lovely with corner views and sitting areas are a hundred dollars more a night. Keep in mind the room tax is not included in the quoted price.

SHOP

We fell in love with Ledbury Road in Notting Hill and made the best fashion discovery that America has not yet caught onto—Jackson Twins boots. Stylish, comfortable and affordable. They have a cult following and we are now part of it. You can purchase them in the adorable J.W. Beeton on Ledbury Road or order from their website. We also purchased good girl sexy cotton pajamas trimmed with English lace at Alice and Astrid located catty corner to Ledbury. Although we didn’t find any treasures this time, Matches and Matches Spy are two boutiques that carry well known and more obscure gorgeous lines.