My mother and I have planned a trip to London in August. We'er staying at the Gresham Hyde Park and were wondering if anybody stayed there, or if anybody knows about the restaurant and shops in bayswater and queensway? Any reccomendations would be really great! Thanx

I have stayed in the Bayswater area, and as I recall, there is a very good variety of restaurants close by.

I just returned from London/Bayswater. Stayed at the London Elizabeth Hotel. Not that I would recommend that hotel. Staff was excellent and accomodating, but it has horrible breakfasts (included) and has seen better days. However, Bayswater is within walking distance to Lancaster Gate tube station and Oxford street shopping and lots of resturants. It is very arabic now and with all the US paranoia I was surprised to see so many women in burkas. Safe though.

Why were you surprised to see women in burkas? Its legal after all and there is not the same undercurrent of broadbash anti-arab or anti-muslim sentiment as there is in the US at the moment.

I wonder why that undercurrent exist in the U.S.????????????????????????????

maybe because London isn't like Kabul or Iran where women are forced to, that's why You don't see Arab women walking around in burqas in the US, either, or in Turkey or Egypt. Are you so untraveled or ignorant about the world, mr curious, that you think Arab women wear burqas everywhere? About the only countries where they do are Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia. I haven't been to that part of London so I don't know if they are really wearing burqas or not, but it's not the norm in any major city other than in those countries, so that would be surprising.

Best chinese food in London is found on Queensway, NOT chinatown. Try Royal China for the best dim sum in London bar none. On westbourne grove there is a variety of really good restaurants ranging from austrian, bangladesh, japanese, indian, iraqi, sudanese, brazilian, icelandic and many many more! It's one of the best places to find a great restaurant!