bean2574

Traveling to London for a very short say in July (2 nights). The couple we are traveling with main goal is to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe. Should I try to talk him out of it? I've heard there are long lines. I don't want to waste 4 hours standing in line just to eat.

janisj

Yes - there is often a line to get in. No - it won't be 4 hours. But my question is - if they want to go to the Hard Rock, where is it written you have to go w/ them?

Trust me - If they "must" go there and you talk them out of it, no one wins. You don't have to stay joined at the hip 24/7. I'm sure there is something you want to do in London that they would dislike.

vino

Could you just go in for drinks and apps?? And pick a better place to eat?? That way everyone is happy!!!
V

Kate

You poor thing! Perhaps you could go for lunch so you don't waste a whole evening there.

You know, I have yet to meet a single resident of London who has ever eaten at the Hard Rock. I guess this truly is one for the tourists.

Kate
London

bean2574

Thanks for your replies folks!
I guess I should clarify my question. My friend has been to London 3 times before and has seen everything he wants to see. It will be a first visit for his family and mine though. I have nothing against HRC -- I just wondered about long lines.

MissPrism

"My friend has been to London 3 times before and has seen everything he wants to see"

That rings alarm bells.
Let him do his thing and arrange to meet in the evening.
I'm in my late 60s and have been visiting London for years. There are still lots of things that I haven't seen.

luckykat

and there are SOOOOO many other places to eat which are infinitely more interesting than the HRC! Check my site and search for 'london restaurant' for my complete list of unique eats. If you have to go to the HRC, at least you can find somewhere truly London to eat another day!

www.mcdougalladventures.com/search

akd667

I would also suggest going at lunchtime. There is a membership for Hard Rock called All Access that allows you to get priority seating and jump to the front of the line. You also collect points toward merchandise and food. ($200 USD spent gives you $20 in free money.) It's $ 24.95 I think, and you get freebies like a collector's pin. We used the card to jump to the front in London and Edinburgh. Maybe your friend would spring for it....it can be ordered at their website.

amyb

Why not just go buy something in the shop to prove they were there? If they are HRC fans, they will know that the menu and food is the same at all of them so there's no big surprise awaiting them. My sister collects the HRC pins though, so I stop into the shop at each city I go to and get her one. Sometimes that's all people like that are seeking, really.

nytraveler

Agree to simply let them go by themselves while you have a dinner with real food.

Also - if this is the highlight of their trip are you sure they're the type of people with whom you really want to travel? Otherwise you may find your whole trip is waxworks and fake dungeons.

surfmum

If you know the exact dates go to tabletop.co.uk & book. No waiting. You may find something you like better otherwise do lunch as suggested

Weezie

I was in a similar situation several years ago and ended up standing in the line with the group stewing and steaming. Here I was in this fabulous place standing in line at a CHAIN that looks/tastes just like the other CHAINS in the U.S.
Go find a pub and tell them you'll meet them afterwards. You won't regret it and you won't be responding to someone else's post years from now, as am I!

maitaitom

"standing in line at a CHAIN that looks/tastes just like the other CHAINS in the U.S."

Not only that, but it's not even a good tasting chain. Find a pub, and listen to Green Day or Aerosmith when you get home.

flygirl

he has seen everything he wants to see and he STILL wants to go to HRC? oh my.

definitely tell him you will meet up after. or he could just buy a T shirt (store is separate and easy to get into) and say he did, to the folks back home. trust me, it isn't something to get excited about.

I'd rather go to Vinopolis too!

Weadles

Because of our kids ( two teens), we've been to Hard Rock more times than I'd like to admit. If you go about 11:30 AM, you should be able to avoid most if not all of the lunch line. Don't know about the dinner lines.

By the way, if you're looking for a unique eating/drinking experience in London, I've been reading about a bar completely made out of ice on Heddon Street, as I remember. Apparently, you're given a long down coat to wear before you enter. I can't recall all the details, but maybe somebody else here has them! Probably would be more fun than Hard Rock!

flanneruk

"I have yet to meet a single resident of London who has ever eaten at the Hard Rock"

Kate is showing her (clearly extremely young) age. Back in the 70's, when Hard Rock was a one-branch local nosherie, ONLY Londoners ate there. People from elsewhere in Britain, for example, were simply horrified anywhere could charge their prices for what was described as "sandwiches". Indeed, I still blame HR for inflicting lethal shock on my old mum.

But Kate is at least half right: no Londoner under 40 (or probably under 55) has ever eaten there, and it must be at least 20 years since anyone I know went there.

But the real question here isn't "why do they want to eat there?": clearly there are people who do, though it's interesting how no-one ever meets these people in real life. But rather "how on earth can they think they've seen everything?"

Offer them an alternative, or just leave them to it.

Mucky

Maybe they are touring as many HRC around the world that they can to see which is best.
I have nothing against HRC although I have not eaten in Londons restaurant, but we did in fact have great evenings in the Sydney and Melbourne HRC restaurants, even here in Cardiff it is ok.
You must understand that some think its rubbish, others like it.

Life would be pretty boring if we were all the same.

Bit like tea at the Ritz, people will pay stupid money for tea at the Ritz. Thats their perogative, personally I wouldn't but that's my choice.

It seems your friends want to eat there so why stop them, after all you don't have to.

Muck

Brophy

I'd just make sure your friend knows that HRC is just like eating in TGI Fridays or Chilis here in the states. If they want to imagine they are back home, rather than in another country, it's the place to be. It's not exotic or exciting in any way. And age is a big factor. If you're much over 23, you may find the atmosphere Very Annoying.

janisj

What Brophy and some others may not know -- the London HRC on Piccadilly was the first one. The chain did not originate in the US. The Original is probably the only one I would go out of my way to visit - just because it is the Grand Daddy and because I knew 2 of the first waitresses when it opened waaaay back in the 70's (one of whom has since become an international banker).

But all that being said - it still isn't someplace I recommend bean2574 go if it doesn't appeal. Just let your friends enjoy their visit and use the time for something else.

&quot;<i>If you're much over 23, you may find the atmosphere Very Annoying</i>&quot; - actually I think the older baby boomer generation is much more likely to feel at home than a 20-something. We can re-live our youth a bit.

Travelnut

Amusing story from our first trip to Europe - we stopped in at HRC-London and my husband bought 2 'baseball' caps, one for himself and one for his son.

He was wearing the hat in Brussels and a gust of wind kicked up and blew his hat over the ledge of tall building. He says:
&quot;uh oh, there goes Junior's hat&quot;..