peels4

We are staying at the Regency Hotel (South Kensington) and are anticipating arriving around 3:30pmish plane gets in at 11:30am. We only have two days in London, one on a full day tour, so we were hoping to see something on our first night, and end up in a great pub easily accessible to our hotel. We will be pretty exhausted though so don't want something too taxing. Thanks for everyone's help!

cigalechanta

topping for peel.

peels4

Hmmm.... is this a message I'm supposed to understand or is it intended for others?

PatrickLondon

(That was designed to move your message to the top of the left-hand frame in the hope someone would reply - otherwise it would just disappear without any response).

You might get into the hotel earlier than 3.30, depending on whether you feel like topping up with some lunch at the airport.

The usual advice is to take a hop-on hop-off bus tour, but since these are day tickets, you probably wouldn't get your money's worth.

One idea could be to get the tube to Westminster and take a boat trip for some fresh(-ish) air and a leisurely view of London. There is a circular cruise in the central area, but I'm not sure if that's all year round.

www.tfl.gov.uk/river/

peels4

Wow - thanks. I thought that unbenknownst to me, I had performed a major faux pas which had caused this comment, and almost didn't ask what it meant

The river cruise would be a great idea except the tour the next day has one.

Thanks for the suggestion though...

taggie

peels, there are several pubs close to the Regency, but none of them are great. Turn right when you exit your hotel and head straight south (cross Old Brompton Rd) for a couple of blocks and you'll come to the Anglesea Arms. That'd be my recommendation for a pub in the area close by the hotel. It's not great, but not bad. There's also the Zetland Arms along Old Brompton Rd. towards the S. Ken tube station. And the Hoop and Toy on Thurloe Place, sort of around the corner from the S. Ken tube. There's also an Irish-themed pub (Kavanaugh's) in the basement of the Jury's hotel across the street from the Regency.

You could also turn right from your hotel, then right again to head west on Old Brompton Rd, then go right (north) on Gloucester Rd., where there are a few pubs as well.
Or go to where Cromwell Rd. becomes Brompton Rd., just a bit east of the V&A museum and west of Harrod's. There's a pub called The Oratory on Brompton Rd. that had good food when I was there last visit. About a 15 minute walk from The Regency.

What I would do that afternoon, having done the very thing upon arrival (I always stay in that neighbourhood) is just go for a walk, along either Old Brompton Road, or Fulham Rd (a bit further south), heading east. You can window shop and look at residences in this area and you'll likely eventually end up at Harrod's, which you can go into for a browse. Or go north up Queen's Gate (the street your hotel is on), alongside the museums to Kensington Park and go for a walk there, maybe even heading east into Hyde Park. You could even stop at The Orangery in Kensington Park, beside the Palace, for tea.

Have a great trip. Those 2 days in London will just whet your appetite for more!