Beth Anderson

Hi all, <BR> <BR>back from a week-ish in London (returned Saturday). I was helping a fellow Fodorite, Gina, on a research trip for a book she is writing on disabled access. A friend lent me a wheelchair & off we went! <BR> <BR>We stayed at 4 different hotels: <BR> <BR>Copthorne Tara in Kensington <BR>One Aldwych on the Strand <BR>myhotel bloomsbury <BR>and the Dorchester. <BR> <BR>We visited the London Eye, the HMS Belfast, Vinopolis, Museum of London, Somerset House & various galleries there, the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Apsley House, Madame Tussauds, and Imperial War Museum. <BR> <BR>We also saw Mamma Mia (hard not to be able to get up and dance dance dance!!) as well as the new show by the Pet Shop Boys - Closer to Heaven (at Arts theatre). <BR> <BR>We also completely pigged out during the week. Excellent restaurants all (for a list, either email me for recommendations or when I regain some steam I will post more here later - it's been a LONG week... just winding down before I head out..) <BR> <BR>A thoroughly interesting perspective. Being the passive wheelchair guinea pig is MUCH harder than it may sound. (but not nearly as hard as it must be to actually need the chair). <BR> <BR>To lend a note of realism to the whole thing, I managed to pitch myself over backwards in the chair, clunking my head, neck and lower back in the process. It still hurts! For the first few minutes after it happened, it was funny (all I could see, looking straight up, was my feet and a bunch of faces with eyes THIS BIG!!) but once the shock was over it started to ache pretty well. <BR> <BR>Other highlights included slaloming the wheelchair through the fountains at Somerset House.... <BR> <BR>have a great holiday weekend everyone! <BR> <BR>Beth <BR>

StCirq

Thanks, Beth. <BR> <BR>I'd really be interested in your list of restaurants. We don't go to London all that often, but when we do, we seem to end up eating "ethnic" to avoid some of the stereotypically bad English food. Next time, I'd like to be able to eat well at great English restaurants. Many thanks in advance. <BR> <BR>

Beth Anderson

I knew this was too big, so I will post in pieces... <BR> <BR>Hi St. Cirq! <BR> <BR>I do not have my notes on me (I am at work) but the first ones which come to mind are: <BR> <BR>Wok Wok - asian fusion - we ate at the one in Kensington, right on Kensington High Street. I had a coconut curry chicken dish - it was amazing. My mouth waters thinking about it. <BR> <BR>Pizza on the Park - near Hyde Park Corner. We stayed a few nights at the Dorchester (lodging/planes were gratis, by the way - don't think I usually stay in swanky hotels!) and that was close by. Nothing like champagne with your pizza. <BR> <BR>Belgo Centraal - in Covent Garden. Belgian food of course - moules et frites. I had a Chimay Bleue (beer) which was amazing. I am really not a seafood junkie, so I didn't order any - merely tried the mussels Gina ordered. EXCELLENT. <BR> <BR>Wagamama - noodles noodles noodles. My soup (thick with noodles) was reminiscent of Tom Kha Gai, perhaps my favorite kind of soup ever (I love Thai food). <BR> <BR>Mezzo - on Wardour Street in Soho. This is a Conran's restaurant. We ordered a bottle of Vouvray, and I had a Bruschetta with chevre and figs and rocket for an appetizer (oh my GOD was that good) and my main course was a portobello mushroom dish, covered in couscous with raisins, etc in it. (sorry - I am not a restaurant critic, I didn't take notes, just ATE ATE ATE). <BR>

Beth Anderson

more... <BR> <BR>Cafe Spice Namaste - near the Tower of London. Absolutely scrumptious Indian food. <BR> <BR>Steph's - on Dean Street in Soho. I wasn't that impressed, truth be told. We each had what amounted to fish and chips (only a little fancier, and not wrapped in paper) and a glass of wine each - it came to roughly 70 USD for just that. <BR> <BR>Itsu - also on Wardour Street in Soho. Very near Mezzo as a matter of fact. This is a sushi bar, essentially, only the food slowly goes by your table on a conveyor belt. Fun - you watch the food go by, grab whatever you want (color coded dishes - the wait staff counts the dishes and the colors on them to tally the bill) and you just eat sushi/oriental soups/wraps to your heart's content. (for dessert - their creme brulee was not half bad either. not like what you'll find in Normandy, but still yummy. That is my singular dessert weakness!) <BR> <BR>Cafe Pacifico in Covent Garden. This alone was my choice (I had been there before, in September) and actually the only one Gina didn’t like. It’s actually pretty good Mexican food. The brie/mango/jalapeno quesadillas are great, and I like the margaritas. (Gina didn’t – thought they were too bitter. However, they are REAL ones at least – not that tarty mix some restos use…) <BR>

lisa

<BR>hiya beth.. <BR> <BR>i am more interested in your wheel chair experiences. it is something i've wondered about on my trips over there. <BR>there really seems to be a total lack of wheel chair accesibility..hardly any elevators. how did you get on tubes and busses? or even resturant accesibility? what about tourist attractions? <BR> <BR>the ADA here in the states is often met with criticism for increased costs on business owners and tax payers to update facilities for the disabled, but at the end of the day, facilities should be open to all people and not just the able bodied. <BR> <BR>i would really like to hear your tales. <BR> <BR>thanks, <BR> <BR>lisa

Beth Anderson

Lisa, <BR> <BR>I will write more later on the wheelchair part, or feel free to email me separately (same to everyone else too). I'm on a roll with the restos right now... <BR> <BR>here is the rest of the restaurants (until I actually look at my notes that is...) <BR> <BR>Il Siciliano – on Dean Street in Soho. Adequate. I ordered an appetizer of avocado and prawns – they told me the prawns were too fresh and therefore too hard (not making that up – odd?) so they brought me an insalata caprese. I love that particular salad, however, got very burned out on it on my trip to Venice cuz that was about all that I found to be reliably edible there. (that and the gnocchi) <BR> <BR>Of course, Pret a Manger. Oh bliss. My fave: Avocado, parmesan, rocket, and pine nut sandwich. Oh happy day. You stand on a street corner swinging a stick, you’re bound to hit a Pret. (it may not be OPEN, but you will find one. Ha ha ha) <BR> <BR> <BR>What was also different for me on this trip was the approach to dining. I truly am a seat of the pants person, especially when traveling. I rarely know, before a given day, what I might be doing that day and I never know where I will be eating. My usual modus operandi is to wander everywhere until I feel faint - and then just pick whatever looks good. I've found some stunningly great restaurants that way, and also some simply horrible food too. So it was a treat to have someone (Gina) who knew what restaurants she wanted to check out for the book and go along for the ride (as it were!) (that's a joke - wheelchair bound for this trip you know). <BR> <BR>I’ll try to come up with other experiences, later. <BR> <BR>Beth <BR>

Laura

Beth, <BR>Please give me some feedback on the hotels...I am deciding between several, and some are on your list. I'm also thinking about Duke's, London Elizabeth, Blake's and the Hempel..Thanks!!

Laura

Oh yeah,for Mamma Mia..would you rec stalls or dress circle..I had the first row in the dress circle but the seats are at one end of the row, or else in the center of the stalls but in row V...Any thoughts? <BR>

Beth Anderson

Hi Laura, <BR> <BR>For the hotels: <BR> <BR>My preferences, as far as strictly the room, the ambiance, luxury, etc, go, are: <BR> <BR>Dorchester <BR>One Aldwych <BR>myhotel Bloomsbury (not a close third) <BR>Copthorne Tara (not a close 4th) <BR> <BR>believe me, the last two were perfectly fine, but the Dorchester is just simply a cut above. Very sumptuous room, HUGE, HUGE bathroom down the hall (of the suite, not the HALL) sort of room. really really nice. And of course they spoil the pants off of you. And the jacuzzi! At 7 AM you are the only one in the spa – you betcha I stripped down butt nekkid and lounged in it for half an hour. The only thing missing right then was champagne (and a cute guy, ha ha) <BR> <BR>and One Aldwych - wow. fairly new hotel. clean simple lines, black and white - fluffy white down comforters; black, glass topped desk & night/end tables with fuschias in a vase, HEATED marble floors in the HUGE HUGE bathroom, stereo and TV in the room (sound for both also piped into the bathroom) with a big choice of CDs to order (borrow) during your stay. <BR>

Beth Anderson

myhotel - Mini-me stays here, we found out. (from Austin Powers). very nice room, smaller but not tiny by a long shot, completely comfortable. They use Aveda products in the bathroom. The lobby/restaurant - plenty of candles burning, comfortable furniture. I believe they advert this as a feng-shui sort of place... <BR> <BR>Copthorne Tara. also, perfectly adequate, I would surely stay there again - but it isn't the Dorchester. (it's more in my price range though!) The room was plenty big enough, as was the bathroom, but it just wasn't the huge echoing space the Dorchester/One Aldwych had. In either of the bigger bathrooms, you didn't have to move to accommodate opening/closing the bathroom door - in the latter two, you did. (but they still were not closets of bathrooms I have seen - like in the Radisson Grafton.) <BR> <BR>Oh yeah, for both of the first two – champagne and strawberries/etc waiting for us when we got there. Don’t know if that was because Gina was writing a book, or just ‘cuz… <BR>

Beth Anderson

<BR>Now, for LOCATION. Just me, but: <BR> <BR>One Aldwych <BR>Copthorne Tara <BR>Myhotel <BR>Dorchester <BR> <BR>One Aldwych – on the edge of Covent Garden. Near tons of theatres, just everything. <BR>Copthorne Tara – hard to tell if I want to put it 2d or 3rd. Good shopping street, near Kensington Palace & gorgeous parks… myhotel IS closer to the action though. Hmmm… depends on what you want. <BR> <BR>The Dorchester is in a great area too, make no mistake. But for the happening young action scene at night – it seemed much tamer. And you of course get an invitation to the “Club” when you stay there – kinda lame actually. Cool to say we did it, but it seemed very lounge singer-ish, aging disco queen sorta music. (we only went one night though) <BR>

Beth Anderson

Lisa - check out my London in a wheelchair... it's a start, and I will write more later. also feel free to email me... (I will address your other Qs soon, just can't right now). <BR> <BR>anyone who wants to hear about my trip in more detail than I may give here on Fodors, please do email me.

Beth Anderson

topping for Judy. <BR> <BR>I did write down email addresses for those who want to hear the rest of my story... when I write more I will email you all, okey doke? <BR> <BR>thanks!