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Thanks everyone. Fourfortravel - Tandoor Chop House was so good. We really liked it! They don't have curries but there are plenty of places to get curries, as you know. I recommend it. Plenty of Indian flavors and I think they do some sort of special thing on Sundays (a platter with pretty much everything on it).

While I have no plan to return to London anytime soon, I'm following along. I can't pass up a denisea trip report no matter where you go!

Thursday, April 4

We headed back to Coco Momo on Gloucester Road for a full English breakfast after listening to the BBC news still trying to untangle the Brexit mess. We named this full English our Brexit Breakfast. It was good – I like my bacon crispy and that doesn’t seem to be the custom in London. The meat is good but for me, I want it crispy. I am not sure if Chaz can accept beans with breakfast but I kinda liked it. BTW, Coco Momo has excellent coffee and I got a cappuccino (no diet coke). We all enjoyed it and grabbed a taxi to hit Bond Street and my destination, Alexander McQueen. The store is gorgeous full of light wood with enormous quartz stones that are used a display surfaces. The curved wooden stair case is gorgeous and they actually had a McQueen fashion exhibit on the top floor, as well. Great store to browse in.

The woman that waited on me was gorgeous – a little Naomi Campbell.

I tried a few things on but clearly need to drop 5-10 pounds to fit into any of the clothes (and need to also grow 6 inches to look good in them) and I am certain to not lose weight on this trip)! So, I chose an amazing little clutch with “brass knuckles” type closure and decorated with stones and skulls…very McQueen.
https://www.alexandermcqueen.com/us/...wcltchsbgs_spl
I couldn’t stop there and also chose a skull and diamonds scarf, as well. I had to arrange to pick up the purse the next day as the fresh one they brought out did not open/close properly. I can’t easily get McQueen in Atlanta but have always been a bit drawn to the brand and story. It’s great to see the brand survive after his death.

I had tortured the 3 gentlemen with me long enough. So, we headed out and spent we spent some time gawking at the seriously major jewelry and watches in the windows on Bond Street. We did some shopping for the guys as we made our way down Piccadilly and purchases were made at Tiger of Sweden, which they don’t have in Paris and we don’t have in Atlanta.

My husband loves Arcterryx so that was the next stop. While we didn’t find anything to purchase (it’s all pretty much already hanging in his closet), we did meet a local resident. Murphy is a Parson Russell Terrier who loves attention and also loved the wood of our friend’s umbrella and used it a bit as a chew toy. Very friendly pup and he clearly enjoyed being the center of attention! London was very pup friendly – especially in the pubs.

I knew Heddon Street Kitchen was close by, so we headed there for lunch. I had made and cancelled a dinner reservation there, so I was glad we got to check it out. I love the area! Lots of cool restaurants on a little side street right off Regent Street. The restaurant has an industrial look but is still warm and inviting. The guys all went for fish and chips and I chose the burger. A bottle of Sancerre rounded it out. Chaz and Florent went to check out their built in wine refrigeration units while we waited for food.

So, many celebrity chef restaurants are disappointing but this one was not (Gordon Ramsey). All the things you see him talk about on his shows, they do at Heddon Street Kitchen. Everything was simple but perfectly executed and delicious. The staff there is also top notch. Turns out. Gordon Ramsey and his wife also welcomed a new baby the same day of our visit so it was well timed.

The fish and chips were excellent – fresh, light, crisp and the chips were large – crispy outside and fluffy inside. My burger was incredible – well seasoned, juicy – perfect. It was a lot of food and no one could manage cheese or dessert but we were all very happy with the food and service. Heddon Street Kitchen totally erased the not so great memory of Prince of Wales pub.

A little more shopping before heading back to the apartment to let the guys pick up their bags and head to St Pancras to catch the Eurostar to Paris. It came and went way too quickly! But we did have a good time.

It was just the two us and we didn’t have dinner plans. First, we headed to the bar at Hide on Piccadilly Road. The bar (technically called Hide Below) is down a wide spiral, wooden staircase but the steps have a “wavy” pattern and the bar is gorgeous. The lighting is great (and everyone looks younger in that kind of light). It’s my kind of bar. They take their cocktails seriously at Hide and the cocktail menu is creative but they do the classics perfectly. They gave a little palate cleanser to start…some sort of cucumber thing that was very refreshing. Chaz had an Old Fashioned and I tried a Pisco Ball. Both were excellent and we really enjoyed this spot (except the guy at the bar with the super loud laugh and there is always one). I won’t say how many Old Fashioneds Chaz had but he was very happy with how consistent the drink was from bartender to bartender. I decided to have a glass of Bruno Paillard champs for round 2. I think 2 Pisco Balls might have gotten me too tipsy! They also gave us a taste of something else they were working on, a tomato water that was delicious. Everything is done to very high standards, the drinks are gorgeous, the garnishes are well thought out and they love to take the cocktail you like and recommend a new twist on that drink. It’s a cocktail lover’s dream and a really gorgeous space.

We hung out for a while before heading over to Shepherd Market for dinner. I love this area – lots of quaint restaurants and many cuisines represented. I loved walking past Iran Restaurant and seeing everyone with their hookah and the women’s dramatic eyeliner (that I cannot pull off). Lots of choices and lots of cuisines in the area.

We chose a small Italian spot (Da Corradi) and both decided on pizza, which we enjoyed. Just a quiet little dinner and very low key. By the time we were done, the day and the drinks had caught up with us and it was time to hit the hay. We caught a cab quickly and headed back to the apartment before tomorrow’s sightseeing, the Tower of London and Borough Market.

I am loving this trip report! Please keep it coming!

You all are very kind. I appreciate the comments and that you are following along. Thanks...more to come and eventually I will also post some photo links.

It is nice that the English have finally learned how to cook a burger and turn out a decent and consistent cocktail. This was not always the case.

Don't think I'll be shopping in London (I just returned from Pakistan having purchased a large Kilim, several pashminas and some jewelry...) but I do appreciated the restaurant and meal descriptions. Good to know about Tandoor Chop House; DD is looking for a place to celebrate an ASL friend's birthday, so I will suggest that to her.)

HI Denisia, some of my favorite places. If I win the lottery I'll buy a house in Launceston Place. I also love Hide - good deal for lunch at the upstairs restaurant, and what a beautiful place!
And Shepherd Market. There's a wonderful club there, 5 Hertford Street, but you'd need to find someone who's a member to take you.

Signing on for the ride.

Friday, April 5

We tried a new coffee spot right down from the apartment called HJEM. It’s a Danish inspired spot. We both tried a cinnamon roll thingy, which was good. The coffee there was very good and they have a nice selection of pastries, avocado toast and other small breakfasts.

We didn’t spend too much time there as we needed to head to the Tower via the Tube. I wanted to get there early before the crowds.

Still no sun but it didn’t really matter. We used our Historic Royal palaces membership card for entry. We got there just after the Tower opened and decided to head straight for the crown jewels. Good move as there was no line and you could view the jewels as much as you wanted. I do wish they would slow the people mover down just a bit---you have no time to really check out the stones. I really can’t believe the jewels are real. This is the second time I have seen them and they still dazzle! I also hate that you can’t take photos of them! Big bummer as they are very photo worthy. That is bling and we now call my engagement ring, Chip.

From there we walked the grounds and admired the view of the Tower Bridge and the Shard. On to the graffiti area of the Tower and a listing of the many famous prisoners who spent time at the Tower.

By then, it was time to meet the Yeoman Warder, Dave for a tour. I have to say he was beyond entertaining and colorful. There’s a talent to making history come alive and also entertaining people of different ages and backgrounds and he has it! The hour flew by and we both enjoyed the commentary quite a bit.

We explored more in the Tower but more and more big groups of teenagers were descending on the Tower (theme of the trip) and around noon we headed across the Tower Bridge (and a cold and windy trip it was). Our destination was Borough Market and the famous Kappacasein cheese toastie. But on the way, I managed to spot Bridget Jones apartment from the movie (confirmed by Google after I got home). Bonus points.

We found the small spot on one of the streets just outside the main market area. They have raclette and the cheese toastie and a line for each. You get in line and buy a ticket for the sandwich and wait. The guy asked if we were getting one or two. No way I was sharing the toastie. No. Way. We didn’t have to wait terribly long but waiting was hard (melty, bubbly cheese browning to perfection smells so good). The toastie is a great blend of cheese (Cheddar, Comte and Gruyere (?) with leeks & onions on Poilane bread - toasted brown and bubbly. It’s perfection. It is every bit as good as advertised. If you like cheese and are in London, you should make a point of going. We were both amazed at the simplicity and how delicious the cheese toastie was. Go. Get it. Get two. I also enjoyed watch the Raclette chick melting the cheese off her knife—very cool and it looked so good but when does melted cheese not look good?. I probably should gotten one of those, as well.

I mentioned that all I needed was some wine and we came across a stand serving up Champagne and white wines. Perfect! Well, it woulda been perfect if I had ordered 2 cheese toasties.

If you have read any of my trip reports, then you know we both love sampling the food when we are on vacation and we don’t hold back. We will not be posting our daily weight ala Bridget Jones Diary. We don’t care…we’re on vacation (or holiday, I should say). We continued to peruse Borough Market in search of other treats and I really meant to sample some of the brownies or baklava we saw. Chaz got a wheatgrass shot as he loves green juice and makes his own every day. I do not enjoy the “lawnmower clippings” but saw lots of stuff that looked amazing…something for everyone and we were close to getting oysters when we came upon a stand (Nana Fanny’s) with salt beef. It looked great and we split a salt beef on rye as it seemed quite British and a great place to try it. Super nice guys at the stall. This was also terrific but the cheese toastie can’t be beat. All said and done, Borough market is a must for those who love food. It was busy but not terribly crowded (I have heard Saturday is a bad day to visit). We would love to visit the more permanent bars/restaurants on another trip. I hate that I didn’t pick up a treat from Bread Ahead. I follow them on Insta and they are always posting terrific looking goodies.

We took a cab back to Jermyn Street to go shopping for shoes for Chaz. London is men’s shoe mecca! As I remembered, the taxi drivers in London are great! They KNOW the city and are friendly, so we enjoyed our time with this driver as we made our way to Edward Green. One trip bummer was that Big Ben (the Elizabeth tower) is covered in scaffolding – no fun to miss a clear view of something that iconic. Apparently, that’s gonna be the case until 2021. This was Chaz’ first trip to London &this cab ride was his first glimpse of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. There is a good amount of construction in the area and you never have those thoughts in mind when dreaming of a destination but *^it happens.

We browsed the many men’s shoe stores along Jermyn Street. Chaz found what he wanted at Edward Green but had to order the shoes as they didn’t have his size but at least he found what he wanted. From there, we went back to pick up my things at Alexander McQueen and had a glass of Champagne while waiting. Items collected and a cab ride back to Kensington to clean up for dinner which was a little harder to get than planned as there was a taxi demonstration on Piccadilly Road and they were lined up heading toward central London with their lights off and not picking people up (at least one stopped to explain and tell us how to get one).

We had reservations at Pollen Street Social and arrived right on time. https://www.pollenstreetsocial.com/

They had one of our favorite Champagnes on the menu and we decided to have the Ruinart Rose with dinner.

I started with a crab appetizer (Paignton Harbour crab salad, apple, coriander, lemon purée, brown crab on toast) and Chaz went with smoked eel and jellied eel. (Smith’s smoked eel, buttermilk, apple, fennel & “jellied eel”). We decided on the cote de beouf for two for dinner. (Lake District côte de bœuf, ‘mac & cheese’, bone marrow, roasted carrots, fine bean & foie gras salad, truffle, hazelnut, marrow sauce). (Remember what I said about eating on vacations). It was a lot of food and all really good.

We decided to go with the pistachio soufflé for dessert (you will also recall I love a soufflé). This was excellent! (Bronte pistachio soufflé, 70% chocolate, madagascan vanilla ice cream) and yes, we both got one. Not sharing my soufflé. Sorry.

We also got a few extra small sweets (one was a yuzu macaron) to follow compliments of the chef (about to pop at this point) AND THEN…they brought out a chocolate confection for Chaz’ birthday. Very kind, very delicious and we were very full. They had a wonderful looking cheese cart but even I have my limits. If you read my TR from our first Christmas in Paris, you might recall that we both thought we would die after our Christmas day lunch at Le Cinq. This was getting close.

It was an excellent meal and a great day. We headed back to our little spot in Kensington very happy a, VERY FULL and ready to continue our retail tour of London. Retail therapy at Liberty, Regent Street and Savile Row is up next!

What a great trip -- really enjoying your report.

Haven't been to Hide -- will put it on the short list for an upcoming visit. Thinking of staying in Mayfair or St James's next trip -- so it fits right in.

Did notice a couple of times you called it "Piccadilly Road" -- it's just Piccadilly, no 'road'

Well, I have finally turned into my grandmother haven't I....adding things to or changing names entirely, janisj! Not sure where I came up with Piccadilly Road! But, Hide is worth checking out on your next trip and is right around the corner from Flemings Mayfair. This will be the only time I have ever gotten to something in London before you!

I am sure the restaurant there is also worth checking out, we just ran out of time on that.

Sounds like a great day! Borough Market is great...especially at Christmas! Love Jermyn Street - we had a good meal at Pollen Street Social many years ago, not sure why we never went back - oh well, there’s always this year!

I have been enjoying all of your report. The cheesy toastie...yum reminds me of our trip but
we shared one. Not next time;).

Perfect read, looking forward to more.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the comments and the lesson here is never share the cheese toastie.
I don't care what mom (mum) said about how good it is to share!

Fra Diavolo _ I missed your comment earlier and can happily confirm the English cocktail and dining scene is quite right and they can create and concoct a serious cocktail and cook a perfect burger. I had plenty of people telling me before we left that the food isn't good in England but that is not case today. We had very little that wasn't terrific.

kmowatt - I would love to visit at Christmas. It's been on my mind and Instagram makes me want to go even more during the holidays! I imagine Borough market would be fun in any season but especially at Christmas. Might be time for a return visit to Pollen Street Social but London doesn't want for excellent dining experiences, so it's hard get to all the great spots. I have a big list of places we DIDN"T make it to this trip.

Please say hi to Chip! Very cute. I loved that bag but fell off my chair at the price and I could hear DH's ashes as they quivered! LOL.

More, please...

Loving your report, as always! Gorgeous apartment - love the courtyard. I swear, I could taste and smell that cheese toastie. Oh yum. And that clutch is absolutely stunning! Looking forward to more.

I just love a successful shopping and eating trip. Enjoying your report, too, especially with all the eating and drinking recs.

We had a cheese toastie at the borough market but never found a wine place that would let us enjoy a glass of wine with it -- wouldn't let us sit down with food from another place. Where did you find the wine bar? Love the toastie, love wine, want them together! Cheers!