Borough Market? How did I miss that?! I guess I'll have to go back. And, fun pictures! You should consider a social media channel. This report is a lot of fun.

I love all the comments and am glad that the report isn't a snoozer! I did not take as many notes on the trip and I'm sure I am missing some details. Thanks to all of you who have chosen to come along for the ride.

The clutch - I love it. It was very well reviewed by the servers and sommelier at dinner at Spring last night. I love it. I don't think I will see anyone else with the same thing and it's got a little edge to it. Fun! If it is Paris, it's Chanel but for London, it's gotta be McQueen.

Wine at Borough Market - sorry if I wasn't clear. We did not find a wine bar to sit in. We just found a little stall inside selling wine and Champagne that we could walk around with. Kappacasein could probably make a boatoad by selling wine with the toasties and raclette.

5alive - Thanks - don't know about the social media channel but I will say that Instagram is the reason I knew about the toastie and Borough Market. I am only on Twitter and Insta and my primary reason for being on either is travel, food and wine. Social media has been very helpful in "finding" cool things in the cities we travel to

Saturday, April 6

We decided a trip back to Heddon Street Kitchen to check out their breakfast before more shopping and wandering. Boy are we glad we did! Again, the staff was very engaging and friendly. Chaz went with a full English and I had to check out the Double Decker Bacon and Cheese sandwich (and a diet coke with my breakfast - yay!).

Both did not disappoint! No beans with the full English (well you can buy them) but no problem. My sandwich was so very good. I could eat that every day. We left fueled for a little more strolling, we hit Carnaby for a bit and then headed to our first stop, Liberty. I love the timbered exterior of the building. Inside I was looking for their printed scarves. I also found some McQueen scarves that they did not have at the McQueen boutique. It was busy in the store but not packed. I decided on a pink/purple paisley pattern Liberty scarf, a black and white Alexander McQueen scarf and a pink and black skull McQueen scarf for my sister.

I have to say that the sales associate in the scarf department was lovely but quite a character.

She was costumed a bit like a cross between a character in Alice in Wonderland and Effie Trinket, the District 12 escort in The Hunger Games.



Unique would be an understatement but she was very nice and helpful. (I just didn’t want to end up as tribute somehow)! Purchases made and the gift in a lovely purple box tied up with a bow, we milled around the store for a bit. I enjoyed the vintage section and came close to pulling the trigger on a midnight blue snakeskin Gucci bag but decided I had probably spent enough. Next, a little coffee for him and water and diet coke for me in the café and we were ready to go.

I went to get my tax refund stuff squared and Chaz headed for the restroom. Turns out, it was a unisex restroom and it threw him off a little bit as he entered and it was all women inside. Funny.

We also visited Drake's on Clifford Street and did a few laps there before we headed to Savile Row. Not much was open on Saturday but we found Huntsmen open and dropped in. It was a lovely store where they make their suits by hand and the work room is below the shop. They have beautiful things and are so knowledgeable about fitting men properly. I hope we can get Chaz a suit there some day. As we chatted with a gentleman named David Goggins, he pointed out several extra measurements they take and really capsulized some of the fit issues Chaz has had in trying to get suits tailored that really fit him (chest/shoulders are bigger than most men, waist smaller than most). It was amazing to listen to how dead on he was). We really enjoyed chatting with him and now I know why Colin Firth always looks so perfectly dressed as he apparently is a client. We also were treated to a bit on how they make patterns out of brown paper from the measurements. I saw the patterns for David Bowie and Alexander McQueen, also. I love these bespoke tailors. Great little piece I found on them is here, if you are interested.

We headed down Savile Row and over to Regent Street. We decided Albert Adrià's "Cakes and Bubbles" was calling us for “lunch” and we were lucky to get a table without a reservation. Cakes and Bubbles is located in the Hotel Café Royal which is beautiful. We enjoyed a Paul Bara Rose Champagne and I had the chocolate coconut treat. Chaz had a “carrot cake”. This is a gastronomic play land. It’s creative and unique. Cake, sweets and sparkling wines....heaven, right? The desserts are small which was perfect, as you know what we have already ingested. It was an excellent way to spend the later afternoon. Cold and windy outside but not in Cakes and Bubbles!

We made one last stop that felt like a must in London – Penhaligon’s. We both hadn’t tried a new fragrance in a while, so it seemed like a good place to check out. We went to the location in Burlington Arcade. The scent sommelier was extremely knowledgeable, and it was fun to check out her recommendations based on the things we said we like in fragrance. I have to say that I liked all the ones she chose for me but the first one (Luna) was THE one. Description below.

Luna: “Sparkling first with Bergamot oil and lemon primofiore,
it soon finds a dream-like calm, with jasmine, juniper and soft rose accords.
A harmony complete when musks and ambergris enchant Endymion’s endless beauty sleep.*

Chaz chose Halfeti which is part of their Trade Routes Collection.

Halfeti: The beginning of this story is fresh and vigorous; bergamot, hints of green, and aromatic Artemisia. It evolves with gusto thanks to jasmine and spiced rose – this love has thorns. The ending bears all the promise of distant lands, with the certainty of vanilla and sandalwood, the piquancy of leather and a most reassuringly distinguished mélange of Oud, amber and patchouli.

The scent sommelier also knew that another glass of Champagne never hurts when selling to us. We both love the scent we got and really enjoyed our time at Penhaligon’s. It’s worth visiting if you are in London. There are several boutiques around London and a new one in Chelsea, I think.

A quick trip to the apartment to clean up and change for dinner and we were back out again.

Our dinner reservation was at Ham Yard Bar and Restaurant that night. This place is part of a very chic and modern hotel but still warm. They also had outdoor space that was popular. Quite the scene on a Saturday night but we felt lucky to get a table for pre-dinner cocktails. I tried the Harvest Moon (red apple juice, winter fruit syrup, cardamom bitters and Applejack—like Fall in a glass). Chaz got the Ragtime Gal (Rye based cocktail). Both were excellent, so I got a second one at the table. Dinner was steak frites for him and sole meunière for me. Both were really tasty and the olive oil crushed potatoes that came with my fish were really good. We tried the cheesecake for dessert which wasn’t on the menu but recommended by the server. It was very light, fresh and nothing like NY Cheesecake. Great drinks and a great meal. We enjoyed Ham Yard a lot but it was time to call it a night.

Back to the apartment after a busy day and a whole lot of food and shopping. Loving London! We were having a great time and just getting started.

I will not buy brands but i agree fully. If you need a suit have it tailored, off the shelf never fits anyone .

Thanks, YankyGal, I rarely shop at home anymore. (I buy almost everything online these days). I do enjoy shopping in cities that have unique store/experience or things that I can't get at home. Penhaligon's was really fun because they really know their scents and the fragrance world. We enjoyed our shopping day in London because there are unique places and it's a good way to explore a bit of the city.

Ham Yard B&R

“Carrot cake” at Cakes & Bubbles

Harvest Moon and Ragtime Gal—cocktails at Ham Yard

Cakes and Bubbles

Ham Yard

Chocolate Coconut dessert-Cakes and Bubbles

Ham Yard patio

Ham Yard Hotel

Liberty

Hotel Cafe Royal

Liberty London

Love your pics!

Sunday, April 7

Still no sign of the sun. I am still loving all the blooming camellias on our street. Our routine is that Chaz gets up and ready and heads to the café first. I finish up and meet him there. We met again HJEM again for our breakfast. Chaz had a cinnamon roll (and a ton of coffee) and I had a little cheese toastie and a fresh OJ. It was good but nothing like the Kappacasein version. The staff there is nice enough but at the same time not particularly warm or friendly. Hard to explain.

No matter. We were looking forward to Sunday Roast at Anglesea Arms a bit later. We had been given some Perrier-Jouet Champagne and we decided to have that in our courtyard. It was cold but not raining so it was nice to make use of the charming courtyard. The apartment had plenty of throws around and I just wrapped up in one while sitting outside.

The courtyard really is an amazing feature to the apartment- private, quiet perfect for sharing a bottle of wine. We have never had any outdoor space at the apartments we have rented in Paris. It was nice to have that space.

We walked to Anglesea Arms and got to know the other side of the neighborhood. This pub is really cozy, charming and perfect for Sunday Roast. We both chose the roast beef and it was served with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, hispy cabbage, creamed parsnips and carrots. Our lunch was excellent and the service friendly. I also tried my first sticky toffee pudding. I had no idea what it was but it’s super yummy. Not sure what is in it, but it tastes like sort of spice cake with a caramelized sauce with a molasses type flavor and ice cream. Whatever it is, we liked it…a lot.

I wanted to head over to Duke of York square to check out Dubarry of Ireland. They have great waterproof boots and jackets (among other things). I did try a jacket but it was a bit too large (which has to be a shock after all the food and drink) so no sale. I will probably regret not trying on the boots I am not sure how I will pack the stuff I have already bought.

We headed toward the river and Chelsea bridge but it began to rain and we did not have a real plan of where we wanted to go. So, we wandered a bit but finally ended up headed home. People, when it’s rainy ya need a plan. My bad.

We grabbed an Uber to dinner and found ourselves laughing at the radio station that played 80s and 90s music. They were advertising some sort of countdown and I just found it funny that a station thinks they need a countdown of music that is 30 years old.

Dinner that night was at Dean Street Townhouse. It started out good. A packed bar but we got a seat and Chaz got a Sazerac and I got a Moscow Mule. The drinks were well done and then the bar cleared out a bit. Chaz’ drink was served half in the glass and the second half in a little glass vessel that was submerged in a glass of ice. Nice touch.

We got our table and that’s when things turned. I was served completely flat Champagne. I hate that. You can see that there are no bubbles. I called the waiter over and they corrected it immediately and brought a fresh bottle out and opened it at the table. Problem solved. Back on track! Chaz started with a few oysters and he enjoyed them. Dinner - Chaz tried the fish and chips and I got roast chicken. Fish and chips – very good. Roast chicken – completely dry. I asked if the serving would be a quarter chicken but it was a leg and a breast (not sure what happens to the thigh). The leg had some sort of stuffing in it and that was OK. The breast was just overdone and dried out. The potatoes looked good but also were dry. They kinda seemed like they were dried out from the oven, so they fried them to revive them? Sahara special would be a better name for my dinner. Bummer! This is a pretty noisy spot and that’s OK. Our server had too many tables and they played loud jazz music (which we are not fans of). The restaurant is noisy and the rambling jazz over the top of the noise doesn’t work. It’s frenetic rather than energetic. As we sat there, it just got hotter and hotter in the restaurant. Not our best night.

We were ready to go and then were left with the dessert menu. Maybe the server should ask if we want to see the menu but you get the impression that that you are expected to order dessert and that the server needs time to wait on other people, so he just plopped the dessert menu down to hustle off to other tables. We waited a while to be able to tell the server we just wanted the check. In the meantime, we were both burning up and sweating. We finally got the check and got out of there. It’s a nice spot but our experience was disappointing.

We drove through the Royal Albert Hall area which was crazy busy as the Olivier awards were going on. We were both tired and went to bed early or we tried to. Holy cow. The main townhouse (we were on the street level with our own entrance) had new occupants who walked all over our ceiling until well after midnight. It sounded like they were running around – maybe up and down the stairs. I am easily bothered by this type of noise (we live in a single-family home so no one is above us and I have rarely even lived in an apartment when I was not on the top floor). I am a light sleeper in all cases. But you know it’s bad when Chaz notices the noise and is bothered by it and he was.

So, it wasn’t our best day but we were still enjoying London. We had our first Sunday roast, our first sticky toffee pudding and we drank Champagne in our courtyard before noon.

We were getting to the sight-seeing time and were looking forward to seeing more of London and tomorrow’s plan is a visit to Hampton Court Palace.

The offending chicken dinner

My first sticky toffee pudding at Anglesea Arms

Fish & Chips at Dean Street Townhouse

Sunday Roast Anglesea Arms


Bar garnishes at Dean Street Townhouse

Sazerac and Moscow Mule at Dean Street Townhouse

Bar at Dean St Townhouse

Breakfast at HJEM

You never disappoint with the best trip report. I love that clutch but you should have bought those boots.

Monday, April 8

We stopped in at a new coffee place that had just opened on a little side street by the apartment. Super friendly people and a nice spot. Bigger than the café we had been going to and the previous spot had often been cramped and the staff was OK but not especially friendly. Chaz got a pistachio croissant and I got a pain au chocolat. Both really good and Chaz loved their coffee.

We were off quickly to Waterloo and then to Hampton Court Palace (looking back at it, I think we could have done this part of trip in a much more direct way but live and learn). Upon arriving, we were at first wondering how the visit would go as it was stroller and little kid central. There was some sort of Easter bunny program with Lindt chocolate going on and the kids were wild. Once we got past the kitchen area of the palace, it got better. We enjoyed the palace and as many of you know, it’s not a very ornate palace but so full of history.

While the day wasn’t sunny, it didn’t rain and we were really able to enjoy the gardens and grounds at Hampton Court. Tons of tulips in bloom and a few late daffodils were still hanging on. Tons and tons of beautiful garden spaces. There was a huge area in along a wall that was covered with wisteria but not yet in bloom. (Our fence at the apartment was also covered with wisteria. I love wisteria and would love to see these vines in bloom). There is also a huge grapevine at Hampton Court Palace, as well. Ducks? Check. Swans? Check. Deer? Check. The property is massive and we didn’t cover it all but we spent 4 hours there. We ended at the maze which Chaz solved quickly and had to walk me through it. I blame that on hunger but we will never know. He will remind me of this event for the rest of our lives. Although, if there had been some jewelry or other treat at the end, I might have performed better!

So, it was time to head to lunch and we chose The Mute Swan right across from the palace. Great choice! Lovely spot and wonderful menu and food. I was afraid it might be a tourist trap but it was not! Really a great time. We decided to stay awhile and enjoy more wine and ale and some British cheeses to end our meal with. Our lunch was a rump steak sandwich with tarragon mayo (me) and a burger for Chaz. Again, a very friendly staff and wonderful food. Chaz loves English Ales, Brown Ales and IPAs and was really happy enjoying the wonderful pubs in and around London. This was no different.

It's a short walk back to the train station at HCP and we made our way back to London. We couldn’t have been happier with our day at the Palace!

We had a little sun upon returning to our apartment and decided to open up a bottle of Cava our friends left us and enjoy the setting. Since we didn’t have a dinner reservation that night, Chaz suggested we walk the neighborhood and see what was around. Sounded like a good plan and we headed out. We walked a bit and admired the little townhomes and all the gorgeous flowering shrubs and trees. Chaz also spotted lots of Japanese maples in the courtyards and enjoys checking those out.


It didn’t take too long to come across Builders Arms which looked like an interesting pub. It was busy and we thought that was a good sign for a Monday night. We were lucky to find a table downstairs and ordered drinks.

We watched food come out while perusing the menu. The menu had a lot of options that were appealing. Everything we saw looked tasty, so we felt like we got lucky with our “no plan” plan.

We both were planning to sample lots of Fish and Chips while in London. So, I went with the Fish and Chips after seeing an order come out. Chaz went with the Sausage & mash - Cherry Orchard farm sausages, spring onion mash, crispy onions and red wine jus.

Both were excellent and we were very happy with our food. (Happy enough to try The Builders Arms version of sticky toffee pudding). It was also very good and a bit different than Anglesea Arms…but hard to pick a winner between the two.

We enjoyed our night at the pub and felt like we had found our local.

Palaces & Pubs. What a terrific day! Still loving London. Rain was in the forecast, so we were planning to visit the British Museum the next day. We turned in completely full and very happy with our day and our trip to that point.

Hampton Court Palace

Kitchen rotisserie at HCp


Great Hall Ceiling at HCP

Stained glass at HCP with Henry VIII’s likeness installed

Spring at Hampton Court Palace

Locals


Formal gardens


Hampton Court Palace garden

Garden at HCP

The palace from the gardens

Great trip report. Makes me want to hop a plane to London. Ah well...

As to the Kappacasein cheese toastie (SO fabulous!!), I think it is made with Montgomery's Cheddar. I usually go around the corner to Neal's Dairy Yard and pick up some to take home. My kind of souvenir!

What a great report Denise, following with interest as I will be in London in 2 weeks and as it is one of my favourites I cannot wait. You've given me some new ideas for places to eat and drink. Sadly I only have 4 days as it's a stopover on my way to Capetown, but they will be jam packed days.
Must check out the new Burberry flagship, am interested in a knee length raincoat; I don't like the direction Burberry is going either-must be my age! But I like the classic raincoats and have a short black one.

Love your photos of the gardens at Hampton Court, pushed my mother all round there in a wheelchair ten years ago, she loved it and it was a good workout for me.