Travel Guide // London
On the occasion of my daughter’s thirteenth birthday, I decided a little Fall Break adventure to London was in order. Sweetening the deal, one of our favorite mother/daughter duos (who have lived in London & visit frequently) joined in on the fun. Five days (really more like two half-days & three full days) is but a moment in a city as vast as London, but my goodness, did we pack a lot of living into those hours!
As with all of Priss & Vinegar’s travel guides, this is by no means an exhaustive list. I am not Fodors, and anyway, you know it’s not my style to recommend anything I haven’t actually tried. Bearing this caveat in mind (my lawyer is showing), here is the list of places in London we actually visited & loved:
WHERE TO STAY // There are many lovely hotels in London, but a dear friend with excellent taste told me Covent Garden Hotel was the one. The hotel is beautifully-appointed, part of the Firmdale Hotels group & designed by Kit Kemp. It’s intimate so all of the staff knew us well, and it’s v. v. v. conveniently located close to tube stations & points of interest. The rooms are small, but the amenity of the gorgeous private drawing room, filled with plush sofas, fireplaces & a chic little honor bar, more than made up for this. Enough cannot be said about how perfect this hotel was for our purposes. 10/10 recommend.
WHERE TO EAT // Because of our tight timeline, we did a mix of elegant sit-down meals & take-away bites, which is kind of my travel vibe anyway?
Monmouth Coffee Company for excellent cappuccino & croissants. (Multiple locations, with one conveniently across the street from Covent Garden Hotel.)
The Dorcester for high tea in The Promenade (pictured), which was just completely renovated in 2023 by acclaimed designer, Pierre-Yves Rochon. It’s gorgeous.
Drinks at an elegant Mayfair hotel bar, like Brown’s Hotel, Duke’s, or The Connaught.
Gymkhana for two Michelin-star Indian cuisine in elegant, wood-paneled environs with spectacular service. Reserve well in advance!
Straker’s for a chic dinner in Notting Hill with excellent cocktails, delicious food (the flatbreads & crab tagliolini are musts), and v. fashionable patrons.
Harrods Food Halls for dim sum to-go & whatever else your little heart (er, stomach) desires.
A pub meal of English classics, which can be found all over the city. Just pop in for a pint & a pie!
Stroll through Borough Market for all manner of English as well as International food stalls.
WHERE TO VISIT // Embrace being a tourist & visit spots that pique your inner history nerd’s interest. (My daughter is especially enamored with the Tudors thanks to “Six.”) Reserve in advance if you are particular about when you’d like to visit. The early morning tickets seem to book up most quickly!
The Tower of London (pictured) has been a medieval castle, a fortress, a prison, and a zoo (!), and is the current home of the Crown Jewels.
Blown away by the Churchill War Rooms & the fraught moment in history in which they played a pivotal role.
Visit Westminster Abbey for over 1,000 years of history & to pay your respects to Elizabeth I, her tragic sister, Mary, and countless other luminaries from English history.
There are many wonderful fine art collections in London, so visit a museum that piques your interest or has a special exhibit on display. We were grateful to get into the sold-out (and excellent) van Gogh show at The National Gallery!
I’ve always been especially interested in Queen Victoria, so a visit to Kensington Palace was a must. The walk through Kensington Gardens en route to the place (including The Sunken Garden) is also so lovely.
WHAT TO DO //
See a show on the West End, which you can book in advance if you’re particular about the show or pick up day-of if that’s more your vibe. “Six” was the perfect show for 13 year-old girls to enjoy (albeit with adult supervision, we learned 😂).
If my sons had been along for the trip, the charming Diana Memorial Playground would have been a must.
Same goes for a bike ride through Kensington Gardens. My sons would have adored it!
Take in a Premier League Soccer (er, football) match, which was unexpectedly one of the highlights of my trip. The energy of the crowd was infectious!
Visit a village on the outskirts of London, like Richmond of Ted Lasso fame where you can also visit Kew Gardens & have a meal at the lovely Petersham Nursery.
SHOP // We did not shop enough, I think, in retrospect? There are only so many hours in the day, but I think we hit some high points.
Liberty for every manner of good covered in Liberty’s iconic florals, as well as stellar beauty, home & Christmas departments.
Hatchard’s for the very best curation of books & exceptional service since 1797. No need to carry your purchases home because they ship worldwide!
Fortnum & Mason for giftable tins of excellent tea, biscuits & the chicest picnic hampers of all time.
Creed for elegant English fragrances. (I decided a bottle of Spring Flower — originally created by Creed for Audrey Hepburn — was the perfect souvenir for my teenage daughter.)
Barbour, duh, because the prices are bonkers compared to what they charge in the US. Stock up!
Selfridges, for a luxury department store experience in a world when department store are an endangered species.
Many, many thanks to all of the friends, followers & especially my partner-in-crime, Maddie, for your wonderful recommendations. You made this trip a dream! xo