london

Cheers to my first time across the pond

London feels similar to New York City. It’s walkable, cosmopolitan and offers a little bit of something for everyone. 

I stayed at The Hoxton in Southwark, which is a district located along the south bank of the River Thames. I never heard of Southwark until I booked my stay just months before the trip and did minimal research on the area. All I knew was that it was within walking distance of nearly everything that I wanted to do. 

Since this was my first trip to Europe, I made a detailed itinerary and planned to follow it precisely. Notable spots in Southwark included on my itinerary were Borough Market, Tate Modern Gallery and Shakespeare’s Globe. I visited Borough Market, where I nibbled on artisanal goodies, trying Turkish delight for the first time. I missed the other two spots by accident, but noted to visit whenever I return to London.

From the south bank, I saw many bridges crossing the River Thames leading to Westminster and districts beyond. My goal was to visit as many districts of the city as possible and I ended up visiting Soho, Mayfair, Marylebone, Kensington, Chelsea, Notting Hill, Earl’s Court and Covent Garden. My favorite districts were Mayfair, Kensington and Soho. They each offered their own sort of charm and personality. 

In Mayfair I stumbled upon a sleek specialty coffee shop known as SHOT London. Everything about the coffee shop drew me in, specifically its minimal interior design of black and gold with marble complements. I ordered a Jamaican Blue Mountain latte and took in the coffee’s clean, light notes. There was hardly any acidity. Nicely sourced brew.

Much of my visit consisted of me walking, which was beneficial because I was hitting nearly 16 miles a day on foot. Easy way to close my activity, exercise and stand rings without even noticing.

Further into the trip I used the tube often. Honestly, I found the tube easier to navigate than the subway. The system seemed more seamless and efficient. Even when I did take the wrong route, I got back on the correct one without much hassle.

I visited main tourist spots such as Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Big Ben, Harrods and Piccadilly Circus. Buckingham Palace was smaller than I imagined, but still a sight to see nonetheless. I guess some things do look larger on television.

As for food, I wanted to try places with good ratings from locals and wasn't bustling. Sucre, an Argentinian restaurant in Soho, was one of the places that kept coming up, so I went. There I expanded my taste palate with a dish that included squid ink. It was a very dark dish (due to the squid ink), but it was really good. I can’t recall the name of the dish, but it tasted familiar in a good way, although I had nothing like it before. I also ate at another place in Soho known for its pasta called Bocconcino. I ordered tagliatelle al tartufo nero (tagliatelle with black truffle) and it didn’t disappoint.

It wasn’t a proper trip to London without afternoon tea. I went to a Bridgerton themed one at The Lanesborough hotel. As a fan of Bridgerton, I thought the afternoon tea was on-brand and The Lanesborough was fittingly posh. Until my visit to London, I never heard anyone use the word posh. Moreover, I learned that it could come off as an offensive term depending on the context, so it’s best to use with discretion. 

During my visit, I also attended The 1975’s concert at The O2. As a long-time fan of the band, let me just say it was an experience that I’ll always cherish. 

I also went to the central business district, which is referred to as The City. I would equate The City to downtown, since it consisted of local government buildings, the Stock Exchange and Bank of London.

There I was able to see The Gherkin, a building I’ve long wanted to see because of its unique, modern design.

Overall, London was a great introductory trip to Europe for me.