A summer in London
Your mini guide
Last week, I headed down into London for the first time since moving off of ships and to the North of England. Despite travelling to many capital cities, London still holds a place in my heart.
So I am going to take you with a summer mini guide to London, filled with things I did, and things that are on my list for my next trip…
SUNDAY - ARTS, rooftops & DINNER
My trip started with a three hour train into London which honestly flew by. I arrived into Kings Cross and jumped on the Victoria Line to Green Park for my first stop.
The Royal Academy of the Arts:
Every Summer, this RA holds its Summer Exhibition. You can buy tickets, or if you know someone that works for the RA’s sponsors you may be able to nab a comp ticket like I did. Nevertheless, the art was very varied and you can actually buy the pieces, or just grab a champers and pretend you’re an art critic…
Rooftop Views:
We stumbled across one of the best rooftop secrets through Instagram and had to try it for ourselves.
Amano’s Rooftop in Covent Garden has pretty skyline views, and good cocktail and whiskey selection. We were sat inside first but then the waiters managed to find us a table outside which was so kind.
Other Rooftop Recommendations include:
Radio Rooftop The Strand – Cocktails are a bit pricey here but very pretty
Marlins on the Roof – The perfect beach summer location
Dinner at London Steakhouse:
After taking in the beautiful views of the skyline we headed to Marco Pierre White’s restaurant, for what I’d say was some beautiful food. Virgin Experience Days do an experience here, or could can save up your Virgin Credit Card points (Not an AD just a recommendation).
MONDAY - A FULL DAY ACTIVITY
We had a slow morning before heading into the city, as we had booked an experience I have been SO excited for…
Race Across The World – The Experience:
If you’ve seen the show, it’s basically exactly like the show. You get WhatsApp clues sent to you and you’re measured up against previous groups and their timings.
Luckily we came top in our group and you get discounts across the bars you end up at. I’ve spent a lot of time in London and even I found some new hidden gems. It lasts around four hours minimum with breaks so give yourselves time!
We opted to head out of the city early and grab takeaway but here are some of my fave foodie recommendations:
If you’re on the move – Mr Chong’s Chinese Buffet – where you can load up a Tupperware for a Fiver (at time of writing)
A good first date plan – Six By Nico – they do both lunch and dinner and the theme changes every six weeks
For some luxury – Hestons at Mandarin Oriental – opt for the pineapple dessert at the end
If it’s your first time in the city – Duck and Waffle Heron Tower – Lunch here actually too wildly expensive but you’ve good to be good with heights…
- A dream date in Positano
- The city that made me fall back in love with solo travelling
TUESDAY - SOLO DATES & CONCERTS
This was a solo day for me in the city. I am writing a guide to your perfect solo date so I will link it here when it’s done.
Workstation for the morning:
But back to Tuesday, I started off by heading to one of my favourite work spots in central London. And no it’s not a co-working membership space.
Opposite the National Gallery is a Waterstones, with a cafe upstairs. You have to get there around 9am, but it’s quiet, calm, plus sockets and my favourite iced teas.
I met an old friend here before checking into a hotel ahead of my evening plans…
Evening Activities:
I had booked a concert way back in March to see Ludovico Enauldi play at the Royal Albert Hall. I went by myself and I was quite nervous, but it turned out the two women sat either side of me had done the same. Take that as your sign! It was absolutely incredible a great summertime plan, just bring a fan!
And there you have it, a summer mini guide to London – complete with activities, food and drinks. I’m going to put together an Autumn edition soon, but I may add more to this blog as I discover them.
Until then, safe travels and don’t forget to follow along @thatgirladventures