Travel with me to London
Hello London!
London is a city of history, arts, spectacular architecture and amazing restaurants, we were very lucky to spend a few days there soaking in the city wonders and had a fabulous dinner at Pétrus with friends.
Day 1 - Knightsbridge, St. James & Piccadilly
We arrived Friday morning and managed to get an early check-in at The Rembrandt Hotel in Knightsbridge, it is the perfect boutique hotel for singles and couples to spend a couple of nights in Central London without breaking the bank.
After a couple more coffees and a training session at Aquilla Health Club next door, hubby and I went to Harrods and St. James. Yes, Harrods is touristy but go to the food hall, it is the perfect place for small bites and a drink to ease the tiredness after a 12-hour flight.
Next off St. James and Green Park, we went to Berry Bros & Rudd for wine tasting, and I love the friendly atmosphere there. FYI, the price of fine wine is about 10-15% higher than Hong Kong, my advice is to go for more everyday drinking wine such as Rioja and some of the younger Bordeaux vintages.
If you go there in summer, you can also buy some cheese and small bites from Paxton & Whitfield and have a lovely picnic in Green Park, and hire the deck chairs and sit out in the sun.
By this point, we were ready to sit down at The Rivoli Bar at The Ritz and get ready for dinner at Petrus which will be featured in the next restaurant review.
Day 2 - National Gallery & Bond Street
We had already been to Tower of London and ridden the London Eye and saw Big Ben two years ago, three must-dos if you are going to London for the first time by the way.
For something different this time, I grabbed an Uber from our second hotel Park Plaza Westminster to National Gallery, entry is free and if you go on a normal weekday, you can just walk straight in. You can also check out the current exhibition online before you go.
The chilly weather meant a pleasant stroll around town, so I took an easy 20 minutes walk from National Gallery to Bond Street, en route was a lot of interesting architecture contrasting modern high-rise and historic infrastructure. I made a stop at Waterstones Books for about an hour, the store occupies 5 or 6 floors and is surely a heaven for book lovers.
Bond Street, Shopping and Restaurants
Bond Street is where fashionistas hang out, from high fashion to jewellery, everything you want is there. It's like being in Fashion Walk in Causeway Bay or Landmark in Central, I can spend all day shopping, and it would've been more fun with my girlfriends though. :-)
Evening was spent at Roux at Parliament Square, it is Michel Roux Jr.'s second restaurant. There was a small set/ a-la-carte menu and wine list, food and wine were both average but service was outstanding, they know how to make lone diners feel comfortable.
Well, this is my two-day itinerary in London.
Notes of reference
1. Uber is Central London is rather affordable, drivers are reliable and turn up on time. Of course, you can also get around by tube which is equally easy.
2. Fast track tickets at popular sights are always worthwhile.
3. Fine dining restaurants like Gordan Ramsey's requires at least one month advanced booking, and do make an effort to dress up.
