It's been a while now but spending the last few weeks far away from my laptop, without any (well-working) Wifi and only limited mobile data I hadn't had the chance to post anything. Until now, I'm back home for a few days, with the post-travel depressions setting in and many new posts planned.
London is already a month ago (feels like 5 though), but I still managed to take some notes and show you some of my favourite places I have discovered while spending the weekend there. So here we go, a small city guide to a city, where probably half a million city guides already exist for.
GROUNDED COFFEE COMPANY
Very cute, very hip café somewhere in Whitechapel, a little bit overpriced (aka. average London prices) but if you bring enough money and time it's perfect to waste some time on a rainy morning or afternoon before exploring the neighbourhood or very nearby galleries.
Grounded Coffee Company / 9, Whitechapel Road
TATE GALLERY OF MODERN ART
It's mandatory, no need to go any further here. The recently opened new complex features some amazing free (!!) exhibitions, the imposing entrance hall makes the perfect photo setting and you'll have an amazing view from the terrace on top of the building.
Tate Modern / Bankside
SPITALFIELDS
Brick Lane is a must do, obviously, but if you walk a bit further you'll reach Spitalfields, its famous markets and super interesting shops, cafés and galleries. It's the perfect neighbourhood to just wander around, enjoy the laid-back and quite local atmosphere and explore the city.
NORDIC BAKERY
Set at a beautiful hidden square in the buzzing SoHo district, the Nordic Bakery is THE place to go for if you need a treat: literally, the best, sweetest, heaviest, most delicious cinnamon buns you'll find in whole London (or that's what I have heard). The bakery also has a cool café, very scandinavian, very comfortable and everything smells like christmas in Sweden (haven't been there yet but I'm sure christmas there smells like sugary cinnamon buns). Oh, and they also have bread. Proper dark authentic rye bread.
Nordic Bakery / 14A, Golden Square
TAP COFFEE
Another hotspot in SoHo, super nice design, a lot of wood, very light - perfect to sit down for a while and watch people, have some good coffee and plan the next hours/days in the city.
Tap Coffee / 193, Wardour Street
LEON RESTAURANTS
I had been looking forward to try out the hyped Leon Restaurants for weeks and it definitely wasn't disappointing. Fresh, healthy (super-) fast food in aesthetic card board boxes, not too expensive and the perfect alternative to any overpriced burger restaurants you'll find everywhere around London. The restaurants are located all around London and just when arriving back in Amsterdam I saw the just recently opened one at Schipol Airport.
FERNANDEZ & WELLS
Admittedly, I haven't actually been to this café/restaurant but it looked so nice I just had to take a photo and bookmark it. A bistro/café with various locations in London that I for sure will try out during my next visit to the city.
Fernandez & Wells / 73, Beak Street
London was amazing and I couldn't have used my time there any better. I walked for hours and hours for 3 days, felt like I had walked every single street of the city and discovered that London is - despite expecting differently - the perfect city to explore by foot. It's huge and yet somehow small enough to walk across the center and skip the crowded tourist bus tours - that is, if you bring running shoes, 3 litres of water, energy bars, a lot of money for expensive coffees and a good offline map.
wonderful pictures ..
ReplyDeleteI was in london last year and really enjoyed walking through the little streets . visiting old markets and wonderful coffee shops ..
although I loved notting hill the most!
have you ever been in notting hill .?
with kind regards
sarah