For the week trip in London, Emily and I worked with a travel agent to schedule the flight, hotel, airport transfer and train to Paris and back. I did some research on London to have an idea of where we’d probably spend more time, taking into account our budget as well.
Read on for full details plus some recommendations!
Where We Stayed
We stayed in the Regent’s Park area, probably a half mile walk from what became my favorite neighborhood Marlyebone and a mile walk from Selfridges and other shopping destinations. We looked at staying in Marlyebone or a lot closer to Selfridges, but it was a lot pricier and the hotel wasn’t as nice at Hotel Melia White House where we ended up staying.
This hotel was beautiful, had helpful staff and while rooms were small, they were efficient and well designed and thought out. Below is a photo of the hotel bar where we grabbed snacks when we first arrived. Very chic!
This location was also about a mile from King’s Crossing, where we took the Eurostar train to Paris and also visited the Harry Potter store and other shops. Overall the location felt pretty central to the areas we spent the most time and most enjoyed. If I were to return, I’d probably be interested in staying for longer, renting an airbnb in Marlyebone or Fitzrovia to have a little space and prepare my own meals, and be closer to the neighborhoods I loved.
Where We Shopped
We did a lot of shopping and window shopping in London. Probably my favorite part of the trip! We shopped everything from luxury consignment shops like Consigned, Sealed, Delivered and the Dresser and pharmacies in Marlyebone to vintage stores and small boutiques in Shoreditch to big retailers like Harrod’s and Selfridge’s.
I wish I could remember the vintage store’s name where I found the Celine jacket, but if you go to the brick lane area for shopping, you’ll come across a ton of great shops. Shoreditch also had a Reformation and other cute little boutiques!
Out of Harrod’s and Selfridges, I preferred Selfridges. Harrod’s seemed more old school and maze like while Selfridges was light and bright and open, and easy to navigate.
Where We Ate
We took a lot of recommendations from friends and TikTok. This included Dishoom, a Bombay inspired restaurant, which was incredible. Emily and I loved ordering a mix of small plates to try a variety of food and the interior is also just so beautifully done. We ate at the King’s Crossing location but there are several throughout the city.
We also ate dinner at Chiltern Firehouse, probably the most exquisite restaurant I’ve personally ever visited. Just so beautiful, delicious food and fancy people–a hot spot among celebs although we didn’t recognize anyone.
My favorite restaurant that I tried? The Ivy in Marlyebone. Emily ordered the fish and chips which were delicious and I ordered a shepherd’s pie which was incredible. Plus the decor and customer service were top notch. It’s located on this quiet street lined with cute restaurants and shops.
We also LOVED going to the local grocery stores like Waitrose–all the snacks and cookies were fun to look through (and eat!)
We visited a handful of small cafes and coffee shops like Kaffeine, but didn’t do a good job documenting all the spots but you can’t go wrong wandering into a local spot for pastry and coffee.
