15: London
Sun worshipping in summertime London
While I’d imagine all humans have some primal wiring that makes us crave the sun, those of us who live in places with shit weather are particularly keen to embrace the reprieve of summer. Think: Midsummer celebrations in Scandinavia, the idyllic lore of New England summer, the feral energy of the first warm day in New York City.
The whole planet moves through seasonal rhythms, but for those of us who endure a forecast in which freezing precipitation is a non-zero possibility for eight months of the year, there’s something psychological at play from June-September: scarcity.
When something is scarce, we savor it; make the most of it. It’s this outlook - maybe the only good application of scarcity mindset - that makes summer such a dreamscape in cities like London, a place where grey, soggy days far outnumber the 75-degree bluebirds.
When those fated summer days finally materialize, sun-starved city dwellers take to the streets. Parks are dotted with picnic blankets, pubs are swarmed, and restaurants fling open their windows to take in the breeze and the buzz of the city. It’s frenetic, maybe a little feral, most definitely fun. While this phenomenon isn’t unique to London, it’s my favorite way to experience the city.
As fate would have it, I lucked into an exceptional weather forecast for my week in London, one that set me up for a grade-A week of roaming around parks, palaces, and the busy streets of the city center. Below, as always, is a list of my highlights.
This is not a comprehensive guide to London (not by a mile, babes), just things I did + loved. Enjoy :)
Field trip to Eltham Palace
Eltham Palace has a history that dates back hundreds of years to medieval times. Henry VIII lived there as a child (late 1400s!), but the palace was eventually abandoned and fell into disrepair. That is, until the 1930s when a wealthy couple from London bought it and renovated it into a mid-century masterpiece. It’s one of the most beautiful, most thoughtfully designed spaces I’ve ever experienced. It’s about an hour from central London by train and worth every minute of the journey.
Afternoon in Hampstead Heath
Hampstead is one of London’s most idyllic neighborhoods - and most affluent, naturally. It feels like a quaint rural village, but there it is in one of the world’s busiest cities. The neighborhood surrounds Hampstead Heath, a sprawling park where grassy meadows and sun-specked woods make for a heavenly stroll at any hour.
There are three bathing ponds dotted around the heath - one for men, one for ladies, and one coed. You’re supposed to book time in advance to swim but they took pity on me when I arrived clueless and doe-eyed at the co-ed pond without a reservation.
After my swim I wandered along winding paths until I found a shady spot to lie in a meadow like a Victorian child. My afternoon here was not only a highlight of my trip, but a highlight of my summer. Heaven on the Heath™️.
Saturday in Notting Hill
We started our Saturday off with lunch at Canteen, a buzzy Italian spot right on Portobello Road. We snagged a table outside and people watched while sippin’ on a crisp, dry white.
After lunch we explored some antique stores on Golborne Road, came across a perfect book store, and looked but didn’t touch at Rejina Pyo. I do feel compelled to note that Café O’ Porto caught my eye from across the street as I clocked tables overflowing with older men (whom I now understand to be Portuguese) enjoying coffees. Per my research, it’s a family-run Portuguese cafe that’s been there for 35 years. I got a fresh-squeezed orange juice and added fresh ginger like a psycho - loved every fiery sip.
Ate: Canteen
Drank: Café O’ Porto
Shopped: Special Rider Books + Records, Rejina Pyo
East London Sunday
On Sunday we ate, strolled, then ate some more. Worth noting, we spent the entire day outside, save for our two meals in restuarants. We started our day with a pastry at Jolene then walked up to the Columbia Road Flower market before our gorgeous lunch at Rochelle Canteen. After lunch we walked down Regent’s Canal to Victoria Park, then rewarded ourselves with a pint at our favorite pub, The Dove. To close out our perfect day, we settled into a booth at Marksman for a proper Sunday roast.
Ate: Jolene, Rochelle Canteen, Marksman
Drank: The Dove
Visited: Columbia Road Flower Market, Regent’s Canal, Victoria Park
My bestie and generous hostess, Jessie, lives in Shoreditch, so we spent most of our time in East London - several other favorites from the week are listed at the bottom of the post.
Now I’m a West End Girl
Many of London’s posh neighborhoods - Soho, Marylebone, Mayfair, St. James - are within walking distance. I spent an entire day (and 20k steps thankyouverymuch) weaving in and out of the neighborhoods, mostly window shopping with the rare purchases made at Alex Eagle, Shreeji, and Spectrum Antiques.
I particularly love Soho’s quirks. There are countless restaurants and bars in the area, but I’m a moth to a flame for a good dive, so naturally I love Bar Italia, where we sipped Peronis on Saturday night while awaiting our table at Kiln. Soho called us back for more later in the week, when we ate like queens at Mountain (same owner as beloved London restaurant Brat), then caught some live music at Below Stone Nest for our nightcap.
Drank: Below Stone Nest, Bar Italia
Shopped: Gray’s Antique Market (specifically Spectrum Antiques), Alex Eagle, Shreeji News
Can’t skip the London staples
I’ve been lucky to visit London a handful of times, but I’m still a tourist! First on my list: a martini pilgrimage. The Duke’s Hotel bar is famed for excellent martinis, first and foremost, but also for its connection to James Bond author Ian Fleming, who frequented the bar while he was writing the series. The martinis are famously strong, made with no dilution - no ice, no shakers - just cold liquor poured into a frozen glass with a vermouth wash. Hello!
St. John is another London institution. It opened in 1994 to flip the script on the reputation of “British cooking.” There are a few locations now but Smithfield is the O.G. - it’s a sterile, all-white room with white tablecloths, white china, and bright overhead lighting - let’s just say, they let the food do the talking. The first time I went I was underwhelmed (user error) but this time we enjoyed it so much we made ourselves ill.
Last but not least, I love a stroll through Hyde Park en route to the Victoria and Albert Museum. We saw an exhibit about Elsa Schiaparelli, which covered the founding of her fashion brand, her relationships with the iconic surrealists of her era (Dalí! Man Ray! Jean Cocteau!) and her beef with Coco Chanel.
Ate: St. John
Drank: Duke’s
Visited: Hyde Park, Victoria + Albert Museum
Roll the credits
Restaurants
Bars
Shopping
Culture / recreation ;)
Always a pleasure, London.
More soon xX
An excellent guide here with some of my favs! I need to spend more time in east London - we live right by Hampstead. And I also need to finally book myself a pond swim. Also, laying in the grass like a Victorian child line made me laugh out loud. Well done!
As a Londoner, this is an exceptionally good guide.