LONDON RESTAURANTS
London’s culinary scene is so spectacular. It reminds of NYC with plenty of Michelin Star restaurants, varying culinary delights, your favorite neighborhood pub, the homey diner for Sunday dinners, but with the addition of posh Afternoon Tea services.
Afternoon Tea at Café Royal ***: $$$, This is my favorite place for afternoon tea in London. I go every visit. It’s the opposite of the quiet, subtle London aesthetic. Instead, it’s very vibrant, ostentatiously decorated, blindingly covered with gold in every corner and very in your face. It’s a great contrast to the beautifully plated food, the delicate tea options and the calming live piano player that serenades you. True to tradition, you’re served a tower of tasty and light savory crustless sandwiches, followed by a tower of delicate sweets. All of this, while you sample pots of different tea. Their tea menu is extensive, so if you’re unsure what pairs well with what or which aroma will satisfy your craving, just ask the very proper and professional servers.
Afternoon Tea at the Savoy Thames Foyer: $$$, An elegant, airy, bright room with a piano player in the middle that elegantly states quintessential British Tea vibes. You wouldn’t guess it by how loud and bold the decor is at the Savoy Hotel lobby, though. I preferred the sweets over the savory sandwiches, but both were delicious.
The Clove Club ***: $$$$, With 2 Michelin Stars and the #1 restaurant in the UK title, the Clove Club is a food lover’s dream! It’s also consistently ranked amongst the top 50 restaurants in the world. My partner definitely scored some points for this birthday dinner. When you make a reservation, make sure to opt for “the dining room” which is small and intimate with only a handful of tables. It has a view of the open kitchen where you can watch Chef Isaac McHale and his staff meticulously plate every food. The tasting menu is constantly changing to showcase the most fresh ingredients. Make sure to make reservations weeks in advance!
The Lamb & Flag at Covent Garden: $$, My partner and I are huge fans of Top Chef and the last season of Top Chef World All Stars was based in London. We clocked this pub during one of their challenges where they had to do a pub crawl of London’s top pubs. I loved the Scotch Egg and the sticky toffee pudding. Simple, classic and delicious!
Duck & Waffle: $$$, Get the Duck & Waffle for breakfast and try to get a window seat (unless you have fear of heights because you’ll be 40 stories above ground)! That’s all. Enjoy!
Darwin Brasserie: $$$, Another restaurant in the sky. This one’s close to the Duck & Waffle building. It’s one floor above the Sky Garden. While the food is mediocre, the views of the River Thames are stunning!
Blacklock Shoreditch: $$, A great steakhouse that offers every cut of steak you could ever imagine. After you’ve stuffed yourself with all the protein you could possibly eat, don’t miss out on the cheesecake sheet tray!
Borough Market: $$, On the East side of the Thames River, from Tuesdays to Sundays, you can find this covered, outdoor market with plenty of stalls selling various food from sweet to savory, and sometimes both! One stall was selling the most plump, fresh strawberries I’ve ever tasted drenched in Nutella.
GAY NIGHTLIFE
The Gay night scene in London is centered around Old Compton St. There, you’ll find Comptons, Village Soho, Duke of Wellington, the Admiral Duncan, Little Ku, G-A-Y Bar and more. A lot of the “bar” scene doesn’t really happen in the bars since they get pretty packed. Eventually, the crowd starts spilling out into the street where the party continues.
I’ve heard that Heaven can be very fun and wild; however, I’ve also heard that the bouncers and staff in general aren’t too friendly with POC. For that reason, I haven’t tried it out.
The Gay nightlife in London is definitely something I want to venture into more. Every time I’ve gone to London, I get so exhausted from walking around, shopping and eating that I get tired out by 11 pm. If you have any recommendations, please reach out and share!