London Trip - June 14 - 21st
One of London's eight Royal Parks, adjacent to Hyde Park. The gardens are quieter and more formal than Hyde Park next door. Key stops: the Peter Pan statue (near the Long Water), the Albert Memorial (ornate Victorian monument to Prince Albert), the Round Pond (popular with model boat enthusiasts), and the Italian Gardens with their fountains.
One of London's most famous and photogenic street markets, running along Portobello Road. The antiques section is concentrated at the southern end near Notting Hill Gate and is busiest Saturday mornings. Further north the market transitions to fruit and veg, then vintage clothing and street food. The colourful painted terraced houses along the street are iconic.
Overnight flight from US arriving Saturday morning. Check in to hotel in the Notting Hill / Hyde Park area. Take time to decompress, get oriented, and get your Oyster Card if you haven't already.
Zephyr is a well-regarded modern Greek restaurant on the ground floor of a Notting Hill townhouse. The menu focuses on elevated small plates — mezze-style sharing. Standout dishes include the olive oil cheesecake (a signature dessert), saganaki, and grilled octopus. Relaxed but considered atmosphere.
Liberty is one of London's most iconic and beautiful department stores — a Tudor Revival building built in 1924, with a stunning interior atrium. The haberdashery floor (Level 2) carries Rowan, Debbie Bliss, and a curated selection of quality yarns and fabrics. Worth visiting even if you only browse.
The Churchill War Rooms are an underground complex beneath the Treasury building in Whitehall where Winston Churchill and his Cabinet directed Britain's war effort throughout WWII. The rooms were sealed on VE Day in 1945 and left exactly as they were — maps still pinned to walls, phones on desks, half-empty coffee cups. The site combines two experiences: the Cabinet War Rooms (the original preserved bunker) and the Churchill Museum (a modern biographical exhibition on Churchill's life and legacy).
Frame is a small, intimate restaurant on a quiet Notting Hill side street serving outstanding Spanish-influenced small plates. The mushroom croquettes and duck dishes are particularly praised by reviewers. The space seats around 30 covers so it feels personal. One of the most consistently rated restaurants in the neighbourhood.
Hyde Park is one of London's largest and most famous Royal Parks at 350 acres. Originally a royal hunting ground, it opened to the public in the early 17th century. Key landmarks include the Serpentine lake (rowing boats available), the Diana Memorial Fountain, Speakers' Corner (northeast corner, historically famous for free speech), and the Holocaust Memorial Garden.
The Choir of Westminster Abbey is joined by leading orchestra The English Concert for an evening of Baroque splendour, with acclaimed soprano Nardus Williams and other featured soloists drawn from the choir. Alexander’s Feast tells the tale of a banquet held by Alexander the Great, during which the famous Theban musician Timotheus sings and plays his lyre. Alexander is moved to extremes of emotion by the music, eventually burning down the captured Persian city of Persepolis in revenge for the loss of his soldiers. During the extended interval, audience members will have the rare opportunity to explore Westminster Abbey at their own pace. Accompanied by the playing of the harp, evoking the artistry and expressive power of Timotheus’ own music-making, visitors can wander through some of the Abbey’s most beautiful chapels and historic spaces, culminating in a visit to the final resting place of George Frideric Handel, a fitting tribute in an evening dedicated to one of his works. The Choir of Westminster Abbey is renowned worldwide as one of the finest ensembles of its type, its repertoire extending from plainsong and Renaissance polyphony to twentieth-century masterpieces and new commissions. In addition to singing the daily services, as it has done since the fourteenth century, the Choir plays a central role in the many royal and state occasions which are held in the Abbey, most recently the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Beautiful Knitters is a small, highly regarded independent yarn shop on a quiet Pimlico street. Known for its carefully curated selection of international indie dyers and quality brands — Knitting for Olive, ITO, Rowan, and rotating indie dyers from across Europe. The staff are knowledgeable and passionate. The shop is tiny but packed with excellent stock.
Blacklock is a beloved London chop house with a focus on quality British meat, great cocktails, and a lively atmosphere. The Covent Garden branch is a short 5-minute walk from The Savoy. Known for their pre-dinner cocktails, the chopped salad, and the chops themselves — particularly the lamb. The space is warm, buzzy, and unpretentious.
Afternoon tea at The Savoy's Thames Foyer is one of London's great rituals. The setting is a stunning glass-domed atrium in one of the world's most famous hotels. Tea is served on tiered stands with finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam, and an exceptional selection of pastries. The hotel has been a London landmark since 1889 and has hosted virtually every notable figure of the past century.
The British Museum is one of the world's greatest museums and holds approximately 8 million objects spanning two million years of human history. Free entry. Unmissable highlights include the Rosetta Stone (196 BC, key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics), the Elgin Marbles (Parthenon sculptures), the Egyptian mummies, the Lewis Chessmen, and the Sutton Hoo helmet. The Great Court — a stunning glass-roofed courtyard designed by Norman Foster — is spectacular on its own.
Loop is widely considered one of the finest yarn shops in the UK and a must-visit for any serious knitter visiting London. Spread over two floors of a beautiful Georgian townhouse on Camden Passage, it carries an exceptional curated selection — Brooklyn Tweed, mYak, Eden Cottage Mills, La Bien Aimée, Tukuwool, and many rotating indie dyers. The staff are expert knitters and incredibly helpful. Camden Passage itself is a charming antiques market street worth exploring.
Brother Marcus is a highly regarded modern Eastern Mediterranean restaurant in Covent Garden's Seven Dials Market. The menu is inspired by the food of Greece, Lebanon, Israel and Turkey — mezze-style small plates, flatbreads, and beautifully spiced larger dishes. One of the most consistently praised casual lunch spots in central London with a 4.9 star rating.
Ormer Mayfair at Flemings Hotel is one of London's most distinctive fine dining experiences. Chef Sofian Msetfi's tasting menu fuses Moroccan and British influences in a way that feels genuinely personal and surprising — not fusion for its own sake. The sommelier-led wine pairing is outstanding, with each wine introduced with a brief narrative. The dining room is intimate and the service is warm rather than stiff. Open Tue–Sat, dinner 6–9 PM.
The Tower of London is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and over 900 years of history compressed into one extraordinary complex on the north bank of the Thames. Founded by William the Conqueror in 1066, it has served as a royal palace, prison, armoury, and treasury. Highlights include the Crown Jewels (the actual working regalia used at coronations — genuinely spectacular), the White Tower (the oldest part), the Bloody Tower, the Medieval Palace, and the famous Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters) who give free guided tours throughout the day.
LUSH & HUSH is a premium wagyu and seafood restaurant on Notting Hill Gate. The menu focuses on high-quality Japanese-influenced wagyu beef and fresh seafood. The seared wagyu nigiri is a signature dish and consistently praised. Smart, intimate atmosphere — a good neighbourhood dinner option that is a step up from casual without being as formal as Ormer.
Leadenhall Market is a stunning Victorian covered market in the heart of the City of London, dating from the 14th century with its current ornate structure built in 1881. The elaborate painted ironwork ceiling and cobbled lanes are spectacular. It was used as the filming location for Diagon Alley in the early Harry Potter films. Today the market is home to restaurants, pubs, and independent shops.
Osteria Napoletana is a tiny, authentic Neapolitan restaurant on Kensington Park Road in Notting Hill. With around 20 covers, it has the feel of a proper neighbourhood trattoria rather than a tourist restaurant. The pizza is wood-fired, the pasta is made fresh, and the menu changes with the season. One of the most highly rated Italian restaurants in West London with a 4.8 star rating.
The Old Royal Naval College is one of the most spectacular Baroque architectural ensembles in Britain, designed by Christopher Wren and completed in 1712 as a naval hospital. The Painted Hall — known as the 'Sistine Chapel of the UK' — is free to enter and features an extraordinary painted ceiling and walls by James Thornhill, completed over 19 years. Nelson's body lay in state here in 1805. The grounds are free to walk through and offer superb views of the Queen's House and Canary Wharf beyond.
The Greenwich Foot Tunnel is a Victorian engineering feat — a 509-metre pedestrian tunnel running beneath the Thames, opened in 1902 to allow Greenwich workers to reach the docks on the north bank. The tunnel is free, open 24 hours, and lined with white glazed tiles. Entering through the distinctive domed glass rotundas on each bank and walking beneath the river is a genuinely memorable experience.
The Thames Clipper (now branded Uber Boat by Thames Clippers) is the commuter river bus service running along the Thames. The service from Embankment Pier to Greenwich is a scenic and practical alternative to the tube — you travel past the South Bank, under Tower Bridge, past Canary Wharf, and arrive at Greenwich by river, which is far more atmospheric than arriving by DLR.
The Royal Observatory sits atop Greenwich Hill and is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian Line (0° longitude). You can straddle the line with one foot in each hemisphere. The Observatory was founded in 1675 by Charles II to improve naval navigation. The site includes the Flamsteed House (Wren-designed), the Meridian Courtyard, and the Peter Harrison Planetarium. The hilltop location also offers one of the best panoramic views of London.
Inside Brown's Hotel. Moody and intimate, black-and-white photography on the walls, often live jazz.
The legendary finish — Ian Fleming's haunt and the Vesper martini's spiritual home. Made tableside from a trolley.
The main event — regularly ranked a top-10 bar in the world. Ask for the martini trolley, made tableside to your spec.
Two minutes from the Connaught. Gorgeous Art Deco room, highest-rated of the bunch.
First stop — closest to base and opens earliest. A gentle, elegant warm-up before the heavyweights.
Westminster Abbey is a Gothic masterpiece and one of the most historically significant buildings in Britain. It has been the coronation church since 1066 and the burial place of monarchs, poets, scientists and statesmen — including Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Stephen Hawking. Poets' Corner, the Coronation Chair, and the medieval Cloisters are highlights. The building itself is extraordinary — soaring Gothic vaulting and centuries of accumulated history.
Caravan is a beloved London all-day cafe and restaurant with a strong reputation for excellent coffee (they roast their own beans), creative brunch dishes, and a relaxed atmosphere. The Covent Garden branch is on Drury Lane and has a spacious, industrial-chic feel. One of the best-rated all-day dining spots in central London.
Keep morning relaxed and close to the hotel. Evening departure flight.
A classic London riverside walk along the Victoria Embankment, passing some of the city's most recognisable landmarks. The Houses of Parliament (Palace of Westminster) is the seat of UK government — the current building dates from the 1840s after a fire destroyed the original. Big Ben is the nickname of the great bell inside the Elizabeth Tower (the clock tower). Westminster Bridge offers one of the best views in London.