This came about as Simon & I were out to dinner Wednesday nite at our favorite Lebanese place-and I remarked, it's a pity (only partially..) that more people don't know about this place-the food/service are incredible! And, thus we started talking about a few of our favorite things in London. It's been a while since I've done a post of this nature. But, without further ado-and in no particular order...
- Fontana Lebanese-I'm sure there are cooler, hip-er places in town (some with belly dancers)...but for great food, and great service, this place rates as one of my favorite
- Monmouth Coffee-I've probably talked about this place at least 23,000 on my blog so far-but it bears repeating. Best. Coffee. In. London.
- Hyde Park-OK. I realize this is like stating the obvious to mention Hyde Park...but, the next time you're in Hyde Park, take a loaf of bread along and go find 'Round Pond.' You will not be disappointed.
- Monsoon-Clothing shop. I can count on 2 hands the number of clothing items I've bought in the UK in 3.5 years; UK clothing isn't my 'style', and I simply refuese to pay £30 for a t-shirt that will cost me $15 in the US. Never mind the psychological warfare that the UK sizing plays on you when looking for the US-size equivalent. If you're stressed over your size to begin with, the UK isn't the place to be! Enter Monsoon: for me *personally*, it's clothing that's my style-and their sizing is so generous, I find that my UK size is usually my US size-or sometimes even smaller. yea.
- My Local Kebab Shop-I haven't a clue what it's called, and it's not even on Google maps. But, after a few pints while out and not arriving home until 10pm on a school nite, nothing but nothing tastes better than their chicken schwarma and chips-with tons of garlic mayonnaise and chili sauce. Yes, it probably contains 1000 calories-and god only knows what the 'chicken' actually is...but once every now & then is surely alright!
- Heathrow Express-15 minutes from Paddington station to Heathrow Airport-and as we live so close to Paddington, we practially live *in* Paddington-means we can be from door to door in under 30 minutes. I've never lived anywhere in which this were possible. Amazing.
Ok. Quality over Quantity. I could probably wang on for ages on other things. But, at the very least, it's a good start-and on the days I get grumpy over living in this crowded and sometimes rude city, it's a nice reminder for myself!
PS. Yesterday was my official 3.5 year anniversary in this country. Where the heck has the time gone??!
Looks fantastic!! I'm moving to London in a few days and will definitely check out those shops and restaurants =)
ReplyDeleteI love Monmouth coffee! It's is amazing :)
ReplyDeleteI will definitely try the Lebanese place you suggested. I went to the website and it looks fantastic. I totally get the whole being too busy to blog, but it's great to read your posts!
Thanks Kristina! I have been living vicariously since discovering your blog about 8 months ago and really enjoy your posts. I visited London in '95 and have been itching to go back and now I have a few more reasons! Kepp blogging, when you have time :-)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 3.5!! Can you tell me, does Starbucks there compare to Starbucks here, as far as taste, quality of products, etc. Apparently there is a Starbucks right next to the school (it's on Marylbone St.) and that makes me feel quite comfortable. On this side of the ocean, I'm a Starbucks addict!
ReplyDeleteAlso, do they have thrift stores/resale shops there to buy clothes? Thanks! :) G
Hi Gennifer, I'm sorry to say I find SBUX here to be total crap. :( Like you, I was addicted to SBUX in the US, but find the coffee here (at least their drips/americanos) to be awful. Lattes, capps, etc..are fine.
ReplyDeleteFor a chain americano, I'd suggest another company called Cafe Nero.
And yes-more thrift stores than you can shake a stick at! I don't shop at them, so can't comment on quality/selection, but given the number of them even in just a few block's radius from my flat, you're bound to find something.
@Natalie...best of luck on your move!
I'll have to check out your reco's. They sound yummy :) Congrats on your anni! I enjoyed your post about the riots (I was in the US at the time). XOL
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info! That's a bummer about Starbucks. As long as good coffee is available somewhere I think I'll be fine, haha! :)
ReplyDeleteHey, I wanted to talk to you about moving to London. My boyfriend and I want to make a change, so we think we want to move to London. We need to find jobs and a place to live. Email me at bfeh0402(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteHi Kristina,
ReplyDeleteI've just had a novel released in London whose major female character is an independent ex-pat from NY studying at LSE. It's called Twisted Agendas. If you'd let to review it, let me know. mdmcnicholl@gmail.com
Just stumbled onto your blog and have loved looking through your posts. I lived in Surrey for two years and returned to the States in 2004. I STILL miss my time in London and love that Monmouth Coffee made your list! One of my favorite places to wander around was the Burough Market with a cup of their coffee. Seriously. Makes me want to go back right now.
ReplyDelete