Que Up for London
- Joanna Shroyer
- Dec 16, 2023
- 36 min read
Updated: Dec 20, 2023
Table of Contents (use links to jump)
Let’s Eat
Coffee
When Justin mentioned that he was planning a work trip to London, I said, “Not without me, you don’t.” HA! When I tell you I had the time of my life and ate the most amazing food, I am not even exaggerating a little bit. We were there for 11 days, so buckle up, this is going to be a long one. You should know that my post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.
This was my first international trip, and I couldn’t have chosen a better place to start. The history and architecture just overwhelmed me. I found it truly surreal to be surrounded by the places and buildings that I’ve learned about in history books. London truly is a walking city; I got well more than my allotted steps in per day. So, let’s start with what I wore.
What to wear. We apparently had unseasonably warm weather while we were there in early October; most of our days were sunny with a high of around 70°F. I am a notorious over packer and was determined to pack a capsule wardrobe that would all mix and match with the understanding that we would find a laundry service about halfway through our stay. I took 5 bottoms, 2 leggings (for flights), 9 tops, 1 sweater, 1 heavier long-sleeved top, 1 cardigan, 2 rompers, a rain jacket, and a leather jacket. Of course, I packed my favorite pair of water proof shoes (Sorel Out N About Wedge Bootie). I pack these for all the big cities! They are comfortable for walking a lot, keep my feet dry, and look amazing. I also took a pair of neutral Sorel sneakers, black booties (for nice dinners), and house shoes (who else cannot walk around barefooted even in hotel rooms?). I told Justin before we left that one of my souvenirs was going to be Dr. Martens 😉, so I knew I didn’t need a chunky boot. I wore everything I took at least twice except the rompers. Those were mainly for work dinners; I ended up wearing one of them twice and not wearing the other at all. We did utilize a local laundry – Lambeth Dry Cleaners & Laundry – which was just down from the hotel. It’s not cheap, but necessary, I think, when you are gone for that many days. Cabi was a central theme to my wardrobe and made all the outfit mix and matching SO easy. Scroll to see all the combinations.
Travel
Air. We left late in the evening from Jackson and flew to Atlanta to catch our flight to Heathrow. We skated through the terminal there and had plenty of time to sit and eat at the SkyClub in the international terminal. I had never been in that particular SkyClub, and it felt super fancy. I love traveling with Justin and having access to the Clubs mainly because the bathrooms are big and clean but also because spacious comfortable chairs with plug ins are everywhere. I had my first experienced with Delta One when we boarded our flight from Atlanta to Heathrow. That is THE WAY to travel if you are flying over six hours: lay flat seats, huge entertainment screens, pillow and blanket, headphones, toiletries kit, your own overhead bin, welcome beverages, storage compartments, and house shoes. You also have your own bathrooms that the rest of the plane isn’t supposed to use 😉 Justin is a million-miler with Delta so he gets his own special pep talk from the head attendant before take-off just to make sure everything is to his liking, insert eye roll. We were served two full meals as well as offered snacks and beverages throughout the flight. There were even “Thank you” chocolates before we landed. For the overnight flights, the attendants do a fantastic job of staying quiet and serving food all at once so that you can take advantage of the hours to rest and “try” to sleep. I really don’t know how they could have made us more comfortable or been more attentive. I have not been that impressed with a crew in a VERY long time; both of the international legs of the journey were just excellent.
Your passports are checked several times including at the gate in Atlanta as you are boarding the international flight. Upon arrival, getting through customs in Heathrow was a breeze. Everything was automated and really quite easy. On the return trip, your passports are again checked several times. Be advised that once you are checked through at the gate in Heathrow, there are no restrooms in the waiting areas. I cannot say that the trip through customs on the return trip was as smooth. Talk about a mess. In Atlanta, you'll disembark and be herded and queued through to the people in the booths (just like the movies). They'll ask you pertinent questions and send you through. Then, they send you after your bags. The only people who had their act together were the amazing ladies at baggage claim. They had gotten all our luggage off the carousel and even lined up matching luggage together. They deserved a gold star. From there you take your luggage to be rechecked if you have a connecting domestic flight. This is where it gets chaotic. The process here made absolutely NO sense. There are no signs telling you what to do and the people manning the process were not polite or kind. So, take yourself and your luggage to the far right and have the attendants check your baggage through to your final destination. Then take yourself and your carry-ons and get in the que that is taking up the entire room. And wait. They are sending you back through an "expedited" security check. I'm not sure where they thought you picked anything up, but okay. I assure you it is NOT expedited. The line is long, people are tired, and there are only a couple of TSA lines. On the bright side, once you are through here your next line is boarding the plane. The "rechecking" process gets two thumbs down from me.
A note about your return trip. If you are flying out of Heathrow and meet certain criteria you have access to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at LHR. AND, it has its own private entrance! Take the exit for the Virgin Atlantic Upper-Class Wing when you get to the airport. Short lines at check in and security. YES, PLEASE! You’ll be dumped into the airport right outside duty-free shopping so be sure to browse. Then, head on over to Lounge H. There are Peloton bikes so you can get your work out in before your flight, showers, meditation stalls, fantastic bathrooms, multiple levels, and table service. So swanky! See if you qualify.
Ground. We did not rent a car. Justin hired a private car (BlackLane) service to pick us up and take us back to the airport. -Download their app: apple. google.- I was SO grateful for this. While traffic is heavy and it did take some time for transit, not having to lug my suitcases through streets or trains was well worth it. The driver who picked us up met us in the terminal and even took my bags. I didn’t even have to wonder which way to go because he led the way. There were water bottles and comfy seats waiting on us inside. For the return trip to the airport, the driver picked us up right in front of the hotel and dropped us just outside the terminal.
When getting around town, we used a combination of uber, taxi, and trains. The uber app works just the same as in the states, so we had no trouble managing it. I will say that there were several times of frustration as the drivers wouldn’t accept the ride or traffic was really heavy. Be patient. Sometimes we had to walk a block one way or the other to get an acceptance.
The times we took taxis the hotel called them for us. Be prepared as the doors won’t unlock to let you out until you’ve paid! That felt so creepy to me. Mostly, we took the train.
Walking. Lots and LOTS of walking. Be prepared! The street lights and lines on the road are very different than here in the states. There are several different kinds of pedestrian crossings including my personal favorite the zebra crossing (pronounced z̮ĕb-ra). Ever wanted to step out in front of a vehicle? Now is your chance. Pedestrians have the right-of-way here and all vehicles must stop to let them cross. These types of crossings are signified by the flashing yellow light atop a black and white striped pole.
Train. I found the underground to be easier to navigate than the subway in NYC. As always, I use my maps app on my phone to navigate. Put in your destination and then change the blue “Drive” to "Transit." It will give you all your options including trains and tell you exactly how to get where you are going to go. I’m not going to say that I’ve never gotten turned around but barring circumstances where they kick you off due to an accident or there’s an unannounced closure (both of those actually happened), you’ll get where you’re going with no issues.
When I was doing my pretravel research, a lot of people said that you should get an Oyster card. It’s the English version of a metro card. Justin and I opted not to get one. I can see where an Oyster card would be beneficial if you were traveling with your family as everyone needs their own form of payment. Since it was just the two of us, we registered for Contactless accounts with different credit cards and used them to ride. Do your research and decide what is best for your trip and go from there; Oyster cards can be ordered prior to your trip (be sure to allow enough time for delivery) or purchased once you are there. Side note: Unlike the NYC subway, you have to tap in and out in London. Read about London train fares here.
One other note about the train. If you are staying at the Marriott County Hall and are using Westminster Station, cross the bridge and go down the stairs directly to your right. You’ll see a statue of the Boudiccan Rebellion at the top of the stairs. There’s a hidden entrance to the station there that will keep you from crossing the street. When we were there, you went between two touristy gift stands. As soon as you get to the bottom of the stairs, hang a left. You'll be able to miss all the tourists at the corner there across from Elizabeth Tower.
Accommodations.
We stayed at the Marriott County Hall. Justin has obtained Ambassador Elite status with Marriott (Tell me that you travel too much without telling me you travel too much. Am I right?) so staying at Marriott hotels just make sense; they treat their loyal customers SO well (mostly). From the moment you pull up at this hotel, you know that it is something special. It’s gorgeous inside with its wood paneling and archways. Upon arrival we were greeted by a bellman who handled all the luggage (so thankful after that all night flight) and offered a beverage by the desk attendant. No worries about an early check-in (usually) when you have Elite status so we were quickly shown to our room where a scrumptious tin of salted toffee and a handwritten note from management waited to welcome us to the property. The room was perfectly appointed and quite large with a view of the Thames, Elizabeth Tower, and the Palace of Westminster. It was stocked everyday with coffee, tea, and water and had two large closets with plenty of space. And, the black out curtains may have been the best I’ve ever had in a hotel.
I can’t talk about the hotel without talking about breakfast. There are two options: Gillray’s and The Library. The Library was for Mclub members while anyone staying at the hotel could eat at Gillray’s; however, there was a limited menu at The Library. We ate every morning except one at Gillray’s. Our “inclusive breakfast” allowed us one hot and one cold menu option every morning as well as coffee, tea, and/or juice. We took FULL advantage. The first morning I ordered the Almond Butter Croissant; I was instantly obsessed. I ordered one every. single. morning. for the rest of the week – there’s photographic proof to prove it. I’m still dreaming about that dang croissant. (The only morning I didn’t get one was the very last day because they ran out as I was ordering. I burst into tears. The waitress was so distressed, bless her.) Justin stuck to the granola with berries and yogurt as his cold item for the week. We ate all over the hot menu but my favorite item was the breakfast burger while Justin’s was the avocado toast with poached eggs. The waitress talked him into ordering them one morning, and then, he did it again several times. Never ever have I ever had a breakfast like the one at the Marriott County Hall. Oh, and lest I not mention, this was not a buffet. We had an excellent wait staff attend to our every need each morning. Superb service. I have decided that I am officially hotel breakfast spoiled.
Other than the one breakfast, we ate at The Library one other time – for tea. I’ve never done “tea” before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I was impressed. When they suggest you make a reservation, it really is more of a required thing, so decide which day you want to have Tea and make your booking. We scheduled our tea time for lunch; it was perfect. The table setting was beautiful and the tea setting is made specifically for The Library. I loved those blue and white stripes! The server brought us a sniffing box of teas created by Teamakers of London to choose which tea we’d like. Justin chose an herbal tea while I went with the black tea that is specifically blended for The Library. (BONUS: your room is stocked with these same teas, so stash them away each day and bring home a bit of London.) The meal’s – Is it a meal or do you continue to call it tea? Someone educate me here. – theme is Parliament which is fitting because that is the view from the windows in The Library. Check out those amazing cakes in the shapes of Big Ben, Elizabeth Tower, and the clock face! There was one sandwich I didn’t particularly care for, but other than that, I found everything else to be delicious. Even if you aren’t staying on property, tea here should be on your agenda. It’s the perfect break from sightseeing around Westminster Abbey, Palace of Westminster, and the London Eye.
Two other nights we dined at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar because it was late, and we didn’t want to have to go anywhere else. The first time we both ordered steaks. They weren’t bad, but exactly as I imagined, London is NOT the place for steak. We just do it better here in the states 😉 We also ordered the loaded chips, truffled asparagus, and a side salad all of which were fabulous. The star of the show was dessert – Sticky Toffee Pudding, YUM! For the other meal here, we split the burger and loaded chips. It had been a long day and it was LATE. We hadn’t had supper and weren’t super hungry but knew if we didn’t eat that we would be starving in the middle of the night. Plus, it gave us a good excuse to order the Toffee Pudding one more time. Overall, it was overpriced hotel food, but the wait staff was excellent, and it was close to “home.”
Things to do
Catch a Show. There are SO many choices here. Pick something you really want to see and book it! Some shows sell out often so be sure to check the availability before you go. I KNEW I had to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London. It’s still two shows there, and it’s where all the magic of Harry Potter began. The theater was tiny and cramped, and there had to be only one bathroom for the entire place. It was NUTS. It was also amazing. The Palace Theater is a stunning old building. I saw this show in New York City five years ago; if you are a HP fan, it is a must see. We chose to watch Part One and Part Two on the same day. Part One started at 1:00 pm while Part Two started at 6:00 pm. There is about a 2.5-hour break between shows which gives you plenty of time to grab supper at one of the nearby restaurants. There are many to choose from near here. After sitting so much that day, we chose to walk back to the hotel via the Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges. We crossed this bridge twice at night and I didn’t regret either time. The lights from the city over the river were just gorgeous and street musicians set up all along the bridge and on the Queen’s Walk which is the footpath closest to the river on the south bank.
Changing of the Guard. A free event unless you do a walking tour, and from what I hear, you can sometimes do those for free (with a suggestion of a tip at the end). We chose to explore this on our own. We walked from the hotel across Westminster Bridge and alongside St. James Park on Birdcage Walk. Changing of the Guard was scheduled for 11:00 am; we did not make plans to arrive early. Our walk took us directly by the band warming up outside the barracks near the Guards Museum. We stopped to listen for a little bit (around 10:40 am) and then made our way toward Buckingham Palace. We ended up on one of the outer rings but did end up having an excellent position from which to view the change. We were in our spot by 10:50 am. As a bonus, several of the walking tours landed around us and we got to hear the spill for free, ha! At the time, I thought it was really important to get a “good spot” for this event. In hindsight, I think we did just right. There were people everywhere. So. Many. People. And to have gotten that “amazing” spot, we would have had to be there several hours before start time. We would have missed the band warming up, been on our feet just standing for entirely too long, and been pinned in by people. No, thank you. The “changing” goes on behind a fence, so unless you’re standing smushed up against that fence, you can’t really see it anyway. I tell you all of this so you can take it into consideration when planning your trip and decide what is important to you. I do recommend taking in the change because it is so iconic! The grounds and palace are just beautiful. Check out the times for changing of the guard, and if you are in town when the palace is open, you can book a tour. Note: There is also a changing of the Household Calvary Guard. Read about it here.
St. James Park. Gorgeous. This is a historic hunting ground that has been turned into a spectacular sanctuary that is full of the most beautiful birds. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about and viewing the birds in the park. The Pelicans were a gift from the Russian Ambassador in 1664! Don’t bypass this park.
Hyde Park. We barely scratched the surface of this gorgeous park. Covering all the ground in this park is on my list for my next visit. Whether you can spare 30 minutes or all day, it’s worth the stop.
Historical Icons
St. Paul’s Cathedral. Full disclosure – we didn’t go inside. We were there on a Sunday and things were very busy. From everything I’ve read, you aren’t allowed to take pictures inside – this means, I wouldn’t remember a thing later, ha! I did snag some pictures from the outside, and we listened to the bells toll for no less than 15 minutes. It’s a beautiful old building loaded with history and worth walking by whether you take a step inside or not.
Westminster Abbey. I am probably about to be flogged: I was not impressed with Westminster Abbey. I mean, it’s pretty and huge, but overall, I felt like it wasn’t worth the hype. The que to get inside it outrageous and long (it took us over 32 minutes to get inside). There are only two ticket booths through which everyone must go. Even if you have the London Pass, you will stand in the same line as everyone else. You’ll be given an audio tour guide that will walk you through the abbey and give history as well as interesting facts. I did like that the audio tour is a push to talk so you can skip over anything you don’t want to listen to and move on. We did the entire tour in just over an hour.
There is a small chapel, St. Margaret's Church, on the Westminster grounds that is free to go in (donation suggested). It's quite beautiful and worth a look around.
Palace of Westminster. Elizabeth Tower. Hearing Big Ben. Historical sights to behold! Walk by. Gawk. Take pictures. Listen.
Tower Bridge. Often confused with the London Bridge, the Tower Bridge is a mechanical marvel built around the same time as the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC. Despite the overwhelming number of stairs, I really enjoyed the museum. There are clear plates in the floor so you can watch motor traffic beneath you. Such an odd sensation! Kids will love the interactive portions and have their own workbook to complete as they learn their way around. My exploration took the better part of an hour.
Tower of London. Talk about stepping back in time! You could easily spend the better part of a day here. I arrived here around 11:00 am and did have to stand in a short line to have my pass scanned before entry. I immediately waited for a tour with one of the Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters). This tour is included in your ticket price and occurs every 30 minutes. They usually last an hour, but because it was raining on the day of my visit, it wasn’t so much of a tour as it was a 30-minute lecture inside St. John’s Chapel. I wish I could say I learned a lot, but someone’s small child kept making quite the ruckus behind me. That noise combined with the stone of the church and the thick accent of the Warder made hearing and understanding difficult. I probably should have jumped in another tour later in the day but didn’t do it.
There is SO much to explore here so be sure to grab your paper map. I enjoyed the Crown Jewels much more than I thought I would. No expense spared, truly. As you approach the White Tower, you’ll see signs about the number of steps. I was concerned as I had just finished doing a gazillion steps at Tower Bridge. There is no need to be concerned though as the stairs are broken up and manageable. My favorite exhibit here was the royal animals (no surprise here, right?). At one time a king had a Polar bear that he kept on tether long enough for him to be able to swim and fish in the Thames. Can you even imagine?! I spent just over two hours here but did skip the Fusilier Museum.
London Bridge. Not a lot to see here, but since I was taught the song in childhood, I decided I needed to see it for myself. It is quite a busy pedestrian and motor vehicle bridge. If you take the stairway down to the pedestian path along the north bank of the Thames, there are several historical and informative plaques to read about the river.
Museums
Changing of the Household Guard and Household Calvary Museum. I didn’t see this on ANY of the research I did before going, but if horses and the calvary are of interest to you, this IS your museum and changing of the guard. Outside, the horse sentries change every hour and you can get a front row seat. The museum itself isn’t very large and has quite a bit of hands-on things that kids would enjoy. You can even look into the working stables. We purchased my very favorite souvenir from the trip here – a genuine Household Calvary horse shoe! It has a certificate of authenticity and everything. Make time to stop by; you won’t be disappointed.
A little story here. I had been quite peeved with Justin over what I thought was a bad position at the Changing of the Guard (Buckingham Palace). Walking up on this little gem and its changing of the guard had me literally giddy. Add this to your list of must dos.
Imperial War Museums (IWM). This is a series of museums; two of which I took in.
Imperial War Museum London. I was so impressed with this museum! The IWM London is one of five museums in this family of museums. This one is free to enter but does require reservations. A small donation is requested when you enter, and in exchange you are given a tour book. It was four floors of amazing displays and history. Explore WWI, WWII, The Holocaust, and special exhibitions. If you are looking for British History, this is the museum you want to visit. Other than the exhibitions, you’ll find a cafeteria and gifts shops inside. Outside is a beautiful green space and a standalone take away restaurant. Be sure to wander through the Tibetan Peace Garden and view the piece of the Berlin Wall on display outside the museum. I got to the museum before it opened that morning at 10:00 am and didn’t leave until after 12.
Churchill War Rooms. Part of the IWM family. Located in the underground bunker where Churchill and his staff commanded during WWII. I didn’t take any pictures inside because the lighting was so dim and everything is very tight (as you can imagine). So interesting because some of the rooms have literally not been touched since the end of the war! I absolutely recommend a stop here if you are interested in WWII and Churchill. Book your tickets and reservations in advance so that you don’t have to stand in the standby que. We spent just over an hour inside the museum. There is an entire exhibit on the life of Churchill, and we skimmed that portion rather than reading everything.
London Pass. To buy or not to buy. There is a bit of discussion over whether to purchase a London pass or not. I did end up buying one because quite a few of the sights I wanted to see were included in the pass. I don’t think in most cases it saved us any time as you still had to stand in line with everyone else. With that said, take a look at the things you want to do and compare it with what’s included and decide for yourself if it’s worth it. There are SO many things the pass can be used for. I used the pass at Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, and Household Calvary Museum. St. Paul’s Cathedral is on the London Pass, but I didn’t take advantage of going inside. Note: The IWMs are NOT on the London Pass.
Shopping
Leicester Square. (Pronounced Lester.) Stroll around the park for statues of Mary Poppins, Charlie Chaplin, Harry Potter, and more. Then, visit the nearby Lego Store for some gorgeous creations! When you finish there, hop across to M&M’s London. This store is MASSIVE; I’ve been to M&M stores here in the states and none of them were this outrageous.
Covent Garden. A massive place with just about any kind of store you can imagine. We hit the Pandora, Dr. Marten (score), and Lululemon in this area. I found the sales people in this area to not be pushy at all. They wait until you ask for help, so don't be shy. The main market area is gorgeous and all kinds of stalls were set up when we were there with local artisans and their wares. You could spend all day wandering this part of town and not finish it all.
Harrods. I stopped by here thinking it was one thing. I found out it was something else. Here’s the deal, this is one luxury shop followed by another. Floors and floors of them. Some I knew and others I’d never heard of packed with all kinds of “luxury” things I would never buy. I lasted 1.5 floors and got out of there. Completely overwhelming. I learned from some locals that the floor to check out is the children’s toy floor and that there is a “sale” section that is worth checking out. Maybe next time.
Other things to do that we didn’t do:
The London Eye. This sat outside our hotel and looks beautiful. It is not my idea of fun to be trapped in a small capsule for 30 minutes. I don’t enjoy traditional Ferris Wheels, so we passed.
Bus Tour. People love bus tours. I just don’t love them. If this is your thing, you should totally us your London Pass and hop on and off. See what I did there?!
So many museums, free and paid. You can find lists of these anywhere. I am looking forward to checking more London museums out on subsequent visits.
Harry Potter
Millenium Bridge. This is a pedestrian bridge across the Thames famous for its appearance in the Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (my favorite book). I should probably do a Harry Potter only post because my obsession is quite possibly beyond the norm. Anyway, it’s the first new bridge built across the Thames in 100 years and is absolutely worth taking in. You can’t miss it when you visit St. Paul’s Cathedral it’s just down the street (head south). From the bridge, you’ll see the London bridge, Tower Bridge, and the Shard to the west and Blackfriars Bridge to the east.
King’s Cross Station. It’s like Grand Central Station in NYC on steroids, but it isn’t as pretty. Famous in its own right as a major underground station it has another appeal as the location from which Harry Potter leaves London every year to catch the train from Platform 9 ¾ to Hogwarts. I wandered around here just admiring all the people, shops, and eating stalls. It was legitimately a mad house. I’ll note that the exterior shots in the Harry Potter movies are actually St. Pancras Station across the street.
The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾. A jam-packed souvenir store. I did make my way around the store but didn’t purchase anything. As we were headed to the studio tour later in the week, I knew I would see it all again. There is a photo que just outside the store where you can push the trolley cart through the 9 ¾ wall. Don’t stand in the line here if you are headed to the studio tour as there are multiple ones there and you will get through quicker. All in all, I wasn’t overly impressed with this, but as an avid Harry Potter fan, I had to go see it all for myself.
When you get to the station, there are no signs directing you to the shop. I walked in through the main entrance and followed the shops around to the left - it's like a 1/2 circle fanned out to the left of the entrances to the train platforms. On the far end, you'll find the shop.
Leadenhall Market. A spot worth visiting just because of its history and architecture. It is also the location of the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron (Diagon Alley) in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Browse the shops, stop in at the pub, or grab something to eat at one of the many restaurants and sit a spell. I grabbed lunch here one day at the Bibimbap ToGo. It was reasonably priced and quick.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I covered this above in Catch a Show; this is absolutely a must do if you are a Potterhead. Clicking the link will shoot you back to that section.
The Lego Store. I was surprised to find the vast number of Harry Potter Lego scenes in this store. They are impressive and were well worth the time to see.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Harry Potter Studio Tour. This was at the top of my to-do list when planning my trip. My suggestion is to pick the day you want to do this and purchase your tickets early. This attraction has high attendance, and the tickets do sell out. We managed to snag some for later Saturday afternoon than I wanted, but we make it work. The studio is quite a way out of London, so you will have to plan transportation. We had been in St. Albans earlier in the day and got an uber to take us to the studio. If you take the train from London to Watford Junction, you will be able catch the free shuttle at the station to the Studio. The shuttle is free and operated by the studio; look for the double decker Harry Potter studio buses. A note about the return trip - Our studio tour time was 4:10 pm, so it was late before we were ready to leave the tour. We had no problem catching the bus from the studio but had to wait a very long time for the train back to central London. It’s not a large station and does not have a lot of seating. If I remember correctly, there were some delays on the track and we ended up taking an alternate train. This didn’t make for an ideal situation as it was late and we were slightly hangry. We managed, but is a good reason to book tickets early and have an earlier start time at the studio.
Back to the studio tour. As I mentioned above, our start time was 4:10 pm. We finished our local sight seeing and decided to head on over to the studio early. We were in line around 3:30 pm and didn’t have any trouble getting right in to the studio. From the moment I arrived I was wide eyed: over sized wands greet you on the side walk along with the chess pieces from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. After queuing to get inside, you can coat check or visit with guest relations should you need to. If your package includes the souvenir tour book, I suggest you wait and pick this up at the end of your tour. They will have them at the shop when you exit; pick it up when you pay for your souvenirs. That way you won’t have to carry them around all day. You’ll then enter a large room where there are places to eat and a coffee shop. You can’t miss the dragon hanging from the ceiling.
Just past the coffee shop on the right, you’ll see another queuing area. This is where the real tour begins! Once you pass through those doors, you’re on a one-way track through the sound stages. You’ll que some more once you’re through the doors, but you’ll have some fun things to look at 😉. At the other end of the room, you’ll go through for a short, standing show before you’re ushered into a room with a short, seated show before you’re allowed through to the Great Hall. This room was gorgeous and decorated for Halloween when we were there. You are on a time allowance in the Great Hall, which I wasn’t happy about. They rush you out so that they can usher in the next group. Boo hiss. I will say, this doesn’t happen again. Be warned that because of the way this initial walk into the studio is handled, the people are bottle necked and it is VERY crowded at first. I was a bit disappointed by the crowd as there was just no way to look as much and as long as I wanted. They pass out a “Passport” and have stamping stations throughout the tour; I didn’t even bother doing mine as the lines for the stamps were just absurd.
Truly though, the rooms and facts in this first section are just spectacular. They’ve done a brilliant job throwing in some hands-on things for you do to throughout the tour. The crowds thinned out and we didn’t have to stand in very long queues for any of the photo ops. I also loved that so many of them were use your own camera and thus had no additional charge! After you make your way through the Forbidden Forest, you head into King’s Cross. Here is where you can push your trolley through the wall at Platform 9 ¾ and have a walk through the train. You’ll also see a couple of shops here. There will be exclusive merchandise, so if you see something you must have, grab it now. Next up is a break. You’re going to need it! This first portion of the tour took over 2 hours.
They have a limited menu of food items at the café including butterbeer and butterbeer ice cream. We didn’t find the food all that amazing, but it was something to eat. There are plenty of tables and the que is pretty quick.
Because we were there during the Halloween season, there was a special emphasis on the Dark Arts. Every so often there were "performances" and the crowds were stopped so that Death Eaters could make their way through the area.
After you finish your food and visit the bathroom, it’s time to head outside. I loved this area! The Dursley house and Herbology classroom were fantastic. I loved all the insider tidbits and facts along the way.
Back inside, you’ll go into animatronics and make up transformation. I found it all to be super fascinating. There will be models and explanations of how they created “magic” in the movies. We did a lot of reading during this portion of the tour. You’ll round the corner and walk into Gringotts after you’ve been told how it was all created. Truly a work of art. Your last immersive walk is through Diagon Alley. The store fronts are spectacular. Your final look is of the 3D model of the castle they used for the movies. It is truly breathtaking. This last portion of the tour took us just over an hour.
Once you leave this room, you are ushered into the exit gift shop where you can find anything and everything Harry Potter. We did spend quite a bit of time here picking out souvenirs for the kids before we checked out and picked up our souvenir books. It was probably close to 8 pm before we caught the bus and headed to the train station.
Some notes about tour packages. You have several packages to choose from including some that include transportation from London. Pick what fits your budget and style the best and go with it. Aside from the waiting at the train station, we weren’t unhappy with our choice to get ourselves to and from the studio. Our package included a tour book, and I am glad that we opted to get them. It is a beautiful souvenir, and I was able to give one to the kids to pour over once we got home without worrying about it getting beat or torn up.
If I had this to do over again, I would try to get an early afternoon tour time and schedule a tea time for lunch just before. Because, why not? You could easily spend the better part of a day here, especially if you read all the things. Plan accordingly.
Let’s Eat
Two things I found about eating in England:
First, I cannot remember a time that we were rushed. The servers can at times seem aloof especially those not at a fine dining establishment. We almost always had to ask for the check. The one time we were slightly “rushed” they offered to move our ticket to the bar if we weren’t finished. The polite way to say, “Finish up.” Second, we were always offered still or sparkling water at sit down restaurants. You pay for both these options. If London’s finest is acceptable, the response to the question is “Tap.” There isn’t an additional charge for tap water.
With those things said, I found that people who worked in the food service industry (as a whole) were attentive and polite.
Mei Ume. Located in the Four Seasons at Trinity Square, this restaurant may be worth eating at just to go inside! This place is gorgeous. Justin was in London on a work trip, so this was the first of several work dinners. We did the chef’s menu which was exquisite. They took us to a private room with an enormous round table; the table’s center was a large lazy susan so that we could turn the food around to everyone at the table. Because it was a “work” dinner, I don’t have many pictures of the food but did manage to snag a picture of the menu. They carved the Peking Duck right at the table and served the skin with brown sugar and caviar. It literally melted in your mouth; SO GOOD. If Asian fusion is up your alley, you need to make a stop here.
La Porchetta Pollo Bar. This is where we ate between shows at the Palace Theatre. The food was good, not stellar, but good. We most enjoyed the wait staff as they shouted at each other in Italian and got a good laugh when we had a hard time understanding the thick Italian/English accents. I had the Tagliatelle Carbonara and wasn’t disappointed. The portions were huge! We finished our meal and had plenty of time to wander for a bit before we had to be back for Part Two of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Hide. This Modern European restaurant was on point. The lighting inside was so dim that the couple of pictures I took don’t look like much, so I snapped some pictures of the menu outside. There as a little something for everyone here. I had the native fish while Justin had the wagyu striploin. We were at a work dinner, so we all kind of shared. Let me tell you, the Orkney scallop tartare with Exmoor caviar that came with the fish was SO good I could have eaten ½ dozen. Dessert brought us the acorn cake and apple & blackcurrant clafoutis. Shut the front door. So. Dang. Good. If you are looking to stretch your palette in a good way, land some reservations here.
Fish & Chips. Located on the Queens Walk near the Golden Carousel. There are several food trucks in this area to choose from. We stopped for a late lunch/snack after a morning walking and doing museums. We were headed to a work dinner later, but since we hadn’t stopped for lunch, we were starving. We shared a fish and chips plate. As expected, it wasn’t great. After having fish & chips twice on our trip, I have decided that the best place to eat this dish is at the England pavilion at EPCOT. I’m serious. You should totally order this when in London, but be prepared to be underwhelmed.
Hutong. Northern Chinese with an amazing view from the 33rd floor of The Shard, which is the tallest building in London. This is the way to do The Shard! You’ll enter from St. Thomas Street through the door marked restaurants. There’s a brief security screening before you are sent up the express elevator. After exiting the elevator on the 32nd floor, take the stairs up to the hostess stand for seating. We had reservations, which I highly recommend as they were quite busy. I arrived ahead of Justin as he was at a work meeting, so I had plenty of time to watch the sun go down over the city. Over dinner the city lit up in all directions. Spectacular. On to the food. After surveying the menu, we went with the Peony. A chef’s menu allows you to try so many things that we find them hard to pass up. This one was expertly executed; I don’t think we sent back a plate that wasn’t empty.
Prezzo Italian. We stopped in to this chain restaurant when we took the train out to Ickenham to visit our friends who are currently serving in London. I had the Gorgonzola & Prosciutto pizza. It wasn’t the best pizza I’ve ever eaten, but I didn’t leave hungry. The menu was fairly extensive, there was something for everyone, and the portions were quite large. I would recommend this stop for a sit-down lunch or dinner without all the frills.
Nobu London (Old Park Lane). If sushi is your thing, Nobu is the place to get it. I’ve also eaten at one of the NYC locations, and I can honestly say they are top notch no matter what country you are in. We chose the “London Omakase” which featured seasonal dishes that are unique to Nobu London. Basically, a chef’s menu 😉: Caviar & Avocado Nori Taco; Trio of Salmon, Scallop, and Yellowtail Jalapeno New Style Sashimi; Caesar Salad with Truffles and Wasabi Dressing; Nobu House Roll, Shrimp, Spicy Yellowtail, and Toro; Chilean Sea Bass; Ishiyaki Wagyu; Milk Chocolate, Mango, Passion Fruit for dessert. There was also Mochi, but we scarfed them before a picture was taken. I could literally eat this every night and not get bored. The only thing I wasn’t thrilled with was the salad; I’m not a big fan of wasabi. That salad aside, Nobu is a resounding, “YES!”
Casa do Frango (London Bridge). There are several of these around the city, and if you are looking for Portuguese food, you should make a stop. The food was served family style and was a really fun experience. I don’t have pictures as we were at a work dinner, but there was SO much food. We had the salgadinhos, casa rice, cauliflower, pork croquettes, chorizo, garlic prawns, chips, green vegetables, and mushrooms as well as the Piri-Piri Chicken. My favorites were the prawns, chicken, and pork. It truly was a feast!
The Princess of Wales. We landed at this pub on the night we came back from the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. I don’t remember the specifics, but the train couldn’t go down to Westminster, so we had to get off at Embankment. It probably worked to our favor. We weren’t starving, but had eaten so early at the Studio that we knew we needed to eat something. If you take the door on the right, you’ll enter into the pub downstairs. The door on the left leads you up to the Rudyard Kipling dining room; this is where we went. It’s small but was relatively quiet. I had a burger and fries. I remember the fries being super crunchy and eating all of them and the burger being good enough that I ate all of it. We ended with the sticky toffee pudding and bourbon ice cream. Not quite as good a Gillray’s but definitely tasty. I wish I had snapped some pictures, but I didn’t. I was SO tired this evening that I think I was just trying to keep my head up. I’d say if you’re looking for a true English Pub experience, this one will do.
Coffee
Of course, all things coffee gets its own section, ha! It was one of the things I was most excited about.
Caffé Nero. This was my FAVORITE. The coffee was so good I brought some whole beans home. I had the Iced Flat White and the Pistachio Iced Latte. Perfection in a cup. Seriously. There are many locations around the central part of the city. I regret I wasn’t able to have just ONE more cup before we left the city. Good thing I brought some home 😉
Black Sheep Coffee. I had an iced flat white, and I wasn’t disappointed. A solid choice for coffee if one is near.
The Hagen Project. It was cool the morning we were in Leadenhall Market early, so I went with a flat white with almond milk. It was almost too pretty to drink. I saw several of these around town and would recommend grabbing a cup here. I love coffee that tastes amazing and this coffee was definitely noteworthy.
Day Trips
St. Albans. This hidden gem is SO good! We took the train out to St. Albans for a chance to see another part of the city. It just so happened that it was market day! Such a fun thing to we able to experience. Be warned. The train station is quite a way away from the city center and by the time we arrived I was a bit hangry so the first order of business was to find a place to sit down and eat. We landed at Alban's Well. The food was ok; what I liked best was the atmosphere of the restaurant. It was quirky and eclectic. Then we wandered down Market Place toward the Clock Tower. Be sure to check out the local shops. The star of the show in St. Albans, though, is St. Albans Cathedral. Hands down better than Westminster; this place is beyond gorgeous. It’s the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britian and is so old that there are medieval drawings on the columns inside. Spectacular. The cathedral is free to visit but donations are suggested. From the cathedral walk down to Verulamium Park to view another piece of history. The Romans built a wall here to defend the then town of Verulamium and part of it still stands. The park itself is beautiful and was teeming with people the day we were there. We barley scratched the surface of all this quaint little town has to offer; it's worth the train ride.
Ickenham. Probably not a place you're going to visit on a trip to London unless, like us, you have some family friends who now live there. This tiny slice of a train station was almost laughable when compared to Central London, but it I can say I've ridden a London train to the end of the line, HA, as West Ruslip is as far as that track goes before it heads back. We were picked up by our friends right outside the station and headed to their home for coffee and talking. We enjoyed getting caught up on what all is going on with them before we took a ride over to Uxbridge (a major metropolitan area) for lunch. This was such a different side of London! We ate at Prezzo (reviewed here) and headed up to Brunel University for a look-see at where our friends are involved with some student organizations. The company was absolutely worth the trip to the far reaches of the city.
Since this was a work trip, I was Justin's +1 for some exclusive invites.
Ten Trinity Square Private Club. Super swanky and private. There’s even an unmarked hidden elevator! I have zero pictures from inside but did manage to get this video in the elevator going up one time. All this to say, should you be in London on business and get an invite for meetings here, GO!
Lloyd’s of London. One of our London contacts was able to get us a tour of the Lloyd’s of London building; there is so much history here because it where insurance began. The hub of the British insurance market, Lloyd’s is the marketplace for insurance and reinsurance. While the building is not in its original location, many of the original “pieces” remain in place. They moved an entire room paneling and all into this new building when it opened a few years ago! Remarkable. Should you be in a position to be invited into this building, absolutely take it.
NFL: Titans vs. Ravens. Justin and I were invited to take in an NFL game while we were visiting London as part of a marketing/social event related to Justin’s job. The game started at 2:00 pm at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Keep in mind that the stadium has a clear bag policy. I didn’t go prepared for this and had to make do. I think it worked out. Let’s take a moment and discuss getting to the venue.
Leave early. And, I mean WAY earlier than you think you need to. Justin and I left the hotel around 10:30 am, and it’s a good thing we did. We walked down to the Waterloo station and caught the train to Seven Sisters. Up until this point, things were “normal.” There were more and more game goers getting on the train, but it wasn’t unpleasant. At Seven Sisters we disembarked the train and rather than being able to go through the station to catch the overground train up to White Hart Lane, we were forced to walk outside and around the station. They wound us around to the back side of the station and we stood in line with a gazillion other people waiting at a complete stand still. I’m not sure what happened that they allowed us onto the platform; I guess a train came. Once on the platform at Seven Sisters, it was wall to wall people. The train arrived and we boarded - worse than sardines and the rush hour train. We all but fell off the train at White Hart Lane when the door opened. Then, it was a short walk down Love Lane and Moselle Street to the Stadium.
Tottenham was not what I expected. The game was on a Sunday and many places were closed. It felt so odd. I wanted a coffee and there was not one coffee shop around the stadium. We managed to find a small mom/pop breakfast place that was hopping – Bite to Eat Cafe. I ordered a sub-par latte and only drank it for the caffeine. The food looked good, but we didn’t order as we were headed for lunch at Stadium Social inside the stadium.
After coffee, we walked back to the stadium to find where we would enter. There were lots of “fan” things to do: NFL shop, cheerleader meet-and-greet, picture props, street vendors. There was also a large lot of food trucks. I think the most interesting thing was that locals weren’t just dressed in Ravens and Titans garb. Whatever NFL team they supported, that’s the merch they were sporting; we must have seen every NFL team represented. Another interesting thing is the number of Americans who had flown over to go to the game. I was honestly surprised.
We found our entrance after asking a guest relations person. There were many of these standing around outside the stadium to help you get where you were going. We made our way through the security checks and into the stadium to be ushered up the elevator to our destination. The Stadium Social. If you are going to go to an NFL game in London, this is the way to do it! We were served a three-course meal. I didn’t get a picture of the appetizer course but take a look at the main course. YUM. The dessert was one of the best things ever and that honey come thing . . . geez. I hear you can purchase this at local supermarkets to bring back with you, but we couldn’t find any. I’ll be on the hunt the next time I’m there. SO GOOD. I enjoyed the opening ceremony especially the joint national anthems. Such a neat experience. I don’t particularly enjoy NFL (or football really), but I do love a great experience. And, a great experience it was! The Stadium Social also had half time snacks and after the game snacks. If you left hungry, it was your own fault 😉
After we left the stadium, we chose to head to a local pub for a bit with the locals we were with. I’m not sure whether this was a good idea or not, but the thought was that public transportation would be over run with people and this would give us a chance to let that die down. We were also NOT inclined to take the overground train again due to what happened on the way up to Tottenham. When it came time to leave, Justin tried to get an Uber back to central London. This took forever, and we ended up walking back to the stadium to have a greater chance of success. We finally did manage to snag an uber to take us to the Seven Sisters (underground) Station. We hopped the trains and ended up at Waterloo. It was a short walk from there back to the hotel.
I really enjoyed this experience overall and would absolutely tell you to jump at the chance to watch an NFL game in London. To check out the 2024 dates I would keep an eye out on this page.
So, that's it. We spent 11 days in London, and I think I made the most of it. What needs to be on my MUST do list for my next trip? Are you ready to que up for London? I'd love to know if my experiences help you plan your trip!
Need to see all these places on a Map. Check it out here.
Great write up and photos, as always.