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London/Paris Trip Report
Posted on 5/25/19 at 1:01 pm
Posted on 5/25/19 at 1:01 pm
In the process of returning from eight days in London and Paris and thought I would post a brief trip report. Many of the restaurants I ate at were recommendations I got from this board so thanks to everyone for their valuable suggestions.
Left for London on a red eye flight on Thursday, May 16 and arrived on Friday, May 17 groggy with little sleep. Stayed at the Bloomsbury near the Tottenham Court Road station. Nice place, but I might look for something different next time. After checking in to the hotel, a hot shower, and lunch, headed out for a bus tour, followed by the British Museum. Loved the British Museum and wish I’d been able to spend more time there. Definitely one of the highlights. Dinner that night was at Blacklock Soho. This was a big disappointment for me. Ordered a ribeye and can say I’ve had better quality meat at Texas Roadhouse.
Saturday began at the Tower of London and then I walked across Tower Bridge to Borough Market. The market was slammed, but got a grilled cheese sandwich from a deli whose name I can’t quite remember (starts with a K) and a donut from Bread Ahead. Both were excellent. Then headed over to Parliament for a guided tour. This was another highlight as we were able to go in the House of Commons and House of Lords. Yes, our tour guide did say “Brexit” a couple of times. Afterwards, walked to the National Gallery. Saw Wicked that night, followed by dinner at Scott’s. Both the show and the meal were excellent. Got the Dover sole and it was great.
Sunday, took a boat down to Greenwich and toured the Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory. Found both to be very interesting, but that is quite a hike up the hill to the Observatory. Had lunch at the Greenwich Market. I really liked this area, and it was a nice change of pace on a Sunday morning. Took the DLR back into the city and went to an evensong service at Westminster Abbey. Very cool. Followed that up with the Churchill War Rooms and a walk through St. James Park. Dinner that night was at Barrafina in Soho. This was another highlight of the trip. Ordered the Pan con Tomatoe, Pluma Iberica with confit potatoes, and the Gamba Roja al Ajillo. All were excellent. For dessert, had the Pear with White Wine Sauce. This was probably the second best meal I had the entire trip.
Monday, I toured St. Paul’s Cathedral, followed by a visit to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard. Wasn’t much to see, but I guess it’s one of those things worth experiencing once in your life. After that was finished, I walked to a small Italian place called Bon Gusto for lunch. Ordered the lasagna and was not disappointed. Highly recommended. Afterwards, went back to Westminster Abbey for a tour and then visited the Tate Modern. It was either the Tate or the Imperial War Museum. I wish I’d gone to the Imperial War Museum instead as the Tate really wasn’t my thing. That night, saw Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Cox in a production of Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal.” Great show and Hiddleston in particular was excellent. Had dinner afterwards at a place called Steak & Co. in Leicester Square. Nothing special, it was just a place that looked decent on the way back to the hotel.
The next day, it was on to Paris via the Eurostar.
Left for London on a red eye flight on Thursday, May 16 and arrived on Friday, May 17 groggy with little sleep. Stayed at the Bloomsbury near the Tottenham Court Road station. Nice place, but I might look for something different next time. After checking in to the hotel, a hot shower, and lunch, headed out for a bus tour, followed by the British Museum. Loved the British Museum and wish I’d been able to spend more time there. Definitely one of the highlights. Dinner that night was at Blacklock Soho. This was a big disappointment for me. Ordered a ribeye and can say I’ve had better quality meat at Texas Roadhouse.
Saturday began at the Tower of London and then I walked across Tower Bridge to Borough Market. The market was slammed, but got a grilled cheese sandwich from a deli whose name I can’t quite remember (starts with a K) and a donut from Bread Ahead. Both were excellent. Then headed over to Parliament for a guided tour. This was another highlight as we were able to go in the House of Commons and House of Lords. Yes, our tour guide did say “Brexit” a couple of times. Afterwards, walked to the National Gallery. Saw Wicked that night, followed by dinner at Scott’s. Both the show and the meal were excellent. Got the Dover sole and it was great.
Sunday, took a boat down to Greenwich and toured the Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory. Found both to be very interesting, but that is quite a hike up the hill to the Observatory. Had lunch at the Greenwich Market. I really liked this area, and it was a nice change of pace on a Sunday morning. Took the DLR back into the city and went to an evensong service at Westminster Abbey. Very cool. Followed that up with the Churchill War Rooms and a walk through St. James Park. Dinner that night was at Barrafina in Soho. This was another highlight of the trip. Ordered the Pan con Tomatoe, Pluma Iberica with confit potatoes, and the Gamba Roja al Ajillo. All were excellent. For dessert, had the Pear with White Wine Sauce. This was probably the second best meal I had the entire trip.
Monday, I toured St. Paul’s Cathedral, followed by a visit to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard. Wasn’t much to see, but I guess it’s one of those things worth experiencing once in your life. After that was finished, I walked to a small Italian place called Bon Gusto for lunch. Ordered the lasagna and was not disappointed. Highly recommended. Afterwards, went back to Westminster Abbey for a tour and then visited the Tate Modern. It was either the Tate or the Imperial War Museum. I wish I’d gone to the Imperial War Museum instead as the Tate really wasn’t my thing. That night, saw Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Cox in a production of Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal.” Great show and Hiddleston in particular was excellent. Had dinner afterwards at a place called Steak & Co. in Leicester Square. Nothing special, it was just a place that looked decent on the way back to the hotel.
The next day, it was on to Paris via the Eurostar.
This post was edited on 5/25/19 at 1:37 pm
3
Posted on 5/25/19 at 1:01 pm to Someone
Arrived in Paris and proceeded straight to Millesime Hotel in the 6th. Was able to check in immediately. Really liked this hotel and would definitely stay there again. I think there are only 20 rooms in the hotel. My room was on the second floor and actually opened out into a small interior courtyard. After checking in, walked to L’Avant Comptoir for lunch. This was a miss for me, but I think it had more to do with what I ordered than the restaurant itself. Ordered a fried duck leg with fries and probably should have made a different selection. From there, walked to Bread and Roses for a pain au chocolat (which was great) and then walked through the Luxembourg Gardens before heading to the Army Museum and Napoleon’s Tomb. Really enjoyed both of these and there was some French military ceremony taking place while I was there that was also fun to watch. Dinner that night was at Le Relais de l’Entrecote. This place only serves steak with sauce and French fries, and they will serve as much as you can eat. I enjoyed this place, but nothing special. Went on a boat tour of the Seine at sunset and this was another highlight. Going past the Eiffel Tower lit up at night was one of the best moments of the trip.
The next day, went straight for the Louvre. Was there when it opened and went straight to the Mona Lisa and was able to avoid the crowds. Wish I’d had a whole day to spend there. Loved this place. From there, walked through the Jardin du Palais Royal and the Jardin des Tuileries before making a quick visit to the Orangerie Museum. Left there for a guided tour of the Palais Garnier. This was an interesting place and very elegant, but not sure I should have made time for it on a first visit. From there, went to the Arc de Triomphe. Dinner that night was at Epicure, a 3-star Michelin restaurant. Maybe it wasn’t the best meal I’ve ever had, but it was definitely the best dining experience I’ve ever had. Started off with macaroni stuffed with artichoke hearts followed by wild turbot. After the main course, they wheel out the cheese cart and ask you to pick as many as you want. Then comes dessert, which was some kind of chocolate mousse in a cocoa shell followed by the macaroon and chocolate cart, which again, you’re able to pick as many as you want. In between courses, they also bring out these random tasting plates, which were all great. It wasn’t cheap, but this is highly recommended.
Thursday started at the Eiffel Tower. I found this area to be the most congested with people trying to hock cheap souvenirs or scammers and was surprised with the general lack of police presence in the park surrounding the tower. Still, this was a great experience. From there, went to the Rodin Museum before heading to the Marais for a food tour. This was a lot of fun as we were able to sample a variety of bread, chocolates, charcuterie, and wine (lots of wine). Stuffed after the Food Tour, I took advantage of the late hours at the Orsay Museum to tour it. Really enjoyed going there.
Friday, headed first to Sacre-Coeur. This was another bust for me. Wasn’t all that impressed with this place (although that might be due to seeing St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey earlier in the week) or the walk up there. From there, headed to Saint-Chappelle before catching a glimpse of Notre Dame and visiting the Pompidou Center. Interesting place, but definitely not for everyone. Dinner that night was at La Jacobine. Loved this place. Had escargot and duck breast with mushroom sauce. Thought it was a great meal to end the trip with.
Left CDG this morning, and let me say, get there at least 3 hours before your flight leaves. That place is a mess.
Overall, a really fun trip. Hard for me to say whether I like London or Paris better. London definitely comes across as the cleaner, more modern city, but Paris just has a certain charm. Hopefully, it will not be my last visit to either.
If anybody has any questions, please feel free to ask. Thanks again for all the great suggestions.
The next day, went straight for the Louvre. Was there when it opened and went straight to the Mona Lisa and was able to avoid the crowds. Wish I’d had a whole day to spend there. Loved this place. From there, walked through the Jardin du Palais Royal and the Jardin des Tuileries before making a quick visit to the Orangerie Museum. Left there for a guided tour of the Palais Garnier. This was an interesting place and very elegant, but not sure I should have made time for it on a first visit. From there, went to the Arc de Triomphe. Dinner that night was at Epicure, a 3-star Michelin restaurant. Maybe it wasn’t the best meal I’ve ever had, but it was definitely the best dining experience I’ve ever had. Started off with macaroni stuffed with artichoke hearts followed by wild turbot. After the main course, they wheel out the cheese cart and ask you to pick as many as you want. Then comes dessert, which was some kind of chocolate mousse in a cocoa shell followed by the macaroon and chocolate cart, which again, you’re able to pick as many as you want. In between courses, they also bring out these random tasting plates, which were all great. It wasn’t cheap, but this is highly recommended.
Thursday started at the Eiffel Tower. I found this area to be the most congested with people trying to hock cheap souvenirs or scammers and was surprised with the general lack of police presence in the park surrounding the tower. Still, this was a great experience. From there, went to the Rodin Museum before heading to the Marais for a food tour. This was a lot of fun as we were able to sample a variety of bread, chocolates, charcuterie, and wine (lots of wine). Stuffed after the Food Tour, I took advantage of the late hours at the Orsay Museum to tour it. Really enjoyed going there.
Friday, headed first to Sacre-Coeur. This was another bust for me. Wasn’t all that impressed with this place (although that might be due to seeing St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey earlier in the week) or the walk up there. From there, headed to Saint-Chappelle before catching a glimpse of Notre Dame and visiting the Pompidou Center. Interesting place, but definitely not for everyone. Dinner that night was at La Jacobine. Loved this place. Had escargot and duck breast with mushroom sauce. Thought it was a great meal to end the trip with.
Left CDG this morning, and let me say, get there at least 3 hours before your flight leaves. That place is a mess.
Overall, a really fun trip. Hard for me to say whether I like London or Paris better. London definitely comes across as the cleaner, more modern city, but Paris just has a certain charm. Hopefully, it will not be my last visit to either.
If anybody has any questions, please feel free to ask. Thanks again for all the great suggestions.
This post was edited on 5/25/19 at 1:35 pm
Posted on 5/25/19 at 1:09 pm to Someone
Borough market deli/cheesemonger = Kappacasein.
Pan con tomate is so good & so easy. Thick sliced crusty bread, toasted in a skillet w/olive oil, then cut a very ripe tomato in half & rub the cut side into the toasted bread until all you’re holding is tomato skin. Eat.
Pan con tomate is so good & so easy. Thick sliced crusty bread, toasted in a skillet w/olive oil, then cut a very ripe tomato in half & rub the cut side into the toasted bread until all you’re holding is tomato skin. Eat.
Posted on 5/25/19 at 1:37 pm to hungryone
quote:
Borough market deli/cheesemonger = Kappacasein.
That’s the one.
Posted on 5/25/19 at 11:57 pm to Someone
Damn I need to create a third sticky and request an anchor under the second....lots of awesome review like this!
Thank you.
Thank you.
Posted on 5/26/19 at 9:37 am to Someone
Enjoyed paris more , no louvre ?
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