So...it's been a while...again. It's so easy to get caught up in the world of work and to forget about what you love and for me-thats writing. So i'm going to make a more conscious effort to invest time back into my blog.
Last Tuesday, me and a couple of friends headed out on a random 24 hour trip to London. One day to cram as much in as we possibly could into that time. Cheap train tickets meant same day return was shy of £35 so we thought why the hell not.
We got into London Kings Cross at about 11:20. Meaning we little to no time to sort out our tube cards and get straight into central London. Note to anyone who wants to save a little with the tubes. If you have a contactless card, you can swipe and go for a capped £6.50. So much better than a £12 day travel card!
By 11:30 is we were hungry for a big breakfast so we knew only one place for it. The Breakfast Club. Both me and Leanne are huge advocates of TBC and for good reason. Their quirky decor, classic 80's music, mouth watering food menu genuinely makes it a go to place if ever we're in London. We chose the Spitalfields just near Liverpool Street tube station purely because you can book. We all shuffled in and got deciding.
I opted for a classic Tea and Orange Juice. Danny who we went with got a tropical flavoured smoothie which tasted incredible.
Now down to business, I am a fiend when it comes to all things pancakes, no surprise to any of you who follow my Instagram. So after some deliberation I went for the "All American" which consists of two gorgeous fluffy pancakes, a pork sausage, crispy bacon, eggs however you like them (I went scrambled) crispy potatoes and of course maple syrup. Genuinely up there with one of the nicest breakfasts i've ever had. For some reason the combination of sweet and savoury just works with breakfast and boy have they got it right.
Leanne went for "The Breakfast Burrito", which looked amazing. Stacey opted for the classic "Eggs Benedict" with a side of potatoes and Danny went for "The Bircher" which was like a overnight oats dish with fresh fruit. I had a try of it and need to find out how they do it, it would be amazing for a quick breakfast and go.
Stomach's full, we said our farewells to the breakfast club and hopped back on the tube to Oxford Street. To some people, Oxford Street is their idea of hell. I love the hustle and bustle of it all. Tap Coffee was next on my list to hit up.
After visiting in July I needed to settle my cravings for some caffeine asap! My favourite shop it just off Oxford Street on Wardor Street. I just love the vibe there. Amazing choice of all things cake as you walk in, coffee aromas hitting you left right and centre it's my coffee shop of choice.
We grabbed a window seat and I got my go to coffee, a flat white. Always envious of their latte art too, I need to master the tulip!
Refuelled and re-enegergised we headed off to Carnaby Street. Carnaby is one of the places in London that I love too.
It's just always got something going on, and home to some amazing independent shops for food and clothes. On the way we had a meander into Crosstown Doughnuts (obviously). Guys I can't stress this enough, if you ever find yourself in this part of London please give this shop a go!
Any doughnut lovers will cave at their choices. I went for the Salted Caramel and Banana offering and it was the best choice out of the three times I've visited. The staff are so friendly too, always helping you choose the best doughnut for you.
Doughnut in hand we were wanting to grab a cheeky cocktail to wash it all down. Who says cocktails aren't a thing at 1pm??? We decided to hit up Kingly Court, just off Carnaby and it's such a cool hang out with amazing eateries like Pizza Pilgrims and Crumbs and Doilies. We headed for the first floor to the Rum Kitchen, known for their amazing Jamaican/Caribbean food and drink. We got a round of cocktails, amazing as always but sure did pack a punch.
We then headed off to a place that was recommended by Leanne's friend who's a Londoner, he said that this place is a must if ever you have the chance. The Sky Garden, near the Shard in London's financial district is possibly the coolest thing I've ever done in London. It's essentially a viewing terrace/bar/garden emporium and eatery.
With 360 views of London, it is hugely popular. We managed to get in free of charge and with little queuing. You take the elevator up where you are greeted by a lovely hostess. You are free to just wander of grab a drink if you'd like. We headed straight out to make the most of the daylight and got some amazing photos of the city. You could see for miles and it was breathtaking.
Now who could turn down the chance of having a cocktail at these heights. I opted for the "Winter Garden" which was like a floral, herby gin based cocktail with bergamot and bitters. I appreciate so much the craftsmanship that goes into every cocktail and watching these guys make cocktails was crazy! SO much passion and energy went into every drink. Burning, shaking, stirring all to produce these exquisite drinks truly shows you the art that is cocktail making. It was possibly the nicest cocktail I've had.
It was time to say goodbye to the Sky Garden and head off for some Dinner. I mentioned that I hadn't had a steak in ages and Leanne knew a place called Flat Iron in Covent Garden. Specialising in serving one kind of steak, however you like it and with amazing reviews, I couldn't say no. This place was booming. We were greeted by the nicest woman who asked if we had been before. She said that we got free ice cream on the way out and sorted us out some water and popcorn to snack on while we looked at the menu. The concept of this restaurant is fantastic.
You know what you're getting and that is one perfectly cooked piece of meat, with whatever extra's you fancy. Our waiter was awesome, so friendly and appreciative when we told him how much we loved the place. I went medium/rare with winter greens, dripping fries and a spicy sauce. It just worked. Oh and a cheeky Aperol Spritz on the side. I just loved the way it was served, the ambience, the music, and most of all the taste. INCREDIBLE. Can't wait to return. We were reminded on the way out to pick up our free ice cream which was salted caramel. The man was scooping it out of this frozen stone, and then rolled it in marbled chocolate. It was unbelievable.
We wound down the night with a few drinks in a local before heading back to the train station to get our train home. It was such a brilliant day. We had fit so much in, but were totally knackered after walking around all day.
I can't believe London will be my home for the next three years in September. Crazy.
Thank you so much for reading!
Luke.
