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London, UK
Tips:
-The Oyster transportation card can be used on underground and overground trains as well at buses. You can purchase one at any subway stop and a few small bodegas around town. As a visitor you will load the card with money in the “pay as you go” feature. The best part about this is there is a daily cap. This limits the amount you pay for travel each day (on trains not buses). While it varies based on time of day and zones you probably won’t be charged more than £9 per day. This is a benefit if you plan on taking the subway often.
-This city is huge. Its got tons to do and getting to and from many places can take 30minutes to an hour by train. I highly recommend pulling together a list of your top activities and seeing where they are located.
-If you think this will be your only time in London then you need to plan all of your priority items based on proximity to each other and transportation time. For example: If you want to see a Musical, Check out a gallery, book a Ginstitute class, and visit Spitalfields market, you should not book the Ginstitute and plan to visit Spitalfields in the same day as they are on opposite sides of the city.
-If you plan to return to London again, I recommend you stick to one area of London during each visit. Do the tourist thing and stick to the center. Get classy and explore Notting Hill, Hyde Park and the Ginstitue. Live on the edge in Shoreditch, Hackney and Hackney Wick with the weekend Brick Lane markets, Vegan fried chicken at Temple of Hackney and Old Spitalfields Market. This is just a few of the many options you have in store for you when you visit.
-Make sure you book a hotel based on location and not price. Since everything is so spread a part you can’t assume your hotel will be close to the things you want to do.
 Temple of Hackney |  Temple of Hackney 2 |  Ramen at Selfridges |
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 KrispyKreme at Selfridges |  LittleWoodenHut |  GrowBarHackneyWIck |
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Eat & Drink:
-Little Wooden Hut is the place to go if you want Chinese. Its in Chinatown and we were the only non Asian people in the restaurant both times we went. They have authentic Dan Dan Noodle and can make it SUPER spicy upon request. They also have a really good cold noodle salad and large sharing lunch dish. Actually, i have thoroughly enjoyed everything we have eaten there. I don’t think you can go wrong at this place.
-Black Cat Cafe is a vegan cafe best known for its brunch on sunday. However, my personal favorite here was the vegan chocolate milkshake and the piña colada cake. ANYONE would die for that cake. If you love sweets then check this place out.
-Temple of Hackney is a vegan fried seitan joint. Thankfully we got there right as it opened so we avoided the long lines for this delicious food. If you don’t know what seitan is, its what us Vegans like to eat instead of chicken.
-Farmacy, in Notting Hill, is another vegan spot thats a bit classier. Its got a full bar but also super healthy juices, teas, tinctures etc. I had the Adaptogenic Latte with a ton of shit i couldn’t pronounce and was pleased with its nutty vanilla flavour. Their nachos are also not what you expect but SUPER delicious. Definitely share those with someone.
-If you are looking for the classic Fish & Ships then check out Poppies. This is another popular spot with lines that come and go. It’s exactly what you want from fish & chips too.
-Grow Bar & Restaurant is a great outdoor space along a canal in Hackney Wick. This is a great place to chill out and watch some fun kayakers or old boats ride past. They also have this cool cordial called Lemongrass & Ginger which I had with soda water and it was super refreshing. This is a good place to end after a quick Bouldering class at Hackney Wick Boulder.
-Whether you are an avid cereal eater or not, Cereal Killer Cafe is a must stop. They have an extensive cereal list but that isn't the coolest part. You can mix up to 3 cereals together and choose between several different milks to create a custom cereal mix. If you think you aren't creative enough to order your own dish, they have some predefine mixtures on the menu that sound pretty damn good. They also have milkshakes and pop tarts just in case your cereal isn't enough of a delicacy.
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Play:
-The Ginstitute in Notting Hill is a super cool way to surprise your friends or kill some time. You are given a brief history of Gin, while sipping on a Tom Collins, then an old timey Gin & Tonic. While grabbing your third drink, a modern day Gin & Tonic, you find your way through the distillation room into a workshop area where you learn about different ingredients and even get to try some. This is where you begin taking notes about each ingredient so you can keep track of what you want to add in your own custom bottle of Gin that is mixed at the end of the night. Oh, and did I mention you get a Martini while tasting the ingredients? For roughly 140€/£120 you get 4 drinks, a 3 hour experience filled with a really funny group of people (they don’t start out they way usually but the Gin really hits them quickly), a custom bottle of your own Gin and a bottle of their own Portobello Rd Gin. In some European countries, that is house much you would pay for the drinks and bottles alone. I highly recommend booking this on your trip. Oh, and if you go on a weekend then make sure to stop by the Portobello Road outdoor farmers market while there. Its got great food and vintage finds.
-Many people stick to their hotel fitness rooms or no fitness at all when they travel. With Hackney Wick Boulder Project you can build in something active and also fun. For £12.50 you get a 1 hour supervised class (it was just me and my boyfriend not a big ol class) which includes equipment. You can even continue climbing after the hour class is over if you still have the energy. If you haven’t tried bouldering or indoor rock climbing before, this intro class is an inexpensive way to try it and a fun event while on vacation. It’s also right across the street from the Olympic Stadium and a great outdoor bar and restaurant overlooking a canal.
Shop:
-There are 2 super fabulous department stores worth checking out for a few different reasons. Selfridges is considered one of the best department stores in the world. Its expensive as hell but the food hall downstairs is not and definitely worth checking out for a lunch. You should also grab some Krispy Kreme donuts while there. They have fancy flavors with liquor in them and some are unique only to Selfridges. Liberty London is another expensive department store but is filled with inspiration. Its a beautiful old building and they have decorated it so well that you might treat it like a gallery with the amount of photos you will want to take.
-If you are into vintage then check out the many markets along Brick Lane during the weekend. There are a few and the entire road practically shuts down with pop up food vendors lining the street. The Backyard Market was my personal fav.
-The sneaker lovers should check out Size? This is the place to find the latest in all top sneaker brands.
Downfalls:
-This city is loads of fun. The only downfall is truly the size. I hope that most of you can manage to make this place a visit more than once or for at least one week so you can experience all of the great things each neighborhood has to offer.
Travel Details:
September 2017
Friday-Monday
Personal travel
June 2017
Friday-Sunday
Personal travel