How to Waste 3 Perfectly Good Days in London

If you’re the type of traveler who gets to a place and hits the ground running with a checklist of things to see and do, we are probably not a great resource. We arrived in London at 10AM after a red-eye and, having spent most of our energy getting our luggage and trying to find our AirBnb, we checked in and promptly took a three hour nap before heading out about two steps to our left for brunch. Over the next few days we let jetlag win mornings and didn’t set out until 1PM.

But the only reason I allowed it is because I know in my tendons I’ll be back in London. I’ve always wanted to live there and love London as much as I love ice cream, which is to say, if someone asked me, “Ice cream or death!” I would choose ice cream. And if that same someone asked, “Well then, London or death!” I would say, “London.”

It’s simple. And very easy, in London, if you have a few good friends and know a few good pubs (or at least are open to exploring some new ones), to have a grand time and feel zero rush to drink it all in. It’s London – she’s not going anywhere. The only question is, when will I go back?

Rather than bore you with, “We did this, then we did this, and this,” I’ve utilized the nifty “mosaic gallery” function on this blog template and invite you to click through the galleries, divided into days. At the end you’ll find what I hope is a helpful address book, should you ever visit London and want to visit some of our new favorite spots.

Day 1:  Arrival, AirBnb in St. John’s Wood, Brunch at Fego, Regents’ Canal, The Meat Mission.

“Can you stop taking photos so we can just get to the apartment?”

Obscenities.

Our “cute and cozy” flat, which we rented from an American couple studying abroad in London.

Our view of St. John’s Wood high street. Very expensive stores down there.

Inside Fego, before rush hour.

That’s a sausage sandwich.

Bridge eye’s view from Regent’s Canal.

Evening at Regent’s Canal.

The Meat Mission, which used to be just a regular mission.

Tom and Irwin decide what to eat.

Day 2: Breakfast at home, Primrose Hill, Little Venice, Sunday Roast at The Duke of York, hanging out with friends, more hanging out.

Breakfast. I love yogurt in England. And their granola is SO CHEAP AND WONDERFUL. Get your shit together, America.

Posing in front of flowers because I was feeling fresh.

A good butcher right on High Street.

“So I told the bloke to get off his high horse.”

A man writing alone on his houseboat. Super cool or super weird or super lonely. Or all three.

Tom pauses in front of a pub.

What.

Tom and Regina discuss what make a good roast.

This is a good roast, at The Duke of York in St. John’s Wood.

Hanging out in our AirBnb.

Taking the bus to Camden.

Ending the night with beers at Edinboro Castle, an outdoor beer garden and pub. They were talking about some world event and I couldn’t participate because I don’t read the news.

Day 3: Harry Morgan, shopping on Oxford St, Selfridges, Fortnum and Mason,

Tom squeezes English Mustard on his New York style pastrami sandwich at Harry Morgan’s.

Shopping around Oxford High Street.

Tom peruses wine in the basement of Selfridges, aka the original Selfies.

We find a hidden gem coffee spot called H.R. Higgins, approved by Her Majesty herself.

Posh freelancers were working on something posh behind me.

London was unexpectedly chilly so I bought this scarf from Zara, which Tom calls my “government blanket.”

Rich kids running around a park after school.

Mayfair, where Lambos and Mercedes have staring contests in the street.

Tom in front of the Connaught, where I will return one day for high tea.

I love old bookstores.

Especially this one. I’d definitely come back.

Touristy but still worth a visit, the sweets section at Fortnum and Mason, where we picked up teas and gifts for people back home.

Tom peruses the whiskey selection at The Whisky Shop.

Tom laughs with an old coworker, who later took us to…

My favorite London pub: the Punchbowl in Mayfair.

I want these pillows.

Lamb chops, which led to an early night.

So there you have it. Three perfectly good days, wasted. Until next time, London!

Address book:

Stay: We highly recommend, if you can, finding an AirBnb in St. John’s Wood. If you like to wake up to the smell of money, I recommend Mayfair.

Eat and Drink:
(See Thom’s Thursday Thoughts on London for a comprehensive list of the pubs we visited this trip)
Fego, St. John’s Wood – good for brunch and young rich people watching.
Meat Mission, Hoxton – good for burgers, fries, shakes and drink. And young people watching.
Harry Morgan’s, St. John’s Wood – good for lunch and old rich people watching.
The Duke of York, St. John’s Wood – good for Sunday roast and general pub fare.
The Punchbowl, Mayfair – all around good for food.
H.R. Higgins, Marylebone – good for coffee, dessert and tea. 

Shop:
Selfridge’s – good for everything expensive. Like Barney’s, but even more expensive.
Fortnum and Mason – for tea, gifts and slightly less cheesy London souvenirs for folks back home.
The Whisky Shop – who woulda guessed! It’s good for Whiskey. It’s a chain, but it has good selection and knowledgable, good service.
Heywood Hill – New and old books, and a very cozy atmosphere.
Material – artsy fartsy indie boutique, which I would have spent way more time browsing in had Tom not pulled me away in his hurry to get a pint.

Also: Thom’s Thursday Thoughts on London, (includes a list of pubs we visited on this trip), An Awkward Encounter in London, and A London Memory (also kind of awkward).