36 Hours in London
The Row and Toteme with a side of tea and crumpets
Being the delusional duo that Chris and I can be, we decided to book a quick 3 night trip to London several days after moving into our apartment. Idk what we were thinking, but the king size bed alone was worth it—kidding (slightly).
The Christmas lights were magical and it was fun to eat, drink and shop our way through the city. A welcomed break from cleaning, unpacking and organizing.
We did very little planning outside of dinners. In hindsight I would have loved to do tea at one of the hotels or see a show, but we still had a blast. Below, a quick little recap of everything we did, ate and saw in London.
Stayed
We stayed at Nobu in Portman Square. I know—swanky lol. We found a deal through our Amex card so we figured why not. The hotel is gorgeous and the gym and pilates studio are incredible. I know that’s not typically what people travel for lol, but worth noting. I deeply regret not doing a class or two while staying there. All in all, it was a luxurious stay and I’d happily go back.
Sunday
We booked a noon-ish train from Paris to London which got us in around 1:30pm local time (London is an hour behind Paris). It gave us plenty of time to settle into our hotel, freshen up and grab a drink before dinner.
Cocktails at Chiltern Firehouse - upon good intel, Chris and I decided to grab drinks at Chiltern Firehouse before dinner. Such a fun vibe. Especially around the holidays. We sat inside at the restaurant bar (there’s also a hotel bar), but there was also a big outdoor space with soft seating and lots of heaters.
Dinner at Gold in Notting Hill - I have always heard good things about Gold, but tbh I wasn’t blown away. The interiors are lovely - great vibes, but I didn’t think the food was anything to write home about. It very well could have been what we ordered, or that we were feeling tired from a bad sleep the night before so I’d be open to trying it again. I’d imagine drinks and light bites by the fireplace at the front is the proper move.
Monday
Breakfast was included in our stay so we started each morning at the hotel with some fruit, coffee and eggs.
“Window-shopping” at The Row - in my humble opinion no visit to London is complete without a trip to The Row (or Toteme—more on that below) even if it’s just to look and admire the vintage furniture. I’ve been trying to hunt down the Amazon clutch in black and simultaneously considering the Astra for a black everyday-non-tote bag so it was the perfect excuse to pop in for a visit.
Lunch at Ottelenghi (also grabbed some juices next door at Good Life) - post-Row we strolled up to Ottelenghi for lunch. There’s not much room for dining in, but we managed to snag two seats at the communal table. If you love his cookbooks, then it’s definitely worth stopping into one of his restaurants in the city.
More “window-shopping” at Toteme - while Chris took a few work calls I ventured to Toteme to scope out the fall-winter collection and try on a few bits. Imo, their current fall-winter collection is their best yet. Especially on the outerwear and occasion wear front. My focus was outwear, most notably shearling.
Oxford Street and Regent Street Christmas Lights - after a quick refresh and change at the hotel we ventured out to find some Christmas lights and a good glass of wine. We decided to walk over to Soho (and make a pit stop at Jil Sander) which coincidentally took us through Oxford Street and Regent Street. A happy little accident, but man was it a zoo! Something to be aware of if you’re planning a London trip for the holidays.
Wine at Bar Crispin - “European inspired seasonal plates and low intervention wines” aka—my vibe. I love a good natural wine. We just had a glass of wine, but I’d gladly go back for dinner.
A stroll through Liberty London - with a good glass of wine in us we popped into Liberty London. While I love Harrods, (Selfridges is overwhelming for me lol) there’s something quite charming about Liberty. It’s more curated due to its smaller size, which has its pros and cons, but it feels more approachable. I also love the interiors. No purchases were made, but I tried on a handful of pieces from Rohé and Liberowe that are now on my wishlist.
Dinner at Toklas - the restaurant itself felt a little out of the mix, but the seasonal Mediterranean fare is well worth the trip. (They also have their own bakery.) I appreciated the reclaimed parquet floors and Scandinavian decor. They also have a beautiful terrace that I’d imagine is divine when the weather is warmer.
Tuesday
Coffee at Monocle Cafe and stroll Chiltern Street - I love Chiltern Street. It’s predominately men’s boutiques, but an aesthetic treat for anyone that has a thing for a well merchandised store. I find lots of inspiration in men’s fashion and tbh, sometimes prefer to shop it. There’s typically a greater attention to quality and craftsmanship without the markup that comes with women’s fashion. If we had the time I would have popped into every store, but a Bryceland’s & Co, Cromford, Mouki mou, Sunspel, Sabah, and Grey Flannel are a few favorites not to be missed.
(Also William Crabtree and Sons, which is not on Chiltern, but worth checking out if you appreciate good knitwear.)
Coffee date at Café Leone Dore - in the afternoon I met with the always-so-lovely
to pop around the city and catch up. We started with a matcha at Café Leone Dore before making our way to Drakes to peruse for our S.O.’s. Somehow we found ourselves back at Toteme. Lol. Neither of us were mad about it.
Metier - before heading back to the hotel I stopped into Metier to see their bags irl. They are, in fact, beautiful. Everyone’s been talking about the Private Eye, but I personally gravitate towards the Vérité. It’s equal parts a lugging day bag as it is a small weekender with minimal hardware. Complete with a fully outfitted interior with sleeves for your laptop and nicknacks—a rarity in women’s handbags these days.
Covent Garden Christmas Market - we didn’t have it in us to do the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, but we did manage to get to the Christmas Market at Covent Garden. We admired the Christmas trees and perused the shop windows, but decided to make our way over to dinner early once we realized that all of the stalls were starting to close.
Dinner at Spring Restaurant - this place was such a treat! It’s both stunning and delicious. The restaurant is located in a restored drawing room within Somerset House. The interior is airy and light-filled with a serene palette and abundant greenery that created a refined, yet welcoming vibe. The menu is equally noteworthy - seasonal and produce driven with a focus on sustainable sourcing. Each dish was just as impeccably designed as the interior.
Wednesday
Brunch at Granger & Co - we booked an afternoon train back to Paris so in the morning we grabbed brunch at Granger & Co in Chelsea (as well as snacks for the train from Raw Press). I’ve been to the Notting Hill, Marylebone and now Chelsea locations and none of them disappointed. Great for lunch, dinner or quick coffee.
We didn’t get to spend too much time in Chelsea due to time, but I’d definitely go back to stroll around. It felt less chaotic than central London.
On our way back from lunch we made a pit stop at Monocle to grab a few magazines and picked up a matcha from How Matcha before heading to the train station.
Chat soon! xx, Sarah
P.S. if you’re headed to London and are looking for more places to eat, drink and shop, this post is also chock full of them.
Loved this recap! I haven’t been to London yet, but saving this for when I go :)
Love your itinerary! In Paris right now, where do you like to shop for Toteme? Went to galleries Lafayette and it was so crowded, crazy!