A Festive Pre-Pandemic Weekend in London

What a difference a year makes.

That has to be the most repeated statement of 2020 (well, the most repeated PG statement, that is). But looking through these photos, rewinding to this point in time, really hammered it in for me. This weekend in London was a spontaneous one. I tossed all sensibility to the wayside, and booked a last minute flight to join my then-boyfriend on his work trip to London the weekend before Thanksgiving.

In hindsight, this trip was eked out desperately to resuscitate both a job and a relationship on their last legs. But as far as impulsive weekend getaways across the pond go, this one was perfect. A year later, single and in a new job, I still look back fondly on these snapshots of a pre-pandemic holiday weekend in London.

Day 1

I started off solo, checking in to East London’s chic South Place Hotel. After a long flight and an extended layover in Vancouver where I met up with my friend Blažka for lunch, I was exhausted. So, the first order of business was promptly filling up the bathtub for a long, luxurious soak.

Then, I was off to my next priority! Could it have been dinner with an old friend, or a wander around one of London’s incredible museums? A show, a drink with colleagues, a sight-seeing stroll?

Nope.

Halfway across the globe, and my top priority was the House of MinaLima, a gallery and curios shop by the graphic design team behind the Harry Potter movies. Although I was tempted to buy a number of art prints and knick-knacks, I was ultimately content to simply browse and pretend I was picking up school supplies in Diagon Alley.

Speaking of Diagon Alley, Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden always feels like a hidden corner of it to me. Decked out in twinkling fairy lights, it felt even cozier, even more magical. I popped into the bakery outpost of St. John’s Bread and Wine for a takeaway vanilla donut for later, and a desperately needed coffee for now.

With the sky darkening so early and the coffee no proper defense for jet-lag, I felt myself fading fast. So after taking the Tube back to Shoreditch, I hit up Spitalfields for a looksie through the shops and a pleasingly greasy dinner in the market. Then at last, it was a date with Netflix and a pillowy comforter.

Day 2

Early the next morning, I found a corner table at Dishoom to enjoy a chai and a sausage roll. And some sweet brioche to dunk into the chai, because what would be more quaint on a drizzly, grey morning?

I can’t say that I’m a big fan of solo dinners out just yet – where do I look? How do I not inhale all my food with nothing else to do? But solo breakfasts, I’m perfectly happy with. (Besides Dishoom, St. John Bread and Wine‘s bacon sandwich is a favorite from yet another solo breakfast adventure.)

While I was at breakfast, my boyfriend landed at Heathrow and made his way over to the hotel. With this weekend being his first visit to London, I knew I had to introduce him to all the classics.

The iconic Tower Bridge, of course.

Borough Market, for Monmouth Coffee and not much else since it was even busier than usual.

And then we checked out the new-to-me Maltby Street Market, which was a touch less discovered than Borough Market. We admired all of the global cuisines on offer, the mulled wine ladled from large vats, and decided on warming up at the hole-in-the-wall Walrus and the Carpenter for chowder.

Obviously, it’s not a true weekend in London without saying hello to Big Ben, Westminster, Trafalgar Square, and red phone booths galore. We moseyed on over there to do so, but unfortunately found Big Ben under scaffolding.

A bit anticlimactic, to be sure. Not to be deterred, I showed him that there was plenty else to admire in Central London. As a politics junkie, he was particularly excited to swing by 10 Downing Street.

The evening was dedicated to Shoreditch’s buzzy energy and its bevy of trendy restaurants and bars. Much to my delight, all of the cocktails we ordered came with a tasty little snack!

Places that we loved in Shoreditch:

• The Cocktail Trading Co.: creative drinks, clever theme, and a really friendly staff! Quarters are tight here, so show up early for a table.
• Nightjar: we were the last people to snag a table at this speakeasy-style cocktail bar that evening, so it felt extra special. The drinks were delicious albeit pricey, and the live music was wonderful.
• Lahpet: super trendy Burmese spot for dinner. Excellent food and vibes.

Day 3

The next day, a fancy treat awaited us…

A fancy abode, that is. My other half had a week booked at the Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square, and I made sure to clock in a night before flying back to the US. I felt like Eloise traipsing through the never-ending hallways, grabbing an indulgent nightcap at the bar, enjoying the halls decked with Christmas decorations.

Before long, we itched to explore again. We picked up coffees and lingered at Portobello Market stands, flipping through stacks of vintage maps and posters. Once it got a bit too crowded at the market for our liking, we played house-hunting around Notting Hill.

I found the perfect street — St. Lukes Mews. Tucked away, but only a hop and a skip from the hustle and bustle of central Notting Hill. Sign me up!

I found two that I’d move into in a heartbeat. (Who am I kidding? I’d move into a shack here if necessary.)

Which would you pick? The classic brick mews house with the pretty seafoam doors, or her wild, hot pink neighbor? I’m slightly learning towards the classic one myself…

Perhaps you’d prefer one of these pretty pastel ladies instead?

Or one of these stately apartments in Kensington?

Take your pick!

On our way to stroll through Kensington and Hyde Parks, we made a brief detour to check out The Churchill Arms‘s famous holiday decorations – which were as impressive as they are in photos! (For those of you also planning a visit, The Churchill Arms has a decent Thai menu rather than your run-of-the-mill pub fare.)

From Notting Hill to Kensington through Hyde Park and then over to Marylebone, we walked well over 30,000 steps on this day. And though we were exhausted by the time we climbed into bed, it was such a treat to take in London at its most festive, through so many of its neighborhoods.

And of course, I was overjoyed to sneak in some real treats too. Notably, cream tea at The Ivy in Marylebone. That clotted cream is what dreams are made of!

And also a stop at the beautiful Daunt Books, which has been on my list of bookstores to see for a very long time, for a quick browse…

“Quick” being an hour or so, but can you blame us!

Then onto some cocktails and people-watching at Mr. Fogg’s Tavern…

And a brilliant Indian dinner at Brigadiers to close out the evening.

On paper, the next day – a day at the office – was decidedly less exciting. But for me, it was extra special. I had visited the London office of my company almost three years prior when it included all of three employees in a single, drab room. I spent two weeks then learning more about our European customers and getting acquainted with our own London team. Years later, on the cusp of leaving the same company, it was wonderful to see our new office – the penthouse suite of a skyscraper – full of new colleagues and friends. It felt like a very full circle farewell.

There is so much that I miss about this kind of getaway. Booking a flight, squeezing it into a busy week, planning on the fly, plugging into the energy of a new city, trying new restaurants for their atmosphere as much as their food, working in an international office… all just for fun, just because there really wasn’t a reason not to.

Here’s to hoping that the next impulsive “just because” trip is not too far off.