London

The Churchill Arms

119 Kensington Church St, London W8 7LN, United Kingdom

Built in 1750, Winston Churchill's grandparents were regulars at this pub which is what led to the naming of the pub after World War II. The exterior is highly decorated with flowers, some $140,000 worth annually, the room is lively, and it clearly serves both tourists as well as locals, which makes for a great mix. It also happens to be the first pub to serve Thai food along with its ales...who knew this was a thing? We didn't eat the food that night, but we had friends who went another evening and said it was great!

 

Jacuzzi 

94 Kensington High St, London W8 4SJ, United Kingdom

This was the first restaurant in London we tried. The room was buzzing and the design is fairly over the top, but in a good way. There are trees inside, and because we were walk-ins, we sat at the back bar overlooking the kitchen. Located not far from the southwest corner of Kensington Gardens, it's a great spot to eat after a lot of walking as we had done. In fact, we'd walked through Hyde Park, down by Harrod's, and then west passing Royal Albert Hall, and a part of Kensington Gardens...a few miles on foot to say the least, so the Neapolitan style pizza sure hit the spot.

 

Dishoom Covent Garden

12 Upper St Martin's Ln, London WC2H 9FB, United Kingdom

Dishoom seems to be the most famous place to get Indian food in London. They have a couple different locations, but the Covent Garden location was where we went and it was delicious. Perhaps unsuspectedly, we had breakfast here, but I'd really like to try it for dinner. Can't recommend it enough.

 

Fatt Pundit

6 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7NA, United Kingdom

Fatt Pundit is where we ended up for dinner one night since Dishoom has an incredible line that forms. This place was awesome! You must try the Sticky Sesame vegetable medley. It's unlike anything you'll eat and it's delicious. There really isn't a bad dish on the menu, so choose the items that sound good and it'll be great.

 

Barrafina

10 Adelaide St, London WC2N 4DH, United Kingdom

The original is in SOHO and has a Michelin Star, however, the reservation times worked out better for us to go to the location in Covent Garden. The menu changes often, but we had some incredible Ham Croquettes, a meat tray, some incredible take on bruschetta, potatas bravas, a refreshing salad, and pork cheek that was out of this world. I'd highly recommend going here if you've already had your fill of Curry, which shouldn't be missed while in London.

 

Trafalgar Tavern

Park Row, London SE10 9NW, United Kingdom

Certainly off the beaten path, this Tavern in Greenwich has a strong history for a dear friend of mine whose father actually lived upstairs prior to it becoming a pub. In fact, her grandfather's painting is still hanging upstairs. The food here far-exceeded our expectations given it's "pub food" and the view is one not to be taken for granted either. Trafalgar Tavern sits waterfront to the Thames and simply provides a wonderful environment, and with its many windows, there is a ton of natural light unlike many other pubs in London. We arrived by Uber Boat which was a great experience in and of itself.

 

Borough Market

London SE1 9AL, United Kingdom

This is exactly what it sounds like: a market. However, it's not like a Chelsea Market in NYC, this is a true market with fresh meats and vegetables, cakes, pastries, etc. This is a fun mid-afternoon stroll if you ate early, or skipped lunch. Snacking your way through is the way to go.

 

The Dorchester

53 Park Ln, London W1K 1QA, United Kingdom

My wife and I had high tea here. The service was wonderful and the food was delicious. It's among the top 5 places in London on nearly every list, and because we were late in booking, I think we were able to secure a reservation because it's also one of the most expensive. The Ritz is perhaps the most famous, slightly less-expensive, but the rumor is the food isn't as good. It's all subjective...I'm not really one for tea to begin with, but this was a pleasant experience. :)

 

The Savoy

Strand, London WC2R 0EZ, United Kingdom

An iconic hotel and a little-known fact, it's effectively the birthplace of GUCCI. The American Bar is an incredible room serving delicious cocktails. Know that if you're not staying in the hotel and don't have a reservation, there may be a lengthy wait. I got the Dandy Beau, which is their twist on the Negroni - a drink the team believes would be James Bond's modern drink of choice. I can't say that I disagree.

 

The Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill

30 Portman Square, London W1H 7BH, United Kingdom

We stayed here using points. It's a nice hotel while it's very close to Hyde Park as well as a lot of shopping if that's what you're in London to do. If you're familiar with Hyatt hotels, this one meets the mark.

 

The Peninsula London

1 Grosvenor Pl, London SW1X 7HJ, United Kingdom

Though we didn't stay here, the hotel opened merely weeks before our visit. Rumored to have cost around $1 Billion to build, you can imagine how plush it is. If you're looking to spend money on a gorgeous hotel, this is your place. The main reason we stopped in was the Concord-themed restaurant/bar upstairs where you'll find a scale model of the Concorde jet suspended from the ceiling. It's truly incredible-looking, and former podcast guest, Neil Ferrier of Discommon, was at the helm for its design.

 

SHOPPING

Given London's history of menswear, and more specifically Tailoring what with Savile Row being the epicenter, I thought I'd share my favorite shops to go to in the city.

 

George Cleverley - Shoes, both Ready to Wear & Bespoke offerings

13, 28 The Royal Arcade, Old Bond St, London W1S 4SL, United Kingdom

 

Trunk Clothiers - Multi-brand Boutique in the wonderful neighborhood of Marylebone carrying a well-curated selection. The entire area is full of shops at contemporary pricepoints as opposed to designer prices elsewhere.

8 Chiltern St, London W1U 7PU, United Kingdom

 

Anderson & Sheppard - Iconic Tailor on Savile Row - the place for Bespoke

32 Old Burlington St, London W1S 3AT, United Kingdom

 

Edward Sexton -  Custom Tailor known for their wider lapels. I love their Overcoats

35 Savile Row, London W1S 3DQ, United Kingdom

 

Huntsman & Sons - When I think of tweed, I think of Huntsman. However, if you watched the movie Kingsman, this is who made those suits.

11 Savile Row, London W1S 3PS, United Kingdom

 

Anderson & Sheppard Haberdashery - My favorite shop for Ready to Wear in London

17 Clifford St, London W1S 3RQ, United Kingdom