As an expat in London for almost two years now, one of my most delightful discoveries has been seeing how decked out the city gets at Christmas time. From the most incredible twinkling lights breathing excitement into prominent shopping streets, to massive Christmas trees in iconic squares, here are a few highlights from my recent festive jaunts around London.
Browsing Tag
London
If you like fresh and healthy greek food in the form of sharable small plates, you’re in luck. I recently discovered Opso in Marylebone and am now smitten. Between a vibrant atmosphere, innovative cocktails with greek liquors and a wide range of sharable small plates, Opso ticks off many boxes.
Opso is located in Marylebone and its inspiration comes from its name, which means, “a delectable morsel of food, a delicacy.” The restaurant serves breakfast/weekend brunch, lunch and dinner. I went recently for dinner and a drink at the bar. Here’s what I ordered.
I often write about the fabulous local coffee shops in London, but Yumchaa stands out for having both great coffee and tea – among other menu offerings.
I discovered Yumchaa after massive hunger pangs struck upon departing a meeting in the Tottenham Court area. Delighted to see whole wheat pistachio scones and an abundance of tea offerings, I was a very happy camper.
Just off of Portobello Road in Notting Hill is a basement level gem of a tiki bar called Trailer Happiness. While the name could be misleading, it’s actually a charming little place and perfect for a fun weekend night out.
The atmosphere is lively – meaning, expect loud music and conversation to match. While there are some tables (first-come, first-served), the small size means that people also mingle throughout.
Described as offering, “classic and original cocktails with a tiki twist,” the drinks have fun names like Polynesian Princess, with Finlandia vodka, homemade watermelon syrup, citrus and champagne and Port Light, banana infused Woodford Reserve Bourbon agave citrus with a Trailer grenadine float.
Polynesian Princess
When my friend G comes to town, we eat exceptionally well. As a food and travel writer, she always has fantastic recommendations. For this visit, we went to Hakkasan Mayfair.
Founded in London in 2001, Hakkasan now has locations around the world. Upon dining at Hakkasan, it’s easy to understand why it has become so popular. From the atmosphere, to delicious food, dining there was a mostly positive experience.
The only small con was that Hakkasan does give you a set time for your table (which seems to be consistent across many restaurants in London), so if your meal lingers on (like ours did), it can feel a bit awkward to be ushered out after spending a good amount of money. Just ask when you make your booking and be aware. Oh, and if you dine at the Mayfair location, definitely ask for a table downstairs. The ground floor bar area is much more casual and less of an experience in my opinion.
Now, onto the delightful meal. Naturally, we started with cocktails and Hakkasan’s menu is expansive, but we did whittle down our list to the Rhubarb Margarita, Passion Fruit Millionaire and Chinese Mule.
