Crème de la Crème — Our Favorites From London

Happy Wednesday lovelies! So this post is wayyyy overdue, and I so apologize for that! It's bee a hectic few months as you all know. But that aside, I'm so excited for it because I have a few favorites that you guys need to know about! If you're heading to London, this will highlight some amazing places to check out while you're there.

Favorite Place to Stay

So we actually had the pleasure of staying at 2 hotels during our time in London, but Intercontinental Park Lane blew us away with their gorgeous interior, impeccable hospitality, and delicious food! You might remember we had the pleasure of staying at their sister hotel, the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand during our time in Paris, and we were so happy to find that even though the country changed, the level of excellence the Intercontinental Hotels strives for does not! From the delicious champagne and lovely fruit tray we found in our room, to the relaxing bubble baths we drew, to the luxe and plentiful lounging areas around the hotel, we felt spoiled and pampered the entire stay!

Our absolute favorite part of the stay was our meal at the Ella Canta, the hotel's Mexican restaurant that radiates fresh, authentic Mexican vibes in every way possible. You wouldn't expect a British hotel to slay at Mexican food, but wow. I can honestly say I had the best margarita of my life (thus far) - the Coa de Jima, a delicious concoction of spiced pineapple, passionfruit and rum liquor (pictured right below) - and the tapas were amongst the best Mexcan tapas I've had!

The presentation was impeccable - one of my drinks, the Corazón de Melón, came out decked with roses and 'smoke' billowing out of the dish it came on - and all of the other drinks we shared were just as beautiful, each with a unique glass and garnish.

Then to finish off the meal, the cutest dessert - authentic mexican desserts presented with one of the traditional toys most children own in Mexico - La rueda de la Fortuna. The name means "Wheel of Fortune" and the toy is a beautifully hand-painted ferris wheel.

Intercontinental Park Lane also does a pretty fab job at breakfast - my favorite breakfast was one we had in their tea/dining area. Everything was presented beautifully and elegantly, and the food was as delicious as expected.

I especially recommend the yogurt parfait (with the besssst granola made in-house) and freshly squeezed juices!

The breakfast buffet was also a highlight though, as it offered just about every kind of breakfast food you could hope for, and an incredibly high quality and delicious version at that! From mini waffles with vanilla bean ricotta topping, to avocado toast with all of the fixings, to cheese, granolas, yogurts, fishes, pastries, juices...we always left satisfied and full!

Favorite Things to Do

Harrod's - So, shopping being my favorite part of the trip is probably such a girl thing, but I fell head over heels for Harrod's! To be fair, I didn't make it to Selfridges. However, even if I had and it was better, I'd still say Harrod's is a must-visit! Talk about a department store!! The decor is stunning, reminiscent of ancient Egypt, and the selection, decadent. I saw Prada and Dior bags I'd never seen before, that were very new or special-edition, browsed clothes from every brand under the sun, and enjoyed delicious truffles from the vast array of gourmet foods available there!

Walk Around Westminster Abbey - Our first full day in London Ross and I had a whole afternoon to explore. Unlike Paris, we found some things amazing, and some things disappointing. For example, Big Ben was under construction annnnd quite smaller than expected A bit of a let down. However, we did find the Westminster Abbey quite beautiful and totally worth the walk! The architecture on some of the buildings is just stunning, and we were so glad we took the time to walk there!! It was also fun getting to see 'typical London sights', like the telephone booths and old pubs.

Favorite Things to Eat/Drink

(Clearly the Ella Canta is our absolute favorite, but these are also worthy of a visit!!)

Get Pies at Fuller's - One thing Ross was sooo excited to try was Fish and Chips. He regularly orders it at one of our favorite local restaurants, Iron Hill Brewery. However, we found the fish and chips to be quite a let-down in London. He ordered the dish 3 times during our London trip, yet the best out of the 3 was the one he had at the airport, and even then it didn't rival Iron Hill's work! While we did't get to try one of the supposedly 'amazing' places for fish and chips, the record from what was tried was disappointing, so I honestly wouldn't bother trying fish & chips when there.. However, I would highly recommend ordering savory pies. We sampled 3 at Fuller's brewery (just a few blocks from Westminster!!) and they were all so delicious! The beer there was also pretty good!

Granger + Co - If you're looking for a charming little cafe for a quick pick-me-up, I'd highly recommend this one! It was so pretty inside, and the matcha latte was delicious!

Our time in London was quite short and the weather rather nasty, so unfortunately we didn't get out a whole lot. But I hope these few recommendations help for any of you headed to London soon! Also, if you've been and have any good recommendations, I've love to hear in the comments below!

Laurelle

Crème de la Crème — Our Favorites From London

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