My London Travel Guide: Food, The Tube, & More!

Although this isn’t my first time visiting London, I had a bit more time to explore the lesser-known parts of the city! In my last London travel guide, I’ve realized that I did more of a guide to how to get to London and the tricks that I used to make my trip a bit more special! I hit all of the major sights like Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, but while I was in London this time, I went to the less tourist surrounded sections of the city! I dare say that I had a better time this time. Why? I was actually able to enjoy this beautiful city! This London travel guide has everything you need to have an amazing time in London! From where to stay to where to grab a bite to eat or afternoon tea!

Where to Stay: 

In London, you can find apartments/hotels big and small, expensive and cheap. With so many great places to pick, I’ve picked three of my favourites, that I will look into staying at the next time that I visit the city!

SACO Apartments

In my opinion, staying in an apartment is one of the best ways to visit a city. SACO was an amazing apartment to stay in because it is right in a perfect section of London right in the middle of everything. A 30-minute walk to Carnaby Street and just off of one of the most beautiful streets outside of Notting Hill! The staff is beyond friendly and helpful when you need them, plus the apartments are decked out with everything that you may need during a trip to London!  Each one comes in different sizes and there are a lot of different options within the limits of London, so I’m pretty sure that you can find the perfect apartment for you wherever you want to go in the city.

The Hoxton Hotel (Holborn or Shoreditch)

The Hoxton Hotel is one of the hotels that you’ve probably seen on Instagram for their amazing rooms and fresh East London design. I stayed at the one in Shoreditch which is such a cool, young section of London. The Hoxton has plenty of space for everyone and any of their needs during their stay. Young professionals can have a cool place to have their meetings. Bloggers like me can hit the restaurant and cafe that is inside each version of The Hoxton no matter where the hotel is located, to get some work done and maybe take some cute flatlay coffee shots.

Tune Hotels

As I wrote in my post about the Tune Hotels, this hotel is the perfect go to for that on the go traveler. When I visit a city, I like to be out of the room as much as humanly possible, and the Tune Hotels are perfect for a trip like that. There are many versions of the Tune across London that can help you rest up between going from point A to point B. The Tune Hotels are a good budget option for anyone wanting to visit London but not blow £600 on one week’s worth of hotel stays, which is part of why the Tune Hotels are a part of this London travel guide. Plus, the customizer allows you to mix and match all that you need to have an amazing stay how you like it.

Where To Eat:

Maxwell’s

Okay one word: freakshakes. You’ve probably seen freakshakes or versions from Instagram in the last few months (I know I did), so on one of my last nights in London, I spent thirty minutes seeking these shakes out. It may not look that big in the picture, but this freakshake was out of this world. Maxwell’s is steps from the Covent Garden Tube station and between the amazing food and the location, I really couldn’t pass up an opportunity to have it on my London travel guide. I was blown away with the service and the food, even though I popped in right before closing! Everything was great and I’m probably gonna go back on my next trip!

The Wolseley

The perfect afternoon tea spot. I reiterated that so many times in my post about The Wolseley, so in my London travel guide, The Wolseley is the must-visit for food. I say go for the regular Afternoon Tea and take your favourite tea with it. You get an assortment of tiny cakes and sandwiches with the tea and it’s perfect for a quick snack and refresher between meals and a beautiful place to have a catch-up with friends or an afternoon meeting!

Farm Girl Cafe

So Londoners and tourists alike have this cafe on their lists, so I think it’s only right that I have the Farm Girl Cafe on my London travel guide. It’s tucked away off of Portobello Road near Notting Hill, so there’s a slew of beautiful houses, both colorful and monochrome. You may think that it’s your stereotypical Insta-girl cafe, but it’s worth it. On Sundays, there’s a high probability that there will be a wait, but it’s worth it! The pancakes, acai bowl, and rose latte have to be my personal favorites, but I’ve got a list of things that I want to try next time I go back (and I will be going back the next time that I want to go to London).

What To Do:

Kyoto Garden

After a 3 mile walk, I made it to my destination. I had my mindset on going to Kyoto Gardens when I realized how much free time I would have in London and I’m glad I did. It was a beautiful garden and so peaceful. One of the rules is that people don’t speak loudly in the garden so they can actually experience the garden. It was a bit of a rainy day when I went, so it wasn’t as gorgeous as I imagine on a sunny day, but I honestly think that it was still beautiful!

The British Museum

I’m such a history buff. Like when I went to Amsterdam, it wouldn’t be a trip and a matching travel guide without a museum! This time, I’m featuring The British Museum on my London travel guide. I missed it the first time that I went to London! The interior is gorgeous. They have everything from the beginning of time to a money exhibition that goes all the way through the 2000’s. The view that everyone posts on their Instagrams is hard to find. Well worth the search though! You can see everyone wandering around from above. It’s a really cool perspective to find after a walk around the museum.

Greenwich & Greenwich Market

I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned this on the blog. One of the reasons why I love London is because you can take the Underground or Overground for 20-30 minutes and be in the quiet outer sections that surround the city. Greenwich is one of those places and because the Uni is right there, there is so much to see. It’s a beautiful little section to pop into without getting too far from Central London. The architecture and vibe is completely different from what you’ll find anywhere else in London. While you’re there, you have to go to the MASSIVE Greenwich Market. There’s a ton of food, clothes, and other bits in the market and seeing all of the stalls is great!

Where to Shop:

Urban Outfitters

A 2-story Urban Outfitters. Do I really need to do much more convincing? Well just in case I do, the UO is the bomb. I found a million books, like the ones you see below in their tables full of books. They have all of the brands that you know UO for and love so much! From Calvin Klein to Light to Dark is in stock and right where it should be at all times.

Carnaby Street

Carnaby Street is just steps from Regent’s Street/Oxford Circus. With so many shops off of Carnaby Street, it’s a must-go-to. There are restaurants and pubs at each end. So if you need a shopping break, you can put down your bags and grab a pint before going back to the shops. There’s everything from an American Apparel and Levi’s to MUJI and a SkinnyDip pop-up store. I definitely don’t recommend going on sale time, because you’ll probably get run over as I did! Carnaby Street is a MUST HAVE on a London travel guide. When you go, you’re bound to see some cool stores!

Oliver Bonas

I was introduced to Oliver Bonas after a shoot in Greenwich. The second I stepped inside of the store I fell in love. The store is aesthetically pleasing itself, but they have something for everyone! If you love colors and need a new top, you can find it there. If you’re looking for new homeware, you’re bound to find something that you like from Oliver Bonas. Major plus? They ship to the US and have an online store!

How to Travel: London Underground aka The Tube

In my opinion, London is a walkable city. There are days where you aren’t going to walk around for an hour to get to your destination. The Tube or the London Underground is the best way to get around the city. During rush hour when the streets are at a complete standstill and there’s no way for you to get around quickly. A London travel guide wouldn’t be complete without London Transit. This is comprised of the DLR, London Overground, the buses, and other transit systems.

I’m keeping this guide short and sweet so you can get the real picture of how much I love London. Now you can read the post without taking three hours to digest all of the content of this post! I managed to pack a lot into 4 short days in London, but when I go back in September, it is very likely that I’ll do another London travel guide (even though I’ll be back for LFW again and will be super busy)! I’ve got a lot more travel content coming up for you all soon. Be sure to check back to the blog soon for more about what I’m doing!