I have long held an antipathy towards London that was undeserved. I’m not entirely certain what underpinned this. I think it was partly that my friends all undertook the mid-20’s pilgrimage that was leaving Australia to live and work in London and there it seemed that these disparate groups of friends, who I had held separate in my mind and life at home in Australia seemed to converge, meeting and enjoying each other, their lives becoming entwined. For them, I’m sure it felt that the world was expanding, but from afar it felt that the world, my world, was closing in on itself.
So it is that at least a decade after most of my peers had already done so, I took myself off to the motherland.
In truth, I only made the journey as a stop off on my way to Rome for a holiday- my company has an office in London and I have clients and team members there. Thought this was a good opportunity to connect with them, and if I’m being truthful, use us the worst of my jet lag while working leaving me - hopefully- in the right timezone for my break.
Of course, Robbie Burns told us, and Steinbeck showed us that the best laid plans etc etc.
But before I get into that, let me tell you, I fell in love with London. Happily I will be back next year to explore more thoroughly as my BFFs and I are going there to celebrate a (ahem) significant birthday.
Knowing this, and that I had listed free time, I didn’t explore as thoroughly as I usually would, but here are my highlights..
The Victoria & Albert Museum
I only had a limited time in London and the weather was surprisingly warm and sunny so I didn’t want to spend the whole time inside museums, castles, towers, you get the drift. However, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check out the V&A, the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design.
I spent an hour in the jewellery section alone. The Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion exhibition was brilliant and a wonderful companion to the 70 Years of Dior exhibit I had seen earlier in the month at the NGV in Melbourne.
I also discovered a surprising interest in the Iznik tiles (below) from the Middle East Islamic exhibitions.
Lunching in a English Pub
After the V&A I decided to treat myself to lunch at the Admiral Codrington in Chelsea, a gastropub that came highly recommended for good reason
Wandering Brick Land and the Old Spitalfields Markets
Wandering through the chaos of Brick Lane on a Sunday morning, I wished I hadn’t had breakfast given the incredible array of food on offer. By the time I was hungry I had already wandered over to the Old Spitalfields Markets where I sat down at Taberna do Mercado, a Portugese restaurant recommended by a friend. I settled in and enjoyed by perfectly tender seared beef while I also devoured Rebecca Solnit’s sharply observed collection of essays “Men Explain Things To Me.”
Dinner at Frenchie Covent Garden
I’ve been a fan of Gregory Marchand’s Frenchie for years now and was excited to try his Covent Garden outpost and it did not disappoint. A week later I’ still dreaming of the more-ish bacon scones, exquisite duck breaks and decadent banoffee pie.
For my free weekend in London I chose to stay in Shoreditch. I was promised a vibe of “young creatives, fashionable clubs and bars and eclectic dining” and it delivered. From here I was easily able to wander to Brick Lane and the Old Spitalfield Markets and uber (still operating in London at the time of publication) made it easy for me to get to the V&A.
In Shoreditch I stayed at the Ace Hotel which definitely delivered on the young and funky. From the lobby/bar/coffee shop (excellent coffee and food, terrible service) to the comfortable but still cool rooms, I was pretty satisfied with my decision! Oddly I was most impressed with the single back hand towel int he bathroom, with “make up” embroidered on it. I always feel guilty mucking up hotel room towels after wiping make up off my hands and face at the end of the day and this assuaged the guilt. Didn’t mean that the towel was any less dirty, just that I couldn’t see it!
During the week I transferred to the Mondrian at Sea Containers. My office is located next to Tate Modern and the Mondrian was less that 10 minutes walk each day.
Here I didn’t exactly escape the hip, too cool for school vibe of the Ace. This was more, “cool for grown ups, but not *that* grown up” with Tom Dixon designed interiors, and the happy surprise of full-sized Malin & Goetz toiletries.
One thing I was really impressed by here was the menu, which was interesting without being too complicated. In particular it was great to see a breakfast menu that really catered for those who may have been away from home for some time and for whom room service was no longer a “treat” but an extra tyre around the middle. My trip to London coincided with one of my busiest weeks of the year and considering that I had 2 full days- starting from 4 am which meant I didn’t leave my room let alone make it to the office- the option of porridge made with water was a godsend.
Annanotherthing’s London Address Book
100 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JQ, UK
The Mondrian at Sea Containers
20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD, UK
The Victoria & Albert Museum
Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL, UK
16 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8QH, U
17 Mossop St, Chelsea, London SW3 2LY, UK
Old Spitalfields Market, 107B Commercial St, London E1 6BG, UK
