Last weekend I was 30. It’s ok. I’ve accepted it.
We spent the weekend in London, celebrating “in style”- here’s the London Lowdown from my 30th (note- it’s by no means a definitive “London Lowdown”, merely a summary of how we spent the weekend!)
Where we stayed
Citizen M, Bankside. Loved the style of this place. The Tom Ford book next to the lift, the arty bookshop, the 1 minute self check in and the art is just great. And that’s just the lobby. When you get to the room, the experience continues. Now, some people might think this is a total gimmick, but I loved it: the entire room can be controlled from a Samsung tablet. The TV, the lighting, the blinds- all of it! The lighting can be selected dependent on your mood and the whole bathroom has one lit wall. I am somebody who always loses the remote control in hotel rooms amongst the sheets, so this was also a way to stop me doing that! It’s minimalistic, and fairly small, but it gives you everything you need from a hotel room: great design and functionality at a fairly reasonable rate for London (£149)
What we did
First stop, by the hotel, was the Tate Modern and in particular their excellent Conflict, Time, Photography exhibition- an excellent exhibition of photography from different wars and conflicts at different points: from the moment the bomb was dropped to photographing the landscapes where WWI soldiers were court marshalled 100 years after the start of the Great War. Harrowing, but fascinating.
We then had lunch in the restaurant at the top of the Tate Modern (this can be booked on OpenTable if, like me, you have an aversion to phoning restaurants!) It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it for a fantastic view of St Paul’s Cathedral whilst you eat. I had pork cheek to start followed by classic fish and chips. I also ended dry January with a carafe of wine!
After this, we strolled around London, over the Millennium Bridge, down through the city and over to Covent Garden then on through Leicester Square and up to Oxford Street for a bit of shopping (see the River Island post for some of the purchases!)
So, on to the Saturday night. We had booked to eat at Gaucho’s on the basis that I love Argentinian steak. The location is great and you go underground for the restaurant. I made an accessory mistake- taking the cow clutch from this post meant that I blended in to the decor. And the waitresses pointed it out. Humph. Overall, the location and decor were great, but the food and atmosphere somewhat “meh”. We ordered two ribeyes, medium rare. One was closer to rare. One closer to medium. I think that being able to cook the steak right has to be a “must have” for a steak restaurant. In addition, one steak had no fat, and one was just fat. Ok- they can’t help them, but still. The service was kind of slow. The waiter never did bring the condiments. There was a mighty crash of plates (and splash of sauce) next to us. All in all, it wasn’t the best restaurant but it wasn’t the worst. Their house wines are delicious, (Argentinian of course) and (as we all know), good wine can go a long way to make all things better.
All was not lost though. On our walk back to “south of the river” we passed “SushiSamba”. This place came recommended: there is a SushiSamba in Chicago, but it doesn’t have what the one in London has- this view:
Absolutely stunning view of the Gherkin. I had a Lychee Cooler- Grey Goose, St. Germain and vanilla sugar shaken with lychee juice and coconut milk. It was a bit like being on holiday- a sophisticated Pina Colada- except it’s a cold, January evening in London. Nonetheless, highly recommended: there is no door fee, the drinks are £13 (hey- it’s London) and the views are amazing. Just watch out for (and excuse this Americanism) the total douche bags you may have to squeeze past at the bar!
So, Sunday. T-Day (Thirty-Day). We blasted away the hangover by crossing the river again and getting wind whipped by a chilly breeze. As with most days for me, nothing can start without a coffee/Starbucks. That’s the first stop.
Coffee done, we head over to Shoreditch and Brick Lane and have breakfast at Fika. I had wanted to go to Cereal Killer, but apparently the hype is still high on that one, with queues out the door. So, Fika it was. Fika is Swedish- my poor translation would be “coffee and cake”. The place is dark and cosy, but it just seems “unfinished”. Service was slow- at the beginning there was one girl looking after everyone. The food was ok, we had pancakes with blueberries and bacon. Not American pancakes, more crepes. They were cold. And took about 25 minutes to come, but they were cheap for London. A lot of consideration has gone into the design work (it’s actually how I heard about the place, via the graphic design and visual identity) but they should probably work on the foundation of being a cafe- service and quality. It was, however, the cutest serving of tea I have ever seen. Beautiful mugs from Designers Anonymous (the agency that did the identity), the little milk bottle and the rustic teapot- so pretty!
After this, we strolled through Shoreditch and stumbled upon this shop “Barber & Parlour“, which is everything I would ever want a store to be: part cinema, part restaurant, part beauty parlour. It sold brands and design that I love and just had a great atmosphere. I guess you would class it as a “concept” in the world of retail (in which I work) but whatever stupid term you want to give it, this is where I would spend Sunday mornings if I lived in London.
After this, we strolled via the Hummingbird Bakery. I have all the books. Their brownie recipe is my benchmark. I finally wanted to taste cake from the real place, not the poor imitation I make myself. Now, I know I am 30, so perhaps my next line is a reflection of the age: £18 for 2 cups of coffee and 2 slices of cake. Deal with it. SO MUCH.
But, it was heart stopping, diabetic coma inducing fabulous. Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Happy Birthday Me. Or, as everyone keeps telling me “you are officially old”.
