London Summer 2018

We’ve been to London in the Winter, Spring, Fall and now we got to experience this brilliant city in the Summer! What a great time to be there – Wimbledon, World Cup and British Summer Time Festival. Oh and the weather – 80 degrees and no rain! THE BEST!!! We enjoyed wearing our sun dresses walking down Kings Road and Marylebone High Street. This trip we spent more time Chelsea and Marylebone and less time in the touristy areas. Chelsea and Marylebone are chic, local boroughs that are populated with restaurants, shops, residences, farmers markets and night life. Find out what we did in this post!

The Bloomsbury Hotel

We found the Bloomsbury Hotel while searching on Tablet Hotels. With Wimbledon, British Summer Time Festival and the touristy season our favorite hotels were booked or really expensive. After doing some research we found The Bloomsbury Hotel located in the heart of London’s West End, near Covent Garden. It’s a boutique hotel with a lovely courtyard area with a restaurant along with two bars onsite. One bar is a speakeasy and the other is a traditional bar that has live music each night. The location was walking distance to most everything – Soho, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, theatres, etc. We ended up walking everywhere – to Covenant Garden and to Marylebone. The rooms were nice (on the smaller side, but we are in Europe!) and the beds were really comfortable. We definitely would recommend staying here!

Barbary

We have been wanting to try Barbary, but haven’t had the chance to. So on this trip, we made sure to have it on our first night! Barbary is located in Neal’s Yard within Seven Dials area. It’s a restaurant that is inspired by the Barbary Coast of North Africa along the Mediterranean coast to Israel. It’s a petite eatery with only bar seating that looks onto the kitchen. Specializing in small place, this is the perfect place to share and explore the menu. They don’t take reservations so if you have to wait, you can enjoy a cocktail and enjoy the action of the kitchen or Neals Yard! The staff is really friendly and will get you seated as soon as a spot opens up. It’s well worth the wait! What we ordered – Naan, arayes, Halloumi, hummus, lamb cutlets and summer fattoush salad. Everything was amazing! Would highly recommend going there if you are in the area and in a group of 1-2 or 3 people.

Bluebird Chelsea

So after our long (enjoyable) walk from Marylebone, through Hyde Park to Chelsea we deserved a wine lunch! We decided on Bluebird Chelsea since they were streaming Wimbledon live. It was such a fun afternoon sitting in the sun on the patio watching tennis, drinking rosé and eating salads and a burger. The food at Bluebird is tasty and served in a great environment. We could have stayed there all day, but we couldn’t because we had to watch the World Cup match – England was playing Argentina. Bluebird Chelsea is a great spot and would like to go back and sit inside for dinner next time!

Hollywood Arms

What a great place to watch the World Cup – Hollywood Arms just off Fulham Rd in Chelsea. The elegant pub was filled with people who were sipping rosé cheering on the English. We made some new friends in the pub who invited us to sit with them. Lovely company, great wine and a win for England – it was the perfect afternoon! Highly suggest coming in here for a drink or meal if you are in Chelsea. It’s a great place to be !

Chiltern Firehouse

We discovered Chiltern Firehouse a couple years ago through our favorite blogger – Rosie Londoner. In previous trips, we didn’t get the chance to check it out. This trip we made a point to go grab a drink at Chiltern Firehouse. Fancy little place that attracts the elite class of London. (It’s also a hotel too!) We walked in and grabbed a spot at the bar – ordered a glass of wine and an appetizer. It was a lovely, expensive place – but worth the price for the one drink. People definitely come here to be seen – everyone was dressed in their fancy outfits and getting ready for a night out in London. As Rosie recommended coming here for a drink or lovely brunch/lunch with some girlfriend is a great choice, but with the price tag. We agree. Now we can say we have been to Chiltern Firehouse.

Opso

Last meal in London on this trip was Opso in Marylebone. A menu inspired by Greece, this restaurant focuses on social style dinning in a laid-back and lively atmosphere. We ordered a couple plates to share – pita, tzatziki, dakos salad, mini fish burger ad baked cauliflower. Everything was fresh and warm to order with great flavors. Opso – add it to your list!!