Emma Brooks

When in London…

2–3 minutes

photo 1I was recently in London to visit some friends, and having been to London so many times already I wanted to do something different.

Here is a list of great ideas I got thanks to Twitter, and I should shout out to @townfish_london, @lisa_eatsworld and @quirkyitinerary amongst others.

  • Lesser known museums: http://t.co/9ahemaaEJA
  • Little Bay restaurants
  • Eating London tours
  • East End Street Art tours
  • Secret Cinema
  • Dennis Severs House
  • Highgate cemetery
  • Sir Joane Soanes museum
  • Maltby Markets
  • Parkland Walk in N. London on a sunny day
  • The Wellcome collection
  • Brixton market
  • Crypt jazz club in Camberwell
  • Foyle’s Café

Well, disappointingly we did none of the above so I can’t tell you what they are like. Has anyone done any of these and would you care to leave your impressions? I would love to hear them!photo 2

However we did test Mazi, a Greek restaurant in Notting Hill. The food was delicious, and I would particularly recommend the Cool Souvlaki with pork strip in rice paper, a sort of delicious souvlaki sushi, as well as the feta tempura. For a desert, try the Galaktoboureko. It can’t be described but it can definitely be eaten and fast.

The restaurant is small which gives it a nice cozy atmosphere, but I would definitely recommend a booking. They also serve Greek wines, a nice addition to the scrumptious menu.

We also visited Columbia road market to which I had never been. For those of you who don’t know, Columbia road market is a flower market in East London open on Sundays. It’s along a small and narrow road, but photo 3stepping into it feels like stepping in to the middle of the countryside. People shouting the prices of their flowers, a hilarious pair making jokes at every passer by so you’d stop and look at their plants, people walking around with plants in their arms… A wonderful taste of how eclectic London can be!

Finally for an evening of fun we went to Shoreditch House, which is a member’s Club. In the heart of East London, it’s a fantastic location with several different floors, different bars, restaurants, themes, ping pong tables and… a rooftop pool. It’s very chic and there’s more than enough room to enjoy yourself without feeling the crowd of a Saturday evening. However I for one, feel a bit odd about members’ clubs in this day and age… but worth checking out if you can get in.

So, I guess all of the other ideas listed above will have to be left for discovery on my next trip. I will update as I go along!