Wow can we talk about past due! June was the absolute busiest month for us this year in all of the best ways! The kittens had their second birthday, I had my 26th birthday, we took a trip to Europe where Chadd proposed (best day ever!!!), and we packed up to move to Dallas! Our Europe trip consisted of two major stops, London, England and Munich, Germany which will, of course, each need its own itinerary post so let's get started!
We arrived in London early early in the morning and took the Piccadilly line from the airport to the center of town and then walked to our hotel, the Hoxton, which I highly recommend! The Hoxton staff was so nice and helpful and the lobby was super lively with people working, eating, and drinking at all hours of the day which made for a super upbeat environment. After checking into our room we headed to explore and find a breakfast spot. We ended up at The Black Penny where we first started to discover that London is not a culinary destination. The beans for breakfast were not it y'all and the eggs are all cooked the same way so if you think you are getting eggs with any amount of runny yoke... well you aren't. Of course, being in a new country is still magical despite the food! The rest of our morning we spent walking around SOHO and just exploring the city. We did SO much walking on this trip, I brought heels but I literally was in sneakers the whole entire time!
For dinner we stumbled across an intimate little spot called Blanchette, the vibe was dark and moody and our meal was candle-lit, v v romantic. This was the perfect end to our first night in the UK.
Our second day in London town (shout out Kanye) was an absolute DREAM. We started breakfast at My Old Dutch, a pancake house in soho across from our hotel that was packed every single day we were there! This was my favorite London breakfast by far, I got the waffle with fresh berry compote on top and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side - let me be a child, k!? Chadd got a 'pancake' (more so a crepe if you ask me) that covered his very large plate completely. It was glorious.
After breakfast we spent the day walking and exploring- like y’all, we were doing 11 miles a day. Mostly consisting of circles lol but that’s beside the point.
I cannot stress enough how much you need to check out Chinatown! Not only was it beautifully decorated but the food was amazing! We had the best dim sum for lunch and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for our evening sunset yacht tour and dinner.
Obviously, we had to stop at the hotel bar before we left so let me just add that the Hoxten bartenders make a great espresso martini! Honestly just the cherry on top of this hotel. After a round or two at the hotel bar, Chadd and I headed to the Thames river to start our bespoke river limo cruise. The Thames Limo had a bottle of Veuve and a gorgeous arrangement of roses waiting for us which really set the mood! The rest is a bit of a blur but what I can tell you for certain is that my best friend got on one knee and asked me to marry him with the most stunning ring I have ever seen! The Thames limo crew was so so sweet and helped Chadd set everything up so perfectly, I really couldn’t have dreamed of a more special day!
For dinner, we headed to Daphne's where we proceeded to drink our second bottle of wine of the night alongside some fantastic pasta and immaculate vibes. this restaurant really looks like it is straight out of a picture book.
When we got back to the hotel room we were greeted by another bottle of Veuve, compliments of a couple of our very best friends, I mean seriously this day was an absolute dream!
The next day I was v v hungover. Like I mean fighting for my life hungover, but this girl pushed through, y’all. We had a reservation at the most unique restaurant I’ve ever been to for afternoon tea. At Sketch each dining room has It’s own décor concept and the whole place was full of optical illusions - but make it posh. I highly recommend checking out but be sure you are able to book a reservation! I will say the website is not the most descriptive thing in the world so it can be a bit difficult to know what finding room you are booking but I used their Instagram to guide me as well!
After breakfast, I took a much-needed nap, and then we were back to exploring the city. We stopped every once in a while to grab a beer at a local pub and of course, took a stroll by all of the must-see touristy spots, like Buckingham Palace, Big Bend, and Westminster Abbey. For dinner, we made a reservation at Churchill Arms, an iconic thai spot that is covered in flowers from top to bottom - a must-visit but also a place that definitely needs a reservation!
The next day was our last day in London And we spent the day - you guessed it! - walking around and exploring! I mean really, we had to. the weather was so wonderful our whole time here, never in my life have I been chilly in June before this trip. We made a stop by Harrods which is just absolutely stunning. If a department store could be art this is it. Across from Harrods is one of the EL&N coffee Shop locations that are scattered around the city so of course, we made a pit stop here as well. EL&N is the cutest Instagramable spot so if that is your vibe and you want over-the-top
pink dream world photos, this HAS to be on your list. The location across the street from Harrods was also pretty big compared to the other locations that we saw so if you want to sit and enjoy some sweets with plenty of elbow room this location is perfect.
Another super cute café that we stopped in for lunch is Grand Café Concerto where we shared a bottle of Prosecco over a Caprese and flatbread lunch. The bubbly here got Chadd in just the right mood to take me to Prada for a bag after, take note ladies, there is something in the water at Café Concerto!
To end our week in London we had dinner and La Cave pop-up restaurant right next door to the Hoxton, while I’m not sure this restaurant is still here I do highly recommend following @secretlondon on insta before your UK trip to get up to date on all the coolest things going on in the city so you can explore like a local! Oh and if you are looking for nightlife definitely check out Simmons! There were a few locations scattered around the city and it was definitely the popping place to be!
Comments