Category: Do!

Summer is pretty much over and I can honestly say I’m relieved! My schedule was jam-packed with parties, weddings, concerts, events, trips to the States, Greece, Paris, and Italy (twice), and now I am finally home, ready to just relax! This past weekend was my first free weekend in six months. Finally, there were no obligations, no time commitments, nothing. I was able to wander the pretty streets of Notting Hill and then head up north to the bustling neighborhood of Kensal Rise.

Kensal Rise has a busy main street that takes you up past many little shops and restaurants. I like to take a weekend stroll all the way to the top until I reach one of the best coffee shops in London: Cable co.

Cable co. is a clean, hipster joint. I feel transported into a Brooklyn cafe every time I step into the Chamberlayne Road shop. You’ll know you’ve found it when you stumble upon an old painted oil barrel used as Cable co.’s outdoor advertising. Once you follow the barrel’s arrow inside, you’ll see some minimalist seating filled with all types of coffee drinkers, chatting or intently focused on a Mac or a good book. The basic decor is highlighted with some quirky touches. Mounted cages hold extra cups. An old-school label makes sense of their lid and sugar counter. Their full menu is displayed on menu letter boards you would have seen at a drive-in burger restaurant. The entire space is sunny and interesting, and makes you want to slide into a seat and dive right into a warm cup of coffee.

You order your coffee, and maybe a smoothie or a snack, and make small talk with one of the friendly baristas.  Everyone working at Cable co. has a welcoming personality and a knack for making a great cup of coffee. Cable co. employees seem like they want to be there, which in turn, makes customers want to be there, too. You do not often see such positive attitudes in London restaurants.

Now, for the coffee. It’s outstanding. Cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites–whatever your poison, you will not be disappointed. Cable co. proudly serves and sells East London’s Climpson & Sons beans, which have a nutty smooth taste and aroma. The coffee is swirled with your choice of a very accommodating variety of dairy and non-dairy milks, and served   with a beautiful, thoughtful design. The snacks are good too. I had a flaky, buttery croissant and it made for a perfect mid-morning snack.

There are many reasons to head up to Kensal Rise, as I have previously discussed and reviewed, but I can honestly say, Cable co. is at the very top. My husband believes they serve the best coffee in London. I say it’s close, but Coffee Plant may still be my number one. Either way, these are top honors from both of us, and we highly recommend you head to London’s northwest neighborhood and check Cable co. out. You won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!

Cable co.
4 Bridge House
Chamberlayne Road
London NW10 3NR

Before I begin with this review, let me first point out that I am not a toddler or a single-digit child, nor do I have one, so this is solely from the point of view of an adult. I do not specialize in children’s interests, but seeing as they can watch Frozen (or any movie for that matter) more than three times, I’m pretty sure they would be amazed by Shrek’s Adventure.

Shrek’s Adventure is another big London tourist attraction, often sold in a package deal with the London Dungeon, Sea Life Aquarium, and London Eye. Those were all previous “Don’ts” as well. There really seems to be a pattern here! 

If you buy Shrek’s Adventure with another activity, you’re really not paying more than an additional £10 for the add-on. Each activity purchased separately can run you about £35.00. Once you find the most cost-effective way to waste your money, you can pop into the Southbank attraction with your ticket and schedule an appointment. We stopped in at 12:00 and scheduled our adventure for just after lunch, at 2:00, which worked perfectly.

At 2:00, there the three of us were, surrounded by screaming, sticky kids, and beaming parents, who found it necessary to continuously fuel the already off-the-wall children with unneeded questions like “Who’s excited to see Shrek?!”

We got right in. Shrek’s Adventure did a better job controlling the appointment times than the London Dungeon did (where we ended up waiting an additional half hour even though our appointment was scheduled.) Once lined up in our group, we embarked on an hour long journey through a land Far, Far, Away. 

My sister and I loved the Shrek movies (who didn’t), so this adventure could have been right up our alley if it were a little more Universal Studios and a little less kid’s birthday party. We kept an open mind and proceeded through the entry of the attraction, which started on a high note. 

The first part was awesome. You popped on 3D glasses and hopped on a virtual reality bus driven by Donkey. You shrieked and twisted along with the jerking ride and dizzying screen. The references to the movies we love were hilarious and the story begins when Donkey accidentally hits a witch. From there, it just gets stupid. You leave the awesome realistic CGI experience and instead go room-to-room with dressed up characters to collect ingredients for a potion that will help us get home and escape the consequences for killing a witch. There’s no more CGI at that point, nothing that will blow your mind, just dressed up college students teasing the children that came to play. It was just as lame and boring as the London Dungeon. At least Shrek’s Adventure is child-friendly so someone could benefit from the silly actors. At the end of the cheesy adventure, there are oversized statues of other familiar DreamWorks characters for little photo-ops, since you’re not allowed to have your phones on during the adventure. We breezed right past the shrieking children and escaped the frenzy  that is Shrek’s Adventure.

In addition to the poor quality of the entire attraction, my experience was also soured by realizing how obnoxious parents are. Each parent desperately wanted their child to be the one to get chosen as part of a skit. They had to see their child hold the special note that was to be passed to the princess in the next room. No phones were allowed. We did not touch our phones, we knew the rules. Who got in trouble for using their phones? The parents. Parents blatantly disregarded rules to text or try to take pictures of their perfect children. Your children see you. They will think that it’s okay, and then you’ll wonder why they get detention for insubordinate attitudes in 8th grade. The parents at Shrek’s Adventure didn’t need to push their kids up to the front and steal pictures for their happy children, they needed to for themselves. Selfish people.

In summary, parents are annoying and Shrek’s Adventure is lame. It could have been great, in the same way Disneyworld is enjoyed by adults and children alike, but it’s not. Steer clear unless you have children and you think it’s something you have to do for them while you’re visiting London. And spoiler alert: it’s not.

Shrek’s Adventure
Riverside Building
Westminster Bridge Road
London SE1 7PB

Hi all. Well, I’m still lazing around Rome. It’s beautiful here, but I’m definitely missing clean and pretty London! To combat my homesickness, I’m taking the opportunity, while I eat another pastry and drink another cappuccino, to reminisce about my recent visit to the Portrait Restaurant.

I had been to the National Portrait Gallery’s third floor restaurant before, and once again, it’s left me excited for my next visit. Here’s why:

First, a visit to the National Portrait Gallery and the Portrait Restaurant makes for a perfect day. You get to wander around or show visitors amazing works of art, old and new, check out unique book and gift shops, then cap it off with an amazing meal in a beautiful restaurant. Rain or shine, this is a great activity for out-of-town guests, a solo adventure, a first date, or something different with your girlfriends. It does not disappoint.

I’ve already given the National Portrait Gallery a huge “do” in a previous post, so I’m going to skip right to why the restaurant is so spectacular. The panoramic view spans the entire length of the restaurant, offering up London’s biggest attractions all from the comfort of your dining table. Right from your seat, you can see Big Ben, the London Eye, and Nelson’s Column, among other beautiful buildings and structures. This view really is a show-stopper and will wow even the most jaded of residents.

After you take in the view, you’ll be extremely pleased with the quality of the restaurant itself. The decor is modern, clean, and crisp. It has the tendency to seem a little sterile, however, so I highly recommend they up their fresh flowers game for some splashes of color and turn on some pleasant music. Otherwise, it feels a little gray (the typical London sky doesn’t help). But it is sleek and nice, as is the well-dressed staff. Everyone is very helpful and professional, making the restaurant and view really feel like a treat!

You will be very pleased with the food. I have enjoyed all different cocktails including their tasty Bellini. My first experience was for lunch, which did not disappoint, but my most recent was for a traditional Afternoon Tea. My sister and her friend said that this was the highlight of their visit to London! Kudos to the Portrait Restaurant for these high honors! (Their second favorite activity was the Jason’s Trip boat ride to Camden Market–both the ride and market have previous positive reviews on LondonChecklist.org that you can check out).

The tea was lovely. I sipped the Bellini and their house special tea and snacked on the impressive tiered tray of traditional goodies. And I have to add, the best scones I have ever had. The tea is served from 3:30-4:30 and is one of London’s most reasonably priced. Coming in at £32.50 (with the Bellini) you get a high-quality, full service tea, without the price tag that other big-hitters, such as the Ritz, attach to the same meal. This is a great value for a great Afternoon Tea. Every resident and visitor must experience an English Afternoon Tea at least once, and in my opinion, this is where to do it.

So, if you’re in town for a short while, or living in London looking for a way to spend your day, head to the Portrait Restaurant for a lovely tea or lunch experience. The view is amazing and the quality of the food and service is top-notch. Pop in to the National Portrait Gallery rooms before or after to really make this an experience to remember! Enjoy!

Portrait Restaurant 
National Portrait Gallery
St. Martin’s Place
London WC2H 0HE

The National Portrait Gallery, located just around the corner for the National Gallery, is my favorite museum in London. It is the perfect size, kept interesting with six yearly exhibitions, and offers a great restaurant and unique gift shops. The National Portrait Gallery originally paved the way for the art world’s portrait exhibitions, opening in 1856 as the world’s first portrait museum. I definitely recommend a visit to this little piece of history.

The gallery holds portraits of famous, influential and historical figures, brought to life in many mediums. The works range from 16th century paintings of notable men and women of Britain’s history all the way up to present day figures, making the experience great for all types of art lovers. The mix of British war heroes and pop culture stars keeps each room unique, fresh, and interesting.

The building itself follows that same formula. The gallery rooms are traditional with ornate moulding, rich wall colors, and decorative frames. The central areas of the National Portrait Gallery, however, are much more modern. The long staircase and escalator are a focal point of the main lobby, and bring you up to a bookshop loft or the open second and third art levels. This sharp area of the building is a work of art itself with unique, clean lines and architecture.

 

The book store is pretty great. I’ve purchased travel, art, kids, and fashion books for birthday and Christmas gifts. There is enough variety at reasonable prices to make it a great spot for a keepsake. If you’re not looking for books, you can head to the main gift shop, located near the entrance. There you will find a little bit of everything–clothing, accessories, prints, pencils, umbrellas, coasters–and much, much more.

Between the amazing temporary and permanent collections, the beautiful building to explore, the noteworthy shops, and the amazing top floor restaurant (which I will detail in a later post), you can really make a day of London’s National Portrait Gallery. It’s the pretty little sister to the National Gallery, right there in Trafalgar Square. Head to one of the most grand areas of London and find your way to one of the city’s best museums!

National Portrait Gallery
St. Martin’s Place
London WC2H 0HE
 

This one is an easy must-do for all ages and all price ranges! The iconic department store, Harrods, has the best food hall in town. The grand building holds room after room of decadent goodies and gourmet masterpieces that leave you staring at the glass like a kid at a candy shop window. 



I bring most guests to this show stopper, and half the time, I don’t even buy anything! Just looking is a satisfaction in itself! And, boy, is there something for everyone. 

One of the first rooms holds beautifully crafted chocolates and high-end teas. It’s the perfect spot for purchasing a gift to bring pack to the country you hail from, or to have a quick nibble to satisfy a little sweet craving. 

In the next room, you’ll find the prepared food section. Every type of food you could dream up is in there, perfectly cooked, decorated, arranged and packaged in the curved glass cases. There are casual items, like croissants and other pastries to grab with a quick coffee, or beef jerky loose and ready to be scooped into a container of your preferred size. Then there are the fancy, amazing, Instagrammer’s dream items, like rainbow-colored terrines, shiny fruit and custard tarts, and flawless cakes. And then there’s the cheese. So much cheese!

If you don’t get lost in that last room, you can check out the produce area. There are basic and unusual fruits and vegetables, all perfectly placed, ripened, and round, stacked in charming baskets and bins. The entire room has the aromatic scent of the fresh flowers that are sold along one wall. The other shelves are filled with more biscuits and teas, nuts, and specialty gifts. 

The last room you’ll visit in the Harrods Food Hall is the meat and seafood section. A culinary artist’s dream, Harrods has a perfect variety of beautifully weighed cuts to make for an amazing cooking experience. I need to make Harrods the grocery destination for all of my special occasion cooking experiences.  I haven’t yet, always thinking of it as a luxury spot to visit, ignoring how helpful it could be when looking for high-quality ingredients, but that’s about to change. 

In addition to all that good stuff, you can take a break from walking or shopping and grab a snack or a drink at one of their many bar/restaurants. Like they needed more! Be prepared to be paralyzed by choice!

So, as you can see, Harrods is more than just a pretty face with an expensive wardrobe. Their motto has always been “All Things for All People, Everwhere,” and that definitely holds up in the Food Hall. Everyone can appreciate and attain something to call their own from behind the glass at the Food Hall. It’s special, inclusive, and worth the trip! Enjoy!

Harrods Food Hall
87-135 Brompton Road
London SW1X 7XL

Hi Londoners! I hope you’re all enjoying this fabulous weekend. I really don’t think we could have asked for a better one with constant sun, high temperatures and a refreshing breeze. My sister and a friend are in town, so I’ve been playing tour guide, as per usual. The great weather has been a huge relief for our itinerary that has included some of my favorite outdoor activities. We’ve taken a canal ride, wandered through Camden and Borough markets, explored Hampton Court Palace, and just enjoyed the city’s scenery in general. As the two girls are exploring the Tower Bridge Exhibition (a previous London Checklist Do!) right now, I’m sunning along the bridge, taking this peaceful opportunity to tell you about last night’s dinner at the delicious Kurobuta!

This was my first visit to the King’s Road Kurobuta. From the outside, it looks like a low-key casual bar/restaurant. Inside, it was more lively than I expected, with excited patrons enjoying sake bombs, which kept inadvertently waking up the dining crowd. The servers were cool and upbeat, keeping with the great energy. The menu was sassy and fun. There was nothing dull about Kurobuta, which made it the perfect venue for our girls night out. 

I wouldn’t describe it as casual, necessarily, more like chill. No fuss decor and service. Almost minimalist like you would find a bachelor pad or an art gallery. Sexy with dim lighting, and kept interesting with mixed decor of different textures, dark colors and edgy artwork. It’s an easy place to slip right in for a weeknight dinner or plan ahead for a Friday night date. It ticks all the boxes.

The service was so lax, but given the vibe of the place, I was okay with it. We had ordered a bottle of wine, and at some point it was dropped at our table. We didn’t even notice the server bring it by, because we are used to a legitimate wine presentation. This was actually the first time in my life that a bottle was just dropped like that. I’ve had tastings been skipped before, but the server has always at least poured. Even though it was very strange, and we all noticed this before discussing, it really didn’t bother me that much given the place. Plus, with the quality of the food, it would take a lot to rile me.

Onto the food. Everything we had was fabulous.  We were unsure of the Kurobuta portion sizes (or our appetites after pre-gaming with a giant cheese plate and prosecco at the house) so we started with just a few things to share. The grilled aubergine, shrimp tempura maki, and tuna sashimi pizza. They were all delicious. The tuna pizza was much smaller than expected, and so tasty, that I would recommend for any small party sharing to order two right off the bat. We were still hungry with those small teasers, so we threw in two more items which came out surprisingly fast. The spicy tuna maki and the pumpkin tempura. Both, again, amazing. The girls agreed on the pumpkin for their favorite dish, for me, it was the eggplant (aubergine). Really, though, it doesn’t appear that you could go wrong with any dish at Kurobuta.

We left full and happy, especially after owing under £30 each. Reasonable prices for outstanding food. I definitely recommend Kurobuta on King’s Road and cannot wait to go back and try their other locations! Go see for yourself and enjoy!
Kurobuta Chelsea
312 King’s Road
London SW3 5UH

In between all of my eating and drinking, I find myself needing a recharge. Sometimes it’s to not feel like America’s Next Top AA Candidate, sometimes it’s to shrink my waste line super-fast, and other times it’s to trick my skin into thinking it’s still in its twenties. We all have our reasons, and whatever yours may be that has gotten you to the point of Googling cleanses, Google no further and head straight to plenishcleanse.com.

I found this London-based cleanse company on Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle site, Goop. I trust the site to know what they’re talking about in the health world, and was pleased when they were able to narrow down my juice hunt to five different companies. From there, I crowned Plenish the winner after deciding I like the priced point, first time buyer’s discount, website, packaging, program details, etc. I purchased my first cleanse and have since been back for several more. Let me take you through what you can expect.

I opted for the three day cleanse because I am a sane person that needs to eat. I would not recommend anything longer than that if you are just starting out. I also would start with the Level One. It was perfect for a first-timer. 

My three day package, which worked out to about £50.00 a day, was delivered on time in a nicely insulated box. It came with 18 juices, a manual with some motivational words and recipes, and a glass straw. The packaging was adorable and I got very excited lining them all up in the fridge, preparing for the new me. 

A few days prior to a cleanse, it’s recommended you prep your body by hydrating and cutting out caffeine and alcohol. I found the entire cleanse very tolerable, aside from the lack of caffeine. I never knew I was that addicted until the excruciating mid-afternoon caffeine headaches. Other than that, it was a pretty lovely experience. I felt full the entire time since you get a juice every two hours. You don’t really have enough time to even recognize hunger pangs. There’s a longer stretch in the evening, but if you make it through that, you’re rewarded with your heaviest nut milk, which allows you to sleep like a baby. That milk is so delicious, I’ve purchased it on its own as a meal replacement and to add to oatmeal. You do have a few moments when you’re consumed by an oral fixation and just want to chew, but those moments pass, and overall, you’ll be satisfied with the Plenish cleanse and its slimming results.

By the end of cleanse day three, I felt skinny, healthy, weak, and like my body was eating itself. It was a very strange mix of feeling alive and dead at the same. This is why I don’t recommend going past day three. 

So why do I recommend a cleanse at all? I look at it like a reset for my body. After three caffeine-less days, once day four rolled around, I only needed one small cappuccino–compared to my usual four! I had a concave stomach and my skin glowing from an overdose of fresh veggies and water. My body was forgiving me for trashing it around Christmas and giving me permission to go abuse it again in France.

We are now in Greece, and since I didn’t have a lot of time to prep, cut things out, and miss social events to drink juice in solitude, I purchased a one day cleanse. Again, it was a lovely reset. I do have to say that Level Two was noticeably more challenging. I was a little hungrier and a little weaker, but once again, my efforts paid off. 



Plenish has never let me down and I’m collecting glass straws faster than the kids are catching Bulbasaurs in Pokemon Go. (Not me, I swear.) Anywho, I feel great and will continue resetting and recharging with Plenish. If you’re looking for a tested, Goop and London Checklist-verified cleanse, look no further and enjoy!

Plenish 
plenishcleanse.com