Where to Eat in London
There’s nowhere in the world we’d rather spend 48 hours than in London, but perhaps we’re biased. After all, it is the spiritual home of fry-ups, Sunday roasts and pubs – all things we’re rather partial to – not to mention amazing museums, beautiful green spaces and a roll-call of incredible music events. You might think you’d barely scratch the surface during a 48-hour trip to London, but with our tips, you’ll tick off all the essentials.
London has rightfully become one of the culinary capitals of the world, attracting some of the greatest chefs on the planet. While there’s a buzzy restaurant scene of new openings, with an incredible range of different cuisines on offer, there’s also delicious local fare to be discovered, too, and a lot of it you can find at our pubs.
Where to go for breakfast
Breakfast is an institution in London. Whether it’s a bowl of cereal at home, a hastily eaten bacon sarnie en route to work or a Full English taken leisurely with a copy of the day’s paper, there’s no denying that it’s very much treated as an art form.
Head to The Princess Royal in Notting Hill for an elevated take on classic English breakfast dishes: from scrambled Burford Browns with wild mushrooms, parmesan and autumn truffle, to the breakfast sandwich with chorizo, pancetta, spicy ketchup and a fried egg on focaccia. Those with a sweet tooth should try the ricotta pancakes with caramelised orange and honey butter. Feeling a little worse for wear? Get an ‘eye opener’ down you – the pub’s playful take on the hair of the dog, with mimosas, bellinis and of course, bloody Marys.
Meanwhile, The Orange in Belgravia is doing something a little different. Inspired by the Mediterranean, chef Ben Tish has concocted a menu of sun-drenched dishes that can be cooked in the wood-fired pizza oven. Think breakfast flatbreads with an Italian take on a Full English (fennel sausage and pancetta) or a sweet option with blood orange marmalade, stracciatella and mint.
Don’t miss iconic Sunday Roasts on weekend getaways to London
One cannot simply go on a weekend getaway to London and not have a Sunday Roast –otherwise, did you really visit London? Comprising meat (usually chicken, beef or lamb), crispy roasties, English veg (carrots, parsnips, cabbage, peas), lashings of gravy and Yorkshire puddings (with everything if you’re north of Watford, only with beef if you’re not), it’s best to come wearing your elasticated waistband.
In Marylebone, two of our pubs, The Coach Makers Arms and The Grazing Goat, proudly serve one of the best Sunday roasts in London. One thing you should know about roasts is that each meat comes with its own accoutrements. Case in point: on the menu at The Coach Makers Arms, the pork belly is served with spiced quince apple sauce, the beef with horseradish créme fraïche, lamb rump with mint sauce and chicken with bread sauce. We love to add loads of sides too, so don’t forget to ask for the cauliflower cheese and winter cabbage with black kale and preserved lemon.
Meanwhile, at The Grazing Goat, expect sourdough stuffing with your chicken, and veggies will be well served by the root vegetable and truffle honey pithivier with truffle gravy. Make sure you’ve got room for pudding too – sticky toffee is traditional for a reason.
If you’re in Mayfair, then The Barley Mow’s restaurant offers something slightly more elevated, befitting its location. Think braised lamb shoulder with caper sauce, slow-cooked pork belly with black pudding and gratin dauphinoise potatoes and roasted root vegetables
Sunset rooftop drinks
What London might lack in skyscrapers, it makes up for in rooftops, with the sunset view just as good from the third or fourth floor as it is from the 103rd or 104th, in our opinion. On a clear day, there’s nothing better than sundowners from the rooftop of The Orange in Belgravia, which has recently been renovated. Match your tipple to the sunset with a blood orange margarita, and don’t forget snacks – the stuffed gordal olives are next level. Feeling super peckish? The Orange specialises in pizzas cooked to order in its wood-fired pizza oven, with fun flavour combinations like smoked anchovies, potato and taleggio, or mortadella and pistachio.
Where to Stay in London
London has it all: five-star Grand Dames, cool new designer hotels and of course, pubs with rooms. The latter in particular has seen an explosion in popularity in recent years, thanks to a host of forward-thinking publicans offering not only great food, but also stylish and comfy rooms. After all, what’s more appealing than being able to simply amble upstairs after a pub grub dinner? Three of our pubs offer bedrooms: The Princess Royal Pub & Boutique Hotel in Notting Hill, The Grazing Goat Pub & Boutique Hotel in Marylebone and the newly reopened The Orange Pub & Boutique Hotel in Belgravia.
All are ideally located for exploring some of London’s most famous neighbourhoods, with a plethora of shops, museums and galleries on our doorsteps. Featuring beautiful modern interior design and with all the necessary mod-cons, including Roberts radios, in-room treatments and botanical toiletries by local artisans 100 Acres, there’s nowhere better to rest your head for the night in our humble opinion. Bonus point: the barman will know your name and your order by the end of the weekend.
Three of our pubs offer bedrooms: The Princess Royal Pub & Boutique Hotel in Notting Hill, The Grazing Goat Pub & Boutique Hotel in Marylebone and the newly reopened The Orange Pub & Boutique Hotel in Belgravia. All are ideally located for exploring some of London’s most famous neighbourhoods, with a plethora of shops, museums and galleries on our doorsteps. Featuring beautiful modern interior design and with all the necessary mod-cons, including Roberts radios, in-room treatments and botanical toiletries by local artisans 100 Acres, there’s nowhere better to rest your head for the night in our humble opinion. Bonus point: the barman will know your name and your order by the end of the weekend.
Local Neighbourhoods to explore
Made world-famous by the Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts rom-com of the same name, Notting Hill is a vintage shopping paradise, with the market at Portobello Road being particularly good for fashion and antiques. It’s great for capturing a bit of Instagram content, too, with plenty of gorgeous pastel-hued houses. If you’re looking for a bit of culture, the Electric Cinema is the sort with comfy armchairs and wine, while the Notting Hill Arts Club is an institution for a reason.
Also in West London, you’ll find Chelsea, known for its well-heeled residents, as well as the red-uniformed Chelsea Pensioners, annual Chelsea Flower Show and designer shops on Sloane Street. The Kings Road is home to lots of great British brands having their original flagships here, like Trotters, Rixo and The White Company. Pont Street is also worth a wander, if only to see handbag designer Anya Hindmarch’s fantastic street of shops dubbed ‘The Village’, which boasts a café, village hall and blowdry bar.
Jump on the 22 bus to get from Chelsea to Mayfair, which boasts the theatres of the West End, the British Museum, National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery within walking distance. The Bakerloo line will take you from Oxford Circus to Marylebone, which kids in particular will love. After all, it’s not only the home of Sherlock Holmes, but it’s also got the London Planetarium and Madame Tussauds, while London Zoo isn’t far away either.
Be sure to visit our Cubitt House Central London pubs on your city break – book a table to guarantee a spot, especially for a Sunday roast, or spend the night, or two, with us and unwind, eat, drink and be merry!
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