20230317_110515Colorful Notting Hill (March 2023)

Last spring, I returned to Europe after over three years since living there and after over three years since the worst of the COVID pandemic. I spent two and a half weeks in England and France, starting with the former to visit my friend and to explore more of the country. I started in the capital of London, where I stayed for a week to hang out with my friend, sightsee the city, and eat/drink to my heart’s content.

This was my second trip to London: I’d last visited over eight years ago when I was still living in Europe, and unfortunately, I had a too-short and rushed experience– I was 22 years old, and I’d visited in the winter with less daylight hours and an abysmal euro-pound ratio. That said, I was determined not to repeat the same mistakes, and so I planned to go in the springtime during my birthday month when luckily, the dollar-pound ratio was more-favorable.

I had a smooth, 10-hour flight from Los Angeles (in which I had a full seat row to myself!) before landing in London Heathrow in the late afternoon, local time. I took the Tube into the city center to meet my friend, “E,” at her flat; I would be staying with her and her husband for four nights, which was really kind of them. It was already evening by the time I made it to her flat, so we just grabbed Korean food at a nearby restaurant and turned in afterwards.

20230315_225532A whole row to myself on the airplane!

We started the sightseeing the next day– rather, I just followed E around, as she’d been living in London for the last few years and offered to show me around town. I’d already seen many of the main sites during my first visit to London, so this time, it was a matter of seeing the places I hadn’t seen yet, as well as some smaller, less-notable ones. After grabbing some incredible takeaway pastries and chai at a nearby café, we caught the iconic double-decker bus over to Notting Hill, a vibrant neighborhood with a history of cheap rent and artists. Today, it’s an affluent and fashionable area with plenty of fancy bars and restaurants to enjoy the day in.

It began drizzling as we walked over to Portobello Road, the main street of Notting Hill, before it started to pour! Definitely a “welcome to England” moment, but we braved the weather with umbrellas as we strolled the street of colorful buildings and boutique shops and restaurants along the way. We even saw a huge poster for the 1999 film Notting Hill, starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, at one of the souvenir stores. We also popped into a few mews and checked out a few of the smaller streets, lined with a rainbow of colorful homes as well.

20230317_112130Portobello Road in Notting Hill

The rain still let on, and we decided to head somewhere dry. E took us to one of the tea rooms for an afternoon tea experience: I love a good afternoon tea, and I knew I had to try it in jolly, ol’ England. We went to a small and cozy tea room, where actually, we went for the cream tea experience. Instead of having the three-tiered selection of scones, sandwiches, and cakes, we opted for a humbler scone-and-tea time. E actually recommended cream tea, as most people tend to go just for the scones– the sandwiches and (especially) the cakes are reputed to be not as good. It was a wise choice, as the scones with the clotted cream and jam were delightful, and I wasn’t in the mood to eat more, since we would be having a big dinner afterwards.

20230317_123835Cream tea

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the eye-catching Neal’s Yard (a small courtyard filled with shops and restaurants), Seven Dials, and Covent Garden– by that time, the rain had ceased and the sun came out. People– locals and tourists alike– were out and about, enjoying the sliver of sunshine with pints and small bites on the terrasses. Definitely all about that pub life here!

20230317_135422Neal’s Yard

20230317_142139Inside Covent Garden

Just before dinner, we grabbed a few drinks at the Radio Rooftop Bar near Covent Garden: it’s located at the top of a seemingly unassuming office building, but it offered lovely *free-ish* views of London (so long as you buy a drink). It was still early, so there weren’t many patrons about, but I was informed that it gets busy and crowded once sunset arrives and the city comes alive at night.

20230317_152425Views from the Radio Rooftop Bar

In Covent Garden, we got dinner at the famous Dishoom, an Indian-inspired restaurant that’s well-renown. I say “Indian-inspired,” because it was founded by British Indians in 2010 and was inspired by the Irani cafés in Mumbai. So it’s a blend of the Iranian and Indian cultures that today makes it the most-popular Indian-inspired restaurant in all of the UK. We ordered a small spread of okra fries, biryani, and daal, which were all very tasty. I’d been curious in trying Dishoom, and E ended up surprising me by taking me here!

20230317_161549Food at Dishoom (biryani, okra fries, and daal)

That evening, I went with E and her husband to a comedy show in Camden. It was a lot of fun winding down at the end of an exhausting day of sightseeing with a drink and a few laughs. It also happened to be Saint Patrick’s Day, so the bar in which the comedy show was had a ton of patrons enjoying pints and also the occasional Irish song blasting inside. We left as a mosh pit was starting to form with a bunch of drunken folks and took an Uber back to the flat. It was a long, but fun first day out in London with my friends, and I needed to recharge for another full day in town.

More of my London adventures to come soon. Until then!

— Rebecca

Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

76 thoughts on “Destination: London, England (Notting Hill, Covent Garden, and Indian Food– DAY 1)”

  2. Ah drizzly old grey London, how I miss you so. Looks like your trip got off to a good start Rebecca with some unmissable neighbourhoods and essential culinary experiences. I haven’t tried out Dishoom, but as you may recall Indian food is my absolute favourite so I surely must try it someday.

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  3. We loved Dishroom back when we were in London, it was worth waiting in line for. Somehow we got lucky with beautiful weather there when we were walking through Notting Hill and Kensington. Seems unheard of these days to have a full row to yourself on an international flight!

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    1. You got lucky, indeed! Rain was on-and-off during my time in London, but that didn’t stop me from exploring! I was fortunate I had a whole row to myself on the flight; I think it was because I flew on a weekday (Wednesday, precisely), that there weren’t many passengers on board!

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  5. Sounds like a great day in London despite the rain.On my first ever visit to London my best friend and I went looking for the bookshop from the Notting Hill movie.

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    1. That’s awesome! Notting Hill is such a charming part of London. Haven’t seen the film, but after visiting, I’m keen on watching it! Thanks for stopping by, Tanja 😊

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  14. Sounds like a fun day despite the rain 🙂 As a Londoner I know most of the places you describe very well, but I have to confess I never heard of the Radio Rooftop Bar – I’ll have to check that out!

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    1. I hadn’t heard of Radio Rooftop Bar until my friend introduced me to it. Lovely, local spot to enjoy a drink and view London from the top! Thanks for reading the first installment, Sarah!

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  16. These are such beautiful photos, Rebecca – they make me want to visit London again, especially as it’s been a while since my last time. I am glad to see you had a wonderful time in the city(despite the rainy weather which is unavoidable on the British Isles) and seeing a friend. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Thanks, Aiva! I hadn’t been back to London in such a long time, and it was great finally returning after so long. More of my adventures in England and France coming soon; they’ll take this blog until the summer!!

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    1. Absolutely! Cream tea is simple, but delicious. First day in London was rainy, but lots of fun wandering such picturesque spots like Notting Hill and Covent Garden. More of my adventures to come soon!

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  24. Sounds like you had a great time in London. What I remember from my visit to the UK capital back in 2007 was how expensive everything was compared to cities in continental Europe. Luckily, some things were free, like the National Gallery which I absolutely enjoyed. That drizzle though.

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    1. The UK is a lot more expensive than the countries on continental Europe (that blasted pound)! Thankfully, there are some free sites to check out– and of course, you can’t beat the free views of the city along the Thames!

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  29. I have never been to London but would like to visit someday! Nothing Hill is on my list! I would love to have tea in London as well. My husbands mum is from Birmingham, England and his late father is from Surrey. Although my husband was born and raised in the States he was brought up with drinking tea, a tradition we both enjoyed.

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    1. With your husband’s family from England, it’s all the more reason to head there! Hope you can make it there some day and enjoy the essence of British culture– tea and scones included!

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  30. I was in London back in 1998 and 1999. Skies were grey. And so was everything else… except Notting Hill. Even stopped by and searched aimlessly (lol) for the “blue door” from the movie Notting Hill, with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant…

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    1. True! It isn’t England without rain! I was fortunate to have a whole row to myself on the plane ride over, and overall, I had a good time in London!

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    1. I also had a rushed experience during my first visit years ago, so it was nice to return and take my time seeing more of the sights and attractions. Hope you can return soon to explore more of London!

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