Let me help you take the guesswork out of your planning. My wife and I took our babymoon in London about 2 months before Preston was born. Here is the DETAILED itinerary from that memorable English long weekend of history, food, and afternoon tea! I’ve also included a list of the top 141 restaurants in the Queens land! Thank you, Allison, for all of your help planning this unforgettable trip (Thank your friend for us too!).
March 1: Fly to London
2: London
3: London
4: London
5: London
6: London /Fly to Chicago
1st: Fly to London
United Flight UA 938 from Chicago
Depart: 9:15 pm (03/01) ORD
Arrival: 11:05 am (03/02) LHR
6th: Fly to Chicago
United UA959 from London
Depart: 3:25 pm LHR
Arrival: 6:25 pm ORD
2th-6th: London
Gorgeous Central Luxury Apartment with Henry
10 Craven Street Flat 6, Greater London, WC2N 5PE, United Kingdom
44 7482 158077
Checkin: 2:00 pm
Checkout: 10:00 am
-Check-in at the Airbnb: Sleeping is for the dogs! Get exploring!
-Take a stroll through the nearby Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden Market Square. Watch street performers embarrass your spouse.
-Eat Spanish tapas at Barrafina.
-Stroll through the streets of London until you fall asleep.
-Visit the free British Museum and grab an audio tour guide to see the Rosetta Stone and statue representations of Hugh Grant from each of his ironic romantic comedies (not true) under an hour. -Shop at Harrods Dept. Store and Oxford Street.
-Sip a cocktail at Rules Restaurant (one of London’s oldest restaurant from 1798).
-Eat dinner at Ivy Restaurant: Look for English politicians and celebrities.
-Grab an after-dinner drink at the skyscraper, The Shard, to see London alive at night.
-Eat an early breakfast at NOPI.
-Watch the changing of the guard at the Buckingham Palace at 11:00 am and stroll through St. James Park and Kensington Gardens.
-Walk around Parliament Square and observe Big Ben looking down on the protestors. So judgmental! Too bad your name isn’t really Ben!
-Take the audio tour in Churchhill's War Rooms.
-Enjoy Afternoon Tea at the Savoy (Thames Foyer): Make reservations ahead of time and prepare your tiny fingers for little tea cups, sandwiches, and sweet goodies.
-You’re dressed up and ready for a night out! Go to see ‘Wicked’ or another musical in the Piccadilly Circus area.
-Grab breakfast at Dean Street Townhouse and then a walking cup of Monmouth Coffee.
-Sign up for a free 45 minute Beefeater tour with the men in red at the Tower of London. No samples of gin apparently. See the royal jewels and remind your loved one of your upcoming birthday. Take a look at the London Bridge and wonder why you thought the other bridge was the London Bridge.
-Visit the Tate Modern Art Gallery.
-Head to Lamb and Flag Pub for bangers and a beer (the favorite watering hole of Charles Dickens from the 1700s).
-Explore Covent Garden until you find an antique map store. Purchase geographic representations of England, France, and Spain from the early 1700s for your son’s nursery/man cave. Continue exploring the surrounding neighborhoods.
-Eat dinner at the Italian indulgence, Bocca Di Lupo, and sneak across the street for gelato.
-Grab an after-dinner cocktail at the Ham Yard Hotel.
-Grab a quick bite near the Airbnb.
-Take a tour of the Westminster Abbey: Arrive early to avoid long lines or attend the Choir Evensong at 3:00 pm on Sunday instead.
-Fly home!
28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen
8 Hoxton Square (sis of 10 Greek St)
Amaya (Indian)
Anchor & Hope (gastropub)
Andina (Peruvian)
Bar Boulud (French American)
Barbecoa (Jamie Oliver's, meat)
Barnyard (meat)
Barrafina (Spanish, sis of Fino)
Berners Tavern (British)
Bistrotheque (European)
Bocca Di Lupo (Italian)
Brindisa, London Bridge (Spanish)
Bubble Dogs (hot dogs & champers)
Bull & Last (gastropub)
Busaba Eathai (Thai)
Ceviche (Peruvian)
Cecconi's (Italian)
Chiltern Firehouse (European)
City Social
Coq d'Argent (French)
Dabbous (British/ burgers)
Dean Street Townhouse (British)
Dinner by Heston (British)
Ducksoup (wine bar)
Eight-over-eight (Asian) Ember Yard (basque tapas)
Fino (Spanish)
Flat Iron (cheap steak)
Flesh & Buns (Asian)
Four Seasons (roast duck)
Foxlow (steak, owners of Hawksmoor)
Galvin at Windows (French)
Granger & Co (Aussie brunch)
Gymkhana (Indian)
Hakkasan (Chinese)
Hawksmoor (steak & burgers)
Hereford St (gastropub)
Honey & Co (Middle Eastern)
Honest Burgers
Hummus Bros (Middle Eastern)
Iberica (Spanish)
Il Baretto (Italian)
Jin Kichi (Japanese, Hamstead)
Kitchen Table (private dining)
Koffmans (British)
Koba (Korean)
Kopaya (tapas)
Koya (Japanese)
Kurobata (Japanese, sis of Nobu)
La Bodega Negra (Mexican)
La Petite Maison (French)
Latium (Italian)
Lantana (Aussie brunch)
Le Poulet au Pot (French)
L'Entrecote (French steak)
Lima (Peruvian)
Little Social (French)
Lupita (Mexican)
Lyle's (degustation)
Mandarin Kitchen (lobster noodles)
Meat Liquor (steak/burgers)
Medlar (French)
Mele e Pere (Italian)
Mien Tay (Vietnamese)
Momo (African)
Morito (tapas, next door to Moro)
Moro (tapas)
NOPI (Israeli)
Ottolenghi (Isreali)
Patty & Bun (burgers)
Pitt Cue Co (BBQ)
Pizza Pilgrims
Pollen Street Social (British)
Polpo (Italian)
Polpetto (Italian, sis rest of Polpo)
Providores (tapas)
Red Bull Expert (Argentinian steak)
Riding House Cafe (brunch)
Roka (Japanese)
Royal China (dim sum)
Salt Yard (Spanish)
Scott's (seafood)
Señor Ceviche (Peruvian)
Signor Sassi (Italian)
Smiths of Smithfield (meat)
Social Eating House (British)
Song Que (Vietnamese)
Spuntino (Italian)
St John (British)
Story (degustation)
Sumosan (Japanese)
Sushisamba (Peruvian Japanese)
Sushi Tetsu (Japanese)
Tay Do (Vietnamese - Sammy's rest)
Tayyabs (Indian)
Terroirs (French wine bar)
Texture (European/ Scandinavian)
The Eagle (gastropub, Farringdon)
The Garrison (gastropub)
The Grazing Goat (gastropub)
The Ledbury (French)
The Palomar (Israeli)
The Punch Bowl (gastropub)
The Square (French)
Trishna (Indian)
Trullo (Italian)
Typing Room (British)
Ukai (sushi)
Vinoteca (wine bar)
Yalla Yalla (Middle Eastern)
Yauatcha (Chinese)
Zafferano, Knightsbridge (Italian)
Zoilo (Argentinian tapas)
Zuma (Japanese)
Zucca (Italian)
The Riding House Cafe
The Breakfast Club
Duck & Waffle
Towpath
Dishoom
Ottolenghi
NOPI
Jackson & Rye
Kopapa
Providores
Lantana
Granger & Co Workshop Coffee Co, Clerkenwell
Village East, Bermondsey
Electric Diner, Portobello Rd
Tom's Kitchen, Chelsea
Sunday Cafe, Islington
Caravan, Kings Cross or Exmouth
Honey & Co, Fitzrovia
Quo Vadis, Soho
Plum & Spilt Milk, Kings Cross
Kin Cafe, Fitzrovia
Curators Coffee Gallery
General Itinerary
March 1: Fly to London
2: London
3: London
4: London
5: London
6: London /Fly to Chicago
Flights
1st: Fly to London
United Flight UA 938 from Chicago
Depart: 9:15 pm (03/01) ORD
Arrival: 11:05 am (03/02) LHR
6th: Fly to Chicago
United UA959 from London
Depart: 3:25 pm LHR
Arrival: 6:25 pm ORD
Stays/Airbnbs
2th-6th: London
Gorgeous Central Luxury Apartment with Henry
10 Craven Street Flat 6, Greater London, WC2N 5PE, United Kingdom
44 7482 158077
Checkin: 2:00 pm
Checkout: 10:00 am
Specific Itinerary for Each Day
Day 1 Thursday
-Check-in at the Airbnb: Sleeping is for the dogs! Get exploring!
-Take a stroll through the nearby Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden Market Square. Watch street performers embarrass your spouse.
-Eat Spanish tapas at Barrafina.
-Stroll through the streets of London until you fall asleep.
Day 2 Friday
-Visit the free British Museum and grab an audio tour guide to see the Rosetta Stone and statue representations of Hugh Grant from each of his ironic romantic comedies (not true) under an hour. -Shop at Harrods Dept. Store and Oxford Street.
-Sip a cocktail at Rules Restaurant (one of London’s oldest restaurant from 1798).
-Eat dinner at Ivy Restaurant: Look for English politicians and celebrities.
-Grab an after-dinner drink at the skyscraper, The Shard, to see London alive at night.
Day 3 Saturday
-Eat an early breakfast at NOPI.
-Watch the changing of the guard at the Buckingham Palace at 11:00 am and stroll through St. James Park and Kensington Gardens.
-Walk around Parliament Square and observe Big Ben looking down on the protestors. So judgmental! Too bad your name isn’t really Ben!
-Take the audio tour in Churchhill's War Rooms.
-Enjoy Afternoon Tea at the Savoy (Thames Foyer): Make reservations ahead of time and prepare your tiny fingers for little tea cups, sandwiches, and sweet goodies.
-You’re dressed up and ready for a night out! Go to see ‘Wicked’ or another musical in the Piccadilly Circus area.
Day 4 Sunday
-Grab breakfast at Dean Street Townhouse and then a walking cup of Monmouth Coffee.
-Sign up for a free 45 minute Beefeater tour with the men in red at the Tower of London. No samples of gin apparently. See the royal jewels and remind your loved one of your upcoming birthday. Take a look at the London Bridge and wonder why you thought the other bridge was the London Bridge.
-Visit the Tate Modern Art Gallery.
-Head to Lamb and Flag Pub for bangers and a beer (the favorite watering hole of Charles Dickens from the 1700s).
-Explore Covent Garden until you find an antique map store. Purchase geographic representations of England, France, and Spain from the early 1700s for your son’s nursery/man cave. Continue exploring the surrounding neighborhoods.
-Eat dinner at the Italian indulgence, Bocca Di Lupo, and sneak across the street for gelato.
-Grab an after-dinner cocktail at the Ham Yard Hotel.
Day 5 Monday
-Grab a quick bite near the Airbnb.
-Take a tour of the Westminster Abbey: Arrive early to avoid long lines or attend the Choir Evensong at 3:00 pm on Sunday instead.
-Fly home!
London Restaurants for Dinner (Be sure to make reservations on Opentable.com at least a few days in advance)
10 Greek Street (British)28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen
8 Hoxton Square (sis of 10 Greek St)
Amaya (Indian)
Anchor & Hope (gastropub)
Andina (Peruvian)
Bar Boulud (French American)
Barbecoa (Jamie Oliver's, meat)
Barnyard (meat)
Barrafina (Spanish, sis of Fino)
Berners Tavern (British)
Bistrotheque (European)
Bocca Di Lupo (Italian)
Brindisa, London Bridge (Spanish)
Bubble Dogs (hot dogs & champers)
Bull & Last (gastropub)
Busaba Eathai (Thai)
Ceviche (Peruvian)
Cecconi's (Italian)
Chiltern Firehouse (European)
City Social
Coq d'Argent (French)
Dabbous (British/ burgers)
Dean Street Townhouse (British)
Dinner by Heston (British)
Ducksoup (wine bar)
Eight-over-eight (Asian) Ember Yard (basque tapas)
Fino (Spanish)
Flat Iron (cheap steak)
Flesh & Buns (Asian)
Four Seasons (roast duck)
Foxlow (steak, owners of Hawksmoor)
Galvin at Windows (French)
Granger & Co (Aussie brunch)
Gymkhana (Indian)
Hakkasan (Chinese)
Hawksmoor (steak & burgers)
Hereford St (gastropub)
Honey & Co (Middle Eastern)
Honest Burgers
Hummus Bros (Middle Eastern)
Iberica (Spanish)
Il Baretto (Italian)
Jin Kichi (Japanese, Hamstead)
Kitchen Table (private dining)
Koffmans (British)
Koba (Korean)
Kopaya (tapas)
Koya (Japanese)
Kurobata (Japanese, sis of Nobu)
La Bodega Negra (Mexican)
La Petite Maison (French)
Latium (Italian)
Lantana (Aussie brunch)
Le Poulet au Pot (French)
L'Entrecote (French steak)
Lima (Peruvian)
Little Social (French)
Lupita (Mexican)
Lyle's (degustation)
Mandarin Kitchen (lobster noodles)
Meat Liquor (steak/burgers)
Medlar (French)
Mele e Pere (Italian)
Mien Tay (Vietnamese)
Momo (African)
Morito (tapas, next door to Moro)
Moro (tapas)
NOPI (Israeli)
Ottolenghi (Isreali)
Patty & Bun (burgers)
Pitt Cue Co (BBQ)
Pizza Pilgrims
Pollen Street Social (British)
Polpo (Italian)
Polpetto (Italian, sis rest of Polpo)
Providores (tapas)
Red Bull Expert (Argentinian steak)
Riding House Cafe (brunch)
Roka (Japanese)
Royal China (dim sum)
Salt Yard (Spanish)
Scott's (seafood)
Señor Ceviche (Peruvian)
Signor Sassi (Italian)
Smiths of Smithfield (meat)
Social Eating House (British)
Song Que (Vietnamese)
Spuntino (Italian)
St John (British)
Story (degustation)
Sumosan (Japanese)
Sushisamba (Peruvian Japanese)
Sushi Tetsu (Japanese)
Tay Do (Vietnamese - Sammy's rest)
Tayyabs (Indian)
Terroirs (French wine bar)
Texture (European/ Scandinavian)
The Eagle (gastropub, Farringdon)
The Garrison (gastropub)
The Grazing Goat (gastropub)
The Ledbury (French)
The Palomar (Israeli)
The Punch Bowl (gastropub)
The Square (French)
Trishna (Indian)
Trullo (Italian)
Typing Room (British)
Ukai (sushi)
Vinoteca (wine bar)
Yalla Yalla (Middle Eastern)
Yauatcha (Chinese)
Zafferano, Knightsbridge (Italian)
Zoilo (Argentinian tapas)
Zuma (Japanese)
Zucca (Italian)
London Restaurants for Brunch
The Modern PantryThe Riding House Cafe
The Breakfast Club
Duck & Waffle
Towpath
Dishoom
Ottolenghi
NOPI
Jackson & Rye
Kopapa
Providores
Lantana
Granger & Co Workshop Coffee Co, Clerkenwell
Village East, Bermondsey
Electric Diner, Portobello Rd
Tom's Kitchen, Chelsea
Sunday Cafe, Islington
Caravan, Kings Cross or Exmouth
Honey & Co, Fitzrovia
Quo Vadis, Soho
Plum & Spilt Milk, Kings Cross
Kin Cafe, Fitzrovia
Curators Coffee Gallery
A London Indulgence
The British Museum in London
Oxford Street Shopping
Afternoon Tea at the Savoy in London
London
Westminster Abbey in London
