Although I love the brilliance of London, I only scheduled a day and a half in the city center. After all, as a former British colony, Hong Kong still subtly exudes quite a bit of metropolitan British charm, so I’d rather save my precious time for other more unique places haha. It was a whirlwind trip—places like the British Museum, which deserve hours of exploration, will just have to wait for another visit someday... But I still think this highlights tour is well worth sharing :D
1.
The itinerary started in the evening, with the first stop being to satisfy our hunger. I recommend this place called Burger and Lobster, which is perfectly suited for busy city dwellers who want something better than fast food chains but don’t have much time. However, due to its fame, it often involves queuing during peak hours. It reminded me of my favorite “Tim Ho Wan” in Hong Kong—a hidden gem that’s always crowded because it’s fast yet high-quality.
The lobster meal was 26 pounds, the burger meal was 10 pounds (I didn’t manage to capture the fries and two sodas that came with the burger), and the three of us girls shared two sets—it was more than enough.
www.burgerandlobster.com/
2.
After eating, we headed to The Ritz London, famous for having the best afternoon tea in all of London... to drink XD No choice, really—afternoon tea is so expensive, you’ve got to sit for hours and take tons of photos to make it worth it. But since I had made the trip all the way to London, I had to check it out.
It’s a five-star hotel located on Piccadilly and also a Grade II listed British building. The afternoon tea room is truly magnificent and lives up to its reputation. I saw that The Ritz Afternoon Tea has great reviews online, and I’d recommend it for any girls who love afternoon tea.
The broke and time-strapped among us walked past the tea room to The Rivoli
Bar... Okay, fair enough—the ambiance here isn’t bad either. A cocktail costs 20 pounds, so it’s not exactly low-end (though not amazing either). Overall, maybe The Ritz London’s bar isn’t worth recommending, but it’s probably the minimum threshold for visiting this 110-year-old iconic five-star hotel lol.
Look how gorgeous the restroom is XD
Visiting the hotel gives you a taste of traditional British luxury—and I do recommend it～
150 Piccadilly, London
3.
Next up is Duck and Waffle, which you have to book by phone and can get slots as late as 1:30 AM. What makes this 24-hour restaurant so popular?
After eating, I have no complaints. I even felt lucky to have scored a 1:30 AM slot and didn’t have to wait until 3:30 AM. Because it was simply sooooooooo delicious～
I think almost every customer at Duck and
Waffle spends some time admiring the night view before ordering. Then after ordering, they start taking photos—but the restaurant is so dark it’s actually hard to get good shots.
When the signature Duck and
Waffle arrives, you’ll be too busy marveling at whoever thought to put a roast duck leg in a waffle—it’s surprisingly a perfect match!! And then there’s the Foie Gras Crème Brûlée—how did anyone think of combining foie gras with caramelized egg? After eating, you’ll keep wondering why London is still so bustling outside the window at 2 AM. Remember to book ahead, or you might end up waiting outside as guests inside slowly enjoy all the surprises at Duck and Waffle—you could be waiting till the end of time. Highly recommended!!
https://duckandwaffle.com/
110 Bishopsgate, Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London
4.
After hitting three restaurants in a row, the next day I finally went for a stroll on the streets. But for convenience, I’ll continue with the restaurant section first.
This place called Pachamama is nice—great ambiance, delicious food, and not too crowded on weekdays, so you could easily spend two hours here without realizing it.
Actually, I was eyeing their floral waffles, only to find out they’re only available on weekend brunch :(
www.pachamamalondon.com
18 Thayer St, London
5.Nando’s, the fried chicken chain highly recommended by many London students. But I found it just okay. If you’re curious to test whether your taste aligns with the student crowd, give it a try.
https://www.nandos.co.uk/
6.
Although I couldn’t have afternoon tea at The Ritz, how could I miss the world-famous English Afternoon Tea?
Patisserie
Valerie, which started in London in 1926, now has branches all over the UK. At 25 pounds for two people, it’s much more affordable than The Ritz but still offers a true taste of British flair.
PS. High tea isn’t actually the fanciest one—you know that?
Since Brits have late dinners, the 19th-century aristocrats, bored and hungry in the afternoon, came up with the idea of Afternoon Tea. Also, aristocrats typically sipped their tea leisurely on low sofas with small tables, hence it’s also called Low Tea.
The one with the low table is called Low Tea; the one with the high table is called High Tea. But those sitting at high tables with high stools are usually working-class folks having a quick, no-frills meal—only when they can’t be bothered to sit properly at a dining table does it become High Tea....
https://www.patisserie-valerie.co.uk/
7.
I’ve recommended Burger and Lobster, The Ritz Hotel, and Duck and Waffle—I feel like I’m getting paid for advertising, yet they’re genuinely that good and must be recommended XD. But if you think I’m overdoing it, fine, forget all the above. Because the best cuisine in all of London—the kind that had me ordering an extra bowl before flying home—is So Japanese’s foie gras rice!!
So Japanese is a Japanese restaurant, yet this dish isn’t on the menu (and I wanna know why)
To conjure up this secret dish, you just have to utter the magic words to the waiter: Do you have Foie Gras Don?
At 28 pounds, it’s not a budget option, but the generous ingredients make it worth it. Plus, the thick slices of foie gras paired with Japanese mushrooms and a savory sauce create a flawless combination!! Anyway, that wraps up the London food chapter. If it’s too long, just remember: “The highlight is this foie gras rice!”
Btw, I got super lucky—got a 20-pound discount coupon from a staff member in the restroom. Felt like I won a prize haha～
www.sorestaurant.com/
3-4 Warwick St, London
-----Food Section Over-----
If you only have one hour to explore London, head straight to Westminster. As soon as you exit Westminster
Station, you’ll see London’s most iconic Big Ben. Walk left to see the London Eye, turn right to reach Westminster Abbey. They’re all the most quintessential and photogenic spots in London.
Another iconic landmark is the Tower Bridge, which even nursery rhymes sing about～
Who hasn’t sung “London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down”? Right? When I was little, my teacher told me there’s a bridge in London that would fall down to let big ships pass through.
But today, my childhood was totally shattered—turns out the London
Bridge is just an ordinary stone bridge. The one that actually “falls” is called the Tower Bridge.
Iconic ice cream trucks
Did you know? London has the world’s oldest railway system！The London Bridge
Station was among the first built in 1836 and remains the oldest still-operating mainline train station in the world. After nearly 180 years, it’s still clean and well-maintained—impressive！
The Underground began in 1863, also making it the world’s oldest metro system for urban passenger transport (I always thought the rickety Paris or New York subways were older). It’s known as the Tube. It’s been expanding for 150 years and still looks great—that’s commendable too.
Compared to the old-style ones (see below), today’s red buses aren’t as cute.
London taxis have also lost some of their charm (internet photo).
I heard they even plan to gradually phase out phone booths (though phone booths aren’t exclusive to London), which makes sense—the insides really are stuffy and smelly.
Hopefully the mailboxes can survive.
With the pound dropping, the final stop naturally had to be a loop around the shopping district of Oxford Street :D
Lastly, here’s the Arriva
Hotel where I stayed. It’s tiny but super cheap—a two-star hotel. But it’s in a great location, just an 8-minute walk from King's Cross Station. And since King's Cross connects both the Underground and mainline Railway, it’s very convenient for reaching London’s outskirts or airports. I stayed three nights, and overall, it was pretty good～
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