Hi David - Your newsletter is such a great resource -- we're very grateful. We come to Paris most years, and this June are thinking about Eurostar to London for the Tate - but comments on various websites (Trip Advisor, Rick Steves Travel) tend so negative! It surprised me. Your experience was good, right? Could you add anything else? In particular: How many hours before departure did you get to the train? Thanks so much -- a really excellent post.
Love all your writing and all your posts . . . Thank you for sharing . . . I only wish I’d had all this wonderful info before my visit to London last Fall lol . . . Next time (she says, hopefully!) All the best to you!
What a delicious trip to London. One of my favorite things to do while on vacation is to try local foods. 12 + years ago I figured out I have a gluten intolerance...vacationing is no longer as attractive as it once was. Finding places to eat safely is like roulette.
Biggest regret is I will not be able to try that Chocolate Babka in London or the very well seed baguette you often show us on your walk back from the bakery😍 They look so delicious
Hi David Love this post! We lived in London and reading this made me homesick. It’s the best city in the world to me. And, if you’re tired of London you can hop on the ferry to Calais and drive on to Paris!
It's a great city - but it's HUGE! Fortunately there's a good transit system, between the Tube and the buses. Was surprised at how bustling it was, considering all the talk about Brexit & the economy.
What a gastronomical stay in London. There some amazing restaurants and I didn’t think the prices you mentioned were too over the top, although one time we were visiting our son and he took us to Chez Bruce, I say he took us but we paid, and I’m talking 15 years ago, my husband nearly had a heart attack when the bill came in at £250! One of my favourite places though is The Albany at Thames Ditton, a great “gastro pub”. But a must for me is a Devonshire tea with real clotted cream, something we don’t get over here in Oz. Thank you for another great tale and for taking me back to England 🏴
It's hard to say how much a restaurant meal will cost. The good thing about cities like London, where there are a lot of options, you can find meals at various price points. Restaurant prices have risen in a lot of places, including Paris.
I was recently at Le Meurice in Paris at the bar, and cocktails are €34-45 each, which does include a caddy of bar snacks. But if you were eating there, that would jack up your bill. And when I'm in the U.S., a glass of wine at a restaurant seems to run $12-18, plus tax and tip, although at Mountain - which is not an inexpensive restaurant - they have carafes of house wine for £20 (abt. $25) which is enough for two, to accompany dinner.
My son is a brilliant cook so most times he does dinner, I have to stay out of the kitchen unless asked, definitely his mothers son. Indian is a favourite so any takeaway would be just that. Here in Australia it varies for wine prices, but normally a 150ml would be $9 a 250 is $12, but if you go to a high class restaurant you would be paying the higher price and getting less in the glass. One night I complained and said give me the bottle, it will be cheaper. It is rare to get carafes here, unlike in France. Cocktails are also expensive here and I’m not sure whether they would include nibbles, it is our children and grandchildren who are the cocktail drinkers so I would have to ask them. We are turning the big 80 this year and because our birthdays are only three weeks apart, a joint luncheon is being had, food and drink provided. It could be that the drinks could nearly pair up with the food price with the cocktail drinkers lol… really I’m joking, as they are all too scared to. Lose their licence.
David, I am interested about the trifle? How large was it? how many people would it serve? Asking as a pastry person interested in offering at the restaurant where I work. How to scale it? Sell it? John
I can't recall the precise size but three of us split it. However it would be reasonable for two people. It was served in a large coupe glass. The recipe may be in their cookbook, although I don't have it so can't say for sure: https://amzn.to/3y7Qhl0
I have an article by Laurie Colwin from Gourmet Magazine circa 1993 that i have kept for all of these years. The writing is beautiful, and she wrote about a cake she had made for her kids at Halloween. I made that cake for our daughter just as she directed - a spider web cake - it was a perfect recipe. Your writing about her made me remember her, her writing and that cake. Now, I am going to see if I can find that cookbook!
As a London resident, I'd like to say you chose really well - the morning buns at Dusty Knuckle are truly extraordinary. I'd like to recommend two restaurants for next time - Sune https://www.sune.restaurant and Akoko https://akoko.co.uk. Both stellar recent additions to London dining.
We had a great meal in Paris recently at Reyna. Have you been?
when my sister lived in London ( more than twenty years ago) the food scene was just really starting. Apart from the River Cafe, there weren’t a lot of great restaurants. Sometimes you would hear about a pub that hired a young creative chef and get amazing meals for next to nothing. We also ate a lot of fabulous Indian food , which was very affordable. Your trip looks so fun. I’m definitely overdue for a trip to London!
I recently had Dover sole at a restaurant in Paris which was really (really) expensive, and it was just 'fine.' It's almost cheaper to take the Eurostar to London and have it there : - )
Hi David - Your newsletter is such a great resource -- we're very grateful. We come to Paris most years, and this June are thinking about Eurostar to London for the Tate - but comments on various websites (Trip Advisor, Rick Steves Travel) tend so negative! It surprised me. Your experience was good, right? Could you add anything else? In particular: How many hours before departure did you get to the train? Thanks so much -- a really excellent post.
Love all your writing and all your posts . . . Thank you for sharing . . . I only wish I’d had all this wonderful info before my visit to London last Fall lol . . . Next time (she says, hopefully!) All the best to you!
What a delicious trip to London. One of my favorite things to do while on vacation is to try local foods. 12 + years ago I figured out I have a gluten intolerance...vacationing is no longer as attractive as it once was. Finding places to eat safely is like roulette.
Biggest regret is I will not be able to try that Chocolate Babka in London or the very well seed baguette you often show us on your walk back from the bakery😍 They look so delicious
Thank you for sharing your experiences David✨
My traveling days are sadly over, but reading your newsletters puts me in the spirit. This London one was marvelous.
Hi David Love this post! We lived in London and reading this made me homesick. It’s the best city in the world to me. And, if you’re tired of London you can hop on the ferry to Calais and drive on to Paris!
It's a great city - but it's HUGE! Fortunately there's a good transit system, between the Tube and the buses. Was surprised at how bustling it was, considering all the talk about Brexit & the economy.
What a gastronomical stay in London. There some amazing restaurants and I didn’t think the prices you mentioned were too over the top, although one time we were visiting our son and he took us to Chez Bruce, I say he took us but we paid, and I’m talking 15 years ago, my husband nearly had a heart attack when the bill came in at £250! One of my favourite places though is The Albany at Thames Ditton, a great “gastro pub”. But a must for me is a Devonshire tea with real clotted cream, something we don’t get over here in Oz. Thank you for another great tale and for taking me back to England 🏴
It's hard to say how much a restaurant meal will cost. The good thing about cities like London, where there are a lot of options, you can find meals at various price points. Restaurant prices have risen in a lot of places, including Paris.
I was recently at Le Meurice in Paris at the bar, and cocktails are €34-45 each, which does include a caddy of bar snacks. But if you were eating there, that would jack up your bill. And when I'm in the U.S., a glass of wine at a restaurant seems to run $12-18, plus tax and tip, although at Mountain - which is not an inexpensive restaurant - they have carafes of house wine for £20 (abt. $25) which is enough for two, to accompany dinner.
My son is a brilliant cook so most times he does dinner, I have to stay out of the kitchen unless asked, definitely his mothers son. Indian is a favourite so any takeaway would be just that. Here in Australia it varies for wine prices, but normally a 150ml would be $9 a 250 is $12, but if you go to a high class restaurant you would be paying the higher price and getting less in the glass. One night I complained and said give me the bottle, it will be cheaper. It is rare to get carafes here, unlike in France. Cocktails are also expensive here and I’m not sure whether they would include nibbles, it is our children and grandchildren who are the cocktail drinkers so I would have to ask them. We are turning the big 80 this year and because our birthdays are only three weeks apart, a joint luncheon is being had, food and drink provided. It could be that the drinks could nearly pair up with the food price with the cocktail drinkers lol… really I’m joking, as they are all too scared to. Lose their licence.
Neal’s Dairy deserves a whole cheese filled issue of your Newsletter.
With London as my home city, you certainly dined well. Those potatoes at QCH are awesome. Bon retour ..
David, I am interested about the trifle? How large was it? how many people would it serve? Asking as a pastry person interested in offering at the restaurant where I work. How to scale it? Sell it? John
I can't recall the precise size but three of us split it. However it would be reasonable for two people. It was served in a large coupe glass. The recipe may be in their cookbook, although I don't have it so can't say for sure: https://amzn.to/3y7Qhl0
They also posted it on Instagram (and whether or not it should be shared): https://www.instagram.com/p/Co7oSLlo3Lw/
I have an article by Laurie Colwin from Gourmet Magazine circa 1993 that i have kept for all of these years. The writing is beautiful, and she wrote about a cake she had made for her kids at Halloween. I made that cake for our daughter just as she directed - a spider web cake - it was a perfect recipe. Your writing about her made me remember her, her writing and that cake. Now, I am going to see if I can find that cookbook!
It is Wensley cake and can be found in the also wonderful More Home Cooking
Colwin’s Home Cooking is one of my favorite books ever!
What a great trip!
Hi David.
As a London resident, I'd like to say you chose really well - the morning buns at Dusty Knuckle are truly extraordinary. I'd like to recommend two restaurants for next time - Sune https://www.sune.restaurant and Akoko https://akoko.co.uk. Both stellar recent additions to London dining.
We had a great meal in Paris recently at Reyna. Have you been?
https://reyna.paris/index.html
when my sister lived in London ( more than twenty years ago) the food scene was just really starting. Apart from the River Cafe, there weren’t a lot of great restaurants. Sometimes you would hear about a pub that hired a young creative chef and get amazing meals for next to nothing. We also ate a lot of fabulous Indian food , which was very affordable. Your trip looks so fun. I’m definitely overdue for a trip to London!
Thanks David. Another great armchair tour. Last in London in 66’, age 16! Love to be Abe to be in another country in a couple of hours. Keep it up.
The last time we were in London we ate an early dinner at J. Sheeky's. Everything was first class including my pan seared Dover Sole filet.
I recently had Dover sole at a restaurant in Paris which was really (really) expensive, and it was just 'fine.' It's almost cheaper to take the Eurostar to London and have it there : - )