Our London Diaries…
London is a large city known for its hundreds of years of history, tourism, and ever-evolving food culture. It’s noted as one of the most visited cities in the world with about 19 million tourists visiting London in 2016. Some of us here at Gadget Flow had a chance to meet up in London in November and hang out for a few days. Here are some of our top picks and favorite places to visit when we are in town.
Harrods
Harrods is an amazing department store that sells high end luxury brand items. Although the clothing items may be a bit more at a higher price point, we definitely recommend you to step into the food hall and pick up a few souvenirs. Some of our favorite foods to buy in the food hall are pastries, meat pies, deli meats and cheeses, tea and biscuits, and of course… chocolate!
Recommended by: Suzanna, Evan, Cassie
Camden Town
One of my favorite places to go shopping is Camden town. It really has that old-school London punk vibe and there are lots of places to eat some awesome food. If you’re there in late spring or summertime, grab a cold drink and sit by the canal and watch the boats go by. If the weather is feeling particularly chilly, go to my favorite place, Chin Chin Labs, and grab an 80% cacao hot chocolate with marshmallow topping.
Recommended by: Suzanna, Julien
Pies, Pasties, and Yorkshire Pudding
Fish and chips isn’t the only dish you should try when in London. You can try some of the traditional UK foods such as shepherd’s pie, pasties, and Sunday roast (complete with Yorkshire pudding, of course). The terrible English food rumors are so thirty years ago.
Recommended by: Evan, Suzanna
Regent Street and Picadilly Circus
Regent Street and Picadilly Circus are located in the heart of London. There are plenty of cute London-based shops and perfect for those who want to find a fancy London exclusive souvenir or gift. Stop by Fortum and Mason for a wide variety of edible souvenirs such as chocolate, honey, tea, curds and lots of other yummy treats.
Recommended by: Julien, Suzanna, Evan, Cassie
Afternoon Tea
After a few hours of walking, site seeing, and shopping, it’s nice to sit down and experience one of the quintessential British pastimes, afternoon tea. Being such a popular experience, there a ton of places in London that offer afternoon tea along with scones, cakes, and sandwiches. One of my favorite (and inexpensive) places to go to is the English Rose Café and Tea Shop. It offers a very homey atmosphere and is convenient to get to being just a five-minute walk from Victoria station and just around the corner from Buckingham Palace.
Recommended by: Suzanna
We had a great time meeting up in London as a team and had a chance to get to know one another on another level beyond co-workers. We hope to be able to meet up once again in 2018 for another fun co-working adventure!