After a very pleasant overnight flight on United economy plus, we arrived in London early Wednesday morning. As happened last year, the food was absolutely awful but they were generous with the wine so that made it a bit more pleasant.
Wednesday, 9/20
The Heathrow Express got us to the hotel quickly and easily. We walked the short distance from the Holborn tube station to the Thistle Holborn, aka the Kingsley. Dropping the bags off, we then sat in the bar for a couple of hours until lunchtime.
We took the number 55 bus from directly opposite the hotel to Great Portland Street and walked the few blocks to the restaurant, aptly named Portland.
The 49 GBP 3-course menu is a bargain for the quality of the food. The menu had changed slightly from the above one posted in the window. We ordered the following:
Sweetbreads
Sea bass with apple, celery and tarragon
Braised pork shoulder
Roast lamb
Apple and greengage (plum) pie
Peach parfait
With 2 glasses each of a rose from the Basque region of Spain, the bill totaled 153 GBP including a 12.5% service charge.
https://portlandrestaurant.co.uk/
After lunch we stopped into a wine shop just down the street where we picked up a bottle of cream sherry. It began to rain so we ordered an Uber for the short trip back to the hotel, where we were then able to check in. Our room was in the back so avoided street noise and was quite spacious, with a very large bathroom. A nice touch is the HVAC unit so you can set a temperature and get heat or a/c as needed. The location is incredibly convenient to everything, with buses stopping right in front and subway a few blocks over. I just can’t say enough good things about this hotel. For about $550 for 2 nights, it is the best deal I could find in London.
We set off to dinner at the Ivy in heavy rain, so we caught a bus. The Ivy is an old favorite and is as good as ever.
The menu offers a lot of choice and is not terribly expensive. Stanley started with a dressed crab, and I with a crispy duck salad. Main courses were salmon and roasted monkfish, both very nicely prepared. Wines are prices but I found a very good Cotes du Rhone for 45 GBP.
Service was very professional and the atmosphere is lively. Even though they charge for bread (without informing you beforehand) and add a cover charge and 12.5% service charge, the total came to 156 GBP, really not bad at all.
https://the-ivy.co.uk/?utm_source=LocalGoogle&utm_medium=Organic
Wednesday, 9/20
We woke up early as we had not yet adapted to the time change, and set off for Kew Gardens. It was an easy trip despite a portion of the subway being shut down and we had to complete it by bus. Here are the photos I took of the gardens:
Kew Palace was where George III was inacarcerated to be treated by Dr. Willis for his first bout of madness.
After the gardens we called an Uber and headed to Hampton Court Palace, first stopping for lunch across the street from the palace at The Mute Swan, a dining pub that I had found in doing my research.
The menu is interesting. We shared an appetizer that was just added that day, crispy pig cheeks with mashed potatoes, roasted garlic, broccoli rabe and a brown sauce. I then had hake with a hollandaise sauce, beets and mashed potatoes, and Stanley had fish and chips. We shared a dessert, a tiramisu, coffee and pistachio mousse, and a bottle of rose from Provence. Everything was excellent and the bill, including service, was only 105 GBP.
https://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/muteswan/
We then crossed the street to the palace.
https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/
Back in London, dinner was at Rules, famous for being London’s oldest restaurant. It is also arguably one of the best. The room is stunning and seating is very comfortable.
We started with a crab salad and potted shrimp, then moved on to grouse and guinea fowl. Both were extraordinary, especially the grouse. We chose the cheapest bottle of wine, a Cotes du Rhone, always a reliable choice, for 43 GBP.
For dessert, I had sticky toffee pudding, and Stanley had summer pudding. Both were perfectly executed versions of classic English desserts. The bill, including service, was 192 GBP, and worth every penny.
That concludes our 2 days in London. Next up: Isle of Wight
Robert Rems' Open House 