I love England. I took my first trip there when I was 17, and quickly had my heart captured by York and London. My next trip was just post-college with girl friend Megan, and while we visited Nottingham, York, and Canterbury, we spend the most time in London.
For our one year anniversary, G and I decided to head to Europe. He'd never been (!!!) and I'd been itching to get back for years. We spend the most time in London, and again, she didn't disappoint! In fact, I have so many good things to say about London that this is going to be a three-part series! First off, we're going to talk about where to EAT. Next week, we'll touch on where to Stay & Play, and the final week we'll talk about what to wear and how to pack! Ready? Here we go!
EAT
It's hard for me to suggest just a few places, because we had so much fun all over the city. We found a hole-in-the-wall wine bar (okay, so it was literally a hole in the ground called The Wine Library, but WOW!) right by our hotel and some amazing Italian food in St. Katherine's Docks, but what really stands out from our time there are Bob Bob Ricard and Sketch.
BOB BOB RICARD
This came on my radar thanks to their iconic "Press for Champagne" button.
Spoiler alert: it WORKS!
Besides the champagne button (which, I realize, is reason enough to go!) the restaurant is gorgeous. Think backgammon board turned life-sized. We loved how Casino Royal/James Bond the whole place felt. Finally, the service and the food were amazing. It was worth every bite!
Photo c/o Bob Bob Ricard
Photo c/o Bob Bob Ricard
Photo c/o Bob Bob Ricard
SKETCH
I spent months following this perfectly pink sketchbook on Instagram, counting down the days until I could see it in person. Reader, it was better than I had hoped. It's as if you've stepped through the looking glass into a place where nothing is what it seems, and everything is what it isn't... and that is a VERY good thing.
Image c/o Sketch
Image c/o Sketch
Image c/o Sketch
G and I had dinner in the Gallery, which is a rosy pink room surrounded by black and white sketches on three walls and a beautiful pink bar on the fourth. The menus had silhouetted silverware that pop up when you open them. The dishware was covered in playful sayings. The servers were understated, and the food was exceptional. I had the best cocktail of my life there - a pink concoction poured over crushed ice and scented with vanilla.
Each room here is a world unto itself, including the bathrooms, which are individual pods.
Image c/o Sketch
Nestled throughout the building are a variety of bars, like this futuristic one flanked on either side by the staircases leading up to the pods.
Image c/o Sketch
But our favorite was the Parlour. G and I spent some time after dinner enjoying drinks and talking in this perfectly quirky twist on a conventional space.
Image c/o Sketch
Image c/o Sketch
Image c/o Sketch
All in all, if you can only spend two nights in London, make plans to eat at Bob Bob Ricard and Sketch. We still talk about our experiences there, and frankly I can't wait to get back, drink more champagne, and have another cocktail.
