London Bound

[l/l/rX]

alright, well I'm heading to London here at the end of the month. I'm going to be staying with my best friend. Can you guys recommend me some good restaurants to take my friend to? This will be part of her belated belated belated birthday present.
(thats just how we do, having lived on opposite ends of the world for the last 3 years, we can receive presents/ gifts from each other 6 months after the fact lol)

My range in price will be something thats around Centini's prices. Classy.

Included with my airfare, I get a 24hr tour of London, which is pretty neat, a bus just takes you to all the tourist spots in 24 hrs and you decide how long you want to stick around n what not.

Also, any great night clubs that you guys recommend? I'm 20 yrs old and asian and my friend is 21 and asian, so I don't know how racist they are over there, but a place where us 2 can be let in. Mind you there for sure will be 1 more girl joining in with us.

I hear cigs are like $20 cdn a pack, so I'm bringing my own. Anything else you guys recommend me to bring? Recommend me to buy down there? Recommend me to do? Recommend me to eat (either than F&C cuz thats going to be my first meal in London lol).

thanks!

[robpark]

DO NOT think about how much the same things will cost you at home, or you'll end up doing nothing.

Ministry of Sound would be the club to hit, IMO.

[dj_rice]

Go to any of Gordon Ramsays restaurants

[kertejud2]

The Jack the Ripper tour was pretty good abck when I did it, but aside from the typical tourist stuff, there's not much to recommend, depends how long you're styaing really. I could spend weeks in the British Museum but I wouldn't recommend dropping in if you only have a few days. Also take a walk along Embankment around the Parliamnet Buildings and the London Eye at night, bring your camera along as well. If you're lucky there will be loads of pretty good musicians along the route, always a good time.

I always tried to avoid clubs when I lived there. Its not uncommon to be paying 10 pounds (25 dollars) for a beer at some of those places. But if you're looking for them, Covent Garden/Soho/Piccadilly and the West End in general are the places to look out for. Racism probably wouldn't be an issue, but getting into a club based on volume alone will be tougher (the hotter the girls, the better, that rule applies everywhere). In a cosmopolitan area like that, you wont have any trouble because of race. This area would be the place to go to eat as well.

Take a trip to Protabello Road one day as well. Never know what you can find, if you're into that kind of shopping anyway. Plus its in Notting Hill so there's nice places to have some lunch as well.

[dannie]

For clubs, we went to Tiger Tiger and a place called On and On. Both were great. Good mix of people (age, race etc.)

For dinner, I find any Indian restaurant is freakishly good. Another poster said to not think about how much things cost compared to here. We went out one nite for italian and it was 80 pounds. Once we converted it, both of us were pissed at how much our fettucini was. Not cool.

Heres the link for Gordon Ramsays restaurants:
http://www.gordonramsay.com/ukrestaurants/

We tried to get into Maze off Oxford street, but we weren't able to make a reservation in time.

Around St. Pauls Cathedral is a maze of pebble streets with a TON of pubs and restaurants and bars. We stumbled upon it and had an awesome nite hanging out at all the pubs through it.

Borough Market was fun to explore
http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/index.php?module=visit

My best suggestion is do whatever seems like fun.

[Melinda]

Doesnt matter if you're at a 5 star restaurant or McDonalds, you will soon learn that a $5 big mac meal here costs AT LEAST 4 pounds over there. Everything costs about the same in pounds as we pay in dollars, so like the previous posters suggested, don't attempt do the conversion at all, except if you're buying a souvenir that you could probably find at home somewhere.

We ate dinner at this amazing little restaurant when we were there. Had all of maybe 6 or 7 tables inside, including a really romantic one right in the bow window in the front. I feel horrible cause I can't remember the name, but it was on buckingham palace road. The food was good, the owner was our waiter and gave us INCREDIBLE service as well and we left very happy

[urbannomad]

Hit up the South Kensington Boroughs, that's where it's at!

If you just wanna hang around and take in London, i'd say take a walk around that area. beautiful, and not too noisy. It's where i grew up, and if you're bringing a suit, hit up the showrooms and drive lambo's/ferrari's/bently's galore.

[l/l/rX]

hey thanks guys! What do you guys recommend to use for transportation? I arrive in London 645am, and my friend is definitely not a morning person, so I'm gonna have to navigate my way to her place.
My friend lives in Kensington Gardens Square and I arrive at the Gatwick airport.
I googled it, and using public transportation will take me about 2.5 hours for me to arrive to my destination. As long as this 2.5 hours doesn't cost me anything more than 30 pounds I'm good to go.
Or is there a faster way to get to my destination? Or should i use the Gatwick express? I read that it was 16 pounds to use.

[JAYMEZ]

^^ The Tube is the best way to get around. I could do it by myself when I was a little kid. From Gatwick to London bridge is kinda pricey if I remember.... Anyways just stick to the trains , black cabs and other taxis are wayyyy to exspensive.

Also check out Greenwich , some pretty good curry resturants around there. And if you want some cheaper and a fun atmosphere , Pizza Express has good pizza lol!

[robpark]

When I land in Gatwick, I take the Express to, I think, Victoria Station...

From there you just jump on the tube and it will take you pretty much anywhere you need to go. For destinations further outside the city, the surface commuter rail network is quite comprehensive.

[kertejud2]

The Gatwick Express takes 30 minutes and from Victoria the Circle line to Notting Hill Gate puts you at the edge of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Just find out what station is closest to your friend and I can't see this journey taking much more than an hour. The typical tube lines from the airports are just crap journeys. After a long flight tis the last thing you want to be taking (the Express has nice big seats).

Get a Zone 1 travelcard as well. You can use it as much as you want and it will get you anywhere worth seeing. I'm pretty sure you can get 1, 3 and 5 day passes. They're an absolute steal, if you plan to use the tube more than twice a day, you'd be an idiot not to get one.

Don't take taxis at all, if you want a driving tour of the city just go on the Big Bus Tour. Its basically a 24 hour bus pass to all the hot tourist spots and if you're lucky you will have a good tour guide (I was told many are out of work thespians). Probably costs less than a single taxi journey across the city as well.

[cet]

My parents used to live in South Kensington and I was back last year visiting a buddy in Chelsea (About a 10 min walk from Victoria Station)

The Tube is awesome for getting around but can be a huge pain in the ass when you have luggage. Especially if it is rush hour. The way I did it last year was on the bus.

National Express ( http://www.nationalexpress.com/airport/gatwick.cfm ) runs busses between Gatwick and the Victoria Coach Station which is just outside the Victoria Train Station. Walking from Victoria to where you want to go would be about an hour if you didn't get lost. It takes anywhere from an hour to 2 hours depending on the time of day and costs 6 pound 60.

From Victoria you could either walk it, which would take about an hour if you didn't get lost, tube it to Paddington, or take a cab which should take about 10 mins and tost about 10 pound.

The Gatwick Express will save you anywhere between 30 mins and an hour and a half and cost you between
17 and 27 pound depending on how you get yourself from Victoria to your friend's place.

On the bus it will take you longer but you could save 10 pound.


Oh, one other alternative. If you decide to go the most expensive option ( Express + Cab) You could go with these guys. www.dot2.com . They offer door to door service for 24 pound (40 pound return).

[l/l/rX]

i think im gonna take this route...

1) Take the Gatwick Express (its a train) from the airport to Victoria London Station
2) Get onto the Circle Line from the Victoria Station for the London Underground tubes which are the trains.
3) Don't change lines and go to Bayswater but it's like 5mins more of a walk to her place from this station

[Manhattan]

youre going all the way to london to visit her and shes not picking u up...

btw, did u book with zoomair? how are they?

[l/l/rX]

Originally posted by Manhattan
youre going all the way to london to visit her and shes not picking u up...

btw, did u book with zoomair? how are they?

haha im fine with it, she's done more than enough for me. ie) She flew from HK to surprise me on my 19th birthday. She even skipped school to be at my birthday. Probably one of the best presents I've ever got. There's countless things shes done for me over and over and over again. So a little navigating to her place by myself is no biggie for me. And if i do get lost, her mom is giving me a phone card before i leave.



Air transat, $725 including taxes, and this 24 hr day pass/ bus tour of London.

[little_wan]

I hear this will be rockin...
cept its not exactly london...

Leung & Wan UK exclusive!

[pints]

The Circle Line is a pain in the ass, especially if you use it on the weekend.
My favourite place to eat in London is on the King's Road (By Sloane Square) called Chelsea Kitchen. Nice food for a really good price (under ten quid for supper).

[clockworkboy3]

See a play in the theater district. West end. Buy tickets off ebay locally when you get there to save HUGE! Chicago is a good one...and Spamalot.

[l/l/rX]

Originally posted by clockworkboy3
See a play in the theater district. West end. Buy tickets off ebay locally when you get there to save HUGE! Chicago is a good one...and Spamalot.

aha I'm too young for that kind of stuff to be interested to buy a ticket and go watch a play. I'd rather spend my money at a "posh" club and get my draaaaaaaank on.

Originally posted by pintsThe Circle Line is a pain in the ass, especially if you use it on the weekend.
My favourite place to eat in London is on the King's Road (By Sloane Square) called Chelsea Kitchen. Nice food for a really good price (under ten quid for supper).

Well I will be arriving in London at 645am, by the time I get my luggage and get to Victoria Station, it should be around 8-830ish. Hopefully it won't be too bad then.

The place you recommended looks really old fashioned, doesn't help that theres senior citizens in every single pic (from the site I went to). I want to go somewhere modern, and fancy-ish dishes.

As far as where I should take my friend out to eat, these are my choices so far:
http://www.hudsonbars.com/
http://www.l-restaurant.co.uk/
http://www.london-eating.co.uk/3779.htm (lonsdale london)
http://gordonramsay.com/maze/

WOOOOH I leave tomorrow. Soo stoked! This is a much needed vacation.
I might also take a day trip to Paris, so that should be fun.

[94CoRd]

You definitely have to check out Gordon Ramsay's place, See if theres a reason behind him losing his mind about his food. and paris is beautiful!

Have Fun bro!