10 things we’ll miss about London
By Patito, published on 7 July 2010
So, the die is cast: we’re off to the city of lights. Woo hoo! And with one month to go, there is much to savour about our beloved London before we leave. Here’s a list of the ten things we’ll miss most about the big smoke.
1. Running through Hyde Park on a sunny Sunday morning. Nothing beats stepping out of the tube at Hyde Park and turning the corner to invariably be met by keen cyclists, eager tourists and the odd horse. Our usual course takes us past the rose garden, the Serpentine, the Diana memorial, the Albert memorial and finally through Kensington Gardens. Simply beautiful. And fantastic though Paris is, parks are one thing London surely does better than anywhere.
2. BFF. Ah, the wonders of a BFF. They help you when you’re down, they celebrate when you’re up. Tu es le sparadrap quand j’ai des cloques aux pieds. A BFF is irreplaceable, so we shall have to clock up some Eurostar miles as quickly as we can.
3. Cocktails at Zuma. Well, we say Zuma but it could be any number of wonderful, buzzing London venues. Zuma is particularly good because it is not too far from home, combines great Asian food with fabulous cocktails and has that certain je ne sais quoi about it. A leaving dinner venue, perhaps?
4. Harrods. We didn’t really understand what the big deal was about this place until a couple of years after we arrived in London. But once you get Harrods, you can’t live without it. It literally has the answer to any question you can throw at it. We have a particular weakness for Urban Retreat on the 5th floor. Go on! Treat yourself.
5. Cineworld on Fulham Road. A small movie theatre on the corner of Fulham Road and Drayton Gardens, this place feels like a slice of village life in the heart of London. Oh, and it’s always full of euros which we love. Many a contented Sunday evening have been spent here, followed by dinner at Aglio e Olio (which almost got a mention of its own in this list).
6. Theatre trips with Mother Patito. Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Patrick Stewart…. Mother Patito’s London visits were an excuse to splash out on some great tickets, followed by dinner in one of the wonderful celebrity haunts in the neighbourhood.
7. Strolling down the King’s Road on a Saturday afternoon. Need we say more? Famous the world over, the ever changing King’s Road is never disappointing.
8. Espresso Martinis. Sometimes nothing does the trick quite like an espresso Martini. From Dean Street Townhouse to Lena, these wonderful coffee boosters have delighted us on many a night out. Think any Parisian barmen know how to prepare them?
9. Martinis at Skylon. Is it the location (overlooking the Thames)? Is it the venue (inside the Festival Hall)? Is it the staff (friendly, professional and helpful)? Or is it the perfectly prepared Martinis (every time)? All of the above! Sometimes this place is the only place that will do.
10. British manners. Depsite our first impressions of the infamous Parisians being very pleasant, we have been repeatedly assured that they are not all sweetness and light and to expect some very rude encounters, particularly in taxis. I guess it was always going to be a change after the terribly polite Brits.
10 things we’ll miss about London
So, the die is cast: we’re off to the city of lights. Woo hoo! And with one month to go, there is much to savour about our beloved London before we leave. Here’s a list of the ten things we’ll miss most about the big smoke. 1. Running through Hyde Park on a sunny Sunday [...]
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9 Responses to “10 things we’ll miss about London”
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Patito
8 July 2010
Ha! You did it ONCE! And I got you that great soundtrack to listen to.
When is Straight Six next around? We need to do 8 and 9 a couple more times before I go.-
Only once!? Good God, it felt never-ending.
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Straight-Six
8 July 2010
Well, I have a meeting on July 28, so if the Fools are willing to harbour me for the evening of July 27, then we would address points 8 and 9 most authoritatively!!!
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Killer app – love it! Went to roka when zuma was full – highly recomendable!
Feel free to contact me if you need tips to Copenhagen, Stockholm or NYC.
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I’m with you Nicolai. I actually prefer Roka to Zuma. I don’t know, there’s something a little too ‘footballer’s wives’ about Zuma for me. At Roka, the focus is still – just about – on the food.
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Patito
9 July 2010
You’ve got it wrong, Fool. Zuma is way better. When I went to Roka, I thought it was tired, rough around the edges (to the point of feeling a little dirty if I’m honest) and the food wasn’t nearly as good. Zuma has a buzz, it’s a better venue with a great bar. Hands down winner.
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Patito
9 July 2010
PS Straight Six – I’m in Paris on those dates… when is your next trip?
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[...] impending move to Paris kicks in, we’re starting to realise that there is so much more than our first list that we’re going to miss about this wonderful city. Here are another ten as they have [...]
The Prodigal Fool
7 July 2010
The one thing I will not miss when you’re gone is having to run through through Hyde Park with you on a Sunday morning. Most uncivilised.