I would argue on a normal day that London is the most international city in the world, and that is certainly true of the past two weeks. I spent the majority of my 20s there and it has been great to see the world descended on the city this summer to find that the old “bad food, worse weather” adage is entirely inaccurate.
I was at the Beijing Olympics for the closing ceremony, and I think we were all a little concerned when the Chinese passed the torch to the London mayor who looked drunk and homeless with a bus full of break-dancers from Croydon popping and locking.
But the City has certainly stepped up. The East End is revitalized, Heathrow has withstood the pressure, the opening ceremony was both amazing & terrifying, the sun has been shining and Murray beat Federer! Not a bad a couple of weeks for the city, and it's making the anglophiles in the Ledbury office a little reminiscent for the mother country.
We wish we were there with our friends to celebrate and cheer on the USA, but since we are not, we thought we would at least have a morning daydreaming session on what we would be doing…
Stay: The Gore Hotel (Kensington): Easy access to Notting Hill, South Kensington, Chelsea, Knightsbridge. Across from Hyde Park for a run in the morning. Late night hotel bar filled with French women, Italian guys, old English oil paintings and down-tempo techno music.
Breakfast: The Stockpot, Kings Road. Tiny dive on Kings Road run by a group of stern, Romanian women. Large portions of Ledbury were planned here.
Beer: Pigs Ear, Old Church Road, Chelsea. A comfortable place where you could easily spend an entire Saturday (and Sunday).
Museum: The Churchill War Rooms. Far and away the best historical site in London and a reminder that great leadership requires whiskey and a cigar.
Sport: Olympic Volleyball at the Horse Guards Parade. Bathing suits at the prime minister's back yard. Need we say more…
Shop: Mayfair: Visit the boys at Drakes and then head to Huntsman to admire taxidermy and pick up that $18,000 blazer I have been eyeing since '04.
Beer: Walk to Primrose Hill for some exercise and a well-deserved Guinness at the Landsdowne.
Dinner: The Ledbury, Notting Hill. The name makes it a lazy answer, I know, but the food is incredible, we share a URL, and the cooking staff fought off rioters with Rolling Pins and Steak Knives last summer. They deserve our business.
Drink/Music: The Globe, Talbot Street, Notting Hill. Yes, The Globe. No lights, warm beer, disgruntled Jamaicans, bass-heavy reggae, and me in a Ledbury shirt, a new tie and one day an $18,000 blazer…
PST
