London is one of my absolute favourite cities to visit! I treated my mum to a weekend away to the the fabulous city for her Christmas and birthday present, as it’s a place we both love. I’ve been there about 7 times and I always discover new things to see and new places to go. It was a weekend full of brunching, sightseeing, relaxing and celebrating. Here is my checklist for the most perfect weekend in London (in my own opinion). 

To Do During the Day

As I said, I have been to London so many times, so I thought we might be a bit stuck for new things to do. I was absolutely wrong!

Tate Modern

A friend of mine had recently visited “Tate Modern” and it looked amazing so this was number one on my list of things to do. I could have spent hours upon hours making my way around the huge gallery. I found it so calming and inspiring to look at all the fascinating modern art. I’d say, even if you would not typically be interested in modern art, it’s still well worth a visit to the iconic building, and it’s free entry. 

The Fashion and Textile Museum

We happened upon this by chance as we were checking out Google Maps and I am so glad we found it. This museum showcases the best of British designers, including one of it’s founders Zandra Rhodes. From sketches, to textiles, to actual creations, it was amazing to see the work behind some of the most talented designers in Britain. 

Markets

London is famous for all of it’s iconic markets. We visited a few on our short trip and picked up some really unique bits. For food, Borough Market is amazing and features food from all cuisines and fresh local produce. The Vinegar Yard was a random little market that we stumbled across with gorgeous vintage fashion, jewellery and crafty bits. I bought a stunning pair of earrings that I’m obsessed with there. Of course we paid a visit to Camden Market, the most well known of them all. To be quite honest, the stalls were all very much the same and it was swarmed with people so was very hard to stroll around at ease. That being said, there was still a lovely atmosphere and it was the perfect Sunday activity. 

To Do at Night

London city is always buzzing especially around areas such as Covent Garden. My only complaint was that Sunday nights are very quiet and a lot of bars and restaurants close, so be mindful of this if you’re booking a weekend here.

The West End

We couldn’t resit the urge to go see a West End Show and ended up getting last minute tickets to see Dolly Partens “9 to 5”. There were only single tickets left, so me and mum couldn’t sit beside each other but the price and location of the seats made it all worth while. I was five rows from the front and the ticket only cost me 25 pound (originally 125). It didn’t matter that we weren’t sitting beside each other, I laughed out loud next to the stranger beside me (a lovely lady from Seattle) and enjoyed every minute of the show. I thought the dancing was sensational and David Hasselhof stole the show!

Where to stay

We stayed in “The Premier Inn, Tower Hill” and luckily there are loads of these hotels dotted around London. Everything was perfect, the room was very clean and spacious and staff were very nice. The only trouble we encountered was, a bag with shopping from the market was taken from the room, possibly accidentally by cleaning staff, and we are still waiting to hear back about what happened. Hopefully it will get resolved as everything else about the hotel was lovely. 

Food

I ate my way all over the city. There are so many amazing foodie spots that I wish I could have tried them all. Here are my top picks.

For Breakfast

The answer is in the name, “The Breakfast Club”. This place serves the king of all breakfasts in London and there are loads of these restaurants scattered around the city. We visited the one near London Bridge on a Monday morning and it was packed. We had to wait 20 mins for a table but it was so worth it in the end. The staff were so friendly, the food was amazing and there was a super fun laid-back vibe about the place. The menu included every single breakfast item you could ever think of, but I would definitely recommend the classic pancakes with bacon and maple syrup. 

For Brunch

Good old Google led us to the perfect brunch spot, “The Watch House”. All I can say is, this place does brunch right. The avocado and poached eggs on toast had no frills but was perfect. It seemed like a local favourite as all around us there were old friends catching up, joggers in to grab their coffee and people bringing their dogs in for a Saturday morning chill. I’m still dreaming about the banana bread. I think that’s a good enough reason to book a flight back to London?

For Coffee

I’m not a coffee snob, but honestly I had the best coffee of my whole life in “Roasting Plant Coffee”. When I was asked by the barista “what type of coffee would you like?” I didn’t know what to say, I was prompted “smooth, sweet or strong?”. I chose smooth and oh it was SMOOTH. I had a flat white and I wish there had been more of it, I’ll be taking a large latte next time!

For Lunch

If you’re a cheese lover, there is only one place for you to go, “The Cheese Bar”. The whole menu consists of only cheese inspired meals, mozzarella sticks, cheese toastie, the classic cheese board and the list goes on. I would have honestly sampled the whole menu if I could (and the whole wine menu). It’s such a trendy little place in the heart of Camden and I would go back in a heartbeat to try some more cheesy dishes, macaroni and cheese is next on the list!

For Dinner

“The Ivy” exceeded all expectations. There are many of these restaurants scattered around London (and luckily one in Dublin), but we visited the one in Covent Garden. We really had the full wining and dining experience and were treated like royalty by the staff from start to finish. The portions looked quite small but they were actually the perfect amount and we were stuffed leaving. Quality over quantity as they say. Our experience really made me want to visit the newly opened restaurant in Dublin on Dawson street. At least there is an alternative closer so I can get that salmon main course again.

For Drinks

As I said, Sundays in London are very quiet, but we were determined to have a cocktail before we left the fabulous city. We found a cocktail bar not far from our hotel called “The Alchemist”. There seems to be a lot of restaurant and bar chains in London, as was the case with this bar, which is brilliant because at least you’ll always be able to find your fave place again, wherever you are. The cocktails were all so creative and really fun. The one I ordered was called “peaches and cream” and was so yum. It had prosecco in it and that’s all I needed to know!

I will never tire of visiting London. It’s such an easy city to get around and there is always so much to see and do. It was made all the better because I was celebrating my lovely mums birthday. I’m already planning my next visit!