London, baby!

[captncrzy]

So we're going to the UK in the fall. We're spending two nights in Bath and spending three nights/four days in London.

Can anyone recommend a good place to stay in Bath?

Also, we've never been to the UK before. Cultural differences? Good places to eat? Good places to shop? Decent place to take a high tea? Places we should check out that aren't in the tour books? Lemme hear it!

[obzen]

bollocks.

[sonofhal]

It all depends what kind of break you want, but London normally has a ton of stuff on (and more live music than any other city on the planet). Here's a few suggestions.

Hit The Rock And Sole Plaice on Endell St (Covent Garden) for some of the best Fish and Chips in London.

Head to Brick Lane for a curry, and whilst in the area drop into Rough Trade East to marvel at how expensive music is in London (if you're lucky, there will be some free instore shows on while you are in town)

Book a table at The Ivy for some trad English food (Bangers and Mash etc) and knock back a few James Boags with your meal.

If you get homesick, pop into The Eagle Bar Diner on Rathbone Place for all types of burgers (I'm partial to a bit of Ostrich), or try The Lexington in Islington for a huge choice of Bourbon and quite a few American beers (and some cool bands upstairs).

[captncrzy]

That's great. I was wondering where to go for the fish n chips.

[tessalasset]

i am retarded and did not know Rough Trade was a record shop. i thought it was only a label.

[sonofhal]

It was a record shop before it was a label. Rough Trade West is the original one and Rough Trade East is about the closest we've got to Amoeba.

[dinosaurateme]

I went to London a couple years ago. It was really expensive. There aren't any huge cultural differences, although i think the english are nicer than americans. Riding the underground is super easy. i dont know, there's not much to say. it's london.

[chiapet]

Obviously the folks who live in London are going to present different ideas due to having more local experience, but if I only had 4 days in London, I probably WOULDN'T avoid what's in the tour books. There are enough interesting things in London that you could spend months there as a tourist and not see everything. I'd spend two or three half-days doing tourist things/sites (Tower of London and British Museum would be my first choices), half a day shopping, and would have tea somewhere. I love museums and would visit a few more (the Tate Modern, Victoria & Albert, and Natural History Museum are all great -- and free). Leave time to just wander. The London Eye is very nice at dusk. You might consider catching a musical, play or concert while there.

I liked the Orangery for tea -- it's not the most posh place, but it's also less expensive, does not require reservations, and you do not have to dress up. The setting is beautiful too (it's in the kensington gardens).

Culturally, nothing unexpected. The only thing I've noticed is that establishments may keep different hours than you'd expect based on their US counterparts. For example, some (by no means all) pubs close rather early on weeknights, a lot of groceries and restaurants closed earlier than I'd expect. Don't mean to imply that everything shuts down at an early hour (definitely not the case) but it doesn't feel like a 24 hour city.

[kitt kat]

The people I went to London with took their daughter to high tea at some hotel. I really can't remember the name, though...but I bet if you look it up, it'll be one of the top ones since it was apparently the best place to go for it. Wish I could remember.

I loved Westminster Abbey. Then again, I'm nerdy, but I thought it was amazing.

I did some shopping up in Camden (don't ask) and I went to a bunch of yuppie bars with my ex's best friend. The random little pubs were always fun for a midday beer or two.

The tube is great...I would giggle to myself whenever the voice would announce the train was heading to "Cockfosters."

Also, Harrods is a mindfuck. I spent 4 hrs and $500 in there.

[captncrzy]

Yeah, I totally have some of the tourist stuff in mind (The WM Abbey, Tower of London, British Museum, etc). Just wondering what else I should know. I don't want to say "pants" referring to my jeans when to them, it means "underwear". That kind of stuff. I don't want to be the ugly American.

[MissingPerson]

* Don't wear a fanny pack.

* Or say "fanny pack".

You should be set.

[TomAz]

I was in Bath years ago. Why are you going to Bath?

For a good place to eat in London, get on the EuroStar and go to Paris.

[bug on your lip]

The tube is great...I would giggle to myself whenever the voice would announce the train was heading to "Cockfosters."

*giggle* i should post a Cockfosters sign in the 'shot of ghey' thread


i fukkin loved, loved, loved the British Museum... but i'm all nerdy for ancient Egyptian shiite.. but really this place can't be beat if u luv your classical civilizations, it is an amazing display of items the British stole from all over the world.

[garrett222]

I was in Bath years ago. Why are you going to Bath?

For a good place to eat in London, get on the EuroStar and go to Paris.

probably wants to check out stone henge

[TomAz]

cool touristy things to do in London: the Tower. the Eye. the British Museum, like bug said. Hyde Park on a Sunday afternoon.

touristy things best avoided in London: the changing of the guard. Picadilly Circus.

[TomAz]

probably wants to check out stone henge

Stonehenge is cool. Salisbury is cool. the baths in Bath are cool. the rest of Bath is not, at least that I recall.

[JustSteve]

Hyde Park on a Sunday afternoon.

def. gotta go to speaker's corner, it's just nuts!

one day while there i took a few hours to travel out to the house of john keats in hampstead. bummed to find out it was closed for renovations once i got out there, so just walked around the town for a bit.

[sonofhal]

I was in Bath years ago. Why are you going to Bath?

For a good place to eat in London, get on the EuroStar and go to Paris.

Cuisine in London is pretty shit unless you know where to look. For every great place, there are 10 shit ones just there to rip off tourists.

[amyzzz]

Culturally, nothing unexpected. The only thing I've noticed is that establishments may keep different hours than you'd expect based on their US counterparts. For example, some (by no means all) pubs close rather early on weeknights, a lot of groceries and restaurants closed earlier than I'd expect. Don't mean to imply that everything shuts down at an early hour (definitely not the case) but it doesn't feel like a 24 hour city.

Make sure you eat at normal lunch and dinner times -- restaurants/pubs/whatever don't serve food in between times like say 2-5pm.

[captncrzy]

I was in Bath years ago. Why are you going to Bath?

For a good place to eat in London, get on the EuroStar and go to Paris.

To see stonehenge and the roman baths, and to do some quirky shopping. I want to use a small georgian town to get acclimated to the time change, etc.

*giggle* i should post a Cockfosters sign in the 'shot of ghey' thread


i fukkin loved, loved, loved the British Museum... but i'm all nerdy for ancient Egyptian shiite.. but really this place can't be beat if u luv your classical civilizations, it is an amazing display of items the British stole from all over the world.

I'm really excited about that museum too.

cool touristy things to do in London: the Tower. the Eye. the British Museum, like bug said. Hyde Park on a Sunday afternoon.

touristy things best avoided in London: the changing of the guard. Picadilly Circus.

Thank you.

Cuisine in London is pretty shit unless you know where to look. For every great place, there are 10 shit ones just there to rip off tourists.

And THIS is why I need help.

[marooko]

i get tell you where to go to buy drum and bass. thats about it.

[kitt kat]

For a good place to eat in London, get on the EuroStar and go to Paris.

SERIOUSLY.

The food in London was as meh as you've probably heard. I DID get some fish and chips...And all else I remember eating was a sandwich and a chicken burger deal. The food in Paris is amazing even though I liked London better as a whole.

Hell, the food on the train was better than the food in London!

[Bud Luster]

If you can, see something from the royal Shakespeare Co. Try the Barbican or National theatre. (fuck it, see whatever is playing in the National's big theatre) If that doesn't suit you then grab a Time Out magazine when you get there and see what else is playing. You should buy a Time Out Mag as soon as you get there (available at ANY news stand. They are everywhere) London is easily my favorite city in the world.

Edit* fuck what they say. Have a stroll through Piccadilly Circus at night. go to the Bar Rumba on a Thursday night. See what's shakin' at Fabric if you are there on a weekend.

double edit** go to Kentucky Fried Chicken

[davrone]

I'm also going to the UK in a couple of months. This site has been pretty helpful:

http://www.effingpot.com/index.shtml

[sportsbunny]

I lived in London for 8 months in '96. 8 months was not enough so it is hard to recommend what to do for 3/4. I did most of my shopping on Oxford Street. There is actually decent fish and chips at the pub right across from Victoria Station (can't remember the name it might be Shakespeare). Most of the clubs I went to have since closed but my DJ friend that lives there says Fabric is a must. The British Museum and the Museum of the City of London (or something like that) were my favorite museums - and most museums are free. Also don't say "root" say "cheer" as in "I cheer for the Dodgers". Eat some chocolate covered Hobnobs you won't be sorry. I am very jealous have a great time.

[dinosaurateme]

Theres a restaurant near Trafalgar Square that i went to called the Texas Embassy. They serve mexican food, and apparently that place, before it was a mexican restaurant, sold titanic tickets. i thought that was cool

[chairmenmeow47]

i loved the jack the ripper tour where they take you to all the spots where he killed and then leave you in the white chapel district at night. dunno if they still do that though, i was there like 14 years ago and i was really only in london. we did go to shakespear's house which was cool, though i hear they've closed off some of the rooms since as the ceilings were sinking.

i also enjoyed most every touristy church/castle we went to. the wax museum was lame and i wasn't a big fan of going to see the crown jewels of india. i honestly spent a large amount of my time in london wondering why the brits won't give back half the shit they've stolen from the world. the museum of torture scared me as a kid, but you might enjoy it.

we ate shitty london food most of the time and the only decent night was when we had german food. there are lots of cool old theatres to see shows at, that was another highlight for me. i'd recommend seeing blood brothers as it's a british show that really should only be performed by the brits.

culturally, all i can say is don't bring your american singing group to the changing of the guards at buckingham palace & start singing songs about freedom. the bobbies will try to arrest you.

have fun! and be sure to enjoy a cadbury flake while you're there!

[amyzzz]

Just eat a bunch of curry while you're there. That can be decent.

[chiapet]

The only really bad food I've had in London was actually Indian. And it was in an East End place recommended by British-Indian friends. It was the opposite of spicy. It was British spicy, which I think might be black pepper and salt. Disappointing.

Other than that, I didn't think British food is as bad as people make it out to be, and if you really get stuck, go to a Marks and Spencer Simply Food. Mmmm.

Eat some walkers sensations crisps for me please. chicken thyme lemon oh my god. I don't even like potato chips. But they're so good.

[chairmenmeow47]

british food is as bad as i'm making it out to be, eww. and don't expect more than a cube of ice in your drinks.