London - A photo essay and some foodie thoughts

Hubby's work trip to London turned out to be a wonderful travel and gastronomic experience for us. Since this was not a leisure trip i will keep this post short and share some of the beautiful photos instead. On second thoughts i would love to share things i liked about London and places to eat (being a total foodie now how can i miss the food part).

This has been in the drafts since...forever....Can't believe how lazy i am at times...heeeee :P

Big Ben - Also know as the Clock Tower happens to be the largest four faced clock tower in the world.

Palace of Westminster - UK Parliament

Tower Bridge - Noooo!!! that is not the London Bridge :P

Some highlights:

1) The beautiful Victorian structures - Victorian structures are a welcome break among the high rises that you often get to see in all the major cities and downtown. It was a deja vu kinda feeling as we can also find these stunning architecture in our very own Mumbai.

2) The Food (especially Indian Food :D) - I must confess the Indian food here was by far the best of the best. We also enjoyed few other delicacies.

I have listed few of our favorites from our trip below:

Indian and Bangladeshi Food

• Brick Lane: If you are ever in London city and are craving for Indian or Bangladeshi food, do check out the restaurants on Brick Lane many options to choose from. 
• Lahore Kebab House: By far the most delicious mutton tikka and paya that i have ever had. The food here is lip smackingly delicious. This place is a must try if you are a die hard non vegetarian. 
• Dishoom: With a nice laid back ambiance, this place also serves delicious food. Although i wouldn't say its all the way traditional but more of a modern indian approach. 
• Simply Indian: A simple hole in the wall kinda restaurant but the service was good and food was absolutely delicious. And the menu was interesting too, with many different options ranging from hyderabadi to goan to mughlai. 
• Bangalore Express: This is the one near gracechurch street. The veg thali and south indian cuisines are a must have. The only very big disappointment with this place is the service. Its very very bad. So if you are patient enough and can tolerate a bad service you can give this a try maybe once. 
• Punjab: This is known to be the oldest north indian restaurant in the UK. Ambiance, service and food everything is excellent here. A must try indeed. 

Other Options: 

• Gaucho: If you are a steak lover then this is something you shouldn't miss. Gaucho is an argentine steakhouse and argentine beef is known to be best in the whole wide world. Steakhouses can be expensive so save this for a date night ;). Please excuse me for the poor quality of photos clicked from my phone :P.

                          

                                                         

• Pho - A small and charming restaurant that serves delicious vietnamese street food. Loved the quaint small place and the food. 
• Old Spitalfields Market - A must visit place if you are in London. I so so regret for not carrying my camera while i was here. This is the place where i passed most of my time while hubby was busy with his work. A great place for food and shopping. Clothes, bags, fashion jewelry, make up, shoes,  arts & crafts, handmade crafts, vintage collections, mediterranean food stalls, basically everything old and new could be found here. Now as far as food is concerned there are tons of options to choose from. I loved the falafel options served by Pilpel, small greek deli by The Real Greek which is just outside the restaurant serve some delicious fresh salads along with lunch options and delicious crepes by crepeaffaire. I am sure there are many other restaurants that serves delicious food but these were some of them that we both liked and enjoyed. 

Old Spitalfields Market Image Source- Google (Wikipedia)

3) Transportation: Easy transport options like buses and trains makes it easier for tourists to roam around conveniently everywhere. I especially loved the double decker red buses :).

The vintage red Double Decker bus :D

Some photos of the major tourist attractions.

Buckingham Palace

Changing of the Guard, at Buckingham Palace

This cantonal tree displays the coats of the arms of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. 

It states that on 15th April 1991, on the occasion of 700th anniversary of the Swiss confederation, 

the right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor David Avery named this area "Swiss Court" 

as a token of lasting friendship between Switzerland and the United Kingdom. 

The London Eye - One of the popular tourist attraction, this Europe's tallest ferris wheel offers the
highest public viewing point in London (however now The Shard has taken over as the highest viewing point) 

Birds eye view of the city from the London eye

The British Museum

Inside the Museum

So until next time....signing off with some spectacular night view

Palace of Westminster lit up at night