It’s funny, I realize I haven’t posted in a while, but there is one destination I continually return to and have gotten to know quite well over the ~2.5 months or so I’ve collectively spent there over the past year: London!

Perhaps it is because I associate it with work, or because it seems like a destination most folks have / plan to get to, but it never occurred to me to blog about my London experiences until I was reminiscing and looking through old photos.

Typically when I’ve gone, I’ve stayed in the Leicester Square, Picadilly Circus, Mayfair, Soho, and Covent Garden areas, largely based on hotel availability. Obviously, each neighborhood has its own vibe, but I feel so comfortable wandering up Regent Street, looking at the hanging banners, and then disappearing off a side street until I’m deep in Carnaby. Many of my favorite restaurants are tucked back in Carnaby, or just up the street in Soho. Kiln, a clay pot Thai restaurant, prepares the pots directly in front of you; Palomar, a Mediterranean shared plates restaurant, does something similar. I also love the architecture of the different restaurants, and how they have maintained their character.

Of course, there are favorites: Gordon Ramsey’s fish and chips at Haddon Street Grill and Yoobi Sushi never disappoint.

My most frequent destination within London, other than the office and the hotel, is Dishoom, home of the best Indian food I have had. I think if someone offered to fly me to London for 6 hours, inclusive of time spent commuting to / from the airport, I would take the offer just to eat at Dishoom. The Viceroy’s Old Fashioned, Chicken Ruby, and cheese naan is probably the perfect meal. I also associate London with creative and festive cocktails, but perhaps that’s because I have the benefit of an expense account while I’m there!

Even better than a great cocktail is a great venue, and London’s speakeasies offer some of the best. My favorite, Cahoots!, is themed to be a ’40s bomb shelter constructed within an underground station. The drinks are excellent, and the ambiance spot on.

My other favorite thing to do is just wander, and get on the Tube and just explore. I recently had a colleague who’d never been to London join me on a weekend add-on to a business trip we both needed to attend in London, and for the first time, we did all of the tourist attractions (and ended up watching the World Cup in a pub with a rowdy Irish crowd). I’ve also explored on foot, and at one point did a walk from Big Ben to the Millennium Bridge just to take in the different neighborhoods along the waterfront.

Overall, London is a great town – similar to New York City in its bustle, but almost distinctly more cosmopolitan in the languages heard and diversity surrounding you on a daily basis. Plus, Brits are actually respectful and clean, which is a nice change from the filth of NYC!