OUR FAVORITES:

◇ Borough Market in Southwark (Open Tues-Sun)

◇ Roam around Little Venice - full of floating bookshops, cafes & pubs

◇ See a show in London West End

◇ Picnic/walk in Hyde Park or Primrose Hill

◇ Cheeky Nandos - A fan favorite. Low effort, high reward

◇ Mr Foggs - Any of them, you can not go wrong

◇ Dishoom - Covent Garden is our favorite location!

◇ Wonder through all the old arcades

___________________________________________________

COVENT GARDEN

◇ Gordons Wine Bar - Londons oldest wine bar (Bar)

◇ The Old Bank of England (Pub)

◇ The Harp (Pub)

◇ Rules London (British Restaurant)

◇ Dishoom (Indian Restaurant)

◇ Neal's Yard (Bars/Restaurants)

◇ Seven Dials Market (Bars/Restaurants)

___________________________________________________

SOHO

◇ The Dog & Duck (Pub)

◇ Cahoots (Cocktail Bar)

◇ The Ivy Soho (British Restaurant)

◇ Oxford Street (Shopping)

◇ Liberty (Shopping)

◇ Carnaby Street (Shopping/Bars/Restaurants)

___________________________________________________

MAYFAIR

◇The Ivy Asia (Asian Fusion Restaurant)

◇ Sexy Fish Mayfair (Japanese Restaurant)

◇ Mercato Mayfair (Food Market inside Church Sanctuary)

◇ The Mayfair Chippy (British Restaurant)

◇ Selfridges (Shopping)

◇ Savile Row (Shopping)

◇ Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone, just north of Mayfair (Bar/Restaurant)

__________________________________________________

WESTMINSTER / BELGRAVIA

◇ The Grenadier (Pub)

◇ Bag O'Nails (Pub)

◇ Chez Antoinette (French Restaurant)

◇ The English Grill (British Restaurant)

◇ Timmy Green (Australian Restaurant)

◇ Harrods (Shopping)

___________________________________________________

KENSINGTON / NOTTING HILL

◇The Churchill Arms (Pub)

◇ Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill (Open Saturday)

◇ The Ivy Kensington (British Restaurant)

___________________________________________________

SAINT JAMES

◇ The Admiralty (Pub)

◇ DUKES (Martini Bar)

◇ Priana (Japanese + Peruvian Restaurant w/ live DJ)

◇ The Ritz (High Tea)

◇ Royal Arcade (Shopping)

◇ Piccadilly Arcade (Shopping)

◇ Burlington Arcade (Shopping)

◇ Fortnum & Mason (Shopping)

___________________________________________________

LONDON LANDMARKS:

◇ Buckingham Palace

◇ Big Ben / Parliament / Westminster Abbey

◇ St. Paul's Cathedral

◇ London Eye

◇ Crown Jewels / Tower of London

◇ Churchill War Rooms

◇ The Shard

◇ Tate Modern

◇ Natural History Museum

◇ Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

◇ Hyde Park

◇ Royal Botanic Garden - Kew Gardens

◇ Camden Market (Mon-Sun)

◇ Westminster Cathedral

___________________________________________________

HISTORY OF SAINT MARY ABBOTS CHURCH

St Mary Abbots will be 152 years old this year, though worship here has been happening for some 1000 years. The earliest record is a a mention of a church in the Doomsday book, making it the site of the first church in Kensington, and until the 19th Century, the only church in Kensington.

​Historical Fact - In March 1944 St Mary Abbots suffered WWII wartime damage in the Blitz. Fire-bombs destroyed the nave and chancel roofs. The Church was repaired, and you'll notice the interior color of the roof is green. Reason being, RAF (Royal Air Force) green was the only supply available post war. Upon learning this, we felt a great sense of connection to the church as both of our Grandfathers flew with the Royal Air Force during WWII.

Fun Fact - ​Princess Diana and Sir Isaac Newton were both parishioners.

___________________________________________________

HISTORY OF 116 PALL MALL

◇ 1820 - Carlton House ends, 116 ("one-one-six") Pall Mall begins. The Prince of Wales vacates his London residence at Carlton House to prepare for his accession to the throne as George IV. Carlton House is demolished and celebrated Regency architect John Nash, who famously designed the Marble Arch and Brighton Pavilion, is commissioned to create a new building on the site of the new king’s former home. This will eventually become 116 Pall Mall.

◇ 1828 - King George IV donates a 15ft Regency chandelier, which still hangs above the main staircase, to commemorate victory in the Battle of Waterloo.

◇ 1939 - Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, becomes a regular visitor during World War II while serving in the Naval Intelligence Division as Lieutenant Commander RNVR.

◇ 1940 - Exiled Norwegian monarch, King Haakon, regularly met with his officers in the Smoking Room to plan strategy during World War II. Following the war, Haakon began the annual tradition of Norway sending a Christmas tree for Trafalgar Square as a thank-you gift to the UK.

◇ 1982 - Oscar-winning epic Gandhi filmed in the Nash Room, where we are having our Wedding Feast!

◇ 2004 - Margaret Thatcher’s eulogy for Ronald Reagan is filmed at 116 Pall Mall
The Dark Knight filming

◇ 2008 - A scene from the blockbuster Batman movie The Dark Knight is shot in The Brasserie

◇ 2023 - The Grand Staircase and The Waterloo are featured in the hit new drama, ‘The Diplomat’.

◇ 2023 - A dining scene is filmed in the Carlton Room, and the Grand Staircase is featured in the Netflix flagship thriller, ‘You’.