Park Plaza Westminster Review

This is for a series of posts related to a London 2014 trip including: 

The Ledbury, Founder's Arms, Fishcoteque, Borough Market, Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Tayyabs, Giraffe: Heathrow, Park Plaza Westminster, & Wagamama: Heathrow.

After a week-long trip to Paris, we decided to fly on over to London as well. In past trips, I've never given the foggy city much of a chance and have never seen the allure of it. But the GF was interested and I decided to give it another shot. 

We decided on the Park Plaza Westminster for its location and the allure of its purported clean rooms and modern setting.

One of the highlights was the fact that you had a clear view of Big Ben and Westminster Abbey as you gazed through the glass wall in both the lobby and the main elevator hallways on most floors. Gorgeous. You're right across the bridge from the Westminster tube station, a major hub to get to all the tourist sites you desire.

The Lobby had red and black tones and reminded me of a modern Asian design. There are some cafes, bars, and restaurants surrounding the lobby in case you're interested in staying in.

~ $290/Night USD 

Unfortunately, no queen or kings were on offer so had to settle for putting two bed together - not a huge issue. 

There's a 40 inch TV and a desk. 

The bathroom was plenty spacious and clean. 

There was a large soaking tub that worked just fine.

And a large glass shower if that suits your needs as well!

There's plenty of closet space, a safe, iron, and an ironing board. 

Amenities include access to the 24-hour fitness center, pool, dry sauna, and steam room! Definitely took advantage of that while the GF caught up on some sleep.

There are some weight machines available, as well as some free weights.

There's also plenty of cardio machines, including treadmills and ellipticals with TVs attached.

So if you're looking for a clean, comfortable, and affordable place to stay in foggy London, do check out Park Plaza Westminster. You'll be able to get everywhere with the nearby tube station and better yet, you're less than a 10-minute walk to Big Ben, Westminster, and the London Eye.

Park Plaza Westminster
200 Westminster Bridge Road
London SE1 7UT
http://www.parkplaza.com/london-hotel-gb-se1-7ut/gbwestmi

Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon Review

This is for a series of posts related to a London 2014 trip including: 

The Ledbury, Founder's Arms, Fishcoteque, Borough Market, Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Tayyabs, Giraffe: Heathrow, Park Plaza Westminster, & Wagamama: Heathrow.

The one thing the GF wanted to do in London was enjoy afternoon tea. So we decided to head to Fortnum & Mason's Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon after spending the day at Buckingham Palace.

Fortnum & Mason is a huge department store located in London. They've obviously got everything you need for a proper tea, including a myriad of loose tea offerings for purchase. With respect to food, they've got specialty charcuterie, produce, and cheese as well.

Located on the top floor, you'll find a pianist on the grand piano. And to your right, the tea salon beckons, ready to help you feel at home for the next few hours. 

Afternoon Tea [40 Pounds pp =  $65.56 pp]

Afternoon tea is more than just the tea. It's about some pomp, along with some finger sandwiches and desserts to be enjoyed.

From an entire menu of options, each person gets to select their own tea. 

Not to be crass, but did I mention unlimited refills? On everything.

Green Tea with Ginger 
 

My green tea wasn't overpowering with ginger essence, but was lightly refreshing.

Black Tea with Apple
 

We appreciated the tiny cubes of dried apple that imparted their essence into the GF's tea.

But let's be real. I was here for the food. A tower of pastries, scones, and finger sandwiches came out. 

Along with clotted cream, strawberry, and lemon jams. 

The airiness of the rich clotted cream could not be denied.

The raisin scones were like sweet biscuits, with a hard exterior that lent way to a fluffy interior. Perfect to pair with the lemon and strawberry jams.

The sandwiches were sans crust and soft. Not much texture (even with the cucumber), but they were still enjoyable and classic. The cucumber sandwich was light, the salmon was smoky, and the egg salad was nicely seasoned with pepper. The roast beef was very good, but my favorite was the chicken and corn, which was well-seasoned and had sweet notes from the corn.

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but how could these tasty treats be denied? Eclairs, chocolate ganaches, cream puffs, and macarons. 

On top of that, don't hesitate to ask for goodies from the dessert trolley. 

We decided to try both the chocolate cake and raspberry lady finger cakes. The raspberry cake was moist and studded with cream, raspberries, and walnuts. 

The chocolate cake was extremely decadent - essentially a molded ganache. If you're a fan of chocolate, this is heaven.

Service was very good as well - relaxed, well-paced, and proper without being pretentious. Some may poo at afternoon tea for those visiting London. But I say if you're looking to relax while enjoying some light fare and plenty of sweets, there's no reason you shouldn't consider spending your afternoon at Fortnum & Mason's Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. 

Fishcoteque Review

This is for a series of posts related to a London 2014 trip including: 

The Ledbury, Founder's Arms, Fishcoteque, Borough Market, Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Tayyabs, Giraffe: Heathrow, Park Plaza Westminster, & Wagamama: Heathrow.

The GF and I were around Waterloo Station one night, feeling a bit peckish for some fish and chips. We looked a good thirty minutes for a proper pub still serving food past midnight. Alas, none were available so we settled on Fishcoteque.

Located along a busy street, the atmosphere inside was cozy and adorned with plenty of marine decor. 

Regular Cod & Chips [8.95 Pounds = $14.65]

The GF went with the cod and chips. The fish was clean, light, and fluffy, with the crispy batter lending a great crunch to each bite. There wasn't much, if any, seasoning, but there was nothing a bit of salt and vinegar couldn't fix! The chips were well-fried as well, with a creaminess within. 

Regular Haddock & Chips [8.95 Pounds = $14.65]
 

The skin-on haddock was similar in texture, though with a finer flakiness and had some bones.

Mushy Peas [1.95 Pounds = $3.19]
 

The side of mushy peas were mushy indeed. More like split pea soup, the GF enjoyed them, though I thought they could've used a bit more seasoning.

The check came in a cute maritime chest, with a few chocolate coins to boot! FYI - cash only.

Service was friendly and Fishcoteque fit the bill for our fish and chip needs.

Borough Market Review

This is for a series of posts related to a London 2014 trip including: 

The Ledbury, Founder's Arms, Fishcoteque, Borough Market, Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Tayyabs, Giraffe: Heathrow, Park Plaza Westminster, & Wagamama: Heathrow.

I love a good market. Better yet, I love one that's centered around food. If there's one place in London I had to check out, it was Borough Market. So after a morning at Shakespeare's Globe, we sauntered over to abate our hungry bellies.

The outer ring features a myriad of charcuterie or cheese options.

And further in the Market, you've got plenty of food vendors featuring their specialized goods.

Heidi Pie & Minty Mushy Peas [4 Pounds + 1 Pound = $6.55 + $1.64]
Goat's cheese, sweet potato, spinach, red onion  
 

Our first taste of Borough Market came from Pieminster. We opted for the minty mushy peas, which were the best iteration we've had the entire trip. Slightly herbaceous, with whole sweet peas studded throughout the mash, it was a winner. 

But in the end, it was all about the pie. The crispy, buttery crust of the pie was studded with sesame seeds and lent its way to moist bits of chicken interspersed with creamy sweet potato, spinach, red onion, and tangy goat cheese. 

From there, we walked over to Scotchtails to get a taste of a proper Scotch Egg.

Scotch Eggs [4.50 Pounds = $7.37]
Pork, sage, rosemary, thyme, onion, rocket greens 
  

It was beautifully presented, split down the middle to showcase that slightly runny yolk. The Scotch Egg was crisp on the outside, with a great inner circle of pork and sage sausage to provide some savoriness. This all encompassed that beautifully soft-poached egg.

The rocket greens were lightly dressed with vinaigrette and its bitterness helped to cut through the richness of each bite.

From there, we took a turn into Thailand, with Khanom Krok. 

Emulating the open-air vendors in Thailand, bean sprouts and eggs were being cooked over an open flame, contributing to our next bite of Borough Market. 

Chicken Pad Thai [5.50 Pounds = $9]
 

The chicken pad thai was light, with all the classic flavors you'd expect. The noodles had great chew, with the nuggets of egg heightening the savoriness of the moist chicken. I also appreciated the texture and nuttiness from the crushed peanuts.

But the best bite - possibly of the trip? It came from Khanom Krok's sweet coconut pancakes. 

Sweet Coconut Pancakes [3.50 Pounds = $5.73]
 

These sweet pockets of joy were texturally on point. The crispness of the pancakes provided a great vessel to house the creamy pools of coconut studded with either black sesame, white sesame, or sweet corn. I'd fly across the Atlantic just to get another bite of these bad boys.

So if you're visiting London, definitely check out the restaurants and pubs. But you're doing yourself a disservice if you neglect to head over to Borough Market to grab lunch or pick out some things for a nice picnic by the Thames. And for God's sakes - hunt those coconut pancakes down!

Borough Market
8 Southwark Street
London SE1 1TL, United Kingdom
http://boroughmarket.org.uk/