Vacay – London

‘INCREDIBLE’ – pretty much sums up our mini vacay to London early in the year.

We kicked off our vacay with a tour of London using the London Black Taxi Cab Tour Service. What I like about this tour is that it offers you the opportunity to visit and explore the sights of London from the comfort and convenience of an iconic London Black Taxi.  Our driver, Dave was excellent with extensive knowledge of the city.

Accommodation

Our home was the Radisson Blu Edwardian New Providence Wharf Hotel, overlooking the Thames, directly opposite the O2 Arena.

• With 169 spacious bedrooms and suites, including the 7th floor Penthouse the hotel rooms are well equipped meeting both the business and leisure traveller.

We had a spacious room with magnificent views of the River Thames and the O2. The breakfast buffet had a great selection and LOVED the fact that they had Soya milk and I could order my Soya Cappuccino. The staff at the hotel were great and extremely helpful.

Hotel Facilities and Amenities include:

A Restaurant, Bar, Fitness centre, Spa, FREE Wi-Fi, Room service, Meeting/banquet facilities, Business centre, Concierge

Great hotel for business and leisure.

• http://www.radissonblu-edwardian.com/london-hotel-gb-e14-9pj/gbcanary/home

Dining

I’m no foodie but I do enjoy a good meal, with great company at a restaurant with a great vibe and service.Our overall dining experience was way better than our very 1^st visit  to London – no Mc Donalds, Burger King or Pizza Hut.

1. Le Pain Quotidien

My bestie came across a bakery/deli/restaurant called ‘Le Pain Quotidien’ which means ‘our daily bread’. As one enters the deli, there’s a distinct aroma of freshly baked bread. The deli had such a pleasant vibe to it – very homely and welcoming.

The menu is quite substantial and they do cater to vegetarian. I opted for the Tartine – AVOCADO & OMEGA-3, very delicious sandwich.

I absolutely love these small Deli/Bakeries, it was a nice break from the norm of always going to Starbucks.

• http://www.lepainquotidien.com/

2. Zuma

We had the privilege being invited for lunch at Zuma, this restaurant is the crème de la crème of Asian fusion cuisine.

I tried every single vegetarian dish that was available, the veges were cooked to perfection even the meat eaters were digging into my veges.

Pure sophistication – Amazing Food – Great Company – Fantastic Atmosphere – Friendly and Professional Staff.

• http://www.zumarestaurant.com/

3. Union Street

This place was a complete let down, we chose to have dinner at Union because of its affiliation with Gordon Ramsay.  The food was blend, limited vegetarian but they did try to accommodate me. The vibe and atmosphere were great however one does not eat the vibe at a  restaurant.

Will I go back? No, I will need a lot of convincing to go back. Very disappointing indeed.

• http://www.gordonramsay.com/union-street-cafe/

4. High Tea at the Dorchester

After failing to get a booking for High Tea as most places were fully booked, we were lucky that ‘we knew a someone, that knows someone ‘ that got us a booking at the Dorchester. This hotel is where the ‘OTHER HALF’ stay – the hotel is a symbol of luxury, opulence, the epitome of timeless glamour.

The high tea is served in the Promenade, a lobby on the ground floor of the hotel with huge throne-like chairs to sink into and a pianist gently tinkling away.

We went with the High Tea menu – Savoury finger sandwiches, Warm scones served with glistening strawberry jam and cream, a platter of cakes and tartlets and a very large selection of teas. The service and overall experience was Splendid.

• http://www.dorchestercollection.com/en/london/the-dorchester/restaurants-bars/afternoon-tea

 

CONCERT

Mrs Carter – O2 Arena

One word to sum up this concert – PRICELESS

From the moment she enters the stage, Beyonce commands nothing but attention from her audience and right from the outset she brings such an incredible wave of energy to her performance.

She kicked off the show with ‘Run the World (Girls)’ a perfect way to set the scene for her show.

The Mrs Carter Show is a beating of ultra-slick showstoppers – Baby Boy, Diva, Crazy in Love, HALO, Love on Top, Flawless, XO…

The other highlight of the Mrs Carter show was when she performed ‘Drunk in Love’ and called on stage her husband…amazing chemistry, the Carter are a winning combination.

I also loved her rendition of ‘I will always Love you’ a nice touch to this high energy show.

The dancing is fierce, their wardrobe selection is captivating – the dozen glitzy couture costume changes,  Beyonce is truly an exceptional performer, everything about this show was PHENOMENAL.

I have a newfound respect for MRS CARTER.

 

Great holiday, good company, an overall  Splendid Experience.

xoxo

TS