By the time this goes live, I will be back in London! I've got lots of plans this go 'round, and I can't wait to write up the shows, shopping, and Halloween nonsense I get up to while I'm here. For now, though, I'm looking forward to hitting up my usual haunts as I prepare for my time away.
Wouldn't it be amazing if I could find little places no one's ever heard of? Well, for better or for worse, my tastes skew from nerd cafés to legitimately famous department stores. To that end, here are five places (large and small) that I will always visit in this town.
By no means a well-kept secret, this department store will always be a stop on my trip... mostly because it's a great place to pick up holiday snacks and gifts. I'll spend most of my time here tea-shopping, but they also have amazing biscuits and preserves. And I know for a fact their Christmas stuff will be out, meaning I can get ahead on those as well.
Additionally, Fortnum is home to the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, which I visited for the first time last year and which I'll almost certainly be hitting up again this year.
While there are multiple locations (including one right near where I come into town from my friends' house), I love the Chez Antoinette on the bottom level of Covent Garden. It's a small, cozy French café that does amazing tartines. (Note: a tartine is an open-faced sandwich. A lady next to me last time I went was very confused because she thought it was a tart.)
I always go to Covent Garden on my first full day to buy tea and hot chocolate from Whittard's of Chelsea, do some window shopping, and get lunch here. And if you like a drink, try the French martini. It is fantastic.
My friend JJ and I found this shop a couple years ago, and it was just fantastic. This shop sells a wide variety of Japanese sweets, including and especially seasonal ones. Seating is limited, and we were lucky to grab a spot to rest our feet and enjoy what we bought. If you go, I recommend being prepared to take yours to go.
There are apparently other locations around the world, including in New York. But it took going to London for me to find it!
The last two locations on this list, I learned about because of events I've been to. The Loading Bar was the original location of Oxventure filming, and last year was host to their Jingle Jamboree livestream (which I attended). I've also been to one of the other locations with friends Ginger and Mason pre-lockdown.
Whatever the location, the drinks menu is extremely good. Everything is game-themed (such as "Pitcher 3: Wined Hunt" and "Assassin's Mead"), and the chips are amazing.
Another place I discovered through a special live show. Two years ago, I was in attendance for a live Mom Can't Cook! recording at Halloween, and it was held here. For Hampton Roads locals, it gives me big Naro vibes. Which is a good thing.
The Prince Charles appears to show just about anything, but it's largely dedicated to cult films, horror, special screenings with guests, and the like. Which is probably why they were willing to let two podcasters dressed as the stars of Brink! talk about Halloweentown 2 downstairs. It's a very cool venue, and one that's clearly well loved by the locals.
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