London City Trip 2019

What is better for a London City Trip, as the English capital. Just in time for Brexit, I can easily use my EU ID to United Kingdom entered the country and therefore set off for London on a wonderful Tuesday morning. London stands, by the way, in front of the City break just because of Google. It reads more logically if you simply leave it out. 🙂

London Bank

A special neighborhood, a very special neighborhood indeed... perhaps even the most special neighborhood in London. Surrounded by a new skyline that was nowhere near existent on my last visit to London, bankers in fancy suits (or dresses, sorry ladies) scurry around here from 6 AM until late at night. Shopping is out of the question here. There are dozens of cool shops with bargain prices. 500 EUR for a shirt, 2500 EUR for the matching suit. ***I bought three to have as spares and walked back to the hotel.***... I thought, but didn't do it after all.

Walkie Talkie London

Two steps further, I'm standing at the Walkie Talkie, 20 Fenchurch Street. An impressive building, nicknamed the Walkie Talkie due to its shape. There is a Sky Garden upstairs. I want to go there and approach a friendly, smiling security woman. She says there's a private party there today; they've rented out the Sky Garden exclusively.

I said I was here privately too, so watch out for that. She laughed and referred me to one of her colleagues: I should leave now, he said, less smilingly than his colleague. Tomorrow at 6 PM I can go up. Well then... I'll come back tomorrow and it was indeed worth it. On Level 35, you have a super view of the city. You can see Saint Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, and much more. And all of that „for free.“.

Besides the slightly overpriced shops, there are quite a few hip restaurants and pubs in London's financial district that are worth a detour. First and foremost is the hotel where I'm staying.

The Ned

The building in which „The Ned“has taken up residence, dates back to the 1920s and was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Until the year 2000, banks were housed here, for example, the Midland Bank or HSBC... which doesn't really matter anyway 🙂

Since 2017, there's been a super fantastic 6-star hotel here (6 stars due to the luxury that's abundant everywhere). Indeed, the decor is impressive. Everything is designed in the style of the 20s... meaning the 1920s! Not the 2020s! 🙂 This makes everything feel very cozy and elegant. I felt comfortable here from the very beginning, and there was also a lot to discover in the room again. For example, I didn't know that there are people who need nine different shampoos and shower gels.

Each floor then has a receptionist who wishes you a good morning, a good afternoon, or good evening every time =) How nice.

Restaurants in Ned

It's great that there are a total of 10 restaurants here in Ned. Besides an Italian and a Japanese restaurant, there's also a Californian restaurant that offers many vegetarian and vegan dishes. I had a delicious breakfast there and also ended an evening with a jackfruit burger. There's live music almost every evening, and you really have to force yourself to go to your room. After all, it's Wednesday evening, not Saturday evening =).

If you want to experience more here, there's also an affordable members’ club for an annual fee of just under 5,000 EUR... WHAT??? But at least the spa is included then... for a whole year LOL. But that's also too long for a London city trip, of course.

All in all, the concept here has been perfectly executed. I've never stayed in a comparable hotel before. The fact that everything was only set up in 2017 and yet is in a 1920s style makes this hotel a special place, especially for a city trip to London.

London Citywalk – London City Trip

On a city trip to London, you shouldn't spend all your time in the financial district, of course. So, off to Piccadilly Circus and a detour to Chinatown. As you know, I love Asian food, so I spend the evening in a cozy sushi bar. I meet two Englishmen and have them tell me the latest Brexit news. What sounds boring was still quite exciting, as the locals are really in deep… But it's probably as it always is –> Everything will be alright.

And so, it was a successful trip to London. I went shopping on Regent Street, between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus. I visited a huge candy store... for whatever reason such a thing exists, and I also made a detour to Harrods.

Conclusion of London City Break

London is a great city with a stark contrast between modernity and tradition these days. Small churches and old English pubs with thick golden letters on a black background still appear between skyscrapers. That's how it should be :-).

Cheers and now have fun with a few snapshots from my city trip to London.