London Food Guide

My recent trip to London was my first experience in Europe. I was blown away by the architecture, food, style and history that characterized the city. Our trip was also the first time my parents had been to Europe, so we got to experience it together with fresh eyes. We marveled over how we never ate a bad meal - especially after hearing about London's reputation for less than stellar food. Half of these spots were wonderful suggestions from friends. The other half were places I researched or happy accidents that we stumbled upon! Hopefully this list of restaurants and pubs will help you enjoy your culinary experience in London as much as we did.

Dishoom: Inspired by the disappearing Irani cafés of Bombay, Dishoom has a cool vibe and delicious food.

The Wolseley: This is a well-known and extremely impressive establishment. It will be helpful to make a reservation, dress up a bit and prepare your budget for the occasion. An excellent choice for afternoon tea.

Rabbit: Tapas! Exquisite tapas, delicious drinks and a laid-back vibe. I can't say enough good things about this place.

Cafe Concerto: If you see one of these and you're hungry for lunch, go in and sit down. One of the best salmon niçoise salads I've ever eaten. 

The Botanist: This spot is typically busy, so I recommend making a reservation. Incredible drink list and delicious food.

Chelsea Potter Pub: We stumbled upon this pub, but apparently it is quite well known! I recommend the Pimm's and Lemonade or a pint of Pironi to go with your fish and chips.

Da Scalzo: The best pizza! Their gluten-free crust was impressive as well. Live jazz makes this little piece of Italy even more cozy.

No. 11 Pimlico Road: Go here for breakfast! I'm sure they make great dinner as well, but trust me, you need to eat their breakfast. The design in this place is on point!

West Coast Road Trip, PT 3

To get caught up: West Coast Road Trip, PT 1 + West Coast Road Trip, PT 2

San Diego was our next stop in California. I fell in love with that city during two super fun trips I took to visit my good friend Stefanie during college. San Diego has it all: great food, great beaches and a laid back vibe. 

Time to keep moving! We hit the road for Arizona and couldn't resist pulling off for photos as the sun began to set. I have a deep affection for the desert. 

Next up: the Grand Canyon!! My geologist heart was exploding during our day at the canyon. Absolutely incredible.

White Sands National Monument in Alamogordo, NM. I've been here once before during geology field camp, so I had a blast showing Jared around the area. This was our last stop before continuing on to Del Rio! 

See also: West Coast Road Trip, PT 1 + West Coast Road Trip, PT 2

West Coast Road Trip, PT 1

Jared and I started our married life together up in Seattle during the summer of 2012. After a glorious ten months in the Pacific Northwest, it was time to move to the Texas desert for J's pilot training in Del Rio. Naturally, we decided to take two weeks of leave to make the move into a west coast road trip. It was one of the best experiences of my life.

Now, we are living in Florida two years later and I still look at these photos time to time and think about the awesome variety of experiences in America. I don't know if we will ever get stationed out of the country, but I do know that there are plenty of adventures to be had here at home.

A couple of days before we hit the road, we met up with some of our friends at the Bastille back bar. It was really hard for me to leave knowing that we would be living so far away from many of our favorite people. We had a brilliant, talented, caring community of friends surrounding us during our first year of marriage and I knew there would be a void in my life for quite some time as I prepared to move to a city where I knew no one. (Spoiler alert: I ended up meeting many incredibly awesome people in Del Rio, but the Seattle crew still holds a huge part of my heart.)

We made one last trip to Gasworks Park to take night shots of the city skyline.

A few days before heading out, we decided to head to a place that we had not yet explored, Lake Chelan. We stayed at The Lakeview Hotel and it was delightful. Anytime there is a fireplace in my hotel room, I am automatically loving it.

Once we left Seattle, we drove until we hit the upper corner of California (with a quick stop for dinner in Portland). We arrived in Crescent City late that night and got up early to explore the beaches.

As we made our way down HWY 101, we found ourselves in the redwood forests. Very few things will make you feel as small as a towering forest of redwoods.

After a long day of driving, taking breaks to hike, attempting to drive through a redwood tree (the truck was just too big), and jamming out to Macklemore, we made it to San Francisco! We were lucky enough to stay with our dear friend Kate Gilbert in her beautiful home. We also got to see Bob & Natalie Clark! It was Jared's first time in SF, so it was fun to show him around. We spent the whole day walking and admiring the sights.

Stay posted for PT 2!