Last New Years my husband and I spent New Years Eve in London with two friends and had the best time! It was our first trip just the two of us eight years, so we were overdue! ha London has been on my bucket list for years and years, so as soon as we learned my in-laws were going to be visiting for a couple weeks, we jumped on the chance of a kid-free trip! And there was nowhere better than London for New Years Eve! You can click here to my Instagram, find my ‘London’ Highlight and see our entire trip in action!
We were there for four days and it was still al decked out fro Christmas, which made it even more magical. Gosh I hope to bring the boys back someday! London is such a cool city, it was so beautiful, and truthfully, it was nice to be back in an English speaking country for a few days. haha We saw, we ate, we drank, and we walked our way through London!
We stayed in a hotel right in the center of the city, which I highly recommend if you can swing it. It was SO convenient to be so close to everything and to be able to fly around on the tube!
Day 1 we headed out and started our day at Buckingham Palace. I have to admit, we were all a little underwhelmed, I can’t believe Im typing that, but it definitely looks much more sizable on TV. Don’t get me wrong, it was still very cool to see, and the road leading into it, where all the famous drives are, was cool to see. I imagine in the spring when its lined with cherry blossoms, its stunning! If you’re there with kids, there is a park to feed ducks, and a playground right across the street!
From there we walked towards Westminister Abbey, which is gorgeous and grand. I couldn’t stop staring. The lines were incredibly long and we didn’t book in advance so we didn’t go in. In all honestly, this was more of a relaxing and fun trip than a sightseeing one. We saw a lot, but we didn’t get into the history of it all or do tours like we would have with the boys. We were all there to just chill and have fun together, so it was definitely more of a social vacation, we loved every minute!
Walking away from Westminster, we walked by Big Ben, but its been closed up and under construction unfortunatley. We kept walking down along there Thames, which is a gorgeous walk. We hopped up to the Jubilee Bridge to get great pictures with the London Eye. We were so blessed to have beautiful sunny weather this day!
From there we walked around the corner to Gordons Wine Bar, which is the oldest bar in London, and it felt like it! Going down into it felt like being in a cave but it was all lit up and so cool. They had newspaper clippings on the walls going back ages, string lights across the bar, and just a really cozy vibe. Highly recommend stopping in here for a drink!
Since it was Christmas time we knew we wanted to hit up at least one Christmas Market, so we walked up to Trafelgar Square. We hung out there for a bit sipping on some Vin Br没l茅e and listening to the music. So pretty and so fun!
At this point we were pretty hungry, so we headed to the famous Mr. Foggs Tavern for a late lunch. There was quite a wait since its so popular, but we didnt mind. We grabbed a table at the bar and hung out for a bit. They made us some really fun drinks and we sat there for a few hours just eating, drinking, and laughing. Its such a cool spot, highly recommend a stop here if you’re in London, even just for a drink!
When we finally left, it was getting dark and we walked towards Leicester Square. There was another fun Christmas market going on, and if you’ve ever been to one, you know they’re even better at night! The lights, music, hot wine in the crisp air, its always such a good time! This was such a fun spot to hang out for awhile! Eventually we kept walking towards Piccadilly Circus. We knew we wanted to see it at night all lit up, and it did not disappoint! Since it was still all lit up with Christmas lights, it was dazzling! We ended up visiting this spot multiple times those few days, but at night it was something special.
From there we hopped on the tube to Hyde Park for their Winter Wonderland! Another fun event during Christmastime and highly recommend! We got a hot cup of vin br没l茅e and rocked out with the live bands for awhile! SO FUN. Ive missed live music so so much since moving to Italy, so this was such a treat! They had rides and snacks and it was such a fun evening!
When we left, we hopped in a cab to take us up to Soho. We popped into Glassblower for a pint, and then walked down to Cahoots for specialty cocktails. This was such a cool spot, its a 1940s themed bar, set inside an abandoned train station, and it was like walking into a time machine. It has a little speakeasy and some seriously fun cocktails! We ended our night here since it was about 2am at this point, but it was such a fun day! London has a special kind of magic too it.
Day 2, my husband and I got up and out to get some breakfast, while our friends slept in. Living in Italy, we don’t really get the chance to go out for breakfast, its not really a thing here, other than a coffee & pastry, so we were not missing out! We walked down to The Ivy Soho, and WOW. It did not disappoint, such a fun and cool vibe and the food was incredible!
After breakfast we walked down Carnaby (SO COOL) and eventually to Oxford Street and did some shopping, because seriously if you’re in London, you must! Then we walked through Bond Street to check out the window displays and decked out buildings. They were unbelievable and totally worth ogling!
We popped into Sketch for a drink, and if you know, you know. This spot is insta/pinterest famous! ha from the egg pod bathrooms, to all the different themed rooms, this place was high on my list to see. You can go for high tea, but we chose to pop in for a couple martinis and wow, what an experience. There was a ballerina dancing around us, neon lights and some of the coolest decor. I couldn’t help myself walking through the place. A must see!
When we left Sketch, we hopped on the tube down toward the Tower of London. Another spot high on my list was Coppa Club! You’ve probably seen it, but the igloos outside on the water, overlooking tower bridge? Such a cool spot. We stopped in there for a bit, ordered some fun cocktails, appetizers, and warmed up. It was delicious and another great stop!
We left there and walked down along the water. We stopped at the Starbucks right before we hit the bridge for a little boost! It was New Years Eve after all, we had to stay up! We walked across Tower Bridge, which is just beautiful, and ended up hitting up a really cool little Christmas market on the south bank. It was a neat spot, with heaters, live music, cool cocktails and unbelievable views! (If you’re a love actually fan, south bank is a pretty famous spot from the movie too!)
After a couple hours hanging out, we headed back up to Soho for dinner. Dishoom was the the #1 spot on my restaurant list before we got to London. I mean, everywhere we ate was absolutely heavenly, and Id go back to everyone again, but Dishoom is on its own level. I tired for weeks to get a reservation and they were always booked, so we showed up and just waited. It was a two hour wait. My friend and I went back to our hotel to change into our NYE glitter while the boys waited, and then we all sat down and at the BEST Indian food of my whole life. Like, I wish Insta had smell screen because it was SO good. If you’re going to London, just do yourself a favor ahead of time and make a res. Worth it.
We left Dishoom late! We walked to Piccadilly Circus and counted down to the New Year with half of London it felt like! ha The screens were lit up, the fireworks were loud, the people were screaming, and it was truly one of the best NYE ever! I can’t imagine it gets better than that, we had SO much fun!
When the countdown ended and it was officially 2020, we walked around the corner to The Piano Works. It is a dueling piano bar and was SO.MUCH.FUN. We spent the next four hours here and had such a blast dancing and rocking out to such great hits. Gosh, I miss music bars so much! We walked back to the hotel around 4am. Yes, walked. It was a 30 minute walk but I figured we could use the fresh air. 馃槈 Such a fun New Years Eve, start to finish.
The next day, we were all TIRED, ha-understatement, but we had one day left AND it was my husbands birthday! We got up, half zombie feeling, chugged some coffee, and hopped on the tube towards Notting Hill. (HAD TO!) We walked all around, and it is as beautiful as they make it look. The rainbow homes, the architecture, it was so beautiful. It is also the spot from the most famous scene from Love Actually. “To me, you are perfect.” (You know, you know!) We had to stop by that house! (This pink one!) It was such a charming little street and Notting Hill was so cool.
We stopped into the infamous Churchill Arms to warm up and grab a drink. The second we sat down at the bar, the older gentleman next to us says to his friend, “These young blokes don’t even know who Churchill is!” hahah we got a good laugh and a good pint before we headed out.
We took the tube back to central and went to The Salisbury Pub for lunch. I couldn’t leave London without some fish & chips, and this place totally hit the spot! After a late lunch we walked to Covent Garden and hung out there for awhile, exploring, shopping, and enjoying the performers.
After a few hours we hopped on the tube back to our hotel for an early night. We hung out, watched movies, and ordered room service. It was SUCH a treat and the perfect ending to a relaxing, fun, kid free trip!
London is SUCH a gem and I truly, truly cannot wait to get back! We see a lot of places and I rarely want to go back to the same place twice, but Im eager to go back to London! I want to visit Shoreditch, go to Camden, visit Borough Market, go for high tea, have a drink at the Sky Garden, get to the top of the Shard..theres just so much to see and do and although our trip was EVERYTHING we wanted, I feel like we barely scratched the surface.
If you ever get the chance to visit London, JUMP ON IT! Its so fun, has its own kind of magic, some seriously good restaurants, and fun spots. Don’t miss this place!
