christmas in london
christmas is here! christmas is here!
i was so excited when my family and i decided to head across the pond to celebrate my favorite holiday. now i know nyc does christmas decorations pretty well, but nothing can compare to london. while everyone in my family has been to london, i’ve never been during christmas and was eager to see all of the decorations in person! from my photo locations to what we did and where we ate, i break i all down for you below!
where to photograph
• cartier | 175-177 new bond st - get here early! to photograph the iconic cartier holiday decorations, i got there around 8am and we had the whole place to ourselves. but it did start to get a few instagrammers arriving at the 8:45/9am mark. also be sure to bring a very wide angle lens to be able to get the full building in the shot! also as a funny note, there were a few delivery trucks that pulled up and parked right in front of the store but every one that saw us shooting immediately drove out of frame to not get in the shot haha! so clearly they must see everyone doing this.
• annabel’s | 46 berkeley square - although this is a private club on the inside, the exterior is fair game! annabel’s has the most incredible decorations every year by displaying a stories-tall tree on the facade of the building. this year the white and gold decorations were just perfect and timeless! we also got to this location at around 8am and there was no one around! there was a valet person just out of frame for our shots but again, i’m sure they see bloggers take photos here all day long!
• regent street | my favorite spot is near 71 regent street - this is always been a favorite of mine regardless of the season! i shot here the last time i was in london with dana. we photographed here on christmas morning so all of the stores were closed and there was very little foot traffic. this tube stop was also closed so i didn’t have to worry about people coming up and down these stairs…blessed. but for added fun, stand in the middle of the median! there is no car or foot traffic but just be sure to look both ways before crossing haha!
• harry’s bar | 26 s audley st - while i didn’t get a snap of myself here, i was able to snap one shot of this charming corner while i explored solo. their decorations this year were the perfect accent to the palette of pink and mint and i couldn’t help but swoon over it! definitely want to come back to this spot on my next visit! be sure to also walk around the rest of mayfair if you can because the streets are so adorable!
where we ate
• dean street | 69-71 dean st - while it is also a hotel and a branch of soho house, their restaurant is absolutely fabulous! after we landed and unpacked, we headed here for a classic sunday roast. and o-m-g it was amazing!! it was a modified menu for the roast but it had something on it for everyone. we never felt rushed and we were truly able to enjoy the ambiance and overall experience. we stayed there for hours and it's honestly one of my favorite meals in london!
• dalloway terrace | 16-22 great russell st - at first glance this restaurant has it all, especially their perfectly instagrammable decor. instagram was actually how i came across this hidden gem in the fitzrovia neighborhood so i reached out to them to ask if i could stop by to snap some photos before they opened (while still making a reservation to eat/pay for our own food) as to not disturb any guests…but unfortunately they didn’t response. looking at instagram i assumed that they would be okay with taking photos as there were thousands of photos of the place so you can imagine my surprise when when they scolded me for taking photos. since i couldn’t take any photos, i was hoping the food would be out-of-this-world good but it was just mediocre and not worth the money.
• oxo | barge house st - oxo is definitely known for its view of the london skyline but the food wasn’t really anything to write home about. and if you don’t get a table by the window, it’s kind of a waste…which is what happened to us. in the warmer months, however, they open up the terrace for more tables so it would be a completely different experience then.
• farm girl cafe (notting hill) | 59a portobello rd - this spot has been on my list since the last time i was in london but due to over scheduling ourselves, dana and i decided to sleep in haha…typical us. but when my dad and i were exploring notting hill, i knew i wanted to stop by for a quick breakfast. while i would have loved to have sat outside at their adorable pink tables, the weather didn’t cooperate with us haha. the food was not only cute but delightfully decorated and just the right sized servings! i always love breakfasts that are never too filling because there is nothing worse than eating too much first thing in the morning and then feeling sluggish the rest of the day! definitely recommend stopping here or at one of their other locations!
• tamarind | 20 queen st - for our christmas eve dinner, we decided to get extra fancy for a michelin-stared meal. the cuisine here is indian and i’m not the biggest fan of indian food… not totally sure why i agreed to this. but i will say the food was better than i expected! i’m not sure i would come here again because it didn’t “wow” me but i’m glad we tried something different!
• the northall at the corinthia | whitehall pl - after attending christmas day service at westminster abbey, we headed here for a traditional british christmas dinner. it was truly the perfect setting and meal! they even had little gifts at each place setting! i got a mini stapler but it was still cute nonetheless haha!
• the pilgrm | 25 london st - the most amazing brunch that was to dieeee for! omg i’m not even kidding! i met up with my friend mollie here for a good old catch up session and before i knew it, i was licking my plate clean haha. this spot is also the cutest hotel and from what i can tell, the rooms are small but so adorably decorated…and that was definitely evident from the decor in their restaurant! no reservations were necessary because we were actually the only people there! but definitely stop here for a leisurely morning brunch!
• sketch (the gallery) | 9 Conduit St - we saved my absolute favorite for last! this was my third time the pink icon of london and still reigns as my favorite restaurant there. our food was exceptional, our drinks were exceptional, and the atmosphere (as always) was exceptional! my only slight disappointment this time around was that the service was a tiiiiny bit slow but it was so forgivable because everything else was so fabulous. my favorite dish here is by far the burrata…yeah it’s basic but practically perfect in every way.
what to do
• see a show - my family and i always love a good show! this time around, we decided to see the always classic mary poppins (very appropriate for london) and it was the feel-good show that we all wanted. for something a little more festive, i would recommend seeing a christmas carol at the old vic. we unfortunately didn’t get to see it because we couldn’t get tickets in time…we are kind of last-minute planners haha.
• go to a museum - while i’m not totally a museum fan, i always love going to the victoria and albert museum! they have such a diverse collection of work that it’s always on my list!
• church service at westminster abbey - for christmas day plans, this was such a fun thing for us to do! but, and i cannot stress this enough, get there early!! we got there about 30-minutes early and barely got a seat inside! we were so tucked off to the side that we barely saw anything. the pillar we were behind also made it difficult to see…..so get there early!!
• shop the sales on boxing day - this is such a fun tradition! while i didn’t participate, you can score some pretty amazing deals if you’re willing to battle the crowds!
• explore the charming neighborhoods - there is nothing better than just wandering a neighborhood and taking in all of the architecture. my favorite areas are notting hill, chelsea, and mayfair! be sure to explore them on your next visit! and if you’re coming when the weather is warmer, there is nothing like kensington garden on a sunny day!
my family and i had such a wonderful time in london and i will always love coming back to this city! next stop, paris to ring in the new year!
// 1 //
coat: alice and olivia (last seen here)
top and pants: halogen x atlantic-pacific
shoes: manolo blahnik
bag: l’oeil
sunglasses: valentino
// 2 //
coat: oscar de la renta (also seen here)
dress: zara
underskirt: halogen x atlantic-pacific (similar here)
headband: prada
shoes: frances valentine
sunglasses: givenchy
// 3 //
sweater: miu miu
pants: halogen x atlantic-pacific
shoes: tory burch (old, similar here)
gloves: halogen x atlantic-pacific
clutch: olympia le-tan (similar here)
sunglasses: chloe
