London Quick Stop
- Nov 6, 2025
- 5 min read
The main purpose of the trip to London was to go to Wimbledon so we did not have time for much sightseeing; however, we managed to sneak in a few of London’s greatest hits.
Let’s start with where we stayed. We chose an AirBnB in the Hackney area, in Broadway Market Street. Now, the flat itself? Let’s just say it had personality. The layout was... creative. But hey, it had enough beds, bathrooms and a roof so we called it home.
The neighborhood, though, was a total win. Broadway Market is a foodie playground: indie cafés, artisan bakeries, and a weekend market that could tempt even the most disciplined traveler into a full-blown snack spiral. Yes, it’s a bit removed from London’s main attractions, but that turned out to be a blessing. No touristy chaos.
Would I stay here again? Absolutely. Preferably in a flat where the bathroom isn’t playing hide-and-seek—but Hackney, you’ve got my heart.
What we saw:
1. Tower of London: We booked our tickets in advance like responsible adults, complete with a time slot that we mostly respected. We showed up fashionably late, but the staff didn’t bat an eyelash, probably too distracted by the tourists trying to sneak selfies with the ravens. We spent over two hours inside, and honestly? Worth every minute. The Crown Jewels were the main event—sparkly, regal, and guarded like Beyoncé’s Grammy shelf. There was a small line, but it moved quickly, and while you can’t take photos inside (boo), your eyeballs will thank you. So many shiny things. So much monarchy bling. My personal favorite? The White Tower. It’s like a medieval Instagram feed: kings in armor, tales of vanished heirs (👀), and a chapel so pretty it almost made me behave. There’s also a couple of exhibitions on torture, and some surprisingly moving displays about the Tower’s role in WWI and WWI. Bonus: you get killer views of Tower Bridge, which is not London Bridge (don’t worry, I Googled it too). And the cafeteria? Honestly decent for a place that once housed prisoners and now sells overpriced sandwiches. Would I go again? Yes.
2. Westminster Abbey: Also booked tickets online for a time slot that we barely made. Now, I’m not religious, but I’m a total sucker for old churches. Give me gothic arches, dramatic lighting, and centuries of scandal buried under the floorboards, and I’m in heaven (pun intended). Westminster Abbey? Absolutely stunning. One of the coolest parts? The people buried here. It’s basically a VIP lounge for the historically fabulous: scientists, poets, kings, queens—you name it. My personal fave was Mary Queen of Scots, because nothing says “iconic” like a dramatic royal feud and a tomb with flair. We also got tickets to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries, which I booked without knowing what they were. I saw “Queen” and “Jubilee” and thought, sure, sounds sparkly. Turns out it’s an exhibition of old manuscripts and eerily lifelike wax and wooden monarchs (effigies, if you’re fancy). Interesting, yes. Slightly creepy? Also yes. But if you’re short on time or cash, skip the gallery and spend your energy soaking up the abbey’s main drama.
3. Buckingham Palace: So apparently the thing to do here is to watch the Changing of the Guard—a very formal, very British ceremony involving fuzzy hats and serious marching. But when faced with the choice between that and a nice breakfast, we chose carbs. No regrets. We still swung by, thanks to the Hop On Hop Off bus, which conveniently drops you off right in royal selfie territory. The palace itself? Regal. Grand. Very “I own half the planet” energy. The crowd? Massive. Tourists everywhere, all trying to spot a royal through the gates like it’s a live episode of The Crown. There’s a lovely park nearby. We didn’t linger long—we came, we saw, we said “nice gates”, and headed for dinner.
4. Borough Market: If you’re a foodie—or just someone who plans their sightseeing around snack breaks—Borough Market is your spiritual home. It’s like the United Nations of deliciousness: fresh produce, artisanal everything, and food from every corner of the globe, all crammed into one gloriously chaotic maze of smells, sizzles, and samples. We rolled in around breakfast time, stomachs growling. First stop? The legendary Black Pig pork sandwich. Imagine: a mountain of smoked pork, slathered in some kind of magical slaw situation, all tucked into bread that probably has its own fan club. I don’t know what was in it, but I would fight a small dragon for another bite. To wash it down, I grabbed a Colombian coffee that could wake the dead, plus a couple of pastries (because balance), and some fresh juice to pretend I was being healthy. Spoiler: I was not. Pro tip: come hungry and wear stretchy pants. This is not the place for restraint or salad energy. It’s a full-on flavor safari, and you’ll want to try everything twice.
For this trip, we mostly relied on Uber—partly because one of our crew had movement restrictions, and partly because we weren’t emotionally prepared to decode the London Underground before coffee. Uber was fine, but let’s just say London traffic is less “go-go-go” and more “stop-scroll-sigh.” You’ll get there eventually, just bring snacks and maybe a podcast series. We also hopped aboard the Hop On Hop Off bus, which turned out to be a touristy gem. It’s like sightseeing with training wheels: you get dropped off at all the major attractions, no navigation stress, and you can pretend you're in a royal parade as you wave from the top deck. Honestly? Totally worth it—especially if you want to see the city without playing Frogger across busy intersections.
We ate at several places, but these are the ones that deserve a mention:
1. Dishoom: This is a small chain of Indian restaurants in Great Britain with a backstory that allegedly ties into the old Iranian cafés of Bombay. Or at least that’s what they say—honestly, they could’ve told me it was inspired by a Bollywood soap opera and I’d still be in line. I’ve been trying to eat at one of these since my Scotland trip, but fate (and my lack of reservations) kept saying “no naan for you.” This time, we went rogue and did a walk-in. There was a line. They said 40 minutes. We said “we’ve waited years, what’s 40 minutes?”. While we waited, they handed us samples of lemonade and their house chai, which felt like a warm hug and a polite bribe. Not bad at all. After about 20 minutes, we were ushered into the bar area, where I ordered a Peacock Cider, which sounded majestic but tasted like it needed a personality. Not sweet enough for my sugar-loving soul, but hey, it was cold and had a bird on the label. Soon after, we were seated and went full feast mode. We ordered a bunch of starters and mains to share, don’t ask me what they were called, I was too busy inhaling them to take notes. Some dishes had a kick, some were mild, all were delicious. And the naan? Oh, the naan. Fluffy, warm, slightly charred perfection. Truly worthy of being called bread.
2. Market Café: This restaurant was literally a hop, skip, and a questionable sidewalk tile from our Airbnb. It had that classic neighborhood vibe—slightly faded signage, a menu with too many fonts, and reviews that screamed “meh, but edible.” But it was close, had empty tables, and we were hungry. So we rolled the culinary dice. And guess what? Plot twist—it was actually good. I ordered the salmon, fully expecting something that tasted like regret and lemon wedges. But it was super tasty—flaky, flavorful. Moral of the story: don’t judge a restaurant by its Yelp stars or its neon lighting. Sometimes the best meals are hiding in plain sight.
Comments