London, you’re alright. I moan about having to make the trek down there in the week for work and battling the busy commute and getting on the stuffy tube but you’re alright really. I do love visiting London.
A few weeks ago, Dan and I spent the day there as we were off to see Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre (absolutely amazing by the way, I am STILL listening to the soundtrack!) We used it as a bit of an excuse to explore one of my favourite neighbourhoods, Soho. Soho is one of those places that I always pass through as it’s fairly central but it’s not somewhere I could say I have explored properly!
Walking around London is one of my favourite things to do. When you’re trying to get somewhere quickly, a tube is the easiest option but it’s much nicer to walk through the city and soak in the sights and atmosphere. It was a lovely sunny autumn day which in my opinion, is the best kind of weather in London.
First stop: Dishoom! This has been on our list for a while, so we decided to head there for brunch after hearing nothing but good things. Dishoom is a chain, but a really cool chain. I saw the founder of Dishoom speak at a retail event with work, and I remember falling so in love with the business concept. Each Dishoom location is inspired by the Irani Cafes found in India and for every Dishoom, there is a story. The Dishoom just off Carnaby Street is set in 1968 and the jukebox is playing a song by the Stones… are you in Carnaby or Bombay?
I had Akuri which is a classic Irani staple. It consisted of three spiced scrambled eggs with sweet homemade buns and grilled tomato. Oh man, spicy scrambled eggs need to be a thing. These were packed with flavour and with a spice that warmed your tongue. The sweet brioche-style buns were gorgeous, a real treat for breakfast! I also had the masala beans which were glorious. Dan opted for a bacon and egg naan roll which took the humble bacon sandwich to new levels. I want to eat Indian food for breakfast every day. We washed it down with grapefruit juice and chai tea.
We then took to Carnaby Street and had a wander around the shops. Of course, you’ll find Liberty nearby, in all its mock-Tudor glory as well as a plethora of other quirky stores alongside high street favourites. It was late morning on a Saturday and London was just waking up, so we were able to roam Regent and Carnaby Street fairly relaxed.
As you move towards Shaftesbury Avenue, everything gets a little busier and eclectic, so you’ll pass bars, shops and street food stalls. If you are ever in Soho, I definitely recommend trying to get tickets to Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, which I’ve been to a few times!
Of course, Shaftesbury Avenue is also home to Doughnut Time, which you absolutely have to try for the most insane doughnuts. They have the biggest, sweetest doughnuts ever.
*insert all the heart eye emojis*
My doughnut was filled with cream cheese frosting and jam, then topped with raspberry sugar and free dried raspberries. It was so good and meant I did not need to eat anything for the rest of the day! Dan had one called ‘I Make Honey Moves’ which was a toffee-custard filled doughnut with a caramel glaze, chocolate drizzle and Crunchie. These doughnuts are the ultimate sugar fest!
After we saw Hamilton in Victoria with Dan’s brother and his girlfriend, we headed back to Soho for dinner. On recommendation from a friend, we headed to Ichibuns. Of course, Soho is right next door to Chinatown. Okay, okay, Ichibuns is actually a Japanese Super Diner… But it’s in Chinatown.
I definitely recommend heading here – the food was great! I’ll be doing a full feature on this so keep your eyes peeled. We had aaaall the food: sushi, buns, gyozas… So if you’re looking for something a bit quirky, I’d definitely recommend!
We had such a lovely day in London and it was lovely to discover new favourites and explore old. I’d love to hear your favourite spots in Soho!
Check out my map below for suggestions of things to see and do in Soho!
How to use My Places on Google Maps
This tool enables you to save overlays on Google Maps so you can plan routes and mark destinations on a map – life changer for city breaks!
Open Google Maps on your browser, open the tab on the left-hand side and click on ‘My Places’.
You can then create your own map overlays for different locations all over the world! I created a map for Rome for you guys to use detailing all the restaurants and sights we visited. You can save this map to your places and use it as a basis for your own maps.
Now, all the places you want to visit are easily accessible on your phone and you can quickly see what’s around you, wherever you are. You can also add notes to each point on the map.
Top tip: Mark your accommodation on the map and start plotting what’s nearby. You can also save routes on your map to get directions and see how far away you are.
* The spending money was gifted by Hotels.com, but all views are my own.
