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This might sound like a dumb post, but if we were confused, someone else probably was, is, and will be.
In the states, generally when you go to a restaurant and the server asks what you'd like to drink, if you tell them "water" they will bring you back a glass of ice water. They may even offer you a lemon wedge. There is no charge for this. At Avista Restaurant in London, we were asked "still or sparkling". Well we knew we didn't want sparkling water. 1. We just didn't prefer that. 2. We didn't want to pay for it. Thus we requested still water. Then when they brought us a bottle of artsianal water we joked about how much this was going to cost us before we researched how to get just a glass of water around these parts! Turns out you need to ask for tap water if you want the free stuff. Fun fact. In summary: 1. Tap water - free, from the tap (faucet, spigot, sink, whatever you call it where you're from). 2. Still water - bottled water, no carbonation, available for a fee. 3. Sparkling - bottled, carbonated water, available for a fee. There you have it! Hope that helps you stay hydrated to your preference! ;) More From London:
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View from our booth at Avista London
Whenever you travel, if you're looking to save a few bucks and try something new, you may want to check out what deals Groupon has for the town you are going to. You may not realize it, but Groupon is not only good for deals in the US. Prior to the trip, I signed up forGroupon London and kept and eye on the deals. We wanted to go out for a fancier dinner, but who wants to pay for a fancier dinner? Not me! Lol So we found a deal on Groupon for a lovely multi-course meal including bellinis!! Score!
Avista London tasting menu
Follow along for the courses we enjoyed below!
Canapés at Avista London
Amuse Bouche at Avista London
Marinated sea trout, Granny Smith foam, samphire, pickled shallot, coconut snow at Avista London
Bigoli pasta, egg yolk, watercress and Castelmagno at Avista London
Trio of English pork: Fillet, Coca Cola glazed belly and shank croquette, braised endive, taleggio tortilla, quince compote at Avista London
Trio of English pork: Fillet, Coca Cola glazed belly and shank croquette, braised endive, taleggio tortilla, quince compote at Avista London
Baba, pear compote, rum granite, and iced cream at Avista London
Petite Fours at Avista London
I really enjoyed the food and presentation was excellent. My favorite would have to be the Marinated sea trout with Granny Smith foam, samphire, pickled shallot, and coconut snow.
It was also at this restaurant that we learned and finally understood the process of ordering water at a restaurant in London. If you would like to visit Avista, you can find them at the Millenium Hotel London Mayfair 39 Grosvenor Square. More From London:
Looking for a way to spend the afternoon? Head to Notting Hill and wander around their market! You'll find random second-hand clothes and accessories, three dimensional greeting cards, a wide variety of food vendors and bizarre street art. If you're there when things are about to close up, you may get a huge deal!
We heard the sounds of "Everything for a pound now Anything just one pound!!" and it was music to our ears!! Trying to sell out so they could pack up and go home, one stand sold off in minutes a ton of pastries, cookies, cupcakes, donuts, breads, sandwiches, little salads, everything for a pound each! Genius! It was just as fun to enjoy our cheap eats as it was to watch the fervor of people rushing over to get theirs. Walk with us through the Notting Hill Market:More From London:
Don't you just love finding a great cafe? One with wifi when you're abroad is especially good. Send some quick messages out to family and friends to let them know everything is good while you are thousands of miles away without paying an arm and a leg for overseas data on your phone if you haven't got a local SIM card. What about finding a great cafe with an art gallery inside? Are you intruiged?! Come along!
The cafe offers a variety of fairly reasonably priced drinks and sweets. (I paid way more in DC for coffee & treats!) Check out the menu below. At least this is the menu they had in December.
I guess they serve union coffee? I had an espresso DH had a mocha, I believe. Looks like some cocoa powder sprinkled on top. I love a good sprinkling of cocoa powder, myself! That cookie, though, was sooo good. It had a texture that was a little crisp and almost merengue-like on the outside, and chewy in the inside. Man, I could go for one of those right now... 
If you head downstairs, there is a free art gallery that you can peruse. I'm not sure what the schedule is as to when it rotates artists, but it was a fun thing to do after my espresso and before the cafe closed for the day. As with most art, some of it I found a little unusual, even unsettling, and other pieces I found interesting and amusing. Check out this bee keeper!
I believe this is by José Nava (please correct me, if I'm wrong!)
I would recommend checking out this cafe for a chill place to enjoy a cuppa with a friend or while you get some work done, and enjoy some free culture downstairs!
Connect with The Koppel Project:More From London:
Most of us have heard this childhood rhyme, so naturally when visiting London, we want to see this Bridge! Turns out that much like "Big Ben", the London Bridge is not quite what we expected! While we were picturing the magnificence of the Tower Bridge, we were actually standing on this bridge below!
View from the London Bridge
While it still seams uncertain what the actual meaning of this rhyme is (some of the possibilities are logical, some quite disturbing), what can be said for certain is that the views from this bridge are fabulous! It's so pleasant to stroll along it in an evening and see London lit up. You can enjoy the view of the famous Tower Bridge in the not-so-far-off distance. We just sat (stood) for a while taking in the sighted, enjoying the crisp air, and sipping a coffee. Speaking of coffee.... have you been to Koppel Cafe? Come on, I'll take you!
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Young or old, here's a homework assignment for your trip to London
There are a lot of statues and monuments around London. There is a lot of history in this country. The Romans established London around 43 AD.
Do you know which monument this is??
I am not a huge history buff, but I do enjoy learning more about history as I travel. Seeing how places developed the culture they have is interesting. As you travel through London or anywhere, really, you can give yourself a homework assignment! Snap a picture of some of these landmarks and monuments.
Keep your eyes peeled for descriptive plaques on or near the monuments
They usually have a plaque that you can snap a picture of also if possible. you may not have time to examine every one in detail, but later on you can look into the history of them. If kids need to write a report for school while on their holiday to excuse their absence, this is a great idea. But it will add more substance to any trip really. It's ideal if you can learn it while you are standing there, but that is not always practical. Just learn it when you can learn it! :) It also gives you more insight to share with friends who are looking through your photos!
Look up! How awesome are these horses?!
Oh and while you're at it looking UP, don't forget to look down! Not just so you don't trip, but also for details like this one! (And to scout out great kicks! By the way, we rocked Ugg Australia Brooks Leather Boots and Clarks Buschacre Desert Boots all around London with great success!
Rockin' Uggs & Clarks on the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk in London!
More From London:Recommended Footwear For London in Winter:
While not a fan of his aggression on most of his television shows (is this real or just acting??) I am a fan of Gordon Ramsey as a chef. I own numerous of his cookbooks and have entertained impressed guests based on those recipes. So I was excited to try one of his restaurants while in London. I chose one that was more affordable, York & Albany.
I won't say I was disappointed, but I will say I wasn't nearly as impressed as I thought I would be.
The decor and ambiance was great. Of course we were made to feel slightly awkward that we had no reservation even though the place had only a couple people at the time we arrived. We sat down and they had advertised some sort of special both outside or inside. I can't remember if it was a happy hour-type promotion, or what. But when we wet to order we were informed that the special was not going on that day. Okay, then why do you have signs about it inside and outside?? In the end we were tired from wandering around the Zoo all day and definitely on the hungry side. We ended with a simple Margherita pizza and a burger with fries. They were all good. But nothing that extra special. There was no particular pizazz that said "Look Ma! I'm at Gordon's restaurant". Maybe if we had ordered something more unusual it would have been more special. But at the end of the day, we just needed sustenance and for this day to end because we were super tired out. I hope to try one of Gordon's Restaurants again sometime. And I hope to be blown away! Have you been to any of his restaurants or would you recommend any of them? More From London:
Nutella Wafflemeister & Swell Olallas -- Perfect Combo
I recommend finding a Wafflemeister if you are interested in a sweet treat. We existed the Tube station to an alluringly sweet smell only to discover fresh waffled being made and topped with a variety of ice creams and other toppings. Decided to go with Nutella. It did not disappoint!!!!
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Camden Town is an area you may enjoy checking out on your visit to London. A canal runs through this town complete with occupied houseboats. You can even rent some houseboats for your visit, if you'd like! It's really charming to see them all lined up. A few things to do in Camden:(in no particular order)
1. Check out the Houseboats
Camden Houseboats
2. Floating Chinese Restaurant Visit the Floating Chinese Restaurant (in red)
3. ZSL London Zoo
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Crown Details on the Gates of Buckingham Palace
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I can't say I would love it if crowds of people hung around outside of my house all the time... then again, my house is considerably smaller than the Buckingham Palace. lol! At any rate, besides observing the building and the guards dutifully standing and marching back and forth, take time to admire some of the details. The gate has some elaborate and very regal elements. Depending on the crowds, you may be able to get some creative pictures of these elements, looking through the bars, or even other angles like through a keyhole! |
Take Unique Pictures of Buckingham Palace -- Framed through a keyhole in the gate ;-)
As it happened, we arrived in time for the changing of the guard! This was purely a happy coincidence! It was really quite a spectacle as parades of uniforms marched out in step to their self-provided music. They came in multiple waves and I loved the Irish bunch and the music that accompanied. The schedule for the changing of the guards can be viewed online where it will be updated if it happens to be canceled on any occasion. Some people say to skip this and that there are too many people, but I quite enjoyed seeing the theatrics and formality of it all on my first trip to London. I think your first trip to any destination it is great to see some of the standard tourist things mixed in with some wandering and finding the local spots. Then when you come back, you'll have ticked those major sights off your list already and you can explore something new !