There are guide books and websites galore for visitors to London. But then there are the places that tourists don’t know about…and they should! Here’s an insider’s guide to five of the places which tick off two boxes at once, they combine history with a very tasty bite to eat.
The Troubadour
Located where Chelsea meets Fulham meets Earl’s Court, The Troubadour (with a ‘u’, that’s the proper British spelling) is at 263-267 Old Brompton Road since 1954. It’s a coffee house, a café, a wine bar, a downstairs club too small for dancing, a one-room hotel, an art gallery, a poetry-reading venue and a wine store all mixed into one. And yes, aside from the sidewalk seating there is a hidden garden out back for those rare sunny London days. A handful of tables with mismatched chairs are scattered amongst the errant foliage, so mind your head. But, more than all that, it’s the history. You’ll feel it the moment you enter, memorabilia from the 50s and 60s is abundantly plastered to the walls and hung from the ceilings. Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Paul Simon, Charlie Watts, Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis Costello, Marianne Faithfull, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart and other luminaries have all played here. A schedule of upcoming gigs for emerging talent is posted online and admission is usually £7 or so (about $10.50) from 8 p.m. The owners, the prices and the staff are super friendly. If you stop in, you will certainly be among locals.
The Orangery at Kensington Palace
Within the grounds of Kensington Gardens adjoining Hyde Park is Kensington Palace, birthplace of Queen Victoria in 1819, once home to Princess Margaret and to Diana, Princess of Wales and intended future home for Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. While enjoying the park and the palace, stop in for a traditional afternoon English tea among Palladian columns and statuary set in the gorgeous gardens at The Orangery, a magnificent building dating from 1704. The menu has a selection of cucumber, egg and cress, smoked salmon with cream cheese, Coronation chicken, ham and mustard finger sandwiches, plus scones, cakes and pastries and teas. Coronation chicken, a popular chicken salad cum curry, was made famous at the 1953 Coronation banquet. A celebration of your own, perhaps? Champagne is available. Visitors can combine a Kensington Palace visit and a tea for two, but note that Kensington Palace is closed for renovations until March 26, 2012 while The Orangery remains open.
Café in the Crypt
Smack at the northeast corner of Trafalgar Square sits St. Martin-in-the-Fields, an Anglican church dating from 1722 on the site of a church many centuries older. In fact, excavations in 2006 revealed a grave dating from approximately the year 410. Quite obvious from its name, this site was once considered to be well outside the center. St. Martin-in-the-Fields is known for its tradition of fine music, hosting lunch hour and evening concerts as well as Wednesday jazz evenings. Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields is a famous string ensemble which has made many recordings and film tracks, including “The English Patient”, “Amadeus” and “Titanic”. Plenty of reasons to stop in here as well as enjoying a meal in the 18th century Café in the Crypt which serves a daily changing menu at breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have one of the best priced afternoon teas in town at £5.95 (about $9). Try local specialties like fish and chips, bread and butter pudding, apple crumble with cream and a traditional Sunday Roast at only £7.95 (about $12). Don’t let your appetite be put off by the tombstones set into the floor.
The Victoria & Albert Museum Café
Once museum fatigue sets in after hoofing it around the world’s greatest museum of art & design, it’s not easy to think of a prettier place than the V&A Café, the first museum restaurant in the world. The original 1857 Morris, Gamble and Poynter Rooms have been combined into one large venue complemented by an outdoor Garden Café for summertime. Open until 11 p.m. for the museum’s popular late night Fridays, Benugo, an award-winning London caterer runs the café, which offers half-price meals for children under 10 and is equipped with high chairs. There are still more options: your own packed lunch can be brought into the Sackler Centre Lunchroom or you can enjoy coffee or a glass of wine and bar snacks among 1,000 books in the V&A Reading Rooms. Lots is planned at the V&A for the 2012 Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration. Remember, admission to the V&A Museum is free.
The Fifth Floor at Harvey Nichols
Atop one of London’s most famous stores since the 1880s for gentlemen’s and ladies’ luxury brands in beauty, fashion, accessories and food, the Fifth Floor Restaurant at Harvey Nichols is high up enough to offer wonderful views over even more London rooftops and chimney pots. Harvey Nichols is in the heart of Knightsbridge at the corner of fashionable Sloane Street. Open for lunch and dinner featuring items from Harvey Nichols’ Foodmarket, there is also a café, a popular bar offering 300 wines by the glass and outdoor seating. A Valentine’s Day dinner in the Café begins with a Pink bellini and ends with Devil’s chocolate cake, of course. So shop ’til you drop and then pop upstairs to live like the locals like to live.