Anna is going to London for a weekend of sun, relaxation and self-indulgence. I hope you get a little of all that anyway! Just you and the love of your life and no kids, every working mum out there is envious.
You want to get max shoe shopping coverage in the smallest possible geographical radius (shoe shopping is a serious matter that not all men see as a holiday necessity!) and need eating tips in Soho.
Well, Anna, here are some suggestions. For shoes you could start with Office in Carnaby street. They have a selection of lots of brands like Dr Martens, Converse, Campers and more. Try Jones' In Foubert street, also Soho. I usually go to Clarks and they have shops all over London. This is a link I found with someother suggestions: London shoe shops. But it's going to be hard to limit yourself with all the shops in London I think your man's just got to be patient while you shop til he drops. Or just dump him in one of many great little bars, pubs or cafes and buy him a newspaper. With all the weekend supplements in English papers you'll have bought yourself half a day!!
I love Bar Italia in Frith street. Straight across the road from the legendary jazz club Ronnie Scotts. And if you're in London on a Sunday they have started doing Sunday jazz lunches.You can enjoy a traditional sunday roast and some great jazz. I know British food hasn't got the best reputation in the world but I think everybody should try a good plate of bangers and mash at least once!
When you're in Soho you should try Mother Mash,bangers, mash and pies - lovely gravy!
Or try The Stockpot, 18 Old Compton street, Soho. My friends Richard and Karen say I have to try the Liver and onion there, dubious but I do know it is a real old caff that's been there for decades and must have some of the cheapest meals in Soho. And Karen says you can't not eat the Spotted Dick at the school dinner price of £1.99!!!
For candlelight, romance and evening eating you could try any of these restaurants that my trusty informants have recommended -Bocca di Lupo for italian, The French house for,guess what? French. Above the pub by the same name so you can start or finish with a drink there. For Thai food you can try Busaba. You can't book in advance here but the if there is a queue it generally doesn't mean a long wait. It's in Wardour st. where there are lots of bars and clubs if you want to stay out painting the town red! In case you want a vegeterian alternative my friend Maya says Mildreds is a Soho institution famed for their veggie burgers.
Here are some useful restaurant links for London
The Sneaky Magpie cool blog.
Squaremeal
London eating
Goodness gracious me! Can't wait to get there!!!
SvarSlettThank you darling. I'll be back and let you know what we went for. Ponderhona rules! -Anna
Hey! Thanks for your help with the table at the diner. We had a grrrrreat time, can't remember last time I had such a night out! The service was excellent and the food and the drinks too. Thank you, it wouldn't have been the same anywhere else.
SvarSlettThen - London was great! The time ran out and we both want to go back asap. We tried out some of your tips, for example Bar Italia on Frith Street. They really knew their espresso, I wouldn't mind to have them on the corner where I live. We were going to the French House to eat but then we stumbled across an oyster & champagne bar at Brewer Street called Randall & Aubin and the seafood in the window couldn't keep my husband away although we had to wait an hour to get, well not a table, but the necessary space for eating. And it was definitely worth it! What an athmosphere and the food was excellent! The other night we found a tapas bar at the corner where we stayed and ordered tapas like we never seen food before. It was called Mar y Terra and well worth the visit too. I didn't get the peace for shopping but I found some cool boots at Nature Sko in Covent Garden for half the price they would cost in Oslo, and some cute shoes at a shoe shop in Brewer street, opposite to the oyster bar. We went to dance at Ronnie Scotts too, they played great soul music there. And then we found a weird basement soul club in Hanway Street, which was shabby but filled with happy people dancing without any boundaries. I enjoyed everything, all the time - the streets were clean, the people polite and nice, the food was good, the beer was tasty and so on. We had almost no time for sightseeing and not any for flee markets so I really could have stayed at least a week without noticing the days passing by... The only good thing about going back home was that I started to miss my son. So next time I guess I will be asking for what to do in London with a kid... And I guess I should get out of the touristified centre too. So, when are you going there and what are YOUR plans? Hugs and kisses from Anna the Cow.