Savoir Fare London Stylish Dining For Under $25

With London as one of the most expensive cities to visit, finding good and unique but affordable dining choices presents a quagmire for the average visitor. The problem is compounded with the numerous dining choices available. Most travel books will list recommended restaurants by cuisine and location. However the information can be spotty if recommendations are written by multiple reviewers and often it is doubtful if the authors actually dined at the book's listed restaurants.

No such doubt exists with Savoir Fare London Stylish Dining for Under $25 by Elaine Louie. This book is a valuable resource in finding dining choices in London. Louie is authentic in the descriptions of the types of food, atmosphere and value. Chapters list restaurants by locations and runs the gamut of different cuisines. Photos for many of the restaurant's interiors and food add further information.

Restaurants are among the most volatile of businesses with many coming and going with the ups and downs of the economy. Even though published in 2008, the restaurants I chose to visit from the book while in London were still serving the masses. It must be pointed out that the listed restaurants are primarily those that offer dining on premises even though many offer food to take away.

Click on these links for previous posts with reviews of the some of the book's recommended restaurants during my London visit: Bea's of Bloomsbury, Konditor & Cook, Maison Bertaux.

Louie's vivid and savory descriptions left me wanting to visit more restaurants than I had time for. I have to admit that some restaurants I visited, such as Laduree at Harrods, had to be bypassed due to the long wait. Pick up a copy of this book if you want to make your London dining experience tasty and reasonable. I will likely have this book in tow upon a return visit to sample some of the other recommended restaurants. Click here to purchase this book from amazon.com.

London Futures at the Museum of London

After recently visiting London, I thought these photos would be interesting to post. They propose some possibilities of the city's future based on various climate changes.

The photos are part of an exhibition called London Futures at the Museum of London on display from October 1, 2010 to March 6, 2011. For more info visit london-futures.com or museumoflondon.org.uk. Here are samples from the exhibition:

Flooding of the Thames River.

Shanty town stretches across London and around Buckingham Palace.

Climate refugees settle in Trafalgar Square.

London adapts to rising waters with rice paddies at the Houses of Parliament.

Gulf Stream slows and Thames River freezes around Tower Bridge.

The Mall leading to Buckingham Palace becomes a wind farm.

Right Size Wallet for British Bank Notes

British Sterling bank notes are a couple of centimeters wider than U.S. bank notes. For this reason, UK money will likely stick out of most wallets used by the average American male. The wallet I have been using for visits to the UK had served its duty and was ready to be replaced.

The Fossil brand had the exact wallet I was looking for and it was perfect for this London visit. The 'International Combi - Evans' imported leather wallet (Style# ML9628 US$45) measures 4"x5" with lots of slots for cards and even coins. I found the wallet at the Fossil store on 34th Street in New York City. It is available online and at select Fossil retail locations. More info at fossil.com.

Heathrow Express: From Airport to City

Trains will stop for a good couple of minutes for your to stow your bags and find a seat.

First Class seats offer passengers more room.

The Heathrow Express is probably the most convenient way to travel from airport to Paddington Station in central London especially if you have several or large pieces of luggage in tow.

Some on a budget may use the Piccadilly Line that takes you to London via the underground. It is much cheaper but inconvenient for two reasons. It takes you to the nearest tube stop and with the rush of possibly hundreds of people at major stations, it will be a struggle to navigate the the tunnels and escalators or steps with your bags becoming an obstacle to other passengers. Secondly the underground trains are not designed to have lots of storage places for large pieces of luggage.

With that said the Heathrow Express costs more and even thought the trip from the airport to London Paddington is a quick 15 minutes, the price ultimately is for convenience. Taxi or private car is the most expensive method to travel to London with costs from £70-£85 (US$105-$130) each way.

Below is the ticket chart as of September 2010.

Heathrow Express Ticket Prices

Travelling between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport

Ticket Name	Adult Fare	Child Fare*
Express Class Single online From ticket machine/office Purchased onboard	£16.50 £18.00 £23.00	£8.20 £9.00 £11.50
First Class Single online From ticket machine/office Purchased onboard	£26.00 £26.00 £26.00	£13.00 £13.00 £13.00
Express Class Return online From ticket machine/office Purchased onboard	£32.00 £32.00 £37.00	£16.00 £16.00 £18.50
First Class Return online From ticket machine/office Purchased onboard	£50.00 £50.00 £50.00	£25.00 £25.00 £25.00

* Children between five and 15 years old inclusive. More info at heathrowexpress.com.

Since I used the Heathrow Express in 2007, there is a slight change when purchasing tickets online. Your email confirmation is now your train ticket. Prior to this online buyers were issued a code that was entered at a Heathrow Express ticket kiosk to retrieve the paper ticket. The email printout serves as both your ticket to London and return to Heathrow. It's your choice if you would like to print separate copies for each journey provided you have purchased a return ticket. Tickets can also be purchased upon arrival at Heathrow from the Heathrow Express ticket desk or kiosk.

The bustle of London Paddington Station.

All Heathrow Express trains travel to London Paddington Station. From there it is your choice how you travel to your final destination: taxi, transfer to the underground or walk. During peak times in the morning, there is a taxi share program. Let the dispatcher know your destination and he will see what can be arranged. The purposes of the program is to move as many people as possible with the limited number of taxis available. The number of bags you have may affect your chance of finding a shared taxi.

Outside of peak times, just line up in the taxi queue. From exiting the Heathrow Express trains, walk up the platform to the exit and turn right then another right until you see the exit to the taxi stands. Taxis are expensive in London. With tax and tip my taxi fare (about 2 miles) from Paddington Station to my hotel was £18 (US$27). It is customary to tip your driver.

Click on the following subject titles below for previous posts from 2007:
Padding Station
London Taxis
Heathrow Express

Exit the trains to the taxi stand or underground.

On board staff will verify your ticket so enter the cabin based on the class of service purchased.

London Travelcard - Buying Your Underground Fare

The Travelcard is easy to purchase and saves money and time from obtaining tickets individually. The Travelcard will allow you access to the London Underground and Bus network.

ZONES -
London is divided into six zones radiating from the centre. Click on the above map to see how stations fall within each or outside each zone. The more zones you want to cover on your travelcard, the more you pay. The main sights and hotel districts fall within the central zones 1-2.

HOW TO PURCHASE -
Purchase cards from underground stations. If you are a visitor unfamiliar with the system, it would be best to walk up to the counter rather than using the ticket machines. Request for the type of travel card (one day, three day or seven days) and the zones you will be traveling in.

THE COST (as of May 2007) -
Zones 1-2 (Central Zone)
1-day GBP6.60
3-days GBP16.40
7-days GBP23.20

Zones 1-6
1-day GBP13.20
3-days GBP39.60
7-days GBP43.00

These are adult fares. Children under 16 pay less; children under five travel free.

HOW TO USE -
Be careful how you handle your travelcard and keep your card easily accessible but secured. The card is needed to enter and exit each station's automatic barriers. Barriers are either marked for entry or exit. You are allowed through by inserting your travelcard ticket into a slot in the barrier. The card is released out of a different slot and the barrier gates open for you. My travelcard, pictured below, was kept in a bus pass holder.

Using the Underground

Finding your way around the the London Underground is relatively easy. First of all you need an underground map to give you an overview of the layout. There are maps posted at all stations at the entrance and at the platforms. Maps and route of the train you are riding are also posted in the train itself. Most London guidebooks will have an undergroup map as well.

So suppose your closest tube station is at Tottenham Court Road and you would like to go to Harrod's. You find in your guide book that the closest tube station to Harrod's is Knightsbridge. Click on the map above for a larger view. You'll find Tottenham Court Road right in the center. Then find the Knightsbridge Station which is along the Piccadilly Line. The best route is to take the Northern Line to Leicester Square Station. The round circle at this station stop indicates this is an interchange or transfer station between lines. At this station exit the Northern Line train and follow the signs that direct you to the Piccadilly Line. Board the Piccadilly Line at the platform going west. There are signs at each platform indicating the suceeding stops for the train east or west. Take the Piccadilly Line to Knightsbridge Station. Know which station is prior to your stop. This will give you some warning that your stop is next. There is also an onboard announcement of the next stop.

But What Does it Look Like?

Thank you for the positive emails about the series of Harrods posts. As some of you requested here are the pics you felt were missing for items mentioned in the posts. Guess imagination can only take you so far. The photo to the left is an example of truffle stuffed brie. The photos below are in order: The Iberico Ham, The Iberico Ham Sandwich and English Christmas pudding.

The Hopeful Traveler says that Christmas pudding is very rich and a more sophisticated version of a fruit cake. A small piece is very filling. The store bought product must be steamed before serving. T.H.T. will now look forward to his next trip to London to find out what makes the Iberico Ham sandwich special. As for the truffle stuffed brie, it is completely out of of T.H.T.'s budget. Perhaps Harrods will offer a whiff of it in lieu of a taste. One doubts that Harrods will be offering free sample of this cheese, umh sorry, fromage.

The Food Halls at Harrods - Some Final Words & Other Shopping Suggestions

Harrods is definitely upscale in it's inventory but also a complete department store. Equally fascinating is the food halls at Fortnum & Mason (storefront pictured below), another worthwhile excursion. For keepsakes bearing the Harrods name, check out the Harrods store on the lower ground floor and the Harrods arcade on the ground floor. For purchases of a more reasonable nature, visit the food hall and other departments at stores such as Selfridge's or Marks & Spencer during a shopping excursion of Oxford Street in London. In fact you could make a day of shopping and eating in London. Go figure, considering Britian's reputation for food. But a morning at Harrods then the rest of the day shopping along fashionable Regent Street and Oxford Street will give your feet a good workout. In between you can nosh at your pleasure. Some people look forward to the experience of afternoon tea in London and many a visitor consider the Georgian Restaurant at Harrods at the top of the list. There are however other places to choose for this English tradition. T.H.T. has had one opportunity to have a champagne/afternoon tea at Harrods and the experience was filling that dinner was skipped over altogether. Tea at posh establishments like Harrods, the Ritz Hotel or Fortnum and Mason will probably run about 20-30 British Pounds each (US$40-$60). Often it's about the experience rather than just about the food.

To peruse items you can purchase via internet check harrods.com and fortunumandmason-usa.com.

The Food Halls at Harrods - Vegans Keep Out

The last of the four Food Halls at Harrods finds you among fresh fish, meat and poultry selections. The ornate hall and beautiful arrangements of products will wet any appetite. Choose from aged beef, slabs of bacon, a roster of Scotch Beef and Dutch Veal and too many fish. There is even a section to choose from a variety of quail eggs. There are over 25 places to enjoy a meal at Harrods for either to dine in or to go (or as the British say "take away"). Within this hall you'll find four of them: The Sea Grill, Champagne & Oyster Bar, Harrods Famous Deli and Rotisserie.

The Food Halls at Harrods - An Eden of More than Apples

Another food hall at Harrods contains fruits, vegetables, florist and hamper & food orders. Along with the confections and coffee/teas, this hall will be another chance to find that perfect item to bring home. You'll find gift sets or tins of the mentioned items in addition to fruit preserves. During the Christmas holidays, you can pick up authentic Christmas Pudding in various sizes. For many in Britian, the Christmas pudding is one of the most important and favorite part of the Christmas meal. The pudding is rich, alcoholic, fruity and delicious. The Daily Mail, one of Britian's leading newspapers, classified Harrods Classic Christmas pudding as the best in terms of consistency, fruitiness, alchohol flavor and moistness. There is a section in this hall for the placing of food orders and hampers (gift baskets). Keep in mind U.S. customs laws on what can be brought into the United States. But if you have an unusual large amount of gift items, this counter can assist you. However as a caution the postage cost to have Harrods mail these items back to the U.S. for you may be as much as the item you purchasing. Better you choose wisely a limited selection of items that you can pack and bring home yourself.

The Food Halls at Harrods - But Do They Have Char Siu?

Within the same hall that includes the Fromagerie, is the Charcuterie and Traiteur sections. Charcuterie is defined as a store where pork products, hams and pates (a spread usually made of finely chopped liver) are sold. This includes a variety of sausages and biltongs (strips of dried meat). Traiteur is a fancy term for a delicatessen or caterer. Choose from a selection of caviar and terrines (an oblong molded dish served cold usually consisting of pressed meat, game, fish and/or vegetables). Harrods sells a Jambon Iberico Ham Sandwich for 15 British Pounds (US$30). The ham is not currently sold in the USA pending FDA approval. Harrods advertises it as a "cured leg of ham, from Guijelo, Spain, produced to century-old traditions. Made from the meat of free-ranging acorn-fed iberico pigs, cured naturally. With an astonishing sweet and complex flavour and a melting texture." Oh yeah, there is a Chinatown in London. Better you find char siu there.

Charcuterie Counter

Sausages

Traiteur Counter

Caviar

Biltongs

Terrines

The Food Halls at Harrods - Smile and Say "Fromage"

The fourth post about the Food Halls at Harrods is the room you'll probably roam into next. This Fromagerie, Charcuterie and Traiteur room will likely increase your French vocabulary by two or three words. Let's start with the fromage section. Fromage simply means cheese of which there are four main groups: sheep, cow, goat and blue. The most expensive cheese at Harrods is Truffle stuffed Brie priced at 69.90 British Pounds per kilo. That's alsmost $140 dollars U.S. for a little over 34 ounces.

Breath in these creamy views of the fromage bar and counter. The product in the last picture below are some of the velvety butters from Europe. Don't even mention the words Velveeta or Country Crock when roaming the varied selection.

The Food Halls at Harrods - No Starbucks Here

Every kind of coffee or tea (of course, this is England you know) can be found in this hall. The aroma that fills the area makes you wish for a hot cup right there and then. Can't decide, ask one of the uniformed clerks. Check out the unusual coffee bean dispenser (pictured at right). You won't find one like that at Starbucks. Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world next to water. Every British man, woman and child drinks nearly four cups of tea every day. India, however, produces the most tea in the world which are primarily the black tea varieties of Darjeeling (expensive when the product is 100% Darjeeling), Assam (an ingredient in Irish blend and goes best with milk), and Nilgiri (India's most famous and plentiful specialty black tea).

The Food Halls at Harrods - Sweet Thoughts

The Food Halls are located on the ground floor of the store. Most visitors arrive via the London tube at the Knightsbridge station. The organization of the store may seem maze-like but floorplan maps are available. Upon entering the doors closest to the Knightsbridge station, just keep walking forwards through a couple of halls filled with beauty/apothecary products and you'll find yourself in the Egyption Room. Unique and ornate products matching the room's theme is available here but make a left and you'll find one of the many entrances to the food halls. The entrances are unassuming but wait till you are inside the first of these ballroom-sized halls.


The first food hall you'll encounter is filled with fine chocolates & confectionery, exquisite celebration cakes and tins of teas and coffee from around the world. The Hopeful Traveler has a real sweet tooth and this place is pure heaven. The one thing that T.H.T. won't purchase here or anywhere else abroad: what else, chocolate covered macadamia nuts. Here is a sample of sweet images. By the way, the fruit and veggies pictured right below are all made out of marzipan (an almond & sugar confection).

One tip of advice when shopping at Harrods: if you're planning to charge your purchase the cashier may offer to charge your card in American dollars rather than in British Pounds. If the clerk cannot offer you the exchange rate at that time, you are probably safer charging in British Pounds and letting your credit card company apply their normal processing fee which is included in the percentage of the exchange rate.