Here in London Town. A food adventure – with a side of migraine

 

Anyone who knows me knows that my travels revolve around food. No distance is too far for a delicious bite. So imagine my surprise when we landed in London, and I didn’t have dinner mapped out for the first night.
 

With no reservations, no plan, and a growling stomach, we wandered through Notting Hill, eventually stepping into one of those classic British pubs named after a prince. The menu wasn’t exactly thrilling, but we made do with an avocado salad (which, as it turned out, was made of frozen avocados, what an undelicious disappointment) and a sirloin steak sandwich, where the ratio was about 80% sandwich and 20% steak. After the lame dinner, we walked through Kensington and made it back to our hotel by 10 p.m., fast asleep by 11.
 

On Friday I woke up at 5 a.m. with a migraine that could have taken down a small army. Two painkillers later, it was still going strong when we got up at 8. Spoiler alert: this migraine stayed with me until early afternoon.
 

But a headache wasn’t about to stop my food tour. We kicked things off with brunch at Duck & Waffle, consumed on the 40th floor with breathtaking views over London. I ordered the overnight oats brûlée—except there were no oats. Instead, I got a chia pudding with a caramelized sugar top, and honestly, no complaints.
 

Next stop: Tower Bridge, one of my all-time favorite bridges (yes, I seem to have a list of favorite bridges). After some sightseeing, it was time for a snack, and we headed to Borough Market for some crème brûlée doughnuts. One crème brûlée, one raspberry—both absolutely divine. A small blessing that our hotel wasn’t right next to this market, or I’d have bought a dozen more later.
 

London Eye was next on the list, but after seeing the ticket price (a €50 per person), we decided our money could be far better spent on food. Instead, we admired Big Ben through the classic London fog before walking through Trafalgar Square and ending up at a noodle shop where they hand-make each portion to order. The noodles? Incredible. The beef? Let’s just say it wasn’t the highlight.
 

On the way back to the hotel, we made a few more stops: Scott grabbed a hazelnut cookie, and I treated myself to a slice of Basque cheesecake. Both were absolutely worth it.