The Perfect English Day (According to Me)

Our first full day in London had a wide-open agenda in the afternoon and evening. While I am normally a planner and love to book things in advance, I really struggled to plan out our London week. Part of my holdup was my worry about over-scheduling (something that’s happening less and less on trips as I embrace going with the flow more), but it was mainly a struggle to narrow down everything I wanted to do. When you dream of visiting a place for as long as you can remember, it’s hard to make an itinerary that fits a vision that is sprawling and not geographically or logistically sensible. Ultimately, while we did have some scheduled tours and experiences, the overall looseness in our plans allowed us to spontaneously schedule some of my most favorite experiences. This day was the perfect example of that.

The morning was reserved for seeing the Changing of the Guard, which was absolutely and quintessentially British and regal and traditional. The ceremony begins at 11AM, and seeing as our walk was so short from the hotel and our night was so long, we didn’t get to the palace gates particularly early. That was a mistake as it was completely packed. Much like at Disneyland Paris’s fireworks, the crowd is right up on top of you, and if you want to be close to the gates, personal space is hard to come by. Unfortunately, our view was pretty obstructed for parts of the event, but some shifts in our position and the crowd helped with the visibility throughout the roughly 45 minutes. I would recommend showing up at least thirty minutes early and not five minutes ahead of time like us. Some of the crowd was lovely and supportive while others were pretty pushy, so you’ll want to keep a close eye on kids if you’re traveling as a family. On the bright side, one woman really stood out to me for offering to take pictures and videos for people with their phones so they could see what was going on. We love to see it!

 It’s such an iconic and structured ceremony, but it was a little off-putting to hear the band playing, surprisingly enough, “Pink Pony Club.” How Chappel Roan fits into a military ceremony is beyond me, but it was nonetheless very cool to experience. I love the pride, tradition, care, and precision that goes into every movement. It’s worth seeing at least once, especially if you can get a spot near the gates!

We headed back to the hotel to ask the concierge for their recommendations for high tea. I had never had a high tea experience before, and I wanted an opportunity to dress up, enjoy lots of small sandwiches and delicate pastries, and to feel like a princess. We were thrilled that the concierge was able to secure us a reservation at the Brown’s Hotel Drawing Room for their traditional afternoon tea for that afternoon. The online description boasts that it’s fit for a queen and that royalty has graced the historic dining room. When I say the concierge really listens, they really listen. While we were in the mindset of booking things, we also took a chance to see if Hadestown had any tickets available for that night. I had fallen in love with the soundtrack and read great reviews about the West End’s production. The same-day tickets were a surprisingly reasonable price for great seats (given the theater’s size, there’s really not a bad seat in the house), so we snatched them up quickly. I was so excited about what felt like the peak of luxury: tea and a show!

We changed into our fancier clothes and began our short walk to Mayfair. There is such a concentration of opulence there, and it’s transportive to windowshop and gawk at hotels that demand $1,000 a night. The Brown’s Hotel is one of those 5-star hotels with an eye-watering price tag, and I felt like a fraud stepping foot into its lobby. We were a little too early for our reservation, so we discreetly explored the beautiful first floor. The quality of service is unmatched at this level of hotel. From the moment you arrive, you feel like a VIP; fancily dressed doormen with top hats greet you at the front door and make the whole atmosphere feel so posh.

Once it was time for our reservation, we were blown away by the dining room. Wood paneled, plush, intimate, and refined, the quiet luxury of the space was both regal and comfortable. We selected the traditional afternoon tea with the addition of champagne for Tom and rose for me. Without alcohol, the tea was 80 pounds ($107) per person, but we thought it was worth every penny. The portions were generous (we were so full we skipped dinner), the quality of the food was high, and the care that went into the preparation and presentation is all that you would hope for in a 5-star establishment. If you’re looking for a splurge meal that doubles as an unforgettable experience, this is the place to do it.

We had 5 types of sandwiches to sample: Coronation Chicken, deviled egg, beef pastrami, cucumber, and smoked salmon. The Coronation Chicken and smoked salmon were both clear favorites for me, and I loved the variety of textures and flavors that the tray offered. Writing this, I am craving the soft bread, the crunch of the cucumber, the spices of the chicken, the subtle smokiness of the salmon, the richness of the beef. Tom and I took turns trying half a sandwich at a time and sharing our thoughts on each. Sadly, I know my own attempts at recreation could only pale in comparison.

There were also freshly baked plain and fruit scones with homemade strawberry jam and Cornish clotted cream. If I could wake up and have scones with jam and cream every morning, I would be the happiest person. I normally find scones to be dense, heavy, and dry, but these were very much the opposite.

Because of Wimbledon, we had a special treat for our dessert course: strawberries and cream, my favorite combination. Fresh, light, and so refreshing in the summer, I could eat endless bowls of this simple treat. We also split a cherry Bakewell tart, chocolate layers, an earl gray gateau opera, and a strawberry and crowdie mousse. By that point, I already felt full from the sandwiches and scones, but it was wonderful getting to sample so many different kinds of pastries.

The process of choosing tea was slightly intimidating but also so supported. The tea menu was expansive and included both familiar favorites and more specialty, curated teas. Luckily, there were detailed descriptions of the flavor profile as well as recommendations about how to best enjoy it, so we felt more confident narrowing down our choices. There were so many unique and delicious looking options, and with the variety of flavors presented at each course, you were guaranteed to find a tea that would complement it well. I was particularly impressed by how smooth the tea was, and the presentation in the tea pot with the beautiful and delicate cups was like stepping into a fairytale.

Once we finished, we decided to window shop in this affluent shopping district. There are literal tiaras on display, and it was fun to browse the glittering jewels. We next stumbled upon Fortnum and Mason, which, alongside Harrods, epitomizes luxury shopping in London. We could have spent hours exploring the various departments if we didn’t have to get to our evening show. We started with perusing the chocolates and coffees (and of course picked up a bag of beans to bring home) before we went down to their famed food hall. From caviar to the impressive cuts in the butcher shop to expensive bottles of champagne, this is the place to go if you want to host a legendary dinner party. It was fun to look at the unique and specialty food and drink items, and Tom enjoyed samples at the gin bar upstairs. The staff was so friendly, and we had a lovely time chatting with the woman selling gin. If we had larger suitcases, we would have been tempted to bring home some of the cookware we saw on display, and we took some time to smell the perfumes and colognes and feel the smooth fabrics of the scarves. Every step brought us something new to look at with awe and excitement, but the clock was ticking and our showtime was rapidly approaching.

The Lyric Theater, the oldest surviving theater on Shaftesbury Avenue, was only a 10-minute walk away, and we were some of the first to line up outside the theater. For perhaps the only time on our entire trip, we were too early for something! The theater’s line offered decent people-watching while we waited, and once we entered the theater, we were grateful we didn’t have to climb over half a row of people to get to our seats (and then promptly leave them to visit concessions). The theater is gorgeous and intimate feeling, but we were surprised to be among the more dressed-up of the theater goers. We were also surprised that programs were not free. While they were not terribly expensive, it was a noticeable difference from Broadway. Plan to budget 10-15 pounds for this. Here’s a positive difference from theaters I’ve visited: you can bring your drinks right to your seat. We visited concessions and each got one of the themed drinks and settled in for one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.

Tom looked over at me throughout the first act and told me at intermission that I didn’t stop smiling through all of the opening songs. Of course, if you’re familiar with the musical, you know my smile faded pretty quickly as things go from bad to worse for the mythic and tragic heroes. Every lead was an absolute powerhouse (Hades, Persephone, and Hermes really got to shine) who carried such powerful and poignant emotions. From betrayal and rage to love and laughter to grief and loss, we laughed, we teared up, and we were utterly entranced from start to finish. Having the band on stage rather than in the pit added such energy to the livelier numbers, and I loved that the body language added humor that the soundtrack missed.  It was everything that I had hoped for and more. I am still obsessively listening to the soundtrack and would love the opportunity to see it live again.

At the end of the night we made the 1.2 mile walk back to our hotel. While cutting through a park in the dark would normally make me anxious, it was a peaceful walk back through St. James Park and past Buckingham Palace. Once we passed through the bustle of the theaters, the peace of the night was more reminiscent of our time in the Netherlands where we treasured our long and leisurely walks through cobbled and historic streets.

The next day would take us, via the most entertaining and scenic boat ride, to Greenwich, were we saw beautiful painted ceilings and time itself before enjoying a seafood dinner that came highly recommended by Tom’s family.