Notes from London
On bakeries, bookshops and beauty buys.
Last month, I went on a work trip to London, which is one of my favourite cities to visit, and managed to carve some time out for exploring. I had all of Sunday to myself when I arrived and bookended the trip with an extra day before heading back home. Here are a few things I did and loved.
Fabrique Bakery
I got to the Notting Hill location first thing in the morning before the crowds descended upon Portobello Road Market to try one of the pillowy, sugar-dusted cardamom knots. Then, I grabbed a latte to go and went exploring.
Chai Guys Bakehouse
I continued my bakery hopping in Notting Hill with a stop at Chai Guys Bakehouse where I bought a canister of their limited edition Kesar Chai blend made with saffron and rose. But not before trying the samosa croissant (a samosant!), which was really, really good.
Ceramica Blue
I was drawn to this home goods store because of its cheery, bright blue exterior. The store owner, Lindy Wiffen happened to be in while I was visiting and we chatted about some of the fun things she’s sourced. Not only has she worked with Ottolenghi for his restaurants and shoots, her shop has also provided tableware for the Paddington films! She shared a fun tidbit that some of the plates and linen napkins will also be in the new Paddington in Peru movie out later this year.
Ottolenghi Marylebone
Ottolenghi was conveniently located near my hotel and it was the first place I zipped to after arriving from the airport. I sampled almost all of the salads in a takeout container (truly a dream lunch). My one regret is not getting a slice of the Rosewater, pistachio and semolina cake, which I’ve previously made at home and loved, but it isn’t the kind of thing you make all the time because it’s so time-consuming.
Daunt Books
London is bookstore heaven for me and Daunt Books was at the top of my list. The independent bookstore specializes in, but is not limited to, travel books with fiction and non-fiction sorted by geographical location. The store is located in a townhouse with soaring skylights, oak galleries and all sorts of cozy nooks. And yes, of course I got the viral fabric tote bag, which is absolutely perfect and was one of my favourite purchases from this trip.
Liberty London
Stepping inside this Carnaby Street institution always feels like I’m stepping back in time. I love going up the staircase that lead up to all the other departments located in various miniature rooms throughout the building. There was a sale when I went and it took a lot of will power not to buy ceramic bowls and glassware and fabrics. I went in with a singular mission: to acquire a lipstick from Lisa Eldridge Beauty, so the rest of my Liberty adventure was strictly limited to window shopping.
Dishoom
While I was hoping to try a few other Indian restaurants on my list like Trishna and Gymkhana, I ended up going back to Dishoom. It reminded me why it remains a favourite amongst locals and tourists alike. The food was top notch and the house black dal was as good as I remembered it (I probably could’ve single-handedly finished it on my own).
Makan Cafe
Located near Ladbroke Grove station, this restaurant serves up delicious and affordable Malaysian street food. I stopped here for lunch and ordered the nasi lemak, which was one of many items on their menu and included everything from roti canai to laksa. If I didn’t go here solo, I would’ve ordered a lot more things.
Boots
Drugstores and department stores are two of my must-visit places when I travel. In London, Boots is my British equivalent of a French pharmacy (I also like John Bell & Croyden). This time, I picked up a few lipsticks from Max Factor for my mom and explored some of the other brands we don’t have available in Canada.
Hamleys
Even if you’re not shopping for a kid in your life, I highly recommend going to Hamleys on Regent Street to bring joy to your inner child. The oldest toy store in Britain, it’s toy heaven, brimming with everything you could ever want or didn’t know you wanted. I bought a couple of gifts for my two-year-old and left very happy.
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