January - March 2025 London Favorites
At the end of 2024, I booked a spontaneous flight to London and accidentally ended up staying for two and a half months - whoops! There are just so many people and places I love in London, it’s always hard to book a ticket home. I’m back in Virginia now and wanted to share some of my favorite recommendations while they’re still at the top of my mind.
In my matcha era
This trip to London was the start of my newfound obsession with matcha. All of the fun flavors available in London piqued my curiosity and I was instantly hooked.
If you’re a matcha newbie like me, Blank Street’s flavored matchas were a great starting point - I was a big fan of the Daydream and Strawberry Shortcake flavors. I also tried Jenki’s iconic collaboration with Condiment Claire, the vanilla sea salt matcha, which quickly became another favorite.
Word on the Water Bookshop
I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to finally visit one of London’s most beloved bookshops. Word on the Water is a beautifully bohemian bookshop on a canal boat just behind King’s Cross. Every inch is covered in books and literary paraphernalia, with a surprisingly impressive selection in such a small space.
Burgh House
At this point, I’ve visited most museums in London, so it’s always exciting to find something new. I visited Burgh House in Hampstead on one of my last days in London and it was the perfect little solo date. It’s one of the oldest houses in the area and is now a gorgeous art gallery. They primarily showcase local artists and currently have a special exhibition on children’s book illustrators.
On the lower level, they have a lovely cafe that serves coffee, cakes, and light lunches. You can take your food and drinks to enjoy in the garden courtyard with sweet little tables tucked among the flowers and trees. I’m planning to be back in London this summer and am going to make it my mission to sit in that courtyard on a warm, sunny day!
Don’t Tell Dad Bakery
If you’ve spent any time on London recommendation TikTok recently, you’ve definitely seen the excitement for the new Queen’s Park bakery, Don’t Tell Dad. It’s taken the internet by storm for good reason and I’m so glad I got to visit on this trip.
My friends and I had already ordered when they started putting freshly baked pain au chocolat on the counter and we immediately got back in the queue. It was well worth the extra wait because it was one of the best pastries I’ve had. They also had great iced lattes that we enjoyed in the park on one of the first sunny days of March.
Mexican Restaurants
London has a reputation for some questionable Mexican restaurants, but that seems to be changing as I had delicious meals at both Catalina’s in Fitzrovia and Corrochio’s in Dalston. Catalina’s is a tiny restaurant that serves great street tacos, while Corrochio’s is a beautifully decorated spot with incredible guacamole and birria tacos.
Godfrey’s Popcorn
Another viral spot, Godfrey’s is a gourmet popcorn shop in Covent Garden that is absolutely delightful. From the vintage movie theatre aesthetics to the delicious popcorn flavors, it’s such a fun shop to visit. I got a mix of buttery and caramel popcorn and would highly recommend both.
Breadstall Pizza
Tucked away in Soho, Breadstall Pizza is another spot that has made the rounds online with its tempting pizzas. As soon as I heard they had a vodka sauce pizza, I was desperate to try it for myself. The pizza was as delicious as it looks and the restaurant has a really fun, lively energy.
Bàrd Books
I went to my first-ever pub quiz in February that just so happened to be in a bookshop. Bàrd Books hosted a hilarious Valentine’s Day-themed quiz night and it was so fun to test our knowledge of romantic moments throughout literature. We may or may not have come in dead last, but as a group of Americans in London, there are still some UK pop culture references we just don’t get.
Highly recommend keeping an eye out for their future bookish events.
If you’re interested in more of my London recommendations, you can check out my London maps and guides here.
Please tag me on social media if you try out any of my recommendations! Would love to see your London adventures :)
