Friday, March 20, 2026

London (March 20 - 24)

Friday, March 20, 2026  , ,  No comments

Friday, March 20, 2026

Our British Airways BA597 flight landed in London's Heathrow airport at 19:15 GMT (from Venice, Italy). The flight was delayed about 15 minutes (with the original arrival time of 19:00 GMT).

After landing at Heathrow, we had to board buses (as our plane didn't have its own terminal). Inna and I almost got separated on different buses. Upon arrival at the terminal, we went through passport control. We had pre-booked hotel transfers to Egerton House, but our Golden Tours guide was not there (at Terminal 5 International Arrivals). I had to call 020-7233-7030 to reach the driver (who was waiting for us at the wrong location. She was supposed to be at Costa Coffee (which had recently closed). Eventually, she came over and found us, and we boarded her Land Rover for a short 35-minute ride to the Egerton House Hotel in London, arriving at around 20:45.

On arrival, we checked into our room #24 and asked the concierge to find us a restaurant for dinner. At first, he could not find anything available (being Friday evening), but he managed to reserve the Mayfair Chippy Knightsbridge restaurant for 21:20 (nearby).

We walked about 5-minutes to the Mayfair (noticing the large number of Middle Eastern women wearing hijabs) and were seated upstairs, on the second floor. We looked at the menu and ordered the following items:

  • Drinks: Belu Natural Sparkling Water, Frontier Lager London (pint)
  • Appetizer: Crispy Oyster Mushrooms
  • Inna: Cornish Crab Salad
  • Boris: Fish (Haddock) & Chips Classic (curry, mashed peas)
The Fish & Chips were delicious (though I needed time to get used to the Haddock "fishy" flavor). I originally ordered an Apple Cider but got the Frontier Lager instead. Inna liked her Cornish Crab Salad.

Saturday, March 21, 2026

In the morning, I woke up, showered, and shaved. Since the customs threw away my Proraso shaving cream, I had to use the hotel's skin lotion as a substitute.

When Inna was ready, we went downstairs for our morning breakfast. We ordered the following items from our waiter at Egerton House:
  • Drinks: 2 x Cappuccino, 2 x hot Earl Grey Tea
  • Boris: Yogurt with berries & chia seeds, Shakshouka
  • Inna: Yougurt with berries & chia seeds, Turkish Eggs
The cappuccinos were too sweet (they had a chocolate topping), and we couldn't drink them. We ordered hot Earl Grey teas, which were much more to our liking. The yogurt with berries and chia seeds was excellent, as was my Shakshouka and Inna's Turkish Eggs. Service was fast and efficient, and we enjoyed sitting at our table even though the breakfast room is below ground level.

After breakfast, we walked 15-minutes to the nearby Hyde Park. The park was alive with activity, and we saw lots of people jogging or walking their dogs. In addition, we saw lots of young boys (of different age groups) practicing soccer (football) and a few young tennis players taking lessons on the grass courts.

We decided to walk to the Italian Gardens, stopping on the way at a couple of places:
We briefly toured the David Hockney exhibit. I didn't really like it too much, as it seemed too amateurish to me, but Inna liked it (especially the enormously wide paintings that stretched across the entire gallery).

There was a nice cafe- Friends of Ours - Serpentine -  in an exotic-looking, modern structure, where we stopped by for a coffee, but it required prior reservations and looked quite busy.

From Hyde Park, we decided to stop for a coffee at a couple of places, but they were all busy:
We finally found a table at La Meena Cafe and ordered the following items:
  • Drinks: Water
  • Boris: Cappuccino
  • Inna: Cappuccino
  • Dessert: Almond Croissant
The cappuccinos were excellent, as was the Almond Croissant. From there, we decided to walk to Notting Hill (where Inna stayed a few years ago). Upon reaching it, Inna explored some of the local boutiques, while I waited on a bench.

Notting Hill was quite busy with fashionable tourists and locals. Some streets were jammed, and it was sometimes difficult to walk. We found one home where George Orwell (author of 1984 previously occupied. We also found the bookstore that was used as a model for the popular film Notting Hill with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.

From Notting Hill, we decided to walk to Holland Park to visit the Kyoto Garden. On the way there, we stopped for a light lunch at the Cafe Phillies. We ordered the following items:
  • Drinks: English Breakfast Tea, Green Tea, Cappuccino
  • Boris: Pancakes with fruits
  • Inna: Halloumi Salad
Inna originally ordered a Salad with Salmon, but Cafe Phillies was out of salmon. Instead, she ordered the Haloumi Salad, which was excellent. My pancakes with fruit were mediocre. I didn't expect much, and they were even worse than expected. They were far worse than the Lemon-Ricotta pancakes in Solbar/Solage in Calistoga (my gold standard).

After lunch, we returned to Holland Park and walked to the Kyoto Gardens. There was a long line of people queued up in the park, taking photos over a small waterfall. We queued up too and took a few photos ourselves. Inna delighted in taking photos of a few birds. From there, we walked north to Holland Park Underground Station (Tube) and explored the nearby shops.

Inna had reserved dinner for 16:45 at Balthazar, a French restaurant (that Inna had previously reserved). We boarded the Holland Park tube station (using Apple Pay on our iPhones to buy our tickets) and rode 8 stops to Holborn. From there, we walked to Balthazar and were immediately seated indoors. The streets around Balthazar were jammed with people, and we were thankful to have made prior dinner reservations. It would have been impossible to dine otherwise.

Balthazar was very busy, but there were many unoccupied tables at this hour. We looked at the menu and ordered the following items:
  • Drinks: Still water, Cappuccino
  • Appetizer: Isle of Wight Tomato Salad
  • Boris: Roasted Shetland Island Salmon
  • Inna: Seared Hand Dived Scallops
  • Dessert: Raspberry Souffle
The Isle of Wight Tomato Salad was tiny but exceptional. My Salmon was excellent, as were Inna's scallops. The Raspberry Soufflé was excellent too. Balthazar is a really fine restaurant!

From Balthazar, we walked toward the Gielgud Theater (where the Oliver! musical was playing), stopping on the way for an espresso at Cafe Nero and shopping.  Inna wanted to visit the Gudrun Sjoden clothing store.

As we approached the Gielgud Theater at around 19:00, the streets were jammed with people, and the whole West End Theater area was crazy busy. I write about Oliver! in a separate blog post.



After watching Oliver!,  we ordered an UberX to take us back to the Egerton Hotel. We thought about taking the tube, but it would take about 45 minutes vs 20 minutes on UberX, and we were a bit tired.

Sunday, March 22, 2026

In the morning, I woke up at 07:30.  When Inna was ready, we went downstairs for our morning breakfast. We ordered the following items from our waiter at Egerton House:
  • Drinks: 2 x Cappuccino, 2 x Earl Grey Tea
  • Boris: Yogurt with berries & chia seeds, Eggs Royale (Eggs Benedict with Salmon)
  • Inna: Yogurt with berries & chia seeds, 
The breakfast was delicious (as usual), and I really enjoyed the Eggs Royale (Eggs Benedict with Salmon).

After breakfast, we walked for 7-minutes to the nearby Victoria & Albert Museum. We arrived at 09:53 (7 minutes before opening time). There was already a long line outside, probably for those who had purchased the tickets to the special Marie Antoinette Style exhibition. 

Inna tried to get tickets to it, but they were all sold out. It turned out that our hotel - Egerton House Hotel - had tickets to the Marie Antoinette Style (if only we had known it, Inna would have seen it). Next time, check with the hotel for any musicals or exhibitions playing that seem sold out.

I used ChatGPT to provide me with a strategy for seeing the enormous museum:

🏛️ The Best 3-Hour Highlights Plan

1) Start with the jaw-dropping “big” spaces (45–60 min)

Cast Courts (don’t skip)

  • Huge plaster casts of iconic sculptures
  • Includes Michelangelo’s David and a full-scale Trajan’s Column replica
  • The scale alone is unforgettable

👉 This is the single most unique thing at the museum.

The Rotunda Chandelier (quick stop)

  • V&A Rotunda Chandelier
  • Massive blown-glass installation hanging over the entrance
  • Takes ~2 minutes but sets the tone

2) Iconic objects you shouldn’t miss (30–40 min total)

Pick a few of these nearby highlights:

  • Ardabil Carpet
    • One of the oldest and finest carpets in the world
  • Raphael Cartoons
    • Monumental Renaissance tapestry designs
  • Tipu’s Tiger
    • Mechanical tiger attacking a soldier—strange and memorable
  • Meissen Fountain
    • Huge, intricate porcelain masterpiece

3) Choose 2 major galleries based on your interests (60–75 min)

👗 If you like fashion & culture

  • Fashion Gallery
    • Historic to modern couture
  • Jewellery Gallery
    • Spectacular gemstones and craftsmanship

👉 These are among the most popular sections.

🏺 If you prefer art & history

  • Islamic / South Asian galleries
    • Includes objects like the Ardabil Carpet
  • British Galleries (1500–1900)
    • Furniture, interiors, royal objects

Optional highlight:

  • Henry VIII's writing desk
    • Personal object of the king

I personally loved the Cast Courts - especially Michelangelo's replica of "David" and the enormous Trajan column. They were so impressive!

The Ardabil carpet was not that impressive (perhaps it was too dark to see it under the dim lights).

Tipu's Tiger was out of commission and will not be available for a few years.

I also enjoyed the Renaissance galleries 300-1400 and the British Galleries. I was hoping to see more artifacts from the "Roman" period of England, but there were few items on display.

The Chinese and Korean exhibitions were less impressive. I liked the Japanese exhibition, but it was quite small compared to what we had seen in Tokyo.

We had arranged an Afternoon Tea at our Egerton House Hotel (free, as part of the Costco booking package) for 12:00. After we had visited the Victoria & Albert Museum, we returned to our Egerton House Hotel. We sat down in the drawing room and selected a couple of different black teas (and were provided with 4 scones with jams and clotted cream). We really enjoyed eating the scones and drinking the delicious hot black tea.

After we finished tea, we dressed and ordered UberX for Gillyan Lynne Theater. The UberX was a bit slow in arriving. We waited about 10 minutes for it to come, and the ride was another 35 minutes. Once there, we got into line for the My Neighbor Totoro musical, about which I write in a separate blog post.

When the musical ended, we wandered around a bit and stopped by for a coffee before resuming wandering around. We finally decided to head to Brother Marcus at 17:30 (the time of the reservation). After sitting down, we looked at the menu and ordered the following:

  • Drinks: Sparkling water, 2 x Earl Grey Tea
  • Appetizer: Pita & Baba Ganoush
  • Appetizer: Greek Salad
  • Appetizer: Halloumi & Prunes
  • Main: Lamb Kofta (3 pieces)
  • Main: Chicken Harrissa
  • Dessert: Lemon Cheesecake

The Baba Ganoush was excellent, as was the Greek Salad and Halloumi. The Chicken Harissa was small but delicious. The Lamb Kofta was pretty good. The Lemon Cheesecake was amazing (one of the best ever). Overall, we enjoyed an amazing dinner and a fine restaurant to visit again.

After dinner, we decided to walk back to our hotel (about 60 minutes), to burn some calories and get some steps in. We passed Leicester Square, teeming with people and resembling New York's Times Square. It looked like a fun place to hang out and people-watch.


Monday, March 23, 2026

In the morning, I woke up at 06:00, showered, and shaved.  When Inna was ready, we went downstairs for our morning breakfast. We ordered the following items from our waiter at Egerton House:
  • Drinks: Hot Earl Grey Tea
  • Boris: Yogurt with berries & chia seeds, Eggs Royale (Eggs Benedict with Salmon)
  • Inna: Yogurt with berries & chia seeds, 
The breakfast was delicious (as usual), and I really enjoyed the Eggs Royale.

After breakfast, we walked for 28 minutes to the Golden Tours, Bulleid Way Departure Point (at Victoria Station), to board our tour bus bound for Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio tour. The bus departed on schedule at 08:30. I wrote about the Warner Brothers Studio tour in a separate blog post.

When we returned to London from our tour at Warner Brothers Studio, we stopped for a cappuccino and a pastry at the Ole & Steen Cafe near Victoria Station.

At 17:00, we ordered an UberX to take us to Tattu London for dinner (a highly rated Asian restaurant). When we arrived, we had to take the elevator to the top floor, where we could see the nearby Dominion Theater and the streets below. It was a gorgeous location with million-dollar views below. We ordered the following from the special Devil Wears Prada menu:
  • Appetizer: Sesame Crackers
  • Drinks: Runway Roast (Inna), sparkling water
  • Inna: 3-course menu:
    • Wagyu Dumpling
    • Miso Salmon
    • Yuzu Drop
    • Jasmine Rice
  • Boris: 2-course menu:
    • Seared Tuna
    • BBQ chicken
    • Jasmine Rice
The dinner was fantastic, and all of the dishes were amazing (and a bit expensive). The BBQ Chicken and the Miso Salmon were both excellent. The Seared Tuna appetizer was amazing. The Yuzu Drop dessert was excellent, too. This was another amazing restaurant with no equal in the SF Bay Area.

After dinner, we rode the elevator downstairs and walked to the Dominion Theater to watch The Devil Wears Prada, about which I write in a separate blog post.



When the show finished at 22:00, we ordered UberX back to our Egerton House Hotel in Knightsbridge. It was too late for a long walk back, and we were too tired from the long day.


Tuesday, March 23, 2026

In the morning, I woke up at 06:15.  When Inna was ready, we packed our luggage and took it downstairs to prepare for an early departure with Golden Tours to London's Heathrow airport.  (Note: all of the Golden Tours transfers were pre-arranged through Costco).

We checked out of our Egerton House Hotel (room #24) and went downstairs for our morning breakfast. We ordered the following items from our waiter at Egerton House:
  • Drinks: Hot Earl Grey Tea
  • Boris: Yogurt with berries & chia seeds, 
  • Inna: Yogurt with berries & chia seeds, Eggs Royale (Eggs Benedict with Salmon)
Our Golden Tours driver arrived at 07:35, and we departed for the airport at 07:40. We arrived at the airport at 08:30 and went to the Virgin Atlantic Lounge (using the upper-class access), where we ordered a few items:
  • Drinks: 2 x cappuccinos, 2 x Mockingbird Strawberry & Blackcurrant smoothies
  • Boris: Crushed avocado toast on sourdough, feta, and a poached egg
  • Inna: Crushed avocado toast on sourdough, feta, and poached egg
The Virgin Atlantic Lounge at Heathrow was the best airline lounge I have ever seen. It has waiters who brought us drinks and breakfast/lunch items. In addition, there were a couple of Somadomes (immersive, self-guided meditation pods combining light therapy, sound healing, and guided meditation for a 20-minute mental reset). Inna tried one out and was very impressed.

We boarded our Virgin Atlantic VS0019 flight from Heathrow to San Francisco (SFO) at 11:00, with a departure time of 11:40. Being in business class (Virgin calls it Upper Class) was very nice, as I had a fully reclining seat with excellent media options.

On the flight, in addition to reading my Kindle (continuing reading of Love Over Scotland by Alexander McCall Smith), I also watched the following movies:
  • Nuremberg (2025) - starring Russell Crowe (as Goring)
    • A WWII psychiatrist evaluates Nazi leaders before the Nuremberg trials, growing increasingly obsessed with understanding evil as he forms a disturbing bond with Hermann Göring.
  • The Roses (2025) - starring Benedict Cumberbatch
    • A tinderbox of competition and resentments underneath the façade of a picture-perfect couple is ignited when the husband's professional dreams come crashing down.
  • F1: The Movie (2025) - starring Brad Pitt
    • A Formula One driver comes out of retirement to mentor and team up with a younger driver.
I really liked all of the movies. Russell Crowe's performance in Nuremberg was amazing. I also thought that The Roses was extremely entertaining and well-acted.

F1: The Movie was exhilarating to watch, and Brad Pitt played his part well.

The 3-plate breakfast was excellent, and I selected the following:
  • Appetizer: Chili and ginger-spiced tiger prawns
  • Main: Pan-fried Salmon
  • Dessert: Sour cherry and pistachio frangipane tart
  • Drinks: Apple Cider, English Breakfast Tea
The dishes were excellent, and the service was prompt and courteous (better than Air France).
We landed in San Francisco at around 15:00 and quickly went through customs and ordered a Lyft car for the one-hour ride home. Lyft was $20 cheaper than UberX.





London Trip Report
Highlights
Lowlights
  • Not enough time to attend all the events (and unable to see many amazing musicals and dramas)

Links



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