Having only 3 days in London is a sin! But if you have to sin, let me help you make the most of the sin of being in London for only 3 days.
A visitor could spent a lifetime in London and begin to scratch the depth of this ancient city. But since we have only three days, what would I recommend. Often at the London Connection, we are asked what a visitor should see if they have only a brief period to be spend in the capital. Mrs. Moore and I often have guests while we are in London, and we have the great pleasure of being their hosts. For guests who are in London for the first time, we hit the highlights, but we also try to make their visit memorable as well as meaningful. Let me lay out the schedule which we would probably use to introduce London. I am sure you will want to vary this to your own tastes, so consider this itinerary our general guidelines.
DAY 1 ENGLISH BREAKFAST in a local cafe near our accommodation before a morning visit to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. We would suggest a four-hour visit in the National Gallery, but with a good idea of what we want to see (follow the Michelin Guide to London where there is a great map of the Gallery).
I would certainly include the DaVinci paintings and the “Cartoon” and the Dutch paintings including Vermeer. I would probably have a rest and enjoy Stubb’s “Great Horse” and some of the magnificent paintings which surround Stubb’s masterpiece.
I would then walk up St Martin’s Lane to New Row where I would have a fabulous salt beef sandwich at SCOTT’S and chat with Tony who has built the finest sandwich bar restaurant in London. For me, it is the best lunch if I am hungry and want a good lunch before I carry on. I love this little place on New Row. When I am back in the States, I often dream of a hot salt beef sandwich and pickle at SCOTT’S. You know the food is good because there is always a line for those who come in for a take-away lunch. YUMMY.
After a great lunch, I invite my guests to join me for a visit to the British Museum where I enjoy looking at the Elgin Marbles from the Acropolis in Athens. Something so magnificent and over 2000 years old cause one to pause. The Egyptian collection and the Rosetta Stone are fascinating. The British Museum is enormous, so I suggest choosing the items I want to see before arriving the Museum. (Use the Michelin Green Guide to London — They have a good map of the rooms and exhibitions).
A pre-theater snack is best so your full attention is on a performance. I prefer an Italian restaurant in Covent Garden where “comfort food” is readily available. The evening highlight is an opera or a ballet at the ROYAL OPERA HOUSE. For me, being in the Royal Opera house is the number one experience for each of my visits to London. I am in London at least three or four times a year, and I see to it that I am in the Opera House for an opera or ballet twice a year. In fact, Mrs. Moore and I will arrange a trip around a performance we wish to see. A few years ago, we had guests in London; we all went to see the most spectacular performance of AIDA which none of us will every forget. Please consider this experience when planning your trip to London. You will be very pleased you did.
For the first day, you will have had all you can take, so I would go for warm drinks and then off to a great night’s sleep.
DAY 2
I suggest breakfast at home for your second day in London. Then I suggest a visit to THE TOWER OF LONDON. We go very early because during the summer, the lines are very long. If you are there by 9:00, you should be fine. The BEEF EATERS give the most amazing tours. At the end of the tour, spend time in the Jewel Hall to see the Crown Jewels. You will enjoy them more and will benefit from the visit if you have read the history of these incredible jewels before your visit. You will be dazzled. THE TOWER OF LONDON is the experience all visitors must have. A morning visit is far more successful; you beat the crowds.
You will be hungry by now. I would kill two birds with one stone. Grab a cab and off to South Kensington you go to the Victoria and Albert Museum. First go to the V&A Cafe. The food is incredible, and you will enjoy the marvelous cafeteria dining area. It is part of the old museum and will delight you. There is always a great hot lunch: pork roast, lamb, turkey, etc. with all the extras. You will have a moment to get off your feet and taste some really good food. I promise. Then visit two or three galleries which you have previously selected from your Michelin Guide to London. As you can see, I am never very far away from my guide.
I would walk up Exhibition Road on the west side of the great museum to Hyde Park to see ALBERT HALL and absolutely THE ALBERT MEMORIAL which Queen Victoria had erected in memory of her great Consort, the Prince Albert. It is my favorite memorial in London.
You will be tired, so back to the flat for a short rest before an evening of music at ST MARTINS-IN-THE-FIELD. Book your tickets the minute you arrive in London, the first day, and try to sit in the fist three rows, preferably on the center aisle. The music is wonderful, and Gibbs’s great masterpiece church will amaze you. History’s famous people attended church hill. The chamber music is other-worldly. After the concert, walk up Charing Cross to Chinatown for a Peking Duck dinner. It is fun.
DAY 3
If it is Saturday, THE PORTOBELLO ANTIQUE MARKET is such fun. I love to go. In fact, my imagination starts to dance with the stars as I anticipate finding some treasure which fits into my collection. If you are a group, grab a cab to the Market–split the 20 pounds, and save your energy. Or, take the Tube, but it lengthens your morning. Visit Hilary Kashden in her vintage fur stall. Check out Rob’s vintage leather. Goodness, I could go on and on. I have known some of these dealers for twenty years. Ignore all the tourist stuff, and focus on the stalls setting real antiques. Remember, there are crowds so keep you valuables in your front pockets–and if they get your valuables there, they deserve them. You will have a wonderful time.
Grab a cab and head to the WALLACE COLLECTION. Even if you have only one hour, this is the finest collection of 18th century decorative arts in the world, even challenging the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace. You will leave this museum with a new concept of what beauty truly is. It is magnificent.
I suggest an hour’s rest at your accommodation before dinner. I strongly suggest having dinner at RULES RESTAURANT on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden. It is the oldest restaurant in London and once the meeting place of the Prince of Wales/later Edward VII and his lady friend Lily Langtree. I always have Stilton Soup and then Steak and Kidney Pie, followed by STICKY PUDDING for dessert. You must make reservations, and a coat and tie is de rigeur. I have been going here since I was a very young man, and I love every minute of it.
I would end my visit at the theater. I am being realistic when I say that after a full day on your feet and then a fabulous dinner, you will snooze through a serious play. I love serious theater, but in this situation, I would select a musical that will keep you awake. Check the Internet for LONDON THEATER. There is a great deal to choose from. Don’t be silly, don’t waste your money by choosing something very heady because you will soon fall asleep. In fact, I take my guests to see PHANTOM OF THE OPERA which may be passé and no longer “the smart thing to do,” but let me say that seeing PHANTOM in the theater where it first played, where the stage is a continuation of the theater itself is a wonderful experience. It may not be chic to the “smart set,” but I assure you, you will not fall asleep and you will be humming those tunes for days! Hey, why not?
I would end my 3-day “crash course” of London with a walk from Her Majesty’s Theater to Trafalgar Square (it is spectacular at night) down Whitehall past 10 Downing Street and on to the Houses of Parliament, all lighted, and then to Westminster Abbey. Parliament Square at night is a very special place and particularly beautiful at night. Save Westminster Abbey for your visit next year. That is another must-see and will keep you planning your next trip.
YOU WILL BE EXHAUSTED. So be sure you are rested and fit with excellent walking shoes when you arrive for this three-day marathon. Take lots of vitamin pills and vitamin C.
What a lot of fun. YOU WILL LOVE LONDON.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
