The London Eye and a Beefbar

After lunch we had tickets to the iconic London Eye, which was meant to be temporary but is so popular it's now a permanent fixture on the tourist circuit. We did the VIP experience to avoid the monstrous line, which meant we got to sit upstairs in the champagne bar and have cocktails and juice. Then our hostess came to fetch us and take us to our roomy glass pod to spin up over the city of London. Before that, though, I briefly fell asleep on a bench because I was flat exhausted. Travel with a toddler is no joke.





You can see out of the pod 365 degrees around, gazing out at Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. 


It took about half an hour to circle around, and then Elowen passed out in her stroller and we went to take a nap before eating at Le Petite Beefbar in Chelsea. (By the way, the bike race was ALL DAY. It took us 45 minutes in a cab to go two miles, as bikes flowed around the car in an endless stream.)


I've never been to Chelsea before and it was SO charming (as it should be...a three bedroom flat near the restaurant was a cool 6.5 million pounds). I especially loved the pizza place with the Little Shop of Horrors--look at Audrey II!--and the pastel townhouses.


Also, Beefbar was amazing. I had tempura fried street corn with spicy mayo, szechuan fried chicken, filet with truffle herb butter, and then a delightfully fluffy cheesecake. The best part, though, was that the restaurant comped us a plate of fior de latte gelato with three sauces--caramel, chocolate, and strawberry. The caramel was salty-savory-sweet, almost burnt, and the strawberry tasted like a spring day. It was phenomenal.



Next up, Harry Potter studios! 


Comments

  1. RachelJune 5, 2023 at 9:17 AM

    As always, I'm envious of your dining experiences, especially the desserts! So glad Elowen's having a good time and your friends' girls are so sweet to her!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EricaJune 8, 2023 at 3:07 AM

      Elowen is now a seasoned traveler but prefers cheese over dessert...little weirdo.

      Delete

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