Stay, Do, Eat in London ⤺ 2023 Edition

Growing up my love for California started back in 2003 when I went to visit my cousins in Southern California for the first time. From then until I was about in my late twenties; that love grew and blossomed into something that I would eventually call my future home. Life happened. So Pennsylvania became my home until my early thirties (we still do live here) when I made a life long dream come true in 2018 and visited London for the first time. During that trip, I had learned a lot about international traveling as a solo female and also as a travel partner. On my first solo trip to London, I looked up a cute AIRBNB that was the picture of perfection. There was a cute garden, a lovely sitting room, a porcelain tub and the loveliest of cats that made sure you felt loved and appreciated. The host, Michelle, also took the time out to make me a cake and sing happy birthday to me as it was the same week as my birthday. Since then, I have stayed at hotel chains and couch crashing at my friend’s flat. And then an advertisement for Locke Hotels (in the form of a photo shoot from a local band) came shuffling through my social media platforms. And I was hooked. So of course in 2023. I decided that I would make it point to stay at this aparthotel and see what it was really like. (Spoiler alert: it blew every expectations I had out of the water.) So here is my appeal to you all, anyone who is looking forward to a trip to London, stay at a Locke Hotel. 

Here’s everything we did on our Stay in London in 2023. 

So one thing I can say is that if I had to choose which airport to fly out in the New York area. I’d fly out of Newark, NJ every single time. JFK not only is the airport so far from the general area of Manhattan – the departure/arrivals was an anxiety inducing experience.  So yeah. I do like overnight flights because I can sleep through the night (mostly). The flight was delayed by an hour due to weather and lightning but shortly after we were boarding and in our seats. We sat in economy which was spacious enough and the meals were good. I just wish that the desserts weren’t so rock hard but then again I am eating a dessert in an airplane. We landed shortly after 9 AM and went to customs and boarding. The entire process took us about 45 minutes to an hour (it was all dependent on the amount of people at customs). Then it was off to the Heathrow Express (which I purchased a pair of round trip tickets way in advance) and it was off to Kingsland Locke in Dalston. Fortunately for the two of us, my good friend lived a short walk over from the hotel so we walked over that night for dinner, wine and a bit of dancing. The vegan curry she made was fantastic and I wanted to scoop every last bit of it from my bowl. The wines were from Italy and was delicious. We bid our friend farewell and somehow made it back to our hotel. Slipped into the comfortable bed and fell straight to sleep. 

Stay at Kingsland Locke (Dalston London) 

Upon much googling for aparthotels in London, we found the loveliest of hotels in London called Locke Hotels. They have a bunch of locations in London but we chose the Dalston location called Kingsland Locke for its proximity to a lot of things we wanted to do and see. We went there for our anniversary and were given drink vouchers and I had their Jim and Tonic which was garnished with a dried orange slice. The ambience was a nice one and the bar staff were friendly and gave us great suggestions (especially when we asked about where to find stellar fish and chips). You can see a few photos of the hotel reception down below. 

The beds were comfortable and easy to get out of although most mornings I would just roll out of the bed because the bed was not as high as most hotel rooms. The blackout curtains were a treat as the sun is usually shining in my face in the morning at home. The bathroom was spacious and the stand in shower was a nice touch. I really liked all of the modern touches to this bathroom. Each room also comes with a little stovetop, dishwasher and fridge with all the kitchen utensils and pots/pans to cook your own food should you wish to have a slower morning or quiet night like we ended up. As I have seen most of the tourist spots in London, I choose to just take my time exploring the city and embracing the holiday vibes. We decided early on to go to a M&S or Sainsbury to grab a few things for meals to cook when we are feeling a bit lazy. You can see our haul below. We ended up getting tea, crumpets and pastries for breakfast and made a pasta and veggies dish for dinner a couple of nights before we left. 

What to do in London 

National Portrait Gallery: This museum sits in the heart of Trafalgar Square and can be easily accessed by a multitude of tube stops. There is a lot to look at and if you go early, chances are you’ll have a good spot to walk around and see some paintings. There is a Van Gogh painting (the sunflower one) that I ABSOLUTELY loved seeing. Because I mean when else are you going to be in the presence of a Van Gogh painting. And if you enjoy The Met, you’d enjoy this one equally as well. There is a cafe at the bottom, plenty of bathrooms and the gift shop is pretty. I would suggest packing some extra snacks as the food options there aren’t as grand. Plus it’s pretty price for a sandwich and even a bottle water. But bring a reusable water bottle and refill it at the fountains located all over the musuem. 

British Museum: We did not go to this museum on this trip but we do planning on going back on our 2025 trip. There’s a lot to see and I was bummed I did not dedicate an entire day to seeing everything there. The Asian Collection is worth a return trip alone. I grabbed a tote bag and have used it for everything from carrying my books to groceries. 

Battersea Power Station: We posted about doing a self-guided tour of the Battersea Power Station and this is a must see if you love good design and paying homage to the old history of buildings with proper care and respect. I’d recommend this place just for the proximity to the new tube station and Battersea Park. The area is quaint and lovely. 

Royal Air Force Museum: This museum is located in the Edgware section of North London. So it’s a must if you’re headed up that way. If you’re big on history and war history of course. You’ll enjoy this one a lot because it has all of the planes that were present in the Royal Air Force when WWII was happening. Plus you’ll get to walk through recreations of old war planes. It’s a nice place to visit if the weather is not up to your standard in London. 

Forbidden Planet: If you are a big nerd, and love all things comics, figures and collectibles this is the place for you. It does get a bit crowded and busy so if you are sensitive to loud noises. You may want to venture to a smaller shop for your nerd fix. We recommend Mega City Comics nearby Camden neighborhood. You can also check out Rough Trade East (near Brick Lane). 

The Alchemist (Bevis Marks location): If you love science and good drinks, with like steampunk vibes and decor. This is the place for you. The bar area does get a bit crowded so if you want a guaranteed seat there to have drinks. Make a reservation. We’ve gone many times and it does not disappoint. This bar is on the pricier side but I love it every time so I make sure to add this to my budget. I normally spend ~$100 here. So yeah pricey but the drinks are worth it in my point of view. And if you get a drink with a hip flask option. DO IT. Plus you get to see the Gherkin (St. Mary’s Annex) after you’ve had one too many drinks. 

Cecil Court (Through the Looking Glass): This place was great for walking through on the way to Seven Dials and Neal’s Yard. My partner is a huge Alice in Wonderland fan so to see vintage and rare books on display was a treat for him. We ended up getting a postcard as a souvenir. 

Of course you can always visit the other museums, food markets, and historic royal palaces across London and the Greater London areas. But these are just a few of our notable favorites and recommendations. 

What to eat in London

This isn’t our first time in London but it has been a couple of years since we had been back so we decided to hit up some of our favorite spots and saw a bunch of new ones too. This section will be all about what we did whilst in London. It’ll show markets and museums and ratings. Meaning we’ll let you know if it’s worth a visit or not. 

Padella Restaurant - Borough Market

The last time we were here, we had gotten mulled wine and cider, Bread Ahead donuts and had a little walk around the hot foods whilst we waited for our afternoon tea appointment at Roast. This time we chose to go back for the donuts at Bread Ahead and then got in the queue for Padella. It’s an Italian restaurant serving up some good eats. I would recommend this if you want to try the restaurant since the portion sizes for the pasta aren’t so daunting. But enough to fill you up. We got the Pici Cacio e Pepe,   in a slow cooked tomato sauce and Bruschetta and we ordered sourdough bread to dip in some delicious olive oil. The entire bill was less than $60 for everything we ordered. I was also on the hunt for some really good cloudy lemonade and the Lemony one they had was fantastic. I’d recommend this place. Menu

Breakfast Club - Islington Angel 

This was recommended by our London team member Anna as she said the food is great and the prices are also good for the quality of the food you get. Plus there was a huge photo wall with Breakfast Club posters (the 80’s movie) that we eventually got a polaroid on the wall at the end of the meal. I’d have to say this meal was probably one of my favorites as I kept thinking about how cozy the restaurant was and how filling the plates ended up being. There were only a few tables in there but I’d imagine when the weather is nice. It does get a nice and flowy outside on the deck. We arrived there early one morning and grabbed a seat right in front of the poster of the Breakfast Club. The menu is vast but it’s nicely laid out. As a graphic design nerd, I am a sucker for good design and the categories were placed with ease and you could easily see what you want to order without getting overwhelmed. We spent about $70 there as we ordered juice, tea and coffee multiple times. We love a good diner food and this gives it that British diner vibe. 

I’d recommend getting The Full Monty if you’ve never had a good English Breakfast as it has all of the fixings. The staff at the Islington location was fantastic. 

Suttons and Sons Fish and Chips - Dalston 

I’ve been coming to London since 2018 and can you believe I’ve never had fish and chips. I had to right that wrong and get myself some and scoured the area of Dalston (where the Kingsland Locke is located) to find some worthy of a local review. So we hopped on the bus and took a short 10-15 min ride over to Suttons and Sons – the shop where you can purchase whole fish and seafood is down the street. But the chip shop is across the street. So if you go to find it and it’s closed, just walk across the street and you’ll find the restaurant location. We went with a traditional tea and fish and chip combo and it did not disappoint. The fish was flaky and moist and the chips were so nice and crunchy. It was a good balance of fried. I’d highly recommend this location as it is one where the locals go to and if you’re lucky. You can find a cute dog or two outside on the sidewalk being good pups. 

Yorkshire Burrito - Camden Market 

I am not one to run when a viral food item is boasted all over social media but this is the real deal when it comes to the classic Sunday Roast. I had my first Sunday Roast in 2004 as a college freshmen  and I have been dreaming about it ever since. So what’s good about this is that it comes in a burrito so it’s a handheld snack. You get all of the fixings of a sunday roast without the wait or hassle and the gravy is DELICIOUS. If you are planning on sharing (like we did) just grab an extra one when you order because you will regret how fast you’ve eaten it. Plus you won’t want to share after you’ve had your first bite because MY GOSH – it was everything. 

I’d recommend this if you’re short on time and want to try a Sunday Roast. 

Kraft Dalston - Kingsland Locke 

We can’t do a travel guide that includes the Kingsland Locke and not spotlight their restaurant and bar Kraft Dalston which serves the biggest Jim and Tonic, and local Kraft lagers. The brewery is downstairs in the basement area and there is an extra room for private parties too. They also do a fine breakfast option and have the flakiest chocolate croissants I’ve had on the trip and so we thought to end our time at Kingsland Locke with some coffee and pastries. I went around with my Polaroid and took some photos of the place and kept saying “I can’t wait to come back for more fun at Locke Hotels!”. It’s a good option if you want that hotel care and support with the comfort of an apartment style home. You can cook there if you choose to stay in and have a quiet day watching movies and catching up on sleep. Or if you just want a nice cup of coffee and sit down on their comfortable seating for a quiet morning. Kraft Dalston has you covered. I’d recommend coming here. The vibes are immaculate and so are the folks working here. 

If you have gotten this far down this travel guide to London and a recap of our 2023 visit there. And you want more, fret not, because we will be going back to London on January 8-15, 2025 for a ton of fun stuff, food adventures, and some awesome film photography videos. We’ll also give you a better tour of Buckle Street Locke, which is in the Aldgate section of London. We are stoked on our stay and can’t wait for you all to see and read about our adventures in 2025.