Last month I was lucky enough to enjoy a London city break with my sister – the ultimate girl’s trip. The top priority was to see Magic Mike Live, followed by enjoying food, coffee and cocktails at the prettiest places in London we could find. We successfully completed our ‘London Bucket List‘ and had a wonderful time exploring and taking photos together. Let me share with you our itinerary for our girls trip to London.
GETTING TO LONDON
For our London city break, we travelled by train with LNER from York to London. The journey is approximately 2 hours depending on the service. In my opinion, this is the quickest and easiest way to travel around the UK.
ACCOMMODATION IN LONDON
White Piccadilly Luxury Flat
We accidentally chose an incredibly busy week to visit London and accommodation was very expensive. We managed to find an apartment in the Westminster Borough which was really conveniently located for the things we wished to see and do. The apartment was spacious and all that we needed for our London city break – a place to get changed and sleep. It was a no frills option but it was clean, modern and suited us perfectly.
love to stay
When possible, I love to stay at the The Trafalgar St James. The rooms are modern with a Scandinavian design and are incredibly comfortable. There is complimentary water, soft drink and chocolate in the bar fridge, interesting artwork and Molton Brown toiletries. There is a rooftop bar which is perfect for a pre-dinner drink or nightcap. And the location is ideal to explore the sights of London such as Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus.
FOOD & DRINK
EL&N Cafe
EL&N Cafe was our first pit stop for a coffee and bite to eat. We enjoyed interesting concoctions such as a Velvet Latte and a Black Magic Latte and shared a smoked salmon open sandwich. This is truly one of the prettiest cafes in town and worth visiting if you love all things that are Instaworthy.
Cake & Bubbles
Looking for somewhere to enjoy a quiet drink and an afternoon treat, we stumbled across Cake & Bubbles. Located inside the Hotel Cafe Royal, this establishment serves delectable desserts from the famed chef Albert Adrià. Albert was previously voted the “World’s Best Pastry Chef by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” which guarantees you are in for a treat. We shared a Golden Egg Flan and a Mini Chocolate Tart whilst watching the world go by on Regent Street. All washed down with a glass of Champagne, naturally.
Wahlburgers
If you don’t know of Wahlburgers, where have you been the past few years? Or perhaps you are just not as bigger fan of trashy reality TV as I am. Wahlburgers is, as the name suggests, a burger joint which was created by 3 of the Wahlburg brothers – Mark, Donny and Paul. When my sister mentioned they had opened a restaurant in Soho, we were both super keen to try it out post the Magic Mike Live show. Unfortunately we were left a little underwhelmed with the quality of the burger, however it was quite late and the shop has only recently opened. I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and try again.
Farm Girl Cafe
I have been following Farm Girl Cafe on Instagram for quite some time – their coffee and healthy brunch options are exactly what I look for in a cafe. I opted for the Avo Toast (typical Aussie) and enjoyed the unique flavors of the Rose Latte. We dined at the Soho cafe above the flagship Sweaty Betty store during our London city break, and they are also located in Chelsea and Portobello.
COFFEE & SNACKS
Crosstown Doughnuts
These are no ordinary doughnuts and I can safely say that they are worth the calories. Crosstown offer traditional sourdough doughnuts as well as plenty of vegan options. Flavors vary from Sri Lankan Cinnamon and Tongan Vanilla Glaze to Pomegranate Orange Blossom and Strawberry & Sparkling Rose. I liked that they also offered mini doughnuts, meaning we could try a few different flavors. I will definitely be stopping by for a cheeky treat next time I am in town.
Hideaway Coffee
As the name suggest, this coffee shop is hidden away in Smiths’ Court in Soho. It was really close to our apartment and therefore the perfect spot to grab a coffee before we started our day. This peaceful square is an oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and it helps that they serve excellent coffee.
Ben’s Cookies
Cookie fans rejoice – these cookies will melt in your mouth and be devoured almost before you can leave the shop. The little shops are dotted all around the city and I will always stop in for a white chocolate and macadamia cookie if I spot one.
MAGIC MIKE LIVE
Pre-drinks at Boozy Tea Room
We enjoyed pre-drinks at the Boozy Tea Room which is conveniently located in the Hippodrome Casino and is very close to the Theater entrance. There was a small food menu offering appetizers and lots of delicious looking cocktails, including ones made with Channing Tatum’s Vodka, Born and Bred.
Magic Mike Live
Now, what you have all been waiting for and the highlight of our London city break. The down and dirty on Magic Mike London. If you are a fan of the movies then you will definitely love this production. The show is directed by Channing Tatum himself and he is rumored to have hand selected the dancers. Unfortunately only his pre-recorded voice made an appearance in the show, but I must say, the dancers were pretty impressive. The theater was much smaller than I anticipated and therefore I think you would have a good view from the majority of the seats.
You can take drinks into the theater and waiters will serve you throughout the 90 minute performance. There was one full monty (with a strategically placed hat) and multiple lap dances, but all in all it was relatively tame and lighthearted fun. If you don’t want to be picked on during the performance, wear a dress, keep your purse on your lap and a drink in your hand at all times 🙂
I hope you enjoyed the recap on my London city break. Every mama deserves a little R&R and this was the perfect short break that I was looking for. I’m such a big fan of exploring some of the non-touristy things in London. Share with me in the comments below what your ideal location for a girl’s trip or night off. Shell x
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