There’s nowhere I love more at Christmas than London. It’s the perfect place to really get you into the festive spirit. The sparkle, the shops, the food, the smells and the sounds, I just can’t get enough; and I try to have a shopping day there once a year around this period. This time, I spent the day with my lovely mum and we had eight hours of literally shopping until we dropped…
First stop was Peggy Porschen for naturally, a breakfast of cake and hot chocolates. The Peggy Porschen hot chocolate is one of the nicest I’ve had in a cafe, and that’s what I adore about this place – it doesn’t just look good, it delivers on the goods too. I also enjoyed a slice of prospect cake and a gingerbread cupcake – which, by the way, was topped with the most AMAZING cream cheese frosting ever… although I did struggle to finish both (only just) and my mum enjoyed the double chocolate layer cake. Peggy Porschen for me is always a must stop at in London, I have such a sweet tooth and love my cakes. The place at the moment in London to visit, I think.
We then headed off over to Covent Garden. Now nothing says Christmas more than Covent Garden. We had a short stroll around the Apple Market, and then into all the beautiful surrounding shops. For both eating and shopping Covent Garden is again, a must when you visit London. As well as being home to some firm favourites such as Laduree, Dior, Charlotte Tilbury and Godiva; it also has lots of beautiful, quirky little shops too – be sure to check out Sass & Belle underneath the Apple Market.
I also had to mention the ice cream I indulged in at Milk Train in Covent Garden (much to my mums dismay in the December temperatures!) – but if you have a sweet tooth, you have a sweet tooth! They do the most incredible, albeit quite messy to eat, ice creams; which are also pretty reasonably priced for central London. Just have a look at this… Heaven.
We then went onto Oxford Street where I popped into Jo Malone to treat myself to a large bottle of the Peony & Blush Suede Cologne. It’s my latest obsession at the moment. Floral scents aren’t really my thing, but this has a masculine side to it too – it’s really addictive; I’ll do a full blog post review on it in the new year.
We then had a mooch around Carnaby Street. I love Carnaby Street and some of the quirky little boutiques it’s home to. I spotted the most gorgeous pearl adorned jumper whilst I was there, but didn’t purchase it. When I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I contacted the boutique on Instagram, who kindly let me order it over the phone, and it’s now on its way to me in the post; phew!
By this point, we were pretty much ready to drop, so it was onto Fortnum and Mason to pick up some lovely Christmas gifts for people and then to indulge in some afternoon tea. Now afternoon tea is always something I make a point of doing in London, you have to, right? And Fortnum & Mason was one place I hadn’t yet tried. Honestly guys, I’m sad to say it, but there are much better places in London to venture out to. I’m not sure if they were having an off day; but the service was terrible and the food, although pleasant on the whole, for the price we paid… it was pretty average. I also ordered a hot chocolate, expecting it to be one of the most amazing hot chocs in London, but again – average at best.
That being said, F&M is still a lovely shopping experience; especially at this time of the year. They have floors of treats, treasures, trinkets and delights; and the decor is extra special. For the shopping experience, I’d recommend popping in if you haven’t been here before.
After we’d had a bit of a rest, it was onto the last stop of the day – Harrods. Here I treat myself to something special for Christmas from the Monica Vinader concession; and they’ve also just recently opened a new standalone store in Covent Garden too. They do free engraving on their pieces, to make them that extra bit special.
After that, it was onto the tube and back to Kings Cross for a portion of chips to warm up whilst we waited for the train journey home. It was such a special day and I’m so pleased I got to enjoy it with my lovely mum. We were even treat to some flurries of snow, just to make it all the more festive!
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