Christmas in London
With Elton John’s Step Into Christmas playing somewhere in the house, just one ‘Stepping into Christmas’ thought comes to mind - there's no better place to step into that Christmas mood than in London. The city shares light in every corner that one visits, be it Regent Street, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, Mayfair, Kew, or any place, actually. One might think that Paris and New York are just as good, but Paris is for spring (as a friend from NY told me), and New York is for fall. Anyone who has visited London in winter will agree that London is for that season as the city is bursting with decorations hung over the streets, arranged on houses and hidden inside them, laid in front of doors, and served on plates as Christmas menus hit a high point during this season with mince pies, turkey or goose roasts, suckling pigs, and Brussel sprouts.
But when in London, one must know where to stay in this city of never-ending life, which books up fast during this season. Some might like the center, but some might go to the more artistic and tastier part of the city, where Borough Market serves the best food and many art galleries open their doors for seekers of the beautiful. The Hoxton Hotel is right in the middle of that. Yes, The Hoxton, present in so many of the world's biggest cities, is present here in Southwark too, in a brick house displaying another side of British architecture, so special and unbeatable. Here in the hotel, life never ends as travelers check in and out, mingle with guests staying there and locals who like to have dinner and parties there as the food and drinks, as always, are the highest quality. The hotel rooms resemble industrial aesthetic from the 19th century and are a mixture of concrete, vintage, crittall windows, wooden floors, bare brick walls, leather, and velvet. Red, green, light, brown, and a mixture of other colors, finished with some gold details, make it hard to leave the rooms which are too inviting. Yet, if traveling to London for Christmas feeling, you must leave and enjoy the possibilities that the city has to offer.
And the city offers a lot, from skating at Somerset House to the London Eye (please buy the fast pass as the lines are too long) to afternoon tea at Drury Lane theater to walks in Covent Garden to a visit to the most famous light show at Kew Gardens and to irresistible shopping and eating throughout the city. I will only bother you a little with stories about the places because you must experience them yourself - there is no other way to enjoy that never-ending Christmas joy that spreads through the city like an octopus with its tentacles around its prey. Wondering where to start? Here are some perfect spots to make your journey as Christmasy as possible.
Food
St. John’s.
10 Greek Street.
Notto Pasta.
Seven Dials Market.
Borough Market.
Arome.
Donutelier.
Kuro Bakery.
Buns From.
Prufrock Coffee.
Christmas shopping
Fortnum and Mason. First and foremost for their Advent calendar house and stunning window displays (changing every year). Then, for festive shopping that starts with plates, cards, and toys and finishes with food. This shop is a true Pandora’s box.
Liberty London for its interior, Christmas decorations, and other more historic feeling in the city center.
Extra special
Bond Street.
The Ever After Garden.
Annabel's club.
The Now Building.
Somerset House.
London Eye.
Afternoon tea at Drury Lane Theatre.
Notting Hill.
Kew Gardens’ Annual Christmas at Kew.
Sir John Soane’s Museum.
Chinatown, National Gallery, Mayfair, Marylebone, and much more.
