While in London, I did a lot of exploring in the City of Westminster. What is the City of Westminster? It’s an inner-city London borough, but also holds city status. Confused? Me, too. Almost any London site you can think of is in City of Westminster.

My last visit was mostly in Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Camden Town (King’s Cross is a neighborhood in Camden), so I was excited to have some time to visit the traditional tourists site of London! I walked a total of 6 hours on Thursday trying to see as much as possible!

I started with a walk through Soho, described by Visit London as “diverse, fun-loving and never quiet”.

 

 

 

After a walk through Soho I headed to Regent Street to see the new Polo Ralph Lauren flagship store. Regent Street is one of the most famous shopping streets in London with more than 70 international flagship stores. The Georgian architecture makes it a beautiful street to stroll.

 

 

 

I think I found my favorite pub in London. I love scotch eggs and did some research about where to find the best ones in London, and The Burlington Arms was on the list. You can find the pub on a side street of Regent Street, a hidden gem for a respite from shopping and exploring. Also, they have a pub dog!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

After my delicious snack I headed toward The Green Park, passing through Berkley Square Gardens. On our last day in London, Koen and I came for breakfast at The Wolseley. The breakfast here is so famous that there is even a book called ‘Breakfast at The Wolseley’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Close to The Green Park is the Fortnum & Mason flagship store on Piccadilly. Because we go to America in a week, I wanted to pick up some tea for my mom.

 

 

 

Chinatown is also part of the City of Westminster! While you’re walking around, you can’t miss it!

 

 

It had been 12 years since I’d seen Buckingham Palace, so since I was out in the City of Westminster I wanted to see it again! Not quite as beautiful as I remembered, but still fun to see again. The beautiful Victoria Memorial is situated in front of the palace.

 

 

 

 

 

After visiting the palace, I headed to Westminster, a square where Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster are located. It’s also situated next to the River Thames, and you have a beautiful view of the London Eye from the Westminster Bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After visiting Westminster, I went for a walk, visiting St. James’s and Trafalgar Square.

 

 

 

 

After exploring the City of Westminster by foot, I went to the Tate Britain to enjoy their collection. Definitely recommend if you’re in London!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For an evening activity, because Koen was attending a reception, I decided to entertain myself by seeing Wicked in the West End! Luckily there are many restaurants close to the theaters with theater dinners (aka early dinners). I decided on Shepherd’s, because it’s a Westminster establishment often frequented by members of parliament serving British classics. The head chef is Karl Goward, who worked in a couple of my favorite restaurants – St. John in London and The Spotted Pig in NYC. It was the perfect dinner before seeing Wicked and only a 10 minute walk from the theater. I definitely recommend the combination if you’re looking for something to do in the evening while in London!