We managed to pack a whole lot of fun into a very short stop in London, excellent meals, a wonderful hotel stay, The Abba Experience and an unforgettable opening day at Wimbledon.
Where we stayed: The Goring
During our last visit to London we stayed at The Connaught which I LOVED (you can read about it here) but in honor of our day at Wimbledon I wanted to book at the most quintessentially British spot I could think of, The Goring. Located just behind Buckingham Palace and family owned since 1910, staying at the Goring is like time traveling into another era (dare I say a better one)?
Aside from the tradition and charm of The Goring, the staff is truly outstanding, we were greeted by name by every staff member (which is an effort that does not go unnoticed).
One tiny SNAFU happened when we checked in, we were shown to a room that was not quite up to my expectations, as well as a slight odor. When I had booked I specifically requested a Junior Suite, which I had understood to be two separate rooms though in fact it was just one. I kindly requested an upgrade and after a bit of shuffling reception was able to find a room that had more space and was more in line with what I had stayed in on my prior visit several years ago. In the end it was on me for booking the room category so I was grateful they had another option for us (I did have to pay a slight increase in the nightly rate which was well worth it).
Our new room needed a little time for housekeeping to work their magic so we didn’t end up seeing it until later in the day, and were grateful to find not only a much bigger and nicer suite (with no lingering odor), but lots of goodies as well. Sometimes my husband is slightly exasperated (often removing himself from the situation) but ultimately I generally succeed in making things right. Life is too short to be paying a lot of money only to feel disappointed.
Daily cocktails were included in our room rate, and the gardens in the back of the hotel were a perfect place to enjoy them.
Breakfast is served each morning in the most gorgeous and sunny dining room and I especially adore the hand-painted Fromental wallpaper complete with cheeky monkeys interspersed throughout the room. Last year I stated that The Connaught may very well be the best hotel in London (IMHO) but The Goring holds a special place in my heart.
What we did: The ABBA Experience
I enjoy ABBA (who doesn’t?) and if it were up to me I don’t know that I needed to see the ABBA experience, but my husband wanted to go so we booked tickets to witness avatars of the original band members give a concert of their greatest hits. I count myself as a pretty forward thinking person who embraces a whole assortment of modern technology but I was skeptical about this. People rave that it is just like seeing a live performance (?) and in fact the crowd was dressed up and ready to party mid afternoon on a Sunday.
Lets just say the experience was slightly disturbing, the production was interesting, and the music infectious, but the highlight was the LIVE band that played along with the avatars, sometimes breaking out and actually being the focus of the show.
Most upsetting to me were the crowds reacting to the avatars as though they were really human, cheering and shouting out requests throughout the performance. Perhaps I am too cynical or skeptical, but there was something downright depressing about this whole concept. It was a definite NO for me. Photos of the show were not allowed, but I did capture one at the end.
Wimbledon:
Wimbledon is one of the most classically British events that there is, and we had been dreaming of attending for many years. Since we don’t anticipate making this an annual tradition we decided to go all out for the ultimate experience and booked through American Express Centurion. They offer a set number of packages for each day of the tournament and we signed up for ours when they were released almost a full year ago. The package description highlighted excellent access, gourmet catering and all kinds of additional amenities but we weren’t quite sure what to expect. As it turned out, our day at Wimbledon far exceeded our expectations.
The day began when our driver dropped us at a special entrance bypassing the (very) long lines and were greeted by an American Express representative. She attempted to direct us to the hospitality suite but it proved more confusing than we initially thought; so much so that after many conflicting tips from well meaning security folks we finally returned to the entrance and asked the representative to escort us, which she happily did.
The hospitality suite was accessible all day providing drinks (endless champagne), strawberries and cream, a myriad of meals and snacks and pretty much anything anyone might need. The staff to guest ratio was high ensuring everyone had what they needed. While the suite offered a sightline to some of the tennis matches you did have to take a short walk to Centre Court for the main event.
Day One play featured matches between last years Wimbledon winners and their day 1 challengers Jannik Sinner (1) battled Miomir Kecmanović in one of the most exciting matches I have ever seen live, Aryna Sabalenka (1) easily beat Teodora Kostović and Novak Djokovic (7) ultimately defeated Wu Yibing.
Watching these matches was doubly exciting as we had the most incredible seats, located just behind the service line and directly across from the Royal Box. Funnily enough, I posted the video below to my IG account and after it surpassed 100k views it was taken down due to “copyright infringement” because the video was too good, they thought I was using professional footage as my own.
All in all a great day and a fantastic experience. If Wimbledon is on your bucket list and you want to experience it in style consider booking through American Express.
Where we ate:
Ambassadors Clubhouse is one of the toughest reservations to get in NYC but surprisingly easy to book in London, so that is what we did! The highly atmospheric and over the top Ambassadors Clubhouse is the U.K’s first Punjabi restaurant to receive a Michelin star and it was very good, but sadly not amazing. The influencers have been hard at work singing the praises of each and every dish, and while they are in fact tasty there are other Indian restaurants in London that I think do a better job (Gymkhana, Jamavar and even The Cinnamon Club) delivering a fabulous experience. That is not to say we didn’t enjoy our meal, just that it may not be worthy of all the hype.
Our waiter was friendly and made a real effort in pointing out which dishes had gluten (for me to avoid) and tree nuts (for my husband to avoid). Our experience may have been diminished by the incredibly annoying (American) couple sitting next to us. I booked hoping to be blown away though ultimately I was merely satisfied.
The River Café was a highlight of our last trip to London so we decided to return, though this time we dined outside. The combination of fresh and tasty Italian dishes served by an incredibly friendly and professional staff is hard to beat. The River Café happens to do double duty not only as a fabulous restaurant but also a nightly gathering of who’s who in London. Ruth Rogers the charismatic owner manages to flit effortlessly between tables making every diner (famous or not) feel special. If you are reserving in the warmer months opt for a table outside, its really nice.
The dishes at the River Café are expensive, but it truly is a delicious and memorable meal.
Where we wandered:
Our time in London was limited but we did manage to walk down Regent Street, stop at the food halls in Harrods, walk through Kensington Gardens, pop into Liberty and stop by Buckingham Palace. I am not here to get into politics but I am currently terribly disillusioned by London and yearn for a time when tolerance, gentility and decorum return.
The flight home on Virgin was uneventful, and the food was actually not too terrible. The highlight? I asked a flight attendant for something chocolaty and she rustled up this artisanal bar from somewhere in the galley. I have a friend who believes calories don’t count at 35,000 feet, so I am going with that.
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