After a few days in Paris, we headed back to London. This time, we were well rested and ready to explore.  Our Airbnb was tucked away in Islington, but getting into the city was a breeze. With the Oyster Card, we could use any public transport for our stay. The Metro was definitely the fastest option, but I really loved the views from the double-decker busses.

Since we had a whole week in London, I decided to divide this post up by my favorite attractions and food in each part of town. We visited during Christmas, so a lot of places were closed – but we did our best to see (and eat) as much as we could.

East London
This was probably my favorite area! So many cool streets to walk through and little shops to stop in. Tiosk was a great stop for some breakfast and tea. It was very Portland-y, and we felt right at home. I enjoyed some avocado toast, and Zachary pounded back some porridge. So yummy! The best part was the tea though – so fresh and perfectly steeped.The Geffrye Museum of the Home was a really fun experience. It takes you through British homes and decor from the 1600s to present day. I loved seeing the trends that have carried through to today (especially mid-century furniture), and Zachary loved getting inspiration for designing future sets.
We couldn’t resist the opportunity to try some gluten-free vegan pizza at Stingray Cafe. It was a win! Next time I’d get more toppings though.
The best part about walking around Shoreditch was the street art.

Central London
This is where we spent most of our time, especially since our whole trip revolved around seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — tickets we booked almost a year and a half in advance. It was a two night show and completely blew my mind. I’m still thinking about it and wondering how they created so much magic on stage (literally).Central London has a ton of attractions, but my favorites were the British Museum and Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Zachary’s favorite was The Globe, of course! I never really thought of myself as a museum person, but I think that changed on this trip. I could have spent multiple days at the British Museum!Saint Paul’s Cathedral was just so beautiful inside, especially all set up for Christmas. I was amazed by all the details in the paintings, stained glass and architecture. Downtown had plenty of vegan options for us. Ethos was a great spot for breakfast – more avo toast for me, and sweet potato hash for Zachary. They also had decent coffee and smoothies.Mildred’s had a fully vegetarian menu with so many options we had to go twice! The beet burger was massive and definitely satisfied my burger needs. I also loved their vegan caesar salad and sweet potato fries (not pictured).But obviously the best part was dessert. Zachary had vanilla soy ice cream with a coffee glaze, and I had some sort of espresso flan with biscotti. Heaven!Speaking of dessert. Hands down the most amazing food experience was at Yorica. Zachary has a ton of food allergies, but he was still able to enjoy everything here. We’re talking gluten-free vegan waffles and crepes, froyo, and all the toppings. Yum!West London
We spent Christmas eve in Notting Hill, which was so dreamy! It was a bit chilly, but wandering around the neighborhoods was so much fun. Experiencing a fully vegan afternoon tea at La Suite West was a definite highlight. We toasted with bubbly, enjoyed finger sandwiches, scones with whipped coconut cream and strawberries, mince pies, two different chocolate cakes, carrot cake, and of course tons of tea. I’ve never been so full in my life.

North London
We visited this area on Christmas day, so there wasn’t too much going on. The main event was Christmas dinner at Manna. They had the option of a 6-course vegan meal,  but it was a little out of our budget. We decided to just put a bunch of sides together, which was kind of weird for Christmas dinner, but still delicious.We walked around a bit after dinner, but most places were closed. Still, it was fun to see another side of London.I know there is still so much more of London to see and experience! I’m so excited to go back someday for more theatre, museum-hopping and food.