Spotlight on London, England

Travel: Spotlight on London, England:

From notorious gangster such as the Kray Twins and Mad Frankie Fraser to the British Royal family, from famous traditional monuments such as the London bridge and Buckingham palace to hosting the biggest Caribbean carnival in Europe, London has been a popular travel destination for decades. In recent times thanks to airfare deals brought to the forefront by the wonders of internet, it is a great time to plan a trip to remember. Below I have highlighted some London trip essentials and suggestions.

My Top picks for Sites to see:

Piccadilly Circus

For souvenirs, restaurants, nightlife and London hustle and bustle.

Buckingham Palace

Probably the most famous Palace in the country, snap pictures of beefeater guards and see how the Royals live.

London bridge

Made popular though the famous song, take pictures and enjoy views of the river Thames.

The Tower of London

Historic castle located on the north bank of the river Thames.

Big Ben

The famed clock and tower which has tourist flocking to it every year.

African & Caribbean War memorial

Windrush Square, Brixton, SW2 1JG

War Memorial dedicated to African and Caribbean service personnel who fought in the first and second world wars.

Nelson Mandela Statue

Parliament Square, London, SWIP 3JX

Pay homage to iconic former anti-apartheid revolutionary, philanthropist and late south African president Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela by visiting his statute.

My top picks for places to Eat:

Levi Roots Caribbean Smoke house

http://caribbeansmokehouse.com

Raised in East London of Caribbean descent I had to include the restaurants of one of my favorite London based Caribbean Chefs ‘Levi roots’. With an inclusive menu offering Veggie, Vegan and gluten free dishes Caribbean smokehouse is located in the Westfield shopping center in Stratford East london. Stratford is a diverse multicultural area which in recent times hosted multiple sporting events during the London 2012 Olympic.

Yasars Kitchen

8 Blackhorse Ln, Walthamstow, London E17 6HJ, UK

A favorite of mine for many years Yassars offers delicious Turkish cuisine with a variety of kebabs and Turkish appetizers.

Rodizio Rico:

Rodizio means rotating, referring to their unique style of service where experienced passadors (meat carvers) pass from table to table slicing different cuts of meat from skewers onto your plate.

Brazilian Barbecue chain Rodizio Rico has several locations in the UK however my personal favorite is in the O2 arena located in the Greenwich Peninsula area of South East london. The cuisine at Rodizio is both delicious and fresh with a wide variety of Brazilian favorites to choose from.

For a more traditional British ‘Fish and Chips’ experience If you can’t get to a local seaside town like Hastings or South end the Wetherspoon pub chain located throughout the UK offers such favorites from Fish and chips to bangers and Mash.

https://www.jdwetherspoon.com

My top picks for Bars and Carnival:

Satay bar, Brixton

Happy hour drinks and great appetizers.

https://www.sataybar.co.uk

Rum Kitchen Brixton

Delicious rum variety and good times in the heart of Brixton.

https://brixton.therumkitchen.com

Cottons restaurant

For delicious Caribbean food and cocktails.

http://cottons-restaurant.co.uk

Nottinghill carnival

One of the longest running and biggest Caribbean carnivals in Europe, people travel worldwide to play mas and enjoy the festivities and culture of the Caribbean.

http://www.thelondonnottinghillcarnival.com

My top picks for places to Shop:

Walthamstow market

One of the longest Markets in Europe at over a mile long walthamstow market has something for every budget.

Brixton market

Once a staple in the Caribbean community Brixton market offers a wide variety of Caribbean favorites and great value shopping

Westfield Shopping center

Conveniently located in Stratford east London, accessible via the underground trains, city bus and car.

https://uk.westfield.com/stratfordcity

Lakeside Shopping center

A huge shopping mall with a wide variety of restaurants.

https://intu.co.uk/lakeside/centre-information