May 16, 2013

europe 2013: day four

Our last day in London was really relaxed and fun. We packed up our suitcases and left them at the hotel for a few hours while we went to Portobello Road Market. Even though it wasn't a Saturday, they still had tons of booths open. We got some crepes and browsed through streets of shops.
Then we headed over to Harrods (where I could have stayed for a few more hours) and grabbed a few gifts before we left for Denmark. I got a few things for friends there and also at Fortnum and Mason (oh, please let me live there) and we had a great time browsing the food and grocery sections. Then we headed upstairs and I bought 8 of the Peter Rabbit collection for my kids and I am so happy to have that as a memento of this trip. I've always wanted these sweet, little books (my awesome friend Jaimey even threw me a Peter Rabbit book shower for Fritz) and it's extra special that they're from London.
Our final "London bucket list" item was having fish and chips. I had researched a few places and we tried to go to The Golden Hind on a recommendation but after over an hour of walking and trying to find it, we gave up. My first choice was to go to Kerbisher & Malt but our concierge told us to go to a place close to our hotel (I think it had "Lion" in the name) and it was a bust. Like, gross - soggy batter, undercooked peas, dry fries and the tartar sauce was nasty (tasted like it had gone bad). Maybe I'm wrong but it kind of seemed like fish and chips is more of a tourist thing rather than something that the British eat very often. When we asked people on the street where they ate fish and chips, they just said, "Well . . . I don't know." What do you think London readers? Oh well, San Diego has pretty good fish and chips and now I can at least say I've had fish and chips in London. :)
After that disappointing meal we grabbed our bags and headed back to Heathrow airport to board a plane to Copenhagen! As soon as we got on the plane and they started announcing things in Danish, David and I started laughing about how we were going to survive in that country. I'll post about it tomorrow but spoiler alert - we lived! :)

10 comments:

  1. I'm an English reader and those plates of fish and chips don't look like the right thing at all. For starters you don't eat proper fish and chips off a plate, you eat them out of newspaper. You don't usually get real thing in a pub or restaurant, always a fish and chip shop Definitely no tartare, only vinegar and/or salt, and if you must have peas then they must be mushy. Delighted you liked London so much, my tips were the V&A and Covent Garden so it's a shame you didn't make it to either. You'll just have to come back one day! (I'm with you on Fortnum's food hall. I would buy one of everything if I could. My brother used to work with someone who had their weekly groceries delivered fom there. Imagine!)

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  2. The best fish & chips are the ones you get from the neighborhood Chippy. It's take-away and comes wrapped in paper. Not sure of the best Chippy in London, but the best in Romsey (near Southhampton) is Goodies!

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  3. After having lived in Engand and being married to an Englishman I agree with the person above. Fish and chips are best from a chip shop, on a newspaper, salted with malt vinegar or ketchup (they call red sauce) with a side of mushy peas. Also, my husband much refers a battered sausage over fish but maybe that's just because he's from the north. I hope you another try to do it right. Northern England is lovely.

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  4. I live in a coastal town in the south of England and fish and chips is definitely not just something tourists do; we probably eat them at least once a month! Really enjoying your travel posts, one of the first things I read on the web recently

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  5. Im English and I agree wholeheartedly with the comments here...NEVER eat fish and chips unless they come from the chippy, drench them in malt vinegar...YUM!!!!

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  6. I agree wholeheartedly with the comments already made, Im English and the ONLY way to eat fish and chips is from the local chipppy, drench them in vinegar and enjoy...YUM!!! Don't forget to make a chip butty they are the best. Sorry you weren't given the best advice as to where to eat them, they are still an English staple

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  7. I don't think I've ever eaten fish and chips in central London - they are best at the seaside - or from your local, back street chippy. Ours is only open Mon-Fri lunches, and for tea on a Thurs and Fri. The queue is out of the door and down the street on a Friday. But it's worth it!

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  8. The Golden Hinde would've been great - that's where I take overseas guests if they really want something special. But everyone else is right, local chippies are the best! Maybe add pie & mash to your London bucket list next time - that's really good...

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  9. Liz, we got ours at The Golden Hind, and we thought they were awesome! (Even Bryan, who doesn't like fish.) I guess they weren't authentic, though, because they were on a plate, not in newspaper. :)

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  10. Liz, we got ours at the Golden Hind, and we thought they were awesome! (Even Bryan, who doesn't like fish.) But I guess they weren't authentic, because they were on a plate, not in newspaper. :)

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