Tea for a group

Q: I will be in London with 25 of my students in mid-April. Looking for inexpensive ways to explore with them so that they can EXPERIENCE London - rather than just do the "tourist" thing...

Also looking for a nice place to have tea with my young ladies... any suggestions would be most helpful and appreciated.

Many thanks!

Location USA

A: I think the best, easiest and cheapest way of experiencing London is by foot - simply walk around the different areas of interest. In April, the weather should be perfect for doing this.

As for having tea, if you mean "English high tea" and you have the money to afford it, perhaps its worth booking afternoon tea at the Ritz hotel.

Supermarkets, travelcards and routemasters

Q: Hello: I am going to London next 26th December and I have some doubts: - Is easy to find supermarkets in the center of London? To buy bread, water... - Is necessary a photograph to get a travel card for 3 or 7 days? - Where can I take the remaining Routemaster? I think I have read somewhere it only goes in a line, but I wanted to know the place to take it.

A:
1 - Supermarkets: yes, there are a number of "metro" type supermarkets in central London these days and they are usually easy to find. Your hotel can also probably tell you where your closest one is. They aren't as big as the "weekly shop" type supermarkets but they have a good selection of the sort of stuff you might need when here as a visitor for a short time. e.g. you can buy bread, water, fruit, toiletries, wine, beer, etc etc.

Look out for stores such as Sainsbury's, Tesco Metro and (if you can't find either of those), Costcutter. They also tend to be open late and seven days a week, even over xmas.

2 - Travelcards: As far as I know, you don't need a photograph in order to get a one, three or seven day travelcard. See this site for more information.


3 - Routemasters: I believe the remaining routemaster buses run on routes 9 and 15 through central London. You can use them for the same price as normal buses. To read more, see here.

Fish and Chips

Q: WE WILL BE IN LONDON IN SEPTEMBER FOR ONLY ONE DAY. WHERE CAN WE GO FOR YOUR BEST FISH AND CHIPS?

A: supposedly, the best place for fish and chips in London is a cafe called Fryer's Delight.

It's in Theobald's Road, near Red Lion Square (near Holborn). It is very popular with London cabbies, and they know London probably better than anyone else!

I've eaten there myself recently and the fish and chips are very good.

Pubs and restaurants

Q: Give us some suggestions of your favorite Pubs, restraurants, sidewalk cafe's, or anyother places to go.

A: One of my favourite pubs in central London is the Dickens Inn, at St Katherine's Dock.

A suggestion for you for a fun evening out:

- get yourself some free tickets for a Saturday night to the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London (free to get - specify in your request to them, Saturday night).

- start the evening on the south side of Tower Bridge, around Bermondsey. There's a really nice Italian restaurant (my favourite in London) called Mill Street Cafe (in Mill Street).

http://www.london-eating.co.uk/3323.htm

After eating there (or at any one of a number of riverside restaurants in the area), walk across Tower Bridge and over to St Katherine's Dock for a drink at Dickens Inn. Lots of nice boats to look at while you're enjoying the atmosphere also of the old pub.

Then wander over to the Tower (allowing around 15 minutes to get to the western gate) to watch the Ceremony.

Some great views of London by night, excellent food and beer and visiting the Tower at night is very enchanting.

Medieval restaurant in London

Q:

I heard about a restaurant near Tower of London where the waitreses are dressed like in XVI century and the food served there is the same or almost the same with the food served to Henry the 5-th, and in the same kind of dish.Do you know what am I talking about? If yes can you explain me how to get there?

A: You might be thinking of this place -

Medieval Banquet London restaurant - £37 exclusive price

"This regal Medieval Banquet takes place by flickering torchlight in the vaulted cellars of Ivory House, just a stone's throw from the Tower of London and Tower Bridge."

http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/packages_hens_medievalbanquet.asp