Yes. Oyster is super convenient to use and, I think, cheaper to travel than buying separate tickets. Whenever I have a day or so in the capital, I just check at the railway station if it needs a top-up and away I go.
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I want to try poutine. I think it appeals to the northerner in me.
I know its a Canadian dish but we’re hoping to travel to New England in a couple of months and I’ve seen it on the menu on several Vermont restaurants. Already noted on my travel list is a place with duck poutine starter.
I didn’t think cheese curds were my thing but it is so delicious and squeaky and fun to eat. Great winter warmer. My mum’s Canadian so I am probably biased though.
Yup you will need an oyster - teen may get a discount rate so check at Euston. It’s cheaper but also a lot of ticket barriers are a bit temperamental with paper tickers these days as TfL tries to phase them out.
Breakfast
So, you can get a tarted-up full English breakfast at Dokke in St Katharine’s Docks then walk to The Armoury. Perkin Reveller has lovely views of The Tower and is a wonderfully atmospheric choice, but worth calling in advance because their website is broken so I am not sure if they still exist.
Another idea is even getting lunch after The Armoury around Shoreditch / Spitalfields area (Liverpool Street tube station) which is two tube stops away from Tower Hill, there is no cool market in Brick Lane on Sundat but there will still be the Spitalfields one, along with some street food stalls, some chain restaurants and lots of cool clothes shops. Maybe worth a Google to see what you guys fancy on the day.
The Brick Lane beigel shops are renowned but I imagine this is something which isn’t really a draw for you coming from the US.
Basically - Brick Lane is worth a visit, but you are staying in an area full of character too so you’re bound to enjoy either option.
good lord, london will have changed enormously (yet not)!
oyster for one day is pointless. get a day pass for just the central zones or to include the airport -zone 1 to 6. if you plan to come back often or pass your card along, then get an oyster for sure.
check the poutinerie on facebook. they have the best. but only on certain days around town. i’m canadian (adopted) so i promise they know their stuff. don’t bother with restaurants. the food truck is the answer. number two choice - true north poutine but honestly poutinerie rocks.
needoo is way better than overrated and somewhat stuffy tayyabs yes. best lassi too. awesome punjabi dishes. the toilets smell strongly of mothballs so don’t sit downstairs. we get take out for this reason.
dishoom i already mentioned. it’s a fun place for breakfast. not too expensive and not busy or noisy - a big plus for me.
we need a hungry onion east london meet up, innit!!
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oh, i need to publish more often then. hackney is my area - spitalfields my back yard. i could write a book …
amar goan sounds interesting! i will look for it. i’m not familiar with goan. i don’t really like fish curries but prawns would be nice. does anyone do a really good black dhal? it would a nice change from the yellow.
i still choose meraz every time no matter how many times i try other places. the lamb chops, the dhal, the sag aloo - those ones for sure.
the place at the corner of fieldgate street and new road (near needoo) is surprisingly good and ridiculously cheap. i almost didn’t go in but glad i did.
i’ve already said i’m not gong to whitechapel today and now i am having second thoughts. hmmm
Will you please extend an invite to a Cestrian?
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you might be number one on the list, john! cestrian or not. you should let us know when you are venturing south and we can even plan around it.
I will. I had hoped to be “dahn sarf” in a few weeks, hoping to meet up with HO “klyeoh”. But I may now be having some medical treatment which will prevent me getting out and about for some weeks. Perhaps in the autumn?
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Hi Calam 1ty,
OK, flying in on a Wednesday, Tube to Euston station, train to Preston. Train from York the following Monday to Euston station, Tube to Tower Hill. Tuesday sightseeing, Wednesday Tube to airport. Day pass or Oyster card?
oh wow. i wonder if there’s an app that shows you what’s the best way to go. the oyster card means only paying for the rides you take but you do have to pay the down payment etc. still if it helps you feel more relaxed (i know how that is in a new(ish) city) cos you can jump on and off at will, then order yourself a visitor’s oyster card and there will hopefully be opportunities to pass it along or use it next time or even claim a refund for money not used. they post it super quickly and perhaps it will give you peace of mind. is that wishy or washy enough for you? there’s a young person’s oyster card i think. it’s a nice souvenir with that pretty design. https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/visiting-london/experience-london/special-offers - and this page helps you see what you might have to spend https://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/london-visitor-oyster-card/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tfl.gov.uk&utm_campaign=tfl The FAQs are good too. the site says 11-15 ‘If you’re travelling with children aged 11-15, buy a Visitor Oyster card before you leave home and, when you arrive in London, you can ask a member of our staff to add a Young Visitor discount to a Visitor Oyster card at: • most Tube stations’
have i bored you enough? open for questions! i thrive on this stuff
and i might be out of london sept - jan. hey ho! anyway, one of these days in manchester and there’s always next spring in london. hope your medical stuff is not too serious and easily got through
Hey! It’s actually a Sylheti Bengali place, they have the same stuff mainly as Gram Bangla but, despite Jfores’s loyalty to GB, I got fed up of finding beard hairs in my food so I tend to frequent Amar Goan instead.
Apparently Ma Goa in Putney is supposed to be good - perhaps we should give it a go. Also heard decent things about Olde Goa in Norbury but not been…
For black dal, I still think Dishoom is probably the best bet - I mean, my mum’s is better, but you know - that’s a luxury which isn’t on tap.
John - hope your medical treatment goes well. Autumn sounds great.
For any Londoners, I am free second week of May.
That’s what they are called yes!! I LOVE their food!
Oooh, totally not bored, the more options & info the better. My teenager is 15 and has our local version of an Oyster Card. Saves us a ton on transit when they aren’t biking around town.
London is a love it or hate it kind of place. It’s also a youthful kind of place, unlike the other places you are going maybe. for those who love it, they describe it as feeling like they’re at home. You’re not here long, anyway. Around Wapping there are some lovely old and now trendy bits down by the water. London, like anywhere I’ve ever been, can be a hit or miss place to eat but at a higher price. 
poppies fish and chips was recommended to you and i’d second that. it might not be the best and it might be pricier but it has a young vibe like the whole area it’s in. and to one side of you is brick lane with all the street art you can handle, and to the other spitalfields market, which will have changed tremendously in your absence. anywhere around there that you choose to walk will be interesting. just stress to your nephew that london is old and shabby but full of lovely surprises. and closer to liverpool street station the architecture veers from dickensian to ultra modern and all bets are off.
