Tis Me Michelle

The second day in London town was a mix of random activities, some a bit meh and also a few highlights. I may contribute some of the meh because… You guessed it, I found it on TikTok. After sleeping in, I headed to my first activity.

King’s Dog Daycare is of course… a doggy daycare, where you can come in and play with the doggos. Basically you are the daycare for your allotted time. King’s is also a regular cafe you can drop by too. Of course the dogs were cute, but I would have enjoyed it more if it was a drop in/drop out situation. I’m sure you could leave if you wanted to, but it is 20 euros, so I made the most of it. Although a cute concept, I ended up just missing my own doggo more than anything.

My next booked activity was an afternoon tea. No surprise there! As usual, I had plenty of time, so I took the scenic route. Walked through picturesque little streets that looked like they were straight out of a movie and beautiful parks. My love of walking in foreign countries needs to be studied, cause you can barely get me off a couch at home. After killing quite some time, I made my way to The Montagu Kitchen at the Hyatt Regency London.

I don’t mind dining alone, but it’s always a little awkward when there’s barely anyone else dining. Feels like too much attention for just me. Even though this was a TikTok find, I was excited because it was a travel themed afternoon tea. Specifically, a nod to Asian flavors. It seemed right up my alley. The savory sandwiches included a bao, banh mi, a Bombay sandwich, and a prawn bite. To be honest, they all sounded fantastic, but fell short. The regular menu has more of a Mediterranean influence, so I don’t know if it’s because it’s not their speciality. I was less than impressed.

Now, I am always happy with a scone and clotted cream, and theirs did not disappoint. I love seeing a heaping bowl of clotted cream. It may clot my arteries, but I’m happy to go out that way. I started with the Lychee Snow Flowering tea, which I didn’t love, but it was an interesting new flavor I hadn’t tried before. Then I got a basic English Breakfast for the rest of my meal. I was pretty full by this point, but it was finally time for the best part, the sweet treats!

My favorite of the bunch was the chocolate and miso lucky cat, a decadent chocolate mouse with a rich, sweet and salty miso caramel. If it wasn’t so sweet and I wasn’t so full, I would have ate it up. The others I thought were decent, and I liked the creativity. There are so many afternoon teas all over London, I don’t particularly think this one needs to be on the must-try list. I actually preferred the one I did on my last trip.

I needed to walk all that off. Not too far was The Wallace Collection, a free museum. Fun fact, I have terrible balance. I was bopping along to the latest Cardi B album and I ate shit right across the museum. A core memory cause I saw a woman witness it happen and literally just looked at me dead pan. It made me laugh. I carried right on.

The walls at the museum were completely filled with pieces. Going to this museum, and most museums to be honest, was a reminder of how white washed art in these spaces are. There were more portraits of dogs than people of color. Which speaks volumes.

I was intrigued by the collection of the arms and armor, along with sword collection. I never realized the craftsmanship that went into them, it made me a bit sad that things are so uniform and bland these days. There was so much creativity and detail, you could see the pride in the work. It made me want to find the people who are doing things like that nowadays.

With a full evening ahead, I revisited Daunt Books in Marylebone. It was so jam packed, that it didn’t have the same spark it did the first time I went. So I was in and out pretty quick. Since I had such a great time at the jazz club in Paris, I thought it would be a good idea to try one in London.

Originally, I was on my way to Alfie’s, but it is kind of a speakeasy style. I didn’t have a reservation or any idea how to get in. I had another spot, Ronnie Scott’s, bookmarked right around the corner. It was meant to be, because I got there right as the set was about to begin. A hefty price and a full house. I realized once I got there, people knew the artist, Dhafer Youssef. I was clueless, but quickly blown away. I was completely taken with the music. Some of the songs had a clear Arabic and Indian influence. The emotions from the instruments, and the vocals, not lyrics, but the use of his voice as an instrument, was unbelievable. By far the best jazz experience I’ve ever had.

One last stop! Right next door was The Delhi Brasserie. An unpretentious Indian restaurant. They had a great menu. Dining solo while traveling means I need to order practically. Regardless, the Crab Achari stood out. I’d never seen it before. The menu describes it as fresh crab meat mixed with spices, chickpeas, pickle, tangy and medium spiced. Served in a papad that was shaped like those taco bowl tortilla shells. It had a nice heat and although probably canned crab, I still really enjoyed it. I also ordered the Prawn Peri Peri with naan. All great choices. The prawn dish was a great, spicy vindaloo-like sauce. I have not once heard about this Indian place in the many recs that get served up to me on the socials. I would totally go back to here along with that jazz bar.

I made the most of this day. Like I said, some meh experiences at the top of the day, but also some winners at the end. Definitely had a lot going on, but it didn’t feel overwhelming or jam packed. And then it was due time to get back to hit the hay before my travel day coming up!

Would you… or have you gone to any of these spots?!