Hub and I 'll be flying off to London in 2 weeks, making a 2-day stopover in Dubai. I'd love to get some tips and advice on hotels and eating places in Dubai, London and Europe!
Hey, not quite sure how much you want to spend on accomodation. But travelodge (www.travelodge.co.uk)can have some really good deals sometimes, it is equivalent to Holiday Inn.
Hakkasan has quite good food, but you need to book a table in advance. Try this webpage for good food
You have to go to Borough Market at London Bridge! You'd love it. Its a HUGE food market that opens on Fridays and Saturdays 9-5pm.
They have everything from scallops to the best grilled cheese sandwiches, hog roast, creme brulee u name it! All served hot or made on the spot. Enjoy!
Hey Terri, I am not sure of a good middle range hotel in Dubai but do recall that hotels there are expensive. Also, better stick to reputable hotels too coz some of the hotels there are without unit number or street name. They go by, the hotel at the corner of A, at the junction of B etc ...but that was like 8 years ago. Not sure if they have changed the system. There´s an interesting global village in the middle of the desert too. Only for woman, quite interesting with all countries from the world setting up Pavillion to represent their culture. The other must try in Dubai I feel is the Dune Bashing. Someone will come pick you up from the hotel to the desert, perform some adventurous ride with the 4WD on the desert before stopping by a large tent to enjoy local dinner underneath the desert sky. Usually accompanied by belly dancing, henna painting, photo session and camel ride.
I am not sure about hip food scene in London but whenever I am there, I stick to pub food coz its where you get authentic British food. Gordom Ramsey runs a few pub under his belt, I tried one of it in Chelsea and its not too bad and good value for money. Not sure if it is still around though after him being in financial headlines lately. And I guess Fish and Chips is a must, so as a visit to Chinatown for some duck rice or dimsum. Other than that, which country in Europe you planning to visit? I guess you may not have much problem eating in Holland huh since Yi is there and is probably familiar. Their fish (Cod fish) is fabulous and do try if you spot a fish stall. For dessert, do try their Apfelgebak, its really good.
Sorry, another comment from me and I thought its important that you try out the white asparagus when you are here. Its in season then, does not cost an arm and a leg like back home and if cooked well, its really good. Holland should have quite a bit, otherwise is it not a good reason to hop over to Germany for it?
I second Borough Market too. Another place worth visit is St. Paul's Cathedral which is breathtaking and have amazing view if you could make it to the top. A lot of stairs climbing though. Shopping wise, one not to miss is defiantly Harrods, the F&C served is good. Avoid going during the weekends cz the queues are crazy. If you want a more authentic 'british' looking shopping experience, pop into fortnum and mason, and dont missed out Covent Garden and Carnabey St. Im currently a student near London. Have a wonderful trip!
Oh, food wise,'Canteen' serve good british food and definitely good value for money. You can google it as they have several chain stores but i guess the most convenient one is in baker st. Hm, dessert i would recommend Princi @ Wardour st. near Soho london, they serve good italian desert and pastry. And if you want to experience posh fine dining i guess sketch@ Conduit St is a must go because they have wonderful interior.
There's a HK roast meat restaurant, Tai Ka Lok on Gerrard St (Soho) and a couple of doors away is Kowloon Bakery with good HK style breads. For French pastries, I love Paul, especially the macarons. I also like good old M&S for their sandwiches. Don't forget the scones with jam and proper clotted cream!
Be sure to visit the food halls in the nicer department stores for some 'souvenirs' such as jars of jams, jellies, teas, tins of smoked fish and meat, chocolates and even ready-to-eat foods like fancy sandwiches. Harrods, Fortnum and Selfridges are the better known ones. Bon voyage!
And be sure to have a proper English High Tea while you're there! Any of the upper end hotels offer them as well as the department stores that I mentioned above.
Hi Terri, I'm a regular reader of your blog and I think it's brilliant! i'm currently a student in Manchester but have been to London quite a few times so here are some places I would recommend you to try out when you're in London. Borough market is a must. Roast duck rice in Four Seasons (either the original branch in Queensway or Chinatown). for fine modern french cuisine, try The Pearl Restaurant in Holborn by acclaimed chef Jun Tanaka. The three course lunch menu is 29 pounds per person. For the quality of the food and ambience, I think it's worth every penny spent. For good dim sum, try Pearl Liang in Paddington, its been voted best dim sum place by many food guides. oh, and here's something off the beaten track, for authentic italian food shopping experience, head to Brewer St in Soho and look for Lina Stores, an established italian delicatessen selling everything from strong Italian Kimbo coffee, a made to order salami filled ciabatta to freshly made ravioli. Enjoy your trip!
Hi Terri. Hotel prices in Dubai have dropped quite a fair bit. What is your budget? If you want to stay near the airport, there is the Premier Inn (~ 250dhs) which provides free shuttle service to the airport and Dubai Metro. If you know where you want to go, the Metro is a cheap way of moving around. You can also search around for hotels which are near the Metro stns. There might be some good deals for 4-star hotels. Dubai is not unlike KL in that the place is quite sprawled out. If you can shortlist some hotels, I can perhaps let you know whether the place is good or not. But I am no expert in Dubai as I hardly stay there. We just do day trips.
As for food, whenever we go to Dubai, we usually go for Chinese food. So can't recommend any good Arabian food! Indian food is also quite good here.
The Burj Khalifa has just re-opened their observation deck. I think it costs about 120dhs to get there. You also might be interested in the Burj Al Arab as well. I personally have not gone there though.
Souq Madinat Jumeirah is quite a lovely mall to visit as it is based on Arab architecture. And of course very touristy..
Atlantis Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah could be a worthwhile visit.. just to see this engineering marvel. Though you might a better aerial view from the Burj Khalifa observation deck.
The Global Village mentioned by Lianne has closed for the season. They are only open in winter.
Hello! I am a student studying in London and I love your blog! My friends and I use your recipes alot and they have helped us survive our years in UK. Thank you. :)
Borough Market is a definite MUST.
Gordon Ramsay's Maze Grill restaurant in London serves amazing steaks. http://www.gordonramsay.com/mazegrill/menus/
The Langham hotel on Regent Street for best English afternoon tea. The scones are scrumptious!
Cote Restaurant at Covent Garden for simple, inexpensive and delicious French food. http://www.cote-restaurants.co.uk/Index.html
La Duree macaroons and tea at Harrods. http://www.laduree.fr/public_en/maisons/londres_accueil.htm
Wooohoooo...europe..so exciting...going to paris too? in london those hotels near kings cross station are pretty good and not too expensive, ranging from 65 to 100 pounds if you not the type that has to have frills. they are quite basic but clean and safe. if you are going to paris..stay near st germain..plenty of food..in london, go for fortnum and mason for afternoon tea...that is a must. brits' scone and clotted cream..and generally pub food...sunday roast, toads-in-the-hole, fish and chips but after a while they are taste about the same.
and both london and paris shopping of course with euro and pounds so low..most branded goods will prob be at least 20 to 30 % cheaper if you also claim the 12% tax rebate...so the best time to get hubby pay for any dream stuffs that you want and conveniently walked past harolds. hahaha...
I have been reading your posts but not posting! hehe. You have a wonderful blog. Just to say that if you do have any free time or if you and hubby would like some peranakan food over the weekend, you are most welcome to our house!
Heya! I'm sure you already have lots of recommendations for London- but be sure to try out Mayflower on Shaftsbury Avenue- you'd have to order the 蜜椒鳝鱼 (deepfried eel in honey and pepper) its super delicious!
jennie: tt website squaremeal is very informative; i've noted it in my little book which is filling up fast:D. thanx!
anon:looks like borough market is the most highly recommended market to go. woohoo, i'm going!
lianne: i checked dune bashing n it sounds terrifying (the older i get, the more chicken i get too) but i'll love to see the desert. never been in one.
ok, yes yes, i'll eat oub food, fish n chips, oh, the waffles in netherlands n the white asparagus. i've seen white asparagus from peru here but never tried them except the canned ones. which hotel do you recommend in paris??
krizz: wah, you sure know where to eat! i've written down all your recommendatns, am excited doing the list :DD thank you!
su: yes yes i will do tt!thnx!
chopsuey: so many of the aternoon tea places need a reservation n tt's hard since i can't fix the date. i;ll have to go with the place tt lets me in..thnx for info:DDD!
janice: thnx, janice. it's readers tt make my day :)) wow wow, my list is getting longer. i won't leave london until i get thru my list! thnx, i will do my best!
kat: thnx for the useful info! what do you think of the dusit hotels? dusit is a thai hotel chain i think, bc i've seen it in bangkok. i've noted your recommendatns down. i'm told tt burj al arab's better from the outside than in so i'll save the us$150 entrance fee n spend it on some gold :DD. do i have to cover my arms n legs in dubai?
cc&c: i will def meet up with you if i hav the time. i esp want to see your collection of handbags altho i'm not into hermes.but you know, i better meet up after getting new shoes, new bag n new clothes...u make me nervous with your bags n shoes n clothes!
nee: ok, will eat all tt! oh, ive got info about a handbag outlet near florence, italy n if i go in june, it's crazy sale upto 70% off! woohoooo!
anon: tt's good to know! have you cooked the men tiao http://hungerhunger.blogspot.com/2008/07/men-tiao-noodle-strands.html? you must, it's easy n quick n tasty!
so you think langham hotel is best? one of my friends swear claridges' the best. i'm spoilt for choices!
tina: tt's so wonderful of you!i know it's not easy to whip up a dinner in a big city so i really appreciate tt! i'll love to have peranakan food in london!
yb: tt sounds yummy! even though i feel uneasy eating eel, i'll def eat it if i go to mayflower.
Dusit should be quite alright. When buying gold, take note of whether you are getting 18k or 22k gold. A lot of the nicer European-style designs are in 18k.
For dressing, nothing too revealing or sexy should be ok. Whatever you usually wear in KK should be suitable. Just keep it low key. You don't want to attract any unnecessary attention.
Hello auntie!! 2 cents from me since family has been in abu dhabi/dubai for some time!
my advice is to stay away from chinese food while you're in dubai! (most of the people working in the kitchen are actually not chinese (unless you're in a china based chinese restaurant - and even so the food all taste like msg and oyster sauce!)
if you do want to try some chinese food, i suggest Da Shi Dai (http://www.da-shi-dai.ae/). however since you are in dubai, why not try some arabic food? i can't think of a specific arabic restaurant that stands out as they usually serve the same thing (grilled meat with side of hommus/baba ghanoush/tabouleh)... so i would suggest instead you go for the Desert Safari - you can book this almost anywhere in dubai - and along with the desert ride they'll set up a traditional meal in the desert for you - belly dancer thrown into the package too.
definitely have a stroll through Madinat Jumeirah - a traditional shopping center in dubai. very lovely! also check out the Dubai Mall - variety of restaurants along the promenade and watch the fountain show (starts from 6/7pm, and goes on every half hour).
dubai is very liberal country, so no need to cover arms/legs/etc. everyone's pretty friendly too!
have fun auntie! ask if anything, mum's in abu dhabi so she can check if you do need anything.
chansaire:hey, no chinese food for me in dubai. i want arabian fare...do u know which tour operator is good for the dune bashing? i was not going to to it until this english friend, who's older, said it's not to be missed. i've read tt some operators give milder runs n i want tt. i don't want to sit in a car for 1/2 hour, terrified to the point of peeing in my pants. this is going to be a big step for me bc i;ve sworn off roller coasters n stuff like tt for years.
Hey, not quite sure how much you want to spend on accomodation.
ReplyDeleteBut travelodge (www.travelodge.co.uk)can have some really good deals sometimes, it is equivalent to Holiday Inn.
Hakkasan has quite good food, but you need to book a table in advance.
Try this webpage for good food
http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/
Welcome to Europe, Hope you enjoy it :)
jennie: thnx for info!
ReplyDeletei hav accomodatn in london, very blessed :DD but any mid range hotel to recommend in dubai???
You have to go to Borough Market at London Bridge! You'd love it.
ReplyDeleteIts a HUGE food market that opens on Fridays and Saturdays 9-5pm.
They have everything from scallops to the best grilled cheese sandwiches, hog roast, creme brulee u name it! All served hot or made on the spot. Enjoy!
Portobello market if you like antiques.
ReplyDeleteHey Terri, I am not sure of a good middle range hotel in Dubai but do recall that hotels there are expensive. Also, better stick to reputable hotels too coz some of the hotels there are without unit number or street name. They go by, the hotel at the corner of A, at the junction of B etc ...but that was like 8 years ago. Not sure if they have changed the system. There´s an interesting global village in the middle of the desert too. Only for woman, quite interesting with all countries from the world setting up Pavillion to represent their culture. The other must try in Dubai I feel is the Dune Bashing. Someone will come pick you up from the hotel to the desert, perform some adventurous ride with the 4WD on the desert before stopping by a large tent to enjoy local dinner underneath the desert sky. Usually accompanied by belly dancing, henna painting, photo session and camel ride.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure about hip food scene in London but whenever I am there, I stick to pub food coz its where you get authentic British food. Gordom Ramsey runs a few pub under his belt, I tried one of it in Chelsea and its not too bad and good value for money. Not sure if it is still around though after him being in financial headlines lately. And I guess Fish and Chips is a must, so as a visit to Chinatown for some duck rice or dimsum. Other than that, which country in Europe you planning to visit? I guess you may not have much problem eating in Holland huh since Yi is there and is probably familiar. Their fish (Cod fish) is fabulous and do try if you spot a fish stall. For dessert, do try their Apfelgebak, its really good.
ReplyDeleteSorry, another comment from me and I thought its important that you try out the white asparagus when you are here. Its in season then, does not cost an arm and a leg like back home and if cooked well, its really good. Holland should have quite a bit, otherwise is it not a good reason to hop over to Germany for it?
ReplyDeleteI second Borough Market too. Another place worth visit is St. Paul's Cathedral which is breathtaking and have amazing view if you could make it to the top. A lot of stairs climbing though. Shopping wise, one not to miss is defiantly Harrods, the F&C served is good. Avoid going during the weekends cz the queues are crazy. If you want a more authentic 'british' looking shopping experience, pop into fortnum and mason, and dont missed out Covent Garden and Carnabey St. Im currently a student near London. Have a wonderful trip!
ReplyDeleteOh, food wise,'Canteen' serve good british food and definitely good value for money. You can google it as they have several chain stores but i guess the most convenient one is in baker st. Hm, dessert i would recommend Princi @ Wardour st. near Soho london, they serve good italian desert and pastry. And if you want to experience posh fine dining i guess sketch@ Conduit St is a must go because they have wonderful interior.
ReplyDeleteThere's a HK roast meat restaurant, Tai Ka Lok on Gerrard St (Soho) and a couple of doors away is Kowloon Bakery with good HK style breads. For French pastries, I love Paul, especially the macarons. I also like good old M&S for their sandwiches. Don't forget the scones with jam and proper clotted cream!
ReplyDeleteBe sure to visit the food halls in the nicer department stores for some 'souvenirs' such as jars of jams, jellies, teas, tins of smoked fish and meat, chocolates and even ready-to-eat foods like fancy sandwiches. Harrods, Fortnum and Selfridges are the better known ones. Bon voyage!
ReplyDeleteAnd be sure to have a proper English High Tea while you're there! Any of the upper end hotels offer them as well as the department stores that I mentioned above.
ReplyDeleteHi Terri, I'm a regular reader of your blog and I think it's brilliant! i'm currently a student in Manchester but have been to London quite a few times so here are some places I would recommend you to try out when you're in London.
ReplyDeleteBorough market is a must.
Roast duck rice in Four Seasons (either the original branch in Queensway or Chinatown).
for fine modern french cuisine, try The Pearl Restaurant in Holborn by acclaimed chef Jun Tanaka. The three course lunch menu is 29 pounds per person. For the quality of the food and ambience, I think it's worth every penny spent.
For good dim sum, try Pearl Liang in Paddington, its been voted best dim sum place by many food guides.
oh, and here's something off the beaten track, for authentic italian food shopping experience, head to Brewer St in Soho and look for Lina Stores, an established italian delicatessen selling everything from strong Italian Kimbo coffee, a made to order salami filled ciabatta to freshly made ravioli.
Enjoy your trip!
Hi Terri. Hotel prices in Dubai have dropped quite a fair bit. What is your budget? If you want to stay near the airport, there is the Premier Inn (~ 250dhs) which provides free shuttle service to the airport and Dubai Metro. If you know where you want to go, the Metro is a cheap way of moving around. You can also search around for hotels which are near the Metro stns. There might be some good deals for 4-star hotels. Dubai is not unlike KL in that the place is quite sprawled out. If you can shortlist some hotels, I can perhaps let you know whether the place is good or not. But I am no expert in Dubai as I hardly stay there. We just do day trips.
ReplyDeleteAs for food, whenever we go to Dubai, we usually go for Chinese food. So can't recommend any good Arabian food! Indian food is also quite good here.
The Burj Khalifa has just re-opened their observation deck. I think it costs about 120dhs to get there. You also might be interested in the Burj Al Arab as well. I personally have not gone there though.
Souq Madinat Jumeirah is quite a lovely mall to visit as it is based on Arab architecture. And of course very touristy..
Atlantis Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah could be a worthwhile visit.. just to see this engineering marvel. Though you might a better aerial view from the Burj Khalifa observation deck.
The Global Village mentioned by Lianne has closed for the season. They are only open in winter.
You can email me for more details.
Don't forget to give me a call if you have time to catch up!
ReplyDeleteHello! I am a student studying in London and I love your blog! My friends and I use your recipes alot and they have helped us survive our years in UK. Thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteBorough Market is a definite MUST.
Gordon Ramsay's Maze Grill restaurant in London serves amazing steaks.
http://www.gordonramsay.com/mazegrill/menus/
The Langham hotel on Regent Street for best English afternoon tea. The scones are scrumptious!
Cote Restaurant at Covent Garden for simple, inexpensive and delicious French food.
http://www.cote-restaurants.co.uk/Index.html
La Duree macaroons and tea at Harrods.
http://www.laduree.fr/public_en/maisons/londres_accueil.htm
Hope this helps!
Wooohoooo...europe..so exciting...going to paris too? in london those hotels near kings cross station are pretty good and not too expensive, ranging from 65 to 100 pounds if you not the type that has to have frills. they are quite basic but clean and safe. if you are going to paris..stay near st germain..plenty of food..in london, go for fortnum and mason for afternoon tea...that is a must. brits' scone and clotted cream..and generally pub food...sunday roast, toads-in-the-hole, fish and chips but after a while they are taste about the same.
ReplyDeleteand both london and paris shopping of course with euro and pounds so low..most branded goods will prob be at least 20 to 30 % cheaper if you also claim the 12% tax rebate...so the best time to get hubby pay for any dream stuffs that you want and conveniently walked past harolds. hahaha...
Hi Terry
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your posts but not posting! hehe. You have a wonderful blog. Just to say that if you do have any free time or if you and hubby would like some peranakan food over the weekend, you are most welcome to our house!
Heya! I'm sure you already have lots of recommendations for London- but be sure to try out Mayflower on Shaftsbury Avenue- you'd have to order the 蜜椒鳝鱼 (deepfried eel in honey and pepper) its super delicious!
ReplyDeletejennie: tt website squaremeal is very informative; i've noted it in my little book which is filling up fast:D. thanx!
ReplyDeleteanon:looks like borough market is the most highly recommended market to go. woohoo, i'm going!
lianne: i checked dune bashing n it sounds terrifying (the older i get, the more chicken i get too) but i'll love to see the desert. never been in one.
ok, yes yes, i'll eat oub food, fish n chips, oh, the waffles in netherlands n the white asparagus. i've seen white asparagus from peru here but never tried them except the canned ones. which hotel do you recommend in paris??
krizz: wah, you sure know where to eat! i've written down all your recommendatns, am excited doing the list :DD thank you!
su: yes yes i will do tt!thnx!
chopsuey: so many of the aternoon tea places need a reservation n tt's hard since i can't fix the date. i;ll have to go with the place tt lets me in..thnx for info:DDD!
janice: thnx, janice. it's readers tt make my day :)) wow wow, my list is getting longer. i won't leave london until i get thru my list! thnx, i will do my best!
kat: thnx for the useful info! what do you think of the dusit hotels? dusit is a thai hotel chain i think, bc i've seen it in bangkok. i've noted your recommendatns down. i'm told tt burj al arab's better from the outside than in so i'll save the us$150 entrance fee n spend it on some gold :DD. do i have to cover my arms n legs in dubai?
cc&c: i will def meet up with you if i hav the time. i esp want to see your collection of handbags altho i'm not into hermes.but you know, i better meet up after getting new shoes, new bag n new clothes...u make me nervous with your bags n shoes n clothes!
nee: ok, will eat all tt! oh, ive got info about a handbag outlet near florence, italy n if i go in june, it's crazy sale upto 70% off! woohoooo!
anon: tt's good to know! have you cooked the men tiao http://hungerhunger.blogspot.com/2008/07/men-tiao-noodle-strands.html? you must, it's easy n quick n tasty!
so you think langham hotel is best? one of my friends swear claridges' the best. i'm spoilt for choices!
tina: tt's so wonderful of you!i know it's not easy to whip up a dinner in a big city so i really appreciate tt! i'll love to have peranakan food in london!
yb: tt sounds yummy! even though i feel uneasy eating eel, i'll def eat it if i go to mayflower.
Dusit should be quite alright. When buying gold, take note of whether you are getting 18k or 22k gold. A lot of the nicer European-style designs are in 18k.
ReplyDeleteFor dressing, nothing too revealing or sexy should be ok. Whatever you usually wear in KK should be suitable. Just keep it low key. You don't want to attract any unnecessary attention.
Hello auntie!! 2 cents from me since family has been in abu dhabi/dubai for some time!
ReplyDeletemy advice is to stay away from chinese food while you're in dubai! (most of the people working in the kitchen are actually not chinese (unless you're in a china based chinese restaurant - and even so the food all taste like msg and oyster sauce!)
if you do want to try some chinese food, i suggest Da Shi Dai (http://www.da-shi-dai.ae/). however since you are in dubai, why not try some arabic food? i can't think of a specific arabic restaurant that stands out as they usually serve the same thing (grilled meat with side of hommus/baba ghanoush/tabouleh)... so i would suggest instead you go for the Desert Safari - you can book this almost anywhere in dubai - and along with the desert ride they'll set up a traditional meal in the desert for you - belly dancer thrown into the package too.
definitely have a stroll through Madinat Jumeirah - a traditional shopping center in dubai. very lovely! also check out the Dubai Mall - variety of restaurants along the promenade and watch the fountain show (starts from 6/7pm, and goes on every half hour).
dubai is very liberal country, so no need to cover arms/legs/etc. everyone's pretty friendly too!
have fun auntie! ask if anything, mum's in abu dhabi so she can check if you do need anything.
amanda.
chansaire:hey, no chinese food for me in dubai. i want arabian fare...do u know which tour operator is good for the dune bashing? i was not going to to it until this english friend, who's older, said it's not to be missed. i've read tt some operators give milder runs n i want tt. i don't want to sit in a car for 1/2 hour, terrified to the point of peeing in my pants. this is going to be a big step for me bc i;ve sworn off roller coasters n stuff like tt for years.
ReplyDeletethnx, i will call ur mom if i get lost!
Yippee! London post coming up! Remember to bring your big camera ;-)
ReplyDeleteDubai, London & Europe, does it get much better than that? I bet you had a blast!
ReplyDelete