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Condé Nast Traveler

How You Can Experience London Like a Local

Transcript Hi, I'm Sarah Allard, London local and travel expert. Now, the internet has plenty to say about what you should do when you're in my city, but not all advice is made equal. I'm here to take you beyond the tourist traps to the places that make London actually special. [bright music] [upbeat music] I feel like the cafe and bakery culture in London has, particularly over the last five years, just gone crazy. You can absolutely expect to see people queuing for maybe even up to an hour at their favorite bakery now. Let's see where the internet recommends we get some pastries. So I'm actually seeing quite a lot of Afternoon Tea. Afternoon Tea is a great shout, but it's not really something that a lot of us London locals tend to do. I might go for Afternoon Tea, maybe, if my mom is visiting. The Ritz is probably the most iconic spot that you can go, but if you really wanna get yourself immersed in local life, then I would totally recommend a bakery. [groovy music] Morning. How are you? [Server] I'm good, how are you? I'm good, thanks. I'd love a maritozzi. Thank you [laughing]. [groovy music] This is a maritozzi. So this is the reason why I love Forno and I think it's the best bakery in London. When you're in Forno, I feel like you see every type of Londoner. There's people that have just come in from a run. There's parents with kids, you've got people working, people meeting up, having a chat. [groovy music] What do you think makes Forno so popular? Why do you think you get these Saint and San-yous? I think part of the appeal is seeing the bakers create the goods, like in front of you, people are always taking photos, like walking to the bathroom. We see them like sneakily pull out their phone [laughing]. With the maritozzi we're like making all day long because we just sell out. So we always have the buns ready to fill with cream throughout the day. A maritozzi is basically like a bready bun. Brioche, yeah. Brioche bun. And then we make a Chantilly, which is a sweetened whipped cream and we just fill that in the center. [Sarah] So what do you reckon is like the maximum number of maritozzis you've made in a day? I think easily like 300 to 400. My Gosh. I dunno how you're supposed to eat one because... [Server] Oh yeah, that's... Is there a technique to eating one? Like no, but I've seen every way here. I've seen people like tackle it with a knife and fork. Some people just go for it. I don't think there is like a one way, but I really enjoy watching the customers struggle [laughing]. So there's really no pretty way to eat this, but I'm just gonna go for it. So good. [upbeat music] So London is often referred to as The Big smoke, but it's actually one of the world's largest urban forests. So let's see where the internet suggests that we go. Okay, I'm seeing a lot of Hyde Park. Hyde Park. Hyde Park. And you know what? Hyde Park is amazing. It's iconic park right in the center of the city. It's huge, but you won't find many locals there. Where you will find locals is somewhere like Hampstead Heath. Hampstead Heath isn't exactly a secret, but what you might not know about is this hidden structure tucked away in plain sight called The Pergola, and it's just covered in these beautiful vines and flowers. And on a day like today, it's just beautiful. [upbeat music] So there's a lot of different information out there about what this actually started life as. And some say that it started life as a pleasure garden in the 20th century for London's high society, which I kind of love. When you're here, you can just imagine people swanning around having drinks, chit-chatting. I love to think of it as that. Bearing in mind, we're in the city, it's so quiet here and you actually really feel like you are in nature. I can just hear the birds singing. You kind of get the little buzz of insects now and then, it's so peaceful. And the smell of the flowers, I wish you could smell it, it's just absolutely amazing. [upbeat music] One of the reasons I love the Heath so much is that you get these incredible views that you just don't get from the tourist traps. London I'm looking at you. The people watching here is so good and if you're lucky you can actually spot the odd celebrity or two. I've actually heard that Harry Styles walks his dog through here. [bright music] When it comes to art and culture, London is hard to beat. Our history combined with how multicultural London is, creates this incredible creative scene that people come from all over the world to experience. Let's see what the internet says we do for a bit of culture. I've seen the British Museum, Tate Modern, the National Gallery, all really great options. But if I had an afternoon to spend somewhere for a bit of culture, I would come to The Wallace Collection. It's super central. We're just moments from Oxford Circus here. So it's a really busy part of town, but actually you wouldn't know it from where we are right now. And it does feel like a bit of a hidden spot. [bright music] First of all, the gallery itself is so beautiful and that's before you've even got to the art on the walls. It's home to one of the most impressive fine art collections in the world. Some of this stuff dates back to the 14th century and one of the best parts about it, like a lot of the galleries in London, is that it's actually completely free to just come in and wander around. [bright music] The vibe of the gallery is so peaceful. You genuinely feel like you've snuck into someone's home and like you're looking at their private art collection. I like to come here in the afternoons. You often find that you might have the place to yourself just like I do now. I feel like every time I come here I discover something new. There's just so much to see. Now, I don't believe in ghosts, but it is said that some of the paintings here are haunted. I'll let you tell me which ones you think might be. [upbeat music] I don't think it's any secret that us Londoners love a drink. We are so spoiled for choice when it comes to amazing pubs, amazing bars, and the absolute best thing we love is drinking a pint in the sunshine. In fact, someone's even invented an app where you can track exactly which pubs have sun at exactly what time. So let's see where the internet thinks that we should go for a drink. So I'm seeing a lot of pubs in Central London. The ones in Central London are really, really good. But I think that coming to East London you're gonna have a far more authentic experience of what it's like to be a local in London. My top recommendation would be to come to Satan's Whiskers in Bethnal Green. [groovy music] So today I'll be joined for a drink by my friend Hannah. So Hannah is an amazing drinks writer. She's been writing about drinks for about six years it's been, and now got a really exciting gig writing for The Guardian. Yeah. As the drinks critics so everything from wine to beers to BuzzBallz. And cocktails. What a job. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. This is the menu of today. I kind of want to start with something sparkling. I love anything 75 and I also love cognac. [groovy music] Thank you so much. Of course. Oh my gosh. Cheers. Cheers. So good to see you. How was it? Oh, it's a lot stronger than I thought it was gonna be. Which obviously because it's got cognac in it. What do you think it is about Satan's Whiskers that the locals love so much? Well, I feel like you've kind of already answered the question, like this is a bar that is for locals. I mean, when we were up at the bar and we kind of noted that the menu is something that changes absolutely every single day. That was something, 'cause when it opened 13 years ago, like no one was drinking cocktails in Bethnal Green. And the daily changing menu gave locals a reason to come back. And since then they've won like pretty much every single award there is to be won of Euro bar in London. I've actually come here before and I've been sitting at the bar and someone's literally challenged me and said, Okay, gimme four ingredients that you like and I'll make you something. And there aren't many places in London where you can get that. Tell me a bit about like the drinking scene in London, how it's changed since you've been writing about drinks. Do you think that there's been a bit of a move away from super experimental types of cocktails? I always get asked at the start of the year about drinks trends for the rest of the year. And I think that the idea of trends, like whether it's in hospitality or food or drink or even fashion, it's this idea that it's kind of like out with the old in with the new. But I think the thing that I love the most about London drinkers and drinking establishments is like the sheer variety. And just because you, I dunno, for example, get into clarified tomato cocktails, it doesn't mean that you're gonna completely forget about orange wine or kind of like a dirty martini with blue cheese. Tastes are constantly expanding, evolving and I think it's such a treat to be part of such an experimental and diverse drink scene. [upbeat music] So whenever I'm traveling, going to a market in that place is one of my absolute favorite things to do. I think you really get to know the culture and the people really well. And I have to say that London does markets the best. Let's see what the internet thinks is the best market in London. So I'm seeing a lot of mentions of Borough Market and Camden as well. I love Borough Market. It's so iconic and there's some really incredible food places there to try. But it can be quite touristy and it gets super busy. I'd much prefer to hop on my bike and come here to Broadway Market. [upbeat music] I absolutely love Broadway Market. It is definitely one of my favorite places to come at the weekend. But you'll find it's gonna be bustling every day of the week. It's always full of interesting people and there are some really good snacks around. The shopping here is also really good and I feel like every time I come away from Broadway Market, I have something that I didn't know that I even needed. [upbeat music] One of my favorite stops on Broadway Market has to be the Broadway Bookshop. I come in here all the time and you can just get lost in here for ages and ages. Yes, we get lost a bit sometimes too if we get stuck on doing a bit of shelving and it's really satisfying, sort of arranging everything. During the week, we usually have our locals and we've got locals who've been coming for the whole 20 years and some of them have been, you know, crawling about on the floor when they first came in and now they've got jobs and girlfriends and boyfriends and stuff and they come in. It's really nice. The market is sort of bustling with every kind of world street food you can get. I just love bustle and I love people. That's why London's so wonderful. Everybody can just be who they are in London. [upbeat music] I think people think that British food is boring and bland. Maybe they just associate London with like fish and chips, which I love. But it's certainly not something that we eat every day. So let's see where the internet thinks we should be eating today. So I'm seeing a lot of pubs, a lot of Chippy's, some actually really good recommendations. But my top choice for eating in London has to be St. John. [upbeat music] Today, I'm so excited because I'm gonna be there with a restaurant icon, Trevor Gulliver himself. Wow. This is a strong start to the day [laughing]. Yes, yes. So, what do we have here, Trevor? [Trevor] This is a Fergroni. [upbeat music] Cheers. Cheers. They're very strong, but they are so good. It's just so refreshing and it just pairs perfectly with the meal that we're about to have. [upbeat music] So we have got roast bone marrow with a parsley salad and it just looks incredible. I mean, there's no dish in London like this, but I have to admit, I don't think I know the proper way to eat it. So Trevor [laughing], could you show us how you are supposed to... [Trevor] Yeah, I would take that with your fingers. [Sarah] You go for it as well. I'm just a bit of a... [indistinct] Little hole there, I'm just gonna get it all out there. [Sarah] Oh wow. Okay. You take the wet salt. Parsley salad. Very simple. [Sarah laughing] As good as it ever is. Yeah. Cheers to that. [upbeat music] what we have now is another one of my favorites, Welsh Rarebit, which is absolutely delicious. What's the history behind this one? Trevor, tell us a little bit about this. I'm gonna dig in 'cause I'm starving. I'm gonna tell you what to do, so... [Sarah] Oh yeah, please do. Okay. Good idea is you score the canals, so you can do it diagonally, be positive. And then you take your Lea & Perrins. I should say Worcestershire sauce. And just tip it so it runs down the canals. And then I would suggest that you could cut that into slices or fingers like [indistinct]. So what we would invariably do is just slice it. Once, whoever did the honors... [Sarah] Rarebit fingers, I like it. We would slice it into Rarebit fingers and munch it. If you're having a a glass of good cider at the bar or whatever. It's just so comforting. [upbeat music] The first time I came here, I smelled the Madeleines and it almost made me cry. It just really reminded me of like being at home. It's just so buttery and comforting. And this is another of the dishes that so many people associate with coming to St. John. Can you tell us a bit about where the Madeleines came from? Why Madeleine's? Madeleines are a finish. They're a thank you. You don't finish them. Put 'em in a bag, take home. Do you have Madeleine's every day? [Trevor] No, but I'll never pass up the opportunity to have Madeleine. Absolutely. So those are some of my favorite spots in London. I really hope you enjoyed them. Let me know what you think in the comments. [upbeat music]