For my final travel link up of the year I’ve put together a post of top London recommendations for Christmas from myself and some of my favourite bloggers. Here is my blogger A to Z of Christmas in London.
A is for Afternoon tea – Now’s the time that all my favourite luxury hotels start to introduce their festive afternoon teas! I haven’t been to one yet but the Conrad London St James always offers something creative and delicious. A few of my blogger friends also recommend tea at The Langham which has been inspired by Asprey.
B is for Blogger Dates – We love meeting up all year round but a blogger date that involves a turkey dinner and a festive mulled wine is somehow even better! I had a fab time with my blogger besties at Duke of York Square and looking forward to more fun over the Christmas period.
C is for Champagne – There’s nothing like a glass of fizz at Christmas and my choice would be a glass of Cuvée Rosé Laurent-Perrier available at some of my favourite London hotels, including The Ritz, The Dorchester and The Corinthia.
D is for Drink Mulled Wine – Head to The Ivy Chelsea Winter Garden, One Aldwych or Smith & Whistle to enjoy mulled wine or hot festive cocktails. A warming glass is just perfect to get you into the festive spirit!
E is for Eating – Obviously. Take a look at Bookatable for festive deals at top London restaurants. Or pop to Harrods for the very best quality mince pies, Christmas puddings and chocolates!
Some of Harrods top concessions and restaurants are also offering Christmas platters and set menus which have been appearing around the blogosphere.
F is for Florals – So it turns out florals aren’t just for spring…I’ve often admired the beautiful displays at Neill Strain Floral Couture London in Belgravia and this year’s there’s a stunning display of gold, reindeers and baubles at the shop entrance.
G is for Grottos – There’s plenty of places to meet Santa in London such a the pop up lodge in Duke of York Square. There’s also grottos in Harrods, Winter Wonderland and even London Zoo.
H is for hotels – I love visiting London’s gorgeous hotels at Christmas, with beautiful festive decorations, cosy fire places and welcoming hospitality. You can guarantee most of the London hotels will be in the spirit of Christmas but my favourites so far are The Corinthia, The Sheraton Grand Park Lane and Four Seasons Hotel London.
I is for Ice Skating – The festive ice rinks are coming to London once again and I have my eye on the one at Somerset house with it’s cosy winter Fortnum’s Lodge. There’s even a boozy hot chocolate and of course, plenty of mulled wine.
J is for Jumpers – Festive knitwear at the ready? I’m looking forward to seeing lots blogger Christmas cards on Instagram…hopefully with a tree and fireside Christmas stockings too.
K is for Kisses – Who will you meet under the mistletoe this year?
L is for Lights – When I was little is was always such a treat to come to London to see a celebrity turn the Christmas lights on. My fingers were always crossed for a Spice Girl, a member of Take That or Kylie Minogue! Some of the bigger and more dramatic Christmas lights can be seen in Oxford Street or Regent Street but I also loved visiting the smaller London areas such as Duke of York Square or Shepherd’s Market. Here you can avoid huge crowds and enjoy the festive offerings of artisan food shops and smaller boutiques.
M is for Markets – Finding good Christmas markets in London can be challenging and the bigger ones such as Winter Wonderland and the South Bank can be very crowded and touristy. I’d advise checking out small ones such as Duke of York Square (again!) or Belgravia Christmas Sunday. Also check out the pop-up Christmas Arcade by Fortnum’s at Somerset house.
N is for Nativity – Last week I went to see my nephew star as one of the three kings in his school nativity play. Needless to say, I was a very proud auntie!
O is for Orange – That is chocolate orange…it’s not Terry’s it’s mine…
P is for Pumpkin Everything – If you’re not consuming enough of this vegetable, you’re just not doing Christmas right…Fill yourself up with pumpkin soup, spiced pumpkin lattes and pumpkin pie! Check out Partridge’s in Duke of York Square for some fab pumpkin pie.
Q is for Queuing – It’s rather inevitable at Christmas time to see queues everywhere but some of my favourite bloggers advise facing the queues to try some of the infamous cronuts at the Dominque Ansell Bakery London.
I’m yet to make it to the bakery on Elizabeth Street, but it’s certainly on my list to check out soon!
R is for Red Cups – You really know it’s Christmas when Starbucks famous red cups make an appearance, I’m looking forward to seeing them filling up my Instagram feed!
S is for Shopping – I’d avoid shopping hubs such as Oxford Street and Regent Street like the plague as the crowds will just be out of control. Instead head to elegant department stores such as Fortnum & Mason or Liberty or explore London’s village like areas for shopping such as Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Chelsea.
T is for Terraces – Some of my favourite London hotels are getting into the spirit with a festive winter courtyard. The Dalloway Terrace is decked out in snow covered boughs and pine cones with fluffy blankets and cosy heaters to keep you warm. On the menu are warming cocktails and a chocolate afternoon tea by Pierre Marcolini.
Over at Four Seasons London at Park Lane is the Hennessy Winter Garden, a beautiful winter wonderland that includes the Hennessy Lodge. In the shelter of the lodge we snuggled under cosy blankets, drank hot toddies and ate food inspired by Christmas markets.
U is for Unboxing – I love watching bloggers unbox Christmas treats on YouTube and Snapchat. I don’t watch a huge amount of YouTube videos but I love Josie’s channel and seeing what Katie and Ben get up to.
V is for Vlogmas – And watch out for your favourite YouTubers vlogging everyday.
W is for Wreath-making – It turns out Christmas wreathes are like busses, I’d never made one before and then two come along at once. Head to the Dalloway Terrace for a wreath-making class with pop up flower shop Orchidya or take a friend down to the Liz Earle salon to construct a wreath made only of organic materials.
X is for Xmas Tree – I love seeing the innovative a stylish Christmas trees from my favourite London hotels. One Aldwych always go all out with unique and special trees and this year the 25 foot tree is decorated with 140 champagne bottles and thousands of pearls, decorative leaves and glitter.
Claridge’s have gone one step further and turned the lobby into an immersive festive installation and snow covered forest. Four metre high light boxes glow with black and white images of snow covered birch trees set against the snow white floor. The Connaught always does something a bit special outside the hotel on the Mount Street location and this year Anthony Gormley has created a column of light on the core of the 17.5 metre trunk.
Y is for You and Me – It’ll be my fifth Christmas with Mr S and our second as a married couple.
Christmas is especially significant for us as a couple as we got engaged on Boxing Day while traveling in Australia.
This year we’re planning on a quiet one with close family but we’re definitely planning on drinking some fizz, stuffing a turkey and pulling some crackers!
Z is for zzzz – Christmas is a time to relax and catch up with everyone…lie ins and switching off is the plan!
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