A Day Fit for A Queen - 05.27.25

We started today off as any good Brit should, with tea. We had breakfast at The English Rose Cafe & Tea Shop. This was a charming, vintage-style independent cafe located behind Buckingham Palace. They serve breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea. I had the Build Your Own Cooked Breakfast Sandwich on an English Muffin with fried egg, avocado, and cheddar cheese for $8.50*. My mom had the Full English Breakfast (pork sausage, streaky bacon, two eggs, baked beans, garlic mushrooms, grilled tomato, hash brown, and sourdough toast) for $14.50*. My sister had Eggs on Sourdough with sliced avocado and grilled mushrooms for $11.00*. My mom and sister also had a spot of tea while I opted for a glass of orange juice. This is a small cafe, and we arrived just after opening so we did not have to wait, and I would recommend doing the same for your visit. 

After a lovely breakfast, we walked to Hyde Park which is a tranquil haven. The park is a great place to escape the hustle of city life, slow down, and truly connect with oneself. In the park there is Serpentine Lake where you can boat and swim as well as a Bar & Kitchen off the lake. We mainly came to the park to visit the Rose Garden which was beautiful. If time and stamina allowed for it, I would have enjoyed exploring more of the vast greens. Alas, we were moving on to our next activity which was The National Gallery. 

The National Gallery in London is home to one of the greatest collections of paintings in the world. This art museum is located in Trafalgar Square and has masterworks showcasing the development of Western European painting. There are over 1,000 paintings on display from Uccello and Gentileschi to Turner and Van Gogh. While the museum was nice, honestly, it was not my favorite. It was good but many of the pieces of art did not resonate with me.

After The National Gallery, we were ready for lunch. We ate at Farmer J’s, a healthy food chain that focuses on sustainability, locally sourced ingredients, and flavor. My mom, sister, and I all ordered a version of Create Your Own, filled with lots of greens. We enjoyed our food immensely and would definitely go back again! The only downside of Farmer J’s is that it was packed (at least the one we went to, around lunch time). Thankfully we snagged seats as a group was heading out. There was not a spare seat in the place, a testament that it was a good meal. 

We ventured a bit far from our hotel so we had a nice walk back before we could rest and recharge, then we got ready for dinner. If you have not noticed this yet about my travels, I love food. It is an important part of life, and it brings people together. My family loves food and we do not like to skip meals, typically we eat every few hours to avoid hanger (hungry anger).

For dinner, we ate at Flat Iron Victoria. In the words of my sister and myself, this place was a dream. Let me paint you a picture: you walk into the steakhouse, you can smell the savory cooked meat (sorry to non-meat eaters), you get sat at your table and the host puts a cup of popcorn on your table. How did they know that I love popcorn? You then proceed to look at the menu, it is to the point, they offer Flat Iron Steaks. They offer a few other beef specials, but I was committed to the Flat Iron. It is only $15.00*. My sister and I ordered a side of Roast Aubergine (eggplant), tomato, basil, and mozzarella for $4.50* each. My mom ordered a side of Chips for $4.00*. I also had a glass of Smooth Flat Iron Malbec for $8.50*. Now picture that your steak arrives on a wooden cutting board already cooked and sliced perfectly. All you have to do is enjoy your juicy meal. It is wonderful. Just as you finish and wonder to yourself how this can get any better, your server comes to your table and delivers small cleavers, the size of a Monopoly game piece. Everyone at the table gets a small cleaver and it is to be used as a token to receive free ice cream. BOOM, mic dropped. BEST RESTAURANT EVER! 

From walks in the park, to gazing around the gallery, and three unforgettable dining experiences, today was a dream. As today was a dream, tomorrow is going to be magic. 

*All dollar amounts are in pound sterling.