London Town

At the end of last weekend I took a short trip to London to visit some friends. I was staying around Picadilly Circus and had the opportunity to wander around there, along with the nearby Leicester Square, and Covent Garden, over several days. Of the many shops, restaurants, and bars I visited, here is a short list of some of the highlights: Murdock- Apparently men's grooming is big business is London. Among the many grooming stores I stumbled upon during this visit, Murdock was one of my favorites. They do haircuts and straight razor shaves, along with selling their incredible colognes and hair products. I'm particularly fond of the Black Tea Cologne even if it does seem a bit pricey at 70£, about $117. 18 Monmouth St, London WC2H 9HB

Homeslice Pizza- Pizza isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of England, but this wood fire pizzeria makes some amazing pies. They have three choices you can take by the slice and many more can be order by the whole pizza. The top notch ingredients, dough's texture and taste, and incredibly high burning wood fire oven make for some near perfect pies.

(Slice of Salami w/ Rocket Pizza) 13 Neal's Yard, London WC2H 9DP The Harp- Gotta visit a pub in London, and it doesn't get any better than this one. Winning several award for best pub, and known for serving "real ales and ciders,"this is, at least in my opinion, exactly what you're looking for when coming to London. They also have sausages if you want to eat there, but after a few pints, I don't know where you could find the room. 47 Chandos Pl, London WC2N 4HS

Neal's Yard Dairy- There are some amazing British cheeses out there. Among my favorites are Cheddar, of course, Stilton, and Stichelton. Neal's Yard Dairy in Covent Garden is gorgeous, and a stop here is necessary in order to sample and take home some incredible English cheeses. 17 Shorts Gardens, London WC2H 9AT

Fortnum & Mason- I was in complete awe upon entering this "department store" of everything elegant and luxe. From confit fruit, to chocolates, teas, coffees, grooming supplies, candles, silver, perfume, leather bound notebooks, etc.., this place oozes London posh living. There are also several restaurants and cafés where you can take lunch, afternoon tea, or just a light snack or glass of Champagne.

181 Piccadilly, London W1A 1ER

Chicken Berry Britannia and Raita

Dishoom- I wanted to eat Indian food whilst in London, and after a thorough search, Dishoom came up as a solid option. On my first of two visits, I ordered the Chicken Berry Britannia and Raita, as per my server's suggestion. Mixed together and eaten with the several chutneys, this made for one of my favorite meals in London.

12 Upper St Martin's Ln, London WC2H 9FB

Hardy's Original Sweetshop- Nothing will make you feel like a little kid again quicker than stumbling into this mecca of sweets. They must have over fifty varieties of gummies alone, not to mention the chocolates, hard candies, sour stuff, etc... It really is like being in the movie, Willy Wonka.