Bye London, Thanks for Your Hospitality

I remember it as if it was yesterday. The drive from the Hague to London in a little van packed with all of our stuff and the steering wheel on the “wrong side”. Within a time frame of 48 hours we managed to receive the keys for our new apartment in London, drive a van to the Netherlands, have a little goodbye gathering, load up the van with our boxes, furniture, bikes and other belongings, handing in our keys to our apartment in the Hague and drive the whole journey back to London overnight (with the help of lots of coffee and a quick power nap in the Eurotunnel).

We had a great time here in London, but now 3.5 years later my husband and I decided we are ready for a new chapter. We are moving back to the Netherlands. Closer to family (my side, that is) and our friends.

We’ve gained so many loving memories and great experiences. The weekend trips to explore the country. The friends we made. The food festivals and picnics in the park. The visitors we had over (and the many times we were dragged along to go and see the touristic sights). And of course our biggest highlight here, our wedding in the UK.

London is also the city where we’ve created many food memories. Let’s face it, there’s hardly a better city out there to explore so many different types of restaurants and cuisines. I find it especially sad that we are leaving the country whilst lockdown 2.0 is still in place and thus restaurants are still closed. Regardless, I would love to share with you some of my fondest restaurant experiences here in the hope you’ll be able to explore them when restaurants reopen. In the meantime I will keep my fingers crossed these places will get through these hard times as I’m sure we will come back to visit London and its hospitality scene.

Kiln - Soho

We stumbled upon this restaurant by accident but gosh did we enjoy the food here. Small menu, with big and bold flavours. What I absolutely loved about Kiln is that the kitchen is entirely open and from wherever you sit, you can see the chefs preparing your dishes. Not only is the food absolutely worth a visit, the atmosphere is great as well.

Le Petit Citron - Hammersmith

Our neighborhood favourite. We must have come here at least 10 times since they opened. It’s a family run French style bistro with simple food, very well executed. Favourite dishes are the onglet steak and confit duck leg and I can never leave without having their perfect, creamy crème brûlée. Besides, the staff is always very welcoming and attentive.

Cinnamon Bazaar - Covent Garden

Maybe I’m a bit biased because I used to work for the Cinnamon Collection but Cinnamon Bazaar is such a great place to meet with friends. They have great cocktails, the place is always buzzing and the food is absolutely yummy! Cinnamon Bazaar serves modern Indian cuisine and the dishes are perfect for sharing. Also, the decor is just so colourful and cheerful, you immediately feel transferred into a completely different world.

Delamina East (formerly Strut & Cluck) - Shoreditch

This restaurant we discovered before we moved to London and we loved it so much that once we moved here, we regularly paid a visit. It's a Middle Eastern & Mediterranean style restaurant, very cosy with deee-li-cious food. Must-try if you go there is the kataifi cheesecake. Could have that every day!

Rabbit - Chelsea

We came here with my inlaws, and this was absolutely the right choice. Rabbit serves small dishes to share and my family in law eat absolutely everything so we got to try out so many different dishes. The food is modern European, with a strong focus on all things wild, foraged and locally grown. With its quirky, country style interior this one is definitely worth a try.

Andina - (new location to come)

Ok, one of my favourites not just because I love the Peruvian food they serve, their vibrant atmosphere (and music), they also have the best pisco sours. Need I say more? We've visited Andina in Shoreditch, Notting Hill and Casita Andina in Soho. Sadly these locations have now closed, but I read they are looking for a new venue. I'm definitely hoping Andina will be back and so will we!

There you have it. London, thanks for the exciting years, but mostly thanks for your hospitality.

We’ll be back to visit!