Liesbeth and I were literally 24 hours in London last Wednesday. Literally 24 hours in London. Flight there, check in, tour around London, dining out, sleeping, check out, flight back. Way too short, because London is insane, but you can still do quite a lot in those 24 hours. I'll take you to the coolest places you must see.

Flight

Look, the best thing you can do is book a ticket at London City Airport, because that is really the closest to the city. Gatwick and Heathrow (especially the latter) are far outside the city and from there you definitely have to travel for at least another hour. From City it's half an hour by metro or a bit shorter by taxi. It just depends a bit on what your budget is.

Check-in

I'll give you a few hotels that Amayzine is a fan of. These places all have a cool bar too. Saves you; you can roll to your room after late night drinks.

Hotel The Hoxton in Shoreditch is one of them. Very hip Londoners come here to eat and drink, so there's a lot to do in the evening.

Liesbeth and I stayed at hotel ME London last time. A huge hotel with mega beds and a double shower. An incredibly nice room for a couple in love AND the hotel is right in the city.

At St Martins Lane, the stars and models come. Super hip stuff.

Breakfast

You can do that at a Starbucks or Pret A Manger (which by the way is on every corner of the street), but that's not really fun. In Shoreditch, there are many nice breakfast spots; Albion Cafe, Leila’s Shop, and Cream for example. They all have exactly the scrambled eggs and smashed avocado that you're craving.

Ready for lunch

The above is also very suitable for lunch, but you also have La Brasserie, which is a bit of a Parisian brasserie around the corner from Harrods (yes sorry, Paris remains my city), where you can order a super steak tartare or omelet. The very healthy people among us (like me for example) get very happy from The Good Life Eatery. Mega lots of fresh juices (also a lot of green), superfood salads, lots of kale, avocados, and gluten-free.

Shop till you drop

Oxford Street is actually a kind of Kalverstraat. So you do have the Topshops and Zara there, but you have to be in the mood for that. If you're in the mood to window shop (or who knows, maybe buy something), then New Bond Street is absolutely the place to be. The most expensive and beautiful brands all in one street of 100 meters. Also, Victoria’s Secret (!) can be found there. I think Liberty is the most beautiful department store. Not necessarily the biggest (so it can be super crowded), but the collection is insane. People, take a wallet with you to London because you'll go crazy.

Let’s have dinner

If you want to go very expensive and really have something to celebrate, then Nobu is insane. The best Japanese restaurant that exists, I can say (and I had something to celebrate). Reserve late, because then the most bizarrely dressed (and rich!) people come in, so you'll be amazed. For a slightly less hefty bill, but still super delicious, Pizza East is very nice. They have super thin pizza or salads there. A large place with a young (hipster) crowd and staff. Jak’s Kingsroad is (also) the place to be.. A huge place with many cozy corners. Long wooden tables, all different chairs, sofas, high tables, and lounge seats. The menu is Italian. You order pizza or walk over to the bar to choose a pasta, fish, or salad that is presented very tastefully in the display. There is a lot of candlelight and a nice jazz band plays in the corner. And also very nice: it is incredibly affordable.

Cocktail

On the roof of hotel ME London, it is magical.