My husband and I visited London a few weeks ago as we traveled from the US (Connecticut). On July…read more 16, we sat in a cute coffee shop, we saw everyone passing with these blue bags. Of course being a shopper I had to inquire. They were Fortnum & Mason bags. Of course this was our next stop. As we were perusing the aisles for a good strong breakfast tea we were approached by a tall energetic man who offered to assist us......and assist was an understatement. John B in the red coat gave us THE greatest experience ever in Fortnum & Mason and London. He gave us some history of the store and introduced us to every level of the store. I have to acknowledge each and every person I encountered on this day because you all made it a true London experience and I am forever grateful. John B thank you for your tea knowledge and enthusiasm and as a result, I came for one box of tea and left with three boxes of tea, and a canister of tea. To the beautiful young lady who sold me the box of delicious candy, and was told that great things were coming her way. We then ventured to household items and there was a great presentation and we were convinced we needed the cherry liquor which is delicious. To the young man in the alcohol section, you did a fabulous job describing the beverages and we left with a bottle of pink gin. John B returned and introduced us to the champagne bar and I purchased two bottles of champagne. Again thank you thank you and thank you again for a wonderful experience for us during our travel.

Before leaving London, I had to pop in…read more Starting my day early in the Parlor, I grabbed a small bite. My waiter was most genteel and even brought me a surprise birthday sweet treat! Post-nibbles, I traversed each floor, of course, settling on teas to acquire, for the trip home. F&M has a wide array of teas, some familiar and some which are signature to the brand. The staff are quite eager to assist, and properly demure when doing so. After completing my shopping, it's quite easy to admit that I'm now a tea snob, from this point going forward. LOL

This is one of my favorite cheese shops in London and it also happens to be the oldest cheese…read moremonger in the city too. The first Paxton & Whitfield cheese shop was opened in 1797 and is located on Jermyn street just across from Fortnum and masons. They have an excellent variety of quality cheeses including cheeses from the British isles. Their truffle cheese are particularly excellent. Service is very professional and those working at the store are very knowledgeable about the cheeses. While upscale with a traditional ambiance, the store is also fresh and modern. Highly recommended.

Sad that such a historical cheesecloth has some attendants whose customer service skills leave much…read moreto be deserved. Went today at 12:30 and the most senior lady there was frankly rude and unpleasant. I would recommend going to Neal's Yard. Less attitude and way better service.

It was foodie time at Borough Market on Tuesday (our last full day in London), and it was foodie…read moreheaven for me and my family. We enjoyed walking around and seeing a wide variety of food options! The whole market area was clean and organized when we got there at 9am. No lines yet. Long lines did start forming around 9:45am when the hot foods were ready but moved pretty quickly. We tried: * The Ginger Pig - Traditional Sausage Roll * Wild Mushroom Risotto - Spelt Risotto with Truffle Shavings * Turnips Greengrocer - Chocolate Covered Strawberries * The Black Pig - The Best One With Crackling * Turkish Deli - Turkish Delight & Turkish Coffee * Bread Ahead - Crème Brûlée Donut

Borough Market is a food lover's paradise with an incredible variety of vendors. You'll find…read moreeverything from cooked and fresh seafood, fresh fruit, juices and smoothies, artisan cheeses, sauces, and cuisines from all over the world, including Chinese, Thai, Italian, Indian, Korean, American, and so much more. With so many tempting options, it's honestly hard to decide what to eat. One thing I really appreciated was that many vendors offered samples, so you could try before you buy. During our visit, we sampled the famous chocolate covered strawberries, paella, and wild mushroom risotto. I also bought the Black Pig Honey Truffle Parm sandwich. The chocolate covered strawberries were exactly what you'd expect, fresh strawberries coated in chocolate. If you enjoy that classic combination, you'll probably love them, but they weren't anything particularly special to me. The paella had great flavor, but the rice was a little undercooked for my taste, so I wasn't a fan of the texture. The wild mushroom risotto was the standout. It was rich, creamy, packed with earthy mushroom flavor, and had an excellent texture. It was easily one of my favorite bites of the day. I also tried the Black Pig Honey Truffle Parm sandwich. The bread was fantastic, crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, and the fennel apple slaw added a refreshing crunch. Unfortunately, the pulled pork was very dry. I think it would have been much better if the pork had been kept warm in its own juices instead of continuing to cook on the griddle. That would have kept it moist and tender. As it was... the pulled pork was dry as hell. :) One thing every vendor had in common was friendly and welcoming customer service. Despite how busy and crowded the market gets, the atmosphere is lively, energetic, and full of people enjoying great food. It's definitely a must-visit for anyone who loves trying a variety of foods in one place.

Visited on a food tour in Borough Market. Our guide claimed the sausage rolls here to be the best…read morein London, and I have to agree. They had the perfect amount of herbs, and the pastry was perfectly flaky. Love eating in the market where you can feel the energy of the city. Great experience and highly recommend. (Note: because we were on a food tour, we got reduced portions. If you order, you will get a full portion.)

One bite of the sausage roll and I started to have a mad craving for a beer lol. Soo juicy from the…read morefat! A little too rich for me actually, but those who are true carnivores would very much enjoy it. Subtle seasoning taste to it (could've had a tad more). Wished the pastry crust had more of a crisp also but let's be real the main role of it is just to prevent greasy fingers lol. Review is specifically for the stand at Borough Market. Several people in the queue on a weekday late afternoon and the queue went fairly quickly.

Tip: You must visit this food hall. It's awesome!…read more You know what? When there's a listing for a department store food hall, you know that it's good. No, not good. Fantastic! I was at this food hall in December 2013. It's located on the ground floor of this large department store. The displays are extremely fancy and captivating. I recall seeing mini cakes that looked yummy. Even the fruit in the display case, as in apples, pears, and more, looked amazing and in pristine condition. The pastries looked scrumptious. I could smell the croissants! You can get sandwiches, from egg salad to lobster rolls. Feel like steak and chips? Yep, you can get them here, too. I frankly couldn't tell you what you can't get here. I felt like a dream seeing so much good food, but it wasn't. It's definitely worth a visit, whether you end up browsing like me because the prices were steep or you end up splurging. There was a wine section that had shiny bottles of fancy wine varieties. You could get cheese to complement your wine. Everything in this store looked beautiful and elegant. I would do a few things differently when I return to this food hall: - I'd do afternoon tea. I'd actually splurge to experience tea here because I didn't realize that I could until after my Harrods visit. - I'd find a hotel room with a fridge, so I could bring back pastries, macarons, sandwiches, and more. - I'd dine here to experience the entire food hall experience instead of dining at a restaurant within Harrods. The more I reminisce about where I've been in London, I want to return! (55)

The Harrods Food Hall is always well worth a visit whether to sight see, explore, shop or enjoy a…read morebite at some of their casual restaurants. I remember visiting as a child and though the massive artistic displays of various kinds of foods appear long gone, it is still a mecca of all things food! From decadent chocolates to beautiful pastries, caviar, preserves, a juice bar, a cheese bar - there is something for everyone. We stopped off at the coffee bar to enjoy a quick snack! It's a little pricey for what you get even by Harrods standards - 3 pastries, a bagel sandwich, 2 lattes a beer and a glass of champagne was over 120 pounds/ 150 dollars but an enjoyable last day treat nonetheless less! The pastries were spectacular!! Service was lovely and friendly and it's something you can enjoy on a vacation!

After a busy and hot morning being a tourist, we took the Tube to Marleybone to check out a…read morebookstore and get a light lunch. We saw great reviews for La Fromagerie and it was close. We split La Framagerie Charcuterie Board and the British and Irish Cheeseboard. They were both excellent. The wait staff was great. And the atmosphere was pleasant.

Great breakfast spot. Come early as this place gets busy. Cappuccino was excellent, great ambience…read more Cumberland sausage sandwich and the scrambled eggs were very tasty. If you need some cheese and organic groceries post- meal they have you covered!

I used to live in the States and miss the Whole Foods there. I don't live close to one but was…read morepassing this location and I love how well laid out it is. They have so many brands, wide aisles and well displayed items. They have a great variety of healthy snack alternatives and gluten free options, which I need. They also have lots of different peanut butters to choose from which is fab. The fresh food options are good too. Just like in the US, there are lots of hot dishes and cold meal options to choose from in the self-serve area. Healthy options and some favourites, like mac & cheese and even cod bites! Highly recommend and not everything is as expensive as I expected so it's definitely worth checking their sales. Their soups are great too!

Whole Foods Market's largest location in London in Kensington, opened in 2007 in an 80,000 square…read morefeet unit, spanning multiple floors in a previously Barkers Department store. The store is really impressive and has a great selection of high-quality products with a shopping environment that is both clean and welcoming, the prices are high for sure with Whole Foods being more of a premium brand so you wouldn't want to do a whole weekly shop here, but if you're looking for some interesting, unique or high-end products this place can certainly do the job. Despite the size of the store, it was well laid out and easy to find what I was looking for without the need for staff assistance there was also a dedicated area for Amazon orders and returns, with Amazon of course owning Whole Foods. The Kensington Kitchen, Wine Bar and unique food offerings make this a nice place to shop. 4*

Ah an Organic Haven!! It makes my mouth water. Fresh, locally-baked bread, organic lemon curd…read moremade only with easily understood ingredients, a dozen different kinds of honey. Deliciousness at its best. Seaweed rice cakes, muesli like woah, and so much other good stuff. Walking into this place made me weak in the knees. I want it all! All! On my dinner plate. And in my lunch box. And in my bowl with milk in the morning. Too bad I can't afford it all. Although the store doesn't have astronomical prices and I do think it's cheaper than Holland and Barrett, it is more expensive than your chains like Iceland or Tesco Metro. Sad but true. The prices were NOT terrible, but more than I felt like spending. On a day I feel like treating myself, however, I will definitely go back. Also, as a note, I heard one member of the staff advising a customer on nutrition, and I think he gave some good suggestions. Basic, at least in my mind which tends to have a nutrition fix, but not something all people think about - whole grain instead of white bread and potatoes, honey instead of sugar, etc. Sum it up in one word? Knowledgeable. In two? Knowledgeable and helpful. I'm going to have to go back. The only reason I knocked it down a star I price is because it's more expensive than general grocery stores, but that's always the case in this sad sad world. Woe is us poor organic food lovers.

When it comes to health food stores I'm very picky. That's because I've been studying herbal…read moreformulas, complementary medicine etc for years, I have an obsession with health food stores and have visited them in dozens of countries and cities, from Los Angeles to Spain to South London. Baldwins is absolutelyTHE best health food store in the UK in my experience. Amazing choice of herbs, tinctures, supplements and other health care products including an extremely reliable, high-quality and reasonably-priced range of raw Chinese and Indian herbs/barks. Utterly fantastic. http://www.facebook.com/preciouswilliamswriter

Perhaps the shortest review I will ever write, but in spite of not having tried anything else in…read morethis deli, I have to recommend it for the coffee. At £2.90, it's the highest-quality cheap coffee you'll drink in London. No sugar necessary. The vibe is cozy and relaxed, and the menu abounds with plenty of options to satisfy your appetite, and whilst I can't speak to the quality, those pastries do look pretty legit.

Everything I had was good but I felt a bit odd paying 9 quid for a small bowl of yoghurt and…read moreberries. The cup that they gave me for my tea also really bothered me because it did not have a handle and I was always worried about spilling hot liquid on myself because I couldn't grip the cup properly.

Great place to try anything from Kangaroo to crocodile to Zebra meat that is ethically harvested (I…read moredoubt they'll be in Borough Market otherwise). You can also find cooked food available at the market. I tried their games burgers and enjoyed them. Repeat: Yes