A Black Girl’s Guide to London | London Travel Guide 2022
a london travel guide
London was an absolute dream. I spent three lovely days in London with my mom. This guide is all about my experiences in London. I’ll be sharing everything I did and ate, how I navigated throughout the city, and what my experience was as a Black American woman visiting London.
Accommodation in london
london marriott kensington hotel
We stayed at the London Marriott Kensington Hotel. Our room was very spacious and designed really beautifully. We had double sinks in the bathroom and a lounge area.
I would highly recommend staying at this hotel! The staff were very nice and accommodating, the room was clean, and because of my mom’s status we were able to enjoy a lounge that was stocked with different snacks and drink options.
transportation in london
Transportation in London was pretty easy to navigate depending on where we were in the city. At the airport we stood in a cab line and took a cab from the airport to our hotel.
Throughout our trip we switched between Uber and Cabs. There wasn’t a significant difference between the wait times and costs.
Most of the time when we left from the hotel we asked one of the workers to call a cab for us and they would.
The only time that we had any difficulty getting transportation was in Piccadilly Circus. We spent about an hour trying to get an Uber driver to pick us up and almost all of the cab drivers we were encountering, already had passengers. We finally got a cab after walking further away from the center of Piccadilly Circus but it definitely took awhile.
Overall I’d definitely recommend either cabs or Uber in London.
things to do in london
There are literally so many things to do in London. Here are some of the activities that we did.
saint aymes
One of the experiences we had in London was going to Saint Aymes which is a Black female owned tea room.
There’s a bit of a story about this experience. My mother booked our reservation in June and she planned our London trip around this experience.
An important thing about me is that I love tea rooms. I love getting dressed up for tea rooms, the beautiful atmosphere, and trying out different teas.
So, we show up super excited and ready to enjoy our experience.. y’all why was it closed! My mom had read a review about this happening to someone else and so we decided to wait for them to come. We assumed they were just running late today. We call, email, and dm them on Instagram and crickets.
We decide to go to the place next door while we’re waiting and I made an Instagram (@thesimplyxmaya) story updating my followers about what was happening. The brand responds to my DM letting me know that they recently switched reservation platforms and that all of their customers should have been notified about the change. They apologized for the confusion and offered to open up privately just for us which was so sweet! I accepted the invitation and we were able to enjoy the private experience.
Overall we had a really good experience at Saint Aymes. The finger food and pastries were good. The tea was underwhelming for a tea room, but the atmosphere and beautifully decorated interior provided a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend visiting at least once in your lifetime (especially if you’ve never been to a tea room.)
big ben and the london eye
One of the days we were able to go see London Eye and Big Ben. They are right next to each other! Super beautiful but warning there are a lot of people so it can be difficult to get a picture. Just keep in mind that everyone wants their picture too and wait your turn!
london hop off bus tour
The hop on/hop off bus is such a great way to see more of London. We got to see so many different parts of London while also learning about the history of the city. Highly recommend trying this out and getting off at the stops you’re most excited to see.
Pro Tip: When starting the route, choose a stop that will be easy to find!
Click for the London Hop On Bus Tour we used!
places to eat in london
gordon ramsay bar & grill
Have you ever went to a celebrity restaurant or an extremely popular restaurant and been disappointed? Well, that was NOT the case here. The food was absolutely to die for. We got the Wagyu steaks and they were seasoned well and very buttery. We tried out the mac and cheese which was just okay. We also got the Turn worth mash which is like mashed potatoes with a British cheese and it was so yummy. The dessert was a sticky toffee pudding and it was so delicious like easily one of the best desserts I’ve ever had in my entire life. Highly recommend checking out Gordon Ramsay’s Bar & Grill in London.
Le pan quotidien
This is the restaurant across the street from Saint Aymes. We had coffee and croissants with different spreads here. Very delicious and a beautiful view outside. I would highly recommend checking this place out.
Cast iron bar & grill
This restaurant is located inside of the London Marriott Kensington Hotel. Even if you aren’t staying at this hotel, I would highly recommend trying the food here. We came here twice during our stay and it was so delicious. We tried the fish and chips which were the best fish and chips I have ever had in my entire life. I also tried the steak sandwich and it was very good.
comfortability as a black woman in london
Luckily, I felt extremely comfortable and safe in London. My mother and I had no racist encounters in London. I felt that we received treatment similar to other groups of people and I didn’t feel out of place or un welcomed. I would definitely recommend Black women visiting London and I would definitely visit London again.
vlog
If you liked to see more of my trip to London, check out my vlog! I vlogged the entire experience here: