When in [London]

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately working on my dissertation (or at least psyching myself up to write my dissertation) and not much time out in the city. I’ve made it out to a few places though, and in an effort to catch up on what I’ve been doing, I’ve decided to compile a list of some of my favorite typically British things to do in London.

Eating Lebanese food – My first experience at a Lebanese restaurant was a night that Kelsey and I decided to venture out to Edgeware Road, a street so packed with Lebanese restaurants that it’s known as “Little Beirut.” We wandered around to a few restaurants before picking one with reasonable prices and pretty authentic Middle Eastern décor. I had the best hummus I’ve ever eaten, tried baba ganoush for the first time (delicious!) and picked a random potato and lamb concoction off the menu that turned out to be incredible. Kelsey and I have also gone to a nearby restaurant called Safadi Express on High Holburn, where I keep ordering hummus topped with shwarma chicken or lamb. It’s absolutely amazing. I don’t know why I’ve never tried Lebanese food before, it may very well be my new favorite.

Seeing musicals – A few weeks ago Kelsey, Bhumi, Rebecca and I got cheap day-of tickets to see Avenue Q. I’d seen the show before in New York, so it was interesting to see the small changes they made to the show to better reflect British culture and humor. I don’t think the Brits found the show as funny as us Americans, but that’s their loss. On Wednesday, the Hansard program took all of us to see Billy Elliot, which I’ve wanted to see in New York forever. It did not disappoint. The kids in the show were mind blowing actors and dancers, I can’t believe any person on the planet could have the stamina to perform that show, especially the 13-year-old playing Billy. The funny thing is that my guy flatmates loved the show even more than the girls, despite its focus on ballet and dance, but I know they were mostly jealous of Billy’s abs.

Cider – I liked cider before I came to London, even though all of my friends at home make fun of me because it’s “wimpy” compared to beer. I never particularly cared, but in London drinking cider is totally acceptable, they love it here. There are different brands of cider at every bar, so I’ve had fun trying as many as are available. I really like pear Magners, and also Sam Smith’s cider. It’s just so much tastier than beer, it will be sad to go back to the US and have so many fewer cider options.

Florence + the Machine – I spent a significant part of last weekend watching the top 40 British video countdown, where I discovered Florence + the Machine, my new favorite singer. I haven’t downloaded her full album yet, but “Kiss With a Fist” and “You’ve Got the Love” are my two favorite songs right now. Download them immediately.

Pie – Alright, so I only had a traditional British pie once, but it was really good, and it’s really British, so it makes the list. I had a steak and ale pie awhile ago at a trendy restaurant called The Buck’s Head in Camden, and it was delicious. It probably tasted better because there was a special allowing me to get a pint of Strongbow cider for a pound with the meal.