Christmas in London

November 22, 2016 by: Sunny London

What British People Eat for Christmas

Before my first holiday trip to London, my family asked what British people eat for Christmas. I arrived in the beginning of January the first time I lived in London and didn’t stay an entire calendar year. So, I wasn’t actually sure how to answer everyone.

Would it be just like how it was depicted in ‘A Christmas Carol’? Do they really eat pheasant or goose now? Was that just the Victorian era or true English tradition?

I relied heavily on my English husband (London born) for ideas to share with you, as well as a little research. After living here four years, what British people eat for Christmas still has me curious. I enjoy some of their holiday foods and drinks. Others- not so much!

You can see which British Christmas season drink has me plugging my nose and running the other direction here…

While no person’s Christmas dinner plate is ever the same, there are some general items that you see at a British holiday meal. If you’re British, be sure to add your additions and thoughts to what British people eat for Christmas in the comments below or on the YouTube video. American friends, what other things about living in London as an American expat would you like to know?

If you’re visiting London for the holidays, the blog has tons of things to do for Christmas. There is also a very popular feature about Christmas Differences Between the UK and USA. Be sure to subscribe to the blog’s newsletter so you don’t miss any fun events in London or expat advice too!

What’s on your Christmas dinner plate this year? Do you eat a meal at home or book a table at a restaurant? Do you have the same selection annually or does it depend on how your family is traveling?

November 13, 2016 by: Sunny London

Christmas in London- What You Can’t Do in NYC

What’s the difference between Christmas in London or Christmas in NYC? I’m sure there are plenty of things that are the same. However, after living as an American expat in London for several years and being married to a British bloke, I’ve learned some fun things to do for the holidays in London that you can’t find anywhere else. From Christmas markets to drinks that the English love, I share a bit about the London holiday season life below.

Of course there is great shopping in London and New York City. That’s not something I show in the video. Both cities also have great deals after Christmas too. In fact, just two years ago London really starting getting in to the Black Friday spirit. Now, for whatever reason they justify here, there are some serious deals the day after Thanksgiving. Why retailers have tried to copy the massive shopping crowd hysteria that happens on this day in the US makes no sense to me.

Take a few minutes to see what makes London unique during the Christmas holiday.

The Sunny News YouTube channel, shares even more advice for things to do and what you’ll need to know about London. This includes safety tips, pub advice, and a shopping guide. The blog also has a Guide for Americans Visiting London which is a collection of the top experiences I recommend. You’ll definitely want to bookmark it and visit the Pinterest boards created to help trip planning too.

It would be great if you were able to add your ideas about unique activities in London that I didn’t include in the video. Also, make sure to leave your ideas about Christmas things to do in New York City that you can’t do in London in the comments below. For more cultural differences, I’ve also written a blog feature on ‘Christmas Differences Between the US and UK.’

November 10, 2015 by: Sunny London

Advice for Visiting Winter Wonderland in London

Are you one of the thousands of people who plan on visiting Winter Wonderland in London this year?

It’s certainly on the top of many people’s list of Things to Do in London at Christmas, including me.

This year it opens at 5pm on Friday, November 20th. Hours after that are 10am-10pm daily (except Christmas Day) until January 3, 2016. Admission to the famous London holiday attraction in Hyde Park is free. However, the rides and food are not.

Having been to Winter Wonderland in London several times, I want to share some advice that will help you with your visit.

Winter Wonderland in London Advice: How to Save Money

While you can enjoy all the sights and smells of Winter Wonderland for free, food, drinks and amusement rides cost money.

You must purchase tickets in advance for Ski Zillertal Ice Rink, Magical Ice Kingdom, Giant Wheel, Zippos Christmas Circus, Cirque Berserk, and Bar Ice. There are a few dates that offer non-peak rates for tickets. They are November 23, 24, 25, 26 and 29, 30 of December.

Since that is a very small list of dates, you might need another method to save money. Therefore, you should decide how much you are willing to spend at the attraction prior to visiting Winter Wonderland in London.

Rides for adults (other than anything mentioned already above) are generally £3 each, and you need to use cash to purchase tokens for them. You can’t buy tokens anywhere in advance.

A money saving suggestion is to go to a cash machine before you get to the attraction and withdraw the amount you are willing to spend. Stick to your budget, even though the rides and food can present huge temptations to over indulge.

Winter Wonderland in London Advice: Skip Saturday

Aside from those planning strategies, you can also do a few more things in advance of your visit. Foremost, plan to go during the week. Saturdays are the busiest for the attraction, so avoid them at all costs, unless you want to be in line with all the other minions!

One thing I have found helpful for visiting Winter Wonderland in London is following their Twitter account. Each year they do a great job of notifying followers about the attraction’s attendance situation. I have seen many Saturday tweets indicating that they closed entrances due to Hyde Park being at full capacity. They also announce status changes to that on Twitter too.

Winter Wonderland in London Advice: Mobile Madness

If you do visit the attraction in Hyde Park during these busy times, not only will you also deal with extreme crowds, but also will likely not have mobile service.

On several visits I haven’t been able to upload videos to Instagram or other social media accounts because of jammed networks.

You might have a tough time using your mobile phone, so consider a old-school backup plan when arranging to meet friends and decide a meeting time and place before you get there.

Winter Wonderland in London Advice: Don’t Drink and Ride

It could be hypocritical that I am going to suggest not to drink and ride while there, considering one of my favourite spots to hit is The Carousel Bar.

As an electronic music fan, I spend a lot of time at this spinning drink disco each year when visiting Winter Wonderland in London. But, I don’t really drink too much for fear of getting too dizzy.

Further, the rides at Hyde Park can be very intense. In fact, as a Florida girl who worked at Universal Studios and frequented Disney World, I feel the rides at Winter Wonderland match those of Orlando’s parks in terms of their ability to throw around your body.

My husband, the blog beer drinking expert, also wants to share some drinking advice here too. He wants everyone to know that if you drink too many steins at the Bavarian Village, you could risk the chance of leaving your stein glass behind and losing your £5 deposit that’s incorporated in to the cost of your first beer. (Yes, he’s had more than one when we visit.)

Maybe that’s because a few sneaky sips disappeared when he made a trip to the loo?

Winter Wonderland in London Advice: Dressed to Chill

Of course, you won’t have any fun if you don’t dress warm enough for the winter temperatures we experience during the holiday season in London. You can’t just rely on ‘Proper Coffee’ all night. 😉

You want to make sure your outfit keeps you warm, is practical for rides and looks great for selfies.

Here is a fun suggestion below for one Winter Wonderland outfit that will do all of these.

Black Reiss Leather Jacket, Double Layer Thermal Top, Reiss Low-rise Skinny Jeans, Michael Kors Boots, Fairy Lights Beanie Hat, and a Kate Spade Backpack.

What do you think, Sunny friends? Are you ready for Winter Wonderland in London now? What advice would you suggest, if you have been there? What other questions can I answer for you?

Don’t miss the 10 Best Things To Do at Christmas in London, which includes advice on How to Ride the Giant Wheel at Winter Wonderland. Finally, if you’re trying to decide between Christmas in London or Christmas in NYC, watch this…

November 12, 2015 by: Sunny London

Fun, FREE Christmas Things To Do in London!

Finding free Christmas things to do in London is not as hard as you might think. In fact, when you live in one of the world’s most expensive cities, you are constantly looking out for discounts or free events and opportunities.

For Americans or other travellers to London who have a limited amount of time for a holiday, it’s nice to have a guide to direct you to ways to save money and effort on research. London has so much to offer during the most wonderful time of the year. Quite a few things will put you in the Christmas spirit while not costing anything!

To keep it simple, this guide is arranged by area. Further, all the suggestions are within walking distance of each other and can easily be seen in one day. For the most part, the focus is on the West End and surrounding borders.

Christmas Things to Do in London: Covent Garden

Naturally, we’ll start with the area that’s my blog favourite. Packed with theatres, shopping, restaurants, bars and hotels, Covent Garden offers loads of activities year-round. The free Christmas activities range from the obvious to hidden neighborhood treasures.

The decorations in the Piazza contribute to some of London’s most popular Instagram moments. This year’s theme is Mistletoe, which means the piazza is truly lovely!

🎄Covent Garden looks Christmassy! 🎄Don’t you agree?
A photo posted by Sunny In London☀️🇬🇧 (@sunny_in_london) on Nov 4, 2015 at 12:02am PST

After strolling through the Jubilee Market and Apple Market, you can spend some time taking selfies in front of the Covent Garden Christmas tree and watching the very entertaining street performers.

In the past there have been Santa’s reindeer on display for a series of Saturdays. I’ll be sure to update this list when they publish this year’s dates.

Walking North from the Piazza, you’ll find St. Martin’s Courtyard. Aside from numerous restaurants, you’ll be able to see the floral displays of the Covent Garden Academy of Flowers.

Just like the tree and decorations in the Piazza, the arrangements outside create fantastic picture opportunities.

If you are in fact Christmas shopping, I highly recommend one of their classes on making flower arrangements as a gift for a girl who ‘has it all’. Of all the workshops and courses I have taken in London, this class ranks as the best.

Christmas Things to Do in London: Trafalgar Square

In comparison to the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, the tree in Trafalgar Square isn’t quite as grand. Nonetheless, visiting it is something I make sure to do several times during the holiday season.

Like Covent Garden, you are likely to see street performers dressed in holiday style. And, if you look very, very closely (in the bottom right), you might even catch a glimpse of Santa Claus.

Finally, there are Christmas Carol services that you can watch for free on evenings during December.

Christmas Things to Do in London: Carnaby Street

If you want your list of free Christmas Things to Do in London to reflect a more eclectic vibe, Carnaby is the area you need to be. Their holiday lights officially illuminated the sky on November 12th. The dangling disco balls are dazzling.

Just around the corner from Carnaby Street is Foubert’s Place where you will find Choccywoccydoodah. This famous chocolatier has its own successful reality television show. If you take one look at the chocolate cakes, yes this all chocolate in the pictures below, you can see why.

Each year I make a few trips in to the store just to see the gorgeous displays. Again, it’s a great place to pick up fantastic chocolate for gifts. Or, if your diet is waiting until New Year, upstairs has a small but divine chocolate cafe.

Christmas Things to Do in London: Oxford Street

Not too far north of Carnaby is Oxford Street. This street is famous for many retail chains and countless red busses that travel tirelessly under all the strands of Christmas lights.

Aside from gazing at the glistening street lights, for free you can also view the displays at Selfridges.

Some people think Santa’s Grotto at Selfridges is the best in London. However, if you venture inside the department store, you’re very likely to spend money so I’ll refrain from pictures here in the spirit of the promotion of free Christmas things to do in London. 😉

Christmas Things to Do in London: Regent Street

Finally, the last stop is the biggest shopping street in Europe, Regent Street. Their seasonal events and decorations are unrivaled by any London neighborhood, in my opinion. From the Traffic Free Sunday’s in July, to the NFL in London Street Party, Regent Street promotes London love all year long.

Something you can do for free on Regent Street is visit Hamleys. At the entrance you are always greeted with something spectacular. The last time I visited I was showered with bubbles.

The Regent Street location has been there since 1881, so its absolutely iconic. It’s the oldest toy shop in the world, so it’s naturally always crowded.

Free Christmas Things to Do in London: Final Thoughts

When I have a leisurely day in London during the holidays, that’s the list of activities I do. I’m sure other areas have fun options, but the ones above are close to each other and offer beautiful picture opportunties, including some of London’s most iconic images.

What’s on your list of free Christmas things to do in London that you would recommend?

For more ideas, visit my Guide for Visiting London and sign up for a newsletter featuring activities in London. There’s also quite a few blog reviews on saving money at attractions with a London Pass for you too! And of course, the Sunny News YouTube channel has tons of themed things to do lists…

https://youtu.be/q4uRFxWzre4

November 20, 2015 by: Sunny London

5 Tips for How to Survive the Holidays as an Expat

As an expat living in London, sometimes it is tough celebrating the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ when you’re in a foreign place. That’s why I have written a list of strategies for how to survive the holidays as an expat.

You’re not going to find all the answers to every problem expats encounter during the holidays here. However, I will list five strategies for you that have worked for me to make the holidays spirited and happy in another country.

Maybe these tips will help you, and hopefully you can add some more. I feel it helps expats to share ideas either in person or virtually with people going through a similar life adventure.

If you are looking for more general information on living as an expat, then you might want to research specific locations. For example, you could look at these Montenegro Guides which have very detailed information on living as an expat in Montenegro. As the number of expats worldwide increases, there are more and more services which offer help to expats. In a similar fashion to the aforementioned guides, the MCA Assessors website has lots of information about living in Andorra. My point is, there is plenty of information about pretty much every country, you just need to find it.

Without further ado, these are the strategies I’ve developed for making the holidays better while living as an American expat in London married to a British man…

1. How to Survive the Holidays as an Expat: Embrace the Place

You wouldn’t have left your home country if you weren’t adventurous and excited about other cultures and traveling. Remember that during the holidays.

Embrace all that your new location has to offer. For example, this year for the holidays in London I’ve decided to spend several days a week in November and December seeing sights and doing activities that I could never experience in Florida.

In October I researched when all the neighborhoods and streets I love were turning on their Christmas lights and having launch parties to celebrate the event. I tried to get to each one on the day it happened or soon after.

Next, I focused on ice skating. There’s no way I’m going to step on to the ice myself. However, ice skating seems like a fun (and definitely romantic) holiday activity. Seeing people enjoy it is very exciting to me.

In my home state of Florida, there are no outdoor ice skating rinks, even in December.

My research lead me to several other things to do in London for Christmas that I didn’t know about (including the Hogwarts in the Snow Harry Potter Studio Tour). Many of the activities I found are free too!

2. How to Survive the Holidays as an Expat: Get Up and MeetUp

I’ve always been keen to gather expats together for social events. Most recently I organized a fun, casual dinner for 7 American expats I’ve met as a London blogger.

We agreed to leave the cameras outside and met at Dirty Bones in Kingly Court of Carnaby in London last week.

During our evening, we talked about being married to British men, UK Schools vs American, benefits of acquiring UK citizenship, and confusing things British people say and do. BTW American friends from dinner, I still can’t figure out the different interpretations you suggested for closing an email to a British person… ‘Kind regards’?

If aren’t a blogger and haven’t connected with people through that pathway, you should investigate Internations. I’ve attended a few of their events and definitely recommend it to expats in large cities all over the world.

You might find it’s more for single people, but if you’re an expat living on your own in another country this will likely be your target audience for friends, so give it a go!

3. How to Survive the Holidays as an Expat: Get Crackin’

It helps to learn about your new culture as quickly as possible. While you’re making friends from international backgrounds, don’t forget to integrate the new ideas of your resident country. Learn about how people celebrate Christmas or other holidays in this town and see if you would like to adopt any of these activities as new traditions.

In England, I’ve become quite intrigued with Christmas Crackers, even though at first I thought they were really silly.

4. How to Survive the Holidays as an Expat: Make and Bake

After three long years of waiting for all my personal belongings to arrive in London, I will finally reunite with the contents of my townhouse in the US in mid-January 2016. I’ll write a blog post about the international shipping process later, as well as a review of the international shipping company I am using. I’ll include why I’ve waited three years to send all of my items in these blog posts too.

When my 45+ boxes arrive in London, I will finally have all my baking pans and dishes that I used faithfully every year in America before I moved to London. Some expats, recommended US Citizens opening a bank account in the UK
before leaving America, in a bid for you to be able to embrace all the British festivities as soon as you arrive. Additionally, they said it helped relieve initial money worries and helped them find their groundings in a new country more efficiently.

This means next year I will be baking all my favourite Italian Christmas cookie recipes for my husband (Mr. Sunny), his family, my friends, and all his work mates.

If you like to bake and cook, this is a great way to make the holidays special no matter where you are. Yes, you’ll have to struggle a bit to find all the ingredients to which you are accustom, but along the way you may learn about some new ones that might spice up your life too!

Now, I just have to hope that all my roasting pans and cookie sheets fit inside my tiny London oven!

5. How to Survive the Holidays as an Expat: Find Your Flicks

When I’m not out exploring London’s Christmas events and I want to avoid the holiday crowds, I watch Christmas movies from America in my flat so I can be in the holiday spirit.

Unlike in America, Christmas specials and movies aren’t on often in London, so I have purchased many American Christmas Movies through Amazon UK. I lost count how many times last year Mr. Sunny watched Fred Claus with me. It’s my favourite.

How to Survive the Holidays as an Expat: Final Thoughts?

Sunny friends, those are a few tips that work for me during the holidays living as an American expat in London. Since I really do believe that it helps to make virtual friends in the expat community, I’d love it for you to leave your strategies below.

Please make sure to include where you are from and where you are living. I look forward to everything you will share!

You can find more of the blog’s Christmas features here. There are also many posts on Expat Life too, plus one that includes an international shipping discount. If you’re interested in a weekly newsletter about London and don’t want to miss any Sunny news, you can subscribe here.
Happy Holidays!

December 19, 2014 by: Sunny London

Things to Do in Covent Garden- Pet a Reindeer!

Did you know one of the things to do in Covent Garden during Christmas is petting a real, live reindeer?

Yes, Sunny friends, it’s true. Seeing the reindeer has been on my list of one of my top things to do in Covent Garden for the past few years, and I finally had the chance last weekend.

You see, back in 2011 I first learned that it was possible on certain dates to see Santa’s reindeer in Covent Garden. Unfortunately, it’s back when I lived in the US and wasn’t due to visit Mr. Sunny here in London until December 23rd. The reindeer are sent back to the North Pole by then. I assume they need a few days to get ready for their big night.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been in London for the Christmas season since then.

There’s no doubt you have probably already seen the 22 foot reindeer that made its debut for this year’s Christmas in Covent Garden celebrations. It’s kind of tough to miss from any angle when you head in to the Piazza.

However, it takes a little bit of searching to find Santa’s reindeer. But, isn’t that what you’d expect from such magical creatures?

In fact, the reindeer in Covent Garden only make appearances on festive weekends. So, there’s really just 5-6 opportunities for you to see them each Christmas season. This year, they made their debut appearance on November 8. Although I had hoped to be one of the first people there to see them, I actually didn’t make it until this past weekend.

On a beautiful sunny Saturday in London, I made Mr. Sunny head to Covent Garden with me so I could finally see, and maybe pet, the reindeer.

When what to my wondering eyes did appear…

When we arrived, I was totally gutted. It sure wasn’t a ‘miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer’.

I couldn’t believe it. I mean I really thought I knew Dasher and Dancer and Prancer, and especially Vixen! But, instead of their furry, moving faces, I found an entire sleigh and reindeer built from 700,000 colourful Lego bricks!

Everyone around me seemed in awe of this gimmick. ‘Take a selfie with a reindeer!’ they said.

Bah humbug, I tell ya’

I was devasted. I told Mr. Sunny there was just no way that my favourite neighborhood in London could let me down, not after having this on my ‘things to do in Covent Garden’ bucket list for so long. So, I started searching through every nook of Covent Garden’s Apple Market. They haaaad to be somewhere!

Finally, I popped around to my favourite restaurant in the area, 21 Covent Garden, and asked someone who looked like he could be one of Santa’s trusty elves standing outside.

He pointed just off to the side and said, ‘There they are!’

In a small fenced in area I could see two reindeer surrounded by tons and tons of people waiting to see Santa’s power rangers.

I waited and waited until I could squeeze in through the layers of people so I could actually see the reindeer.

It took about 15 minutes to get in to see them. Oh, and reindeer aren’t the easiest creatures to photograph.

We played a lot of reindeer games to get their attention.

Then finally Cracker or Tinkerbell looked over at us. You see, that’s apparently the names of the two reindeer that serve as Santa’s back up sleigh pullers.

We coerced the reindeer in to coming closer, so I could say hello and fulfill my little Christmas dream.

I let Mr. Sunny feed the reindeer with moss while I furiously snapped away on my camera.

It is an opportunity I don’t think you’ll get many places. Well, except the North Pole, I suppose.

This weekend (December 20 and 21) is their last appearance for the 2014 Christmas season. If you’re looking for super fun and free things to do in Covent Garden this holiday season, stop by and see the reindeer.

Be patient and have a well charged camera battery. I took about 50 pictures of these mystical animals. They don’t stand still for long. I guess that’s part of the job responsibilities on Christmas Eve though, if you think about it.

Happy Holidays and make sure you read the ‘Differences between Christmas in the UK and America‘. You better watch out… It’s epic!

The opportunity to view reindeer in Covent Garden is complimentary (AKA free). The complimentary experience does not affect my opinion of the event. I truly believe I actually saw Santa’s reindeer. 🙂

September 28, 2014 by: Sunny London

Conrad London St James Afternoon Tea Christmas Blogtacular!

What made 28 bloggers line up faster than the New York City Rockettes for a Christmas Spectacular Show? The Conrad London St James Afternoon Tea Christmas sneak preview!

That’s right, Sunny friends! You’ve seen my previous posts which show the fantastic #LDNBloggersTea group to which I belong:
– Royal Horseguards Afternoon Tea with 20 English Roses!
– The Ampersand Hotel, Science Tea and Chemistry!
– Run to the Milestone Hotel Afternoon Tea!

Thanks to Selena the Places, today we kicked our blogger heels up for this spectacular, ultra luxurious Christmas afternoon tea. And, I am sharing all the delicious pictures, right here, right now!

Hold on tight, because Santa Claus is Comin’ to London Town!We started the afternoon with flowing Laurent-Perrier champagne. And for the first time ever on Sunny in London, I’ll say I wished the London weather outside would’ve been frightful! What could be better than being trapped in a snowstorm with 27 other fabulous bloggers in a posh London hotel with flowing Laurent-Perrier?
Let it snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

As if the bubbly wasn’t enough to get our blogger bells jingling, we also had the gorgeous sounds of a harp balancing our social chatter.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even…

Oh who am I kidding….

With the beautiful display that Conrad London St James created for us to tease our pallets, we were all stirring!
Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Instagram and Twitter…

Oops! I don’t think those last two were reindeer 😉

Champagne introductions! #LDNBloggersTea @conradhotels pic.twitter.com/VSVpCgLqYZ
— Alyssa James (@aaljames) September 28, 2014

A preview of the Christmas #afternoontea at @ConradHotels St. James. How cute is the dessert?!#LDNBloggersTea pic.twitter.com/1jZT0xxw0l
— Jess Dante (@Jess_inLondon) September 28, 2014

I love team work… whilst @ShabbyChicLND take pictures. I eat scones and drink champagne! #LDNBloggersTea pic.twitter.com/3vMSEK1uMj
— Paula (@Ampola) September 28, 2014

We took our seats at the tables and started to feast. I felt like a Who in Whoville, even though there was no Who-pudding or rare Who-roast beast.
(Sorry, I just couldn’t help throwing in that old picture of me with The Grinch at Islands of Adventure Florida, because today it was just Florida HOT in London town!!! We were all melting from the heat as we entered the tea.)

Conrad London St James Christmas afternoon tea prepared by Chef Ashley is simply spectacular! Sunny friends, it becomes available on November 24th.

Here’s the menu:

Christmas Tea Menu

A Selection of Savouries
Brussel sprout salad
Turkey ballotine
Venison bite
Smoked salmon & lemon crème fraiche
Cured gammon & mustard
Beetroot & spinach

Freshly Baked Orange and Cranberry and Christmas Spice Scones
served with Devonshire clotted cream, homemade strawberry jam and blackberry curd

We really appreciated the chance to meet Chef Zoe and to learn about what inspired the menu. She floated around to each table numerous times to talk about the menu.

When I asked her what inspired her to create such a unique Christmas tea, she indicated it was about feeling and dimension.

She said she wants people to feel as if they’re peering through a snowy window or swirling in a snow globe…
What do you think, Sunny friends? I have to say, in person this afternoon tea was BRILLIANT!

After we finished the sandwiches and scones, the sweets danced like sugar plum fairies on the table.

Cakes and Pastries
Winter berry Christmas tree
Chocolate orange Battenberg present
Snowflake macaroon
White forest yule log
Christmas postcard marshmallows
Mini meringue snowmen
Edible Snow

Oh yeah, ‘Frosty the Snowman WAS a jolly, happy soul’ I sang to myself as I munched mercilessly on the edible snow. Gulp!

That meringue little man melted so fast in my mouth I kind of felt bad. Well… not really. 😉

If you’re really looking to have a holly, jolly Christmas, then this afternoon tea in London should be on the top of your holiday list of things to do. Not only is the food super delicious, but also the hotel is new too.

We had our afternoon tea at Emmeline’s, which can be hired privately for up to 60 guests. The light and airy ambiance was perfect for gathering 28 very, very excited bloggers.

It was formerly the Westminster Intercontinental and only recently changed to the Conrad London St James. It’s situated in London’s political heartland and invites global luxury travelers to experience a sophisticated environment with locally inspired style and design.

This is the Tom Clark sculpture which welcomes guests in the lobby. It depicts the common working man with Parliament on his shoulder.
Other politically themed animations and 3-D caricatures are seen throughout the reception and dining areas on the ground floor.

The hotel also features ‘the division bell’ found only in selected properties around Parliament. Conrad London St James is located at 22-28 Broadway SW1H 0BH. The Christmas Snow Scene Afternoon Tea is £37. The Christmas Snow Scene Afternoon Tea with Free-flowing Laurent-Perrier Champagne is £45.00.

London’s most iconic landmarks are within walking distance of the Conrad London St James. However, I would like to extend a very big thank you to someone who is an icon in the London blogger world. Selena, you have truly built a fabulous network of international bloggers through all the past three years.

We announced today that she’s passing the blogger torch to me for the coordination of the future #LDNBloggersTea.

If you’d like to join this group, watch my Twitter account for an announcement regarding the next #LDNbloggersTea. It’s a great way to meet other bloggers and make friends. For example, today, I finally got to meet Shikha from Why Waste Annual Leave!

You can always comment below to make sure I put you on the list. Naughty or nice, I will check it twice! And, if you’re on Triberr, I’ve also started a London Bloggers Tribe for us as well. Join it!

And just before I close this post, I want to give a big high five to all the London bloggers at today’s Conrad London St James Afternoon Tea Christmas preview! See you on November 30th for our next #LDNBloggersTea!Visit here for reviews and rates of the Conrad London St James hotel.

November 7, 2014 by: Sunny London

How Carnaby London will ROCK Christmas!

Carnaby Street is known for its rockin’ history, but do you know that they have the biggest Christmas shopping party in London? This year I hear it’s gonna get loud. I mean really loud.

For this week’s #FaLaLaFriday, I’m making sure you are singing loud AND shopping smart by giving you all the details on how to rock out your Christmas via Carnaby Street.

This area, covering 13 streets, is known for throwing huge shopping parties. If you’re an avid Sunny in London reader, you’ve heard about a few on the blog. What makes them so epic?

Here’s some details about their next shopping party…

From 5-9pm on Thursday, November 13th over 150 brands, restaurants and bars will get together to throw this year’s ‘Music and Fashion’ themed party, which is sure to get Fa La La La LOUD!

I registered for my free ticket to the event last week, but you can click here to register for one too. This ticket will give you a 20% discount in participating stores. How’s that for a #FaLaLaFriday deal?!

Why you should attend this year’s Carnaby Christmas Party:

– Over 50 DJ sets will take place
– It’s more than just a shopping party. This night will be about shopping, fashion and social media! #Carnaby on everything you do, Sunny friends! Trust me, their social media accounts are tons of fun when it comes to engagement.

Advice for attending the Carnaby Christmas Shopping Party:

– Look Hot! There will be ‘style hunters’ combing the crowds for best dressed shoppers. You need to look edgy and fun, Sunny friends. That is, if you want to have your picture taken by the team and the chance to win an exclusive goodie bag worth £200. Oh yeahhhhh!
– Find a great place to stand around 6:30pm because that’s when they’ll be flipping on the famous Carnaby Street Christmas lights. I stopped by last week to see how things were progressing. I can’t wait to see what will fill the Carnaby Street sky!
– Get to Benefit early! I’ve been to previous shopping parties and Benefit gets packed fast.
– Practice your filmmaking skills. The Carnaby team wants a 20 second Instagram video of the shopping party. If you tag it with #Carnaby and #ShoppingParty, your skillz might win you £250 to spend in Carnaby and a Lomography 360 camera. Snap!

New stores for the Carnaby Christmas Shopping Party:

– Adidas Originals
– SuperTrash
– Nixon

Sunny in London Carnaby restaurant reviews:

– Whyte & Brown Restaurant, Rum Kitchen, Moosh (all are located in Kingly Court)
– Carnaby Burger Co
– Cha Cha Moon
– Kua ‘Aina Burger

Make sure you tweet me if you’re there! Maybe we can meet up somewhere, Sunny friends?

For more Carnaby London fun, you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

October 29, 2015 by: Sunny London

Christmas Afternoon Tea at Conrad London St James

With so many hotels and restaurants offering a Christmas afternoon tea in London, how can you possibly make a decision on where to go?

Last year, I was invited to and enjoyed so many that I even hit three afternoon teas in one week!

Needless to say, the Christmas season left me feeling a bit heavy but with a strong idea of what London has to offer when it comes to Christmas afternoon tea.

While you may think it’s a bit premature to announce this year’s stand out afternoon tea for the holiday season, I am going to do it- right now.

If you are looking for an afternoon tea during the holidays that captures the essence of the range of the culinary experience, you need to book a table for the Conrad London St James Snow Queen Afternoon Tea offered in Emmeline’s Lounge.

I had the opportunity to enjoy this Christmas afternoon tea at the press launch recently with blogger friends Aftab at Fresh and Fearless and Suze from Luxury Columnist.

Last year, you may remember the #LDNBLoggersTea hosted at Conrad London St James, which was a huge London blogger event. While at the Christmas afternoon tea preview, I spent some time speaking with Chef Zoe Wager, the Head Pastry Chef at the luxury hotel.

After seeing her exquisite work two years in a row, I feel confident in saying that she, Sunny friends, is the Queen of the Christmas Afternoon Tea in London.

Why?

She masterfully uses her culinary skills to not only create exquisite food combinations but also tell a story with her work.

When I interviewed her last year regarding how she approached the competitive Christmas afternoon tea offerings in London, she indicated she wanted the tea to represent the feeling of looking out a snow covered window.

This year, when Chef Zoe came to my table, I was honoured once again by her eagerness to talk. Immediately, I asked her about the noticeable difference in this year’s Christmas afternoon tea against last year’s- the colour. Knowing her depth of thought she puts in to this luxury hotel afternoon tea, I asked her to tell me this year’s story.

She immediately indicated that colour was a bit of her inspiration. Chef Zoe wants to avoid the cliche Christmas snowmen, reindeer and Santa Claus this year. Instead, she felt guided by the Snow Queen, an original fairy tale written by Hans Christian Anderson. This story centers on the struggle between good and evil.

To the novice eye, she may appear to have jumped on the Frozen marketing sleigh.

However, the Snow Queen story is about an evil troll who makes a magic mirror which distorts the appearance of everything it reflects. How? It magnifies the ugly and bad, rather than showing the good and beautiful aspects of people.

One might argue there’s a metaphoric connection with the mirror and the effects of too much champagne consumption. 😉

Rather than labour through the rest of the story details, I want to show how every bite of the Conrad London St James Snow Queen Afternoon Tea tells this story through food and ambiance.

While we were there, Emmeline’s Lounge was transformed in to a fairy tale atmosphere with a mystical indigo lighting.

Did this disturb our pictures?

That, perhaps, depends on which interpretation of the mirror you see. 😉

As the servers floated through the room, they shared more selections from the hotel’s Christmas afternoon tea. Again, we were often served the story through reflections, showing how Chef Zoe breaks the Snow Queen’s magic mirror into icy blue sugar shards…

This Christmas afternoon tea at the Conrad London St James is not one to miss if you want to experience holiday food served with a story and incredible luxury ambiance. To transcend yourself in to the Christmas spirit of a winter wonderland fairy tale, this hotel (which has excellent ratings on TripAdvisor) is where you should go.

The Snow Queen Christmas Afternoon Tea menu includes:

Selection of Savouries

London cured smoked salmon blini, caviar, lemon creme fraiche
Mint tartlet of cropwell bishop stilton, poached pear and walnuts
Prawn cocktail, marie rose
Selection of finger sandwiches

Cakes and Pastries

Snowstorm
Coconut cream, mint macaroon, candy floss
The Magic Mirror
Salted butter shortbread, yogurt cream, frosted blueberries, sugar shards
Snow Queen’s Sceptre
Chocolate and pearl sponge, praline ganache dipped in chocolate, snoflake lace
Palace Snowflakes
Blackcurrant and cardamom cake, crushed glittering meringue, silver snowflake
Blackberry Kisses
Creme Patisserie and blackberries

Freshly Baked Plain and Raisin Scones
Served with Devonshirt clotted cream, homemade strawberry jam and mix berries curd

Aside from a selection of teas, for £55 a person, there is also free flowing champagne. It’s important to note that each table has a 1 hour and 30 minutes time allocation so guests don’t get too entranced in the winter fairy tale. The Snow Queen Christmas Afternoon Tea is offered November 23 – February 11.

Which Christmas afternoon tea in London inspires you, Sunny friends? What’s on your holiday agenda? If you need suggestions for this year’s Christmas season, don’t miss my Top 10 BEST Things to Do In London at Christmas list.