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Old 7 Oct 21, 12:21 PM  
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princessnicki
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Team Bricki Just Touched Down In London Town- September 2021 DAY SIX

We woke up early today and decided to head for breakfast at the hotel- our rate included a full English breakfast everyday and this was the only day we took advantage of it as we had so many food plans! It was very nice, very traditional, we just had Scrambled Egg and Mushrooms on Toast. And we completely forgot to take pictures!

We took an Uber over to the National History Museum, which is located next door to V&A. Our driver was amazing, he picked up on Bretts accent straight away and kept calling him "my brother" as he was from Nigeria. He was telling us about lockdown life in London and how some days he was driving around for 12 hours and only coming home with £15 profit. But he did it because he couldnt just sit at home all day on Furlough, he kept saying to Brett "us Africans have pride and a strong work ethic dont we my brother". He told us how he came over here with nothing and worked his way up getting a part time job in the Ministry of Defence, but he does Uber on the side to fill his days. We loved him he was great

We headed into the museum with high hopes as Brett loves space and dinosaurs, and i have to say we were completely disappointed. It was loud, most of the exhibits were broken, it seemed to be aimed at children, it just didnt capture our interest. The dinosaurs were cool but thats about it really. Victoria and Alberts and Tate Modern were in a different league, i think next time we will explore the Science Museum and British Museum as we were sad to miss out on these- good excuse to go back though!



After an hour or so we decided to tick Covent Garden off our list as we werent sure if we would have much time to do this, so we walked down to Knightsbridge tube and headed over. We had a look around the market and the shops and listened to the Opera singer downstairs. We were ahead of schedule now so made a quick pit stop in Maxwells. We came here in 2018 when we got Brett his American B2 visa for our wedding trip and it hasnt changed at all. It has a very American vibe about it and we loved sitting at the bar chatting to the bartender. The cocktails are a bargain at 2 for £12 and they dont skimp on the alcohol at all.

We had Kiwi Be Friends (Mezcal, Green Chartreuse, Midori, Kiwi, Lime)


Baileys Banana Colada (Baileys, Malibu, Banana, Coconut Cream)


Killer Zombie (Brugal Blanco Rum, Brugal Anejo Rum, Spiced Rum, Blue Curacao, Orange Juice, Grenadine)


Ginger Spice (Jim Beam Honey, Chambord, Creme De Mure, Blueberries, Ginger Beer)


We paid the bill and this was the only place where a service charge wasnt added so we tipped our lovely bartender, who gave us a shot of Amaretto to say thank you!

We took a slow walk through Leicester Square and Chinatown. We had a look at the menus of the restaurants and said we should definitely try some traditional Chinese food next time




Our next port of call was Blind Pig which is the cocktail bar above Social Eating House. We booked this originally based on their storybook themed cocktail menu, which had a great Simpsons themed cocktail served in a testtube- half nuclear green and half pink donut. However the new menu was called Culinary Cocktails based on food from the Head Chef at the restaurant below- Jason Atherton. They were created by Rich Woods, Mr Cocktail Guy, who happened to be in the bar when we were there. We were not disappointed by this menu at all, it was like a food tasting menu in liquid form! I have never experienced flavours like it in the many cocktails we have drunk over the years

Our plan was to try the whole menu as everything sounded so good, and the bartender said that the cocktails werent overly strong as the focus was on a flavour experience, but we fell short by one cocktail as one of Bretts drinks was like an Old Fashioned so it was a slow sipper.

Braised Broccolli (Bombay Sapphire Gin, Aromatised Wine, Jalapeno, Toasted Almond, Coast Tonic Water)



Brogdale Pear (Whiskey Oat Caramel, Bee Pollen Infused Pear Liqueur, Soured Milk Syrup)
This was gorgeous- it had a lovely fresh flavour from the pear, a slight sweet taste from the whiskey and a hint of sour aftertaste from the milk. A great combination of different flavours



Winter Lake District Lamb (Beetroot, Cacao and Blackcurrant Distillate, Mulberry, Walnut, Moet and Chandon)
I dont know how they did this but it genuinely made you feel like you were drinking a lamb roast dinner. It was very rich and fruity but had an almost earthy aftertaste. This was one of my favourites



Blackcurrant Eton Mess (Fromage washed Barcardi Carta Blanca, Miso Caramel, Blackcurrant and Sorrell Liquer)
This was similar to the Pear one with the sweet and sour flavours, and equally delicious



Flavours of Thailand (Passion Fruit, Clarified Mango, Bitter Aperitif, Coriander Distillate, Lemongrass)
This was definitely one for me, fruity and fizzy but really strong fragrant flavours from the coriander and lemongrass.



Burrata, Figs and Truffled Honey (Burrata, Seven Tails XO Brandy, Caramelised Fig, Truffled Honey, Balsamic, Hazelnut)
I absolutely love truffle so this was the one i was most excited to try but i was a little nervous it was going to be like an Old Fashioned. I couldnt have been more wrong, it was so easy to drink, so tasty, sweet, very rich from the truffle and the brandy had a lovely subtle flavour. My favourite drink of the day, i wish i had ordered another!



Matcha (Tahini Infused Mastica, Gin, Fermented Plum, Matcha Concentrate, Strawberry)

We love Matcha so was looking forward to this and it didnt disappoint. It was a fruity, long, easy to drink cocktail with a strong taste of matcha running through. One of the best things about this whole menu is the little garnishes on top that compliment each drink perfectly



Goats Cheese and Honeycomb (Goats Cheese Infused Bourbon, Honeycomb Syrup, Caramel Bitters, Oat)

The one that defeated Brett- this was gorgeous but definitely a sipper. The flavour of Goats Cheese from the Bourbon was really decadent and rich. He enjoyed this as the lovely flavours compensated for it being quite strong




The rep from one of the Brandys stocked here, Seven Tails, was in the bar talking to the owner and overheard Brett say his favourite spirits were Rum and Brandy so offered him a tasting of both of his. They were very nice but he just had a little sip as they were both very strong!


We really enjoyed this experience and i think sitting at the bar definitely adds to this as they talk through all the flavours and ideas behind each drink, which was really interesting

It was definitely food time now and another London favourite that we were looking forward to- Flat Iron. You are greeted on arrival with a pot of complimentary Salty Popcorn



This is a very simple but delicious and cheap menu- there is literally just a Flat Iron Steak or Shortrib Smoked Chilli Cheeseburger plus a selection of sides and sauces to choose from. We chose one of each with a side of Crispy Bone Marrow Garlic Mash and Beef Dripping Chips, as well as Wild Mushroom Sauce for the Steak



Everything was delicious especially that rich creamy mash!

For cocktails we had Makrut Lime Caipirinha (Makrut Leaf Cachaca, Lime, Demerara)


Flat Iron Grog (Pimento Dram, Smith and Cross Rum, Grapefruit IPA)


There is no dessert menu, just a complimentary Soft Serve Salted Caramel Icecream on the way out. Another lovely touch!


We absolutely loved this place and it is crazy cheap- 2 mains, 2 sides, 1 sauce, 2 cocktails, 1 popcorn and 2 icecreams for £47

It was now time to jump on the tube over to Victoria Station for something Brett has waited years to see- Hamilton! He has been obsessed with the soundtrack since forever, loves the Disney+ film and was gutted we had to cancel our first wedding anniversary trip to see it last year!
Of course we had matching tshirts made for the event




We joined the queue and were allowed inside after a short wait, we were asked if we were double vaccinated but nobody asked for proof. Our seats were on the end of one of the rows in the Grand Circle and i was very impressed with the view for the price, i think i paid £75 for two tickets. We could see everything apart from one small section of a song when the actors were stood on the top of the stairs.



Hamilton to us was always Lin-Manuel, Leslie Odom Jnr, Anthony Ramos etc so we were a little nervous whether we would appreciate it as much but oh my god it blew us away and surpassed any expectations! It was unreal to see it live and i must admit i had a lump in my throat when the first song was playing. The cast had amazing voices, we loved Aaron Burr and Hercules Mulligan. In fact we even preferred the Skylar sisters in this show to the original cast, i think they had stronger voices! The whole thing from start to finish was really special and i was so pleased for Brett that he was finally seeing his favourite show live!

At the end of the show, Brett decided he was peckish so we intended to go round the corner to pick up a Shake Shack but the queue was huge and it was chucking it down! So we jumped on the tube to Kings Cross as it is just a short Uber ride from our hotel. For some reason we thought most things would be open but there wasnt really anything so we had to make do with some sandwiches and sushi from the Waitrose in the station. We took this back to the hotel with us and had another bedroom picnic watching Friends.
Despite not loving the museum this was one of our favourite days of great cocktails, food and the best live show we have ever seen
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Old 8 Oct 21, 06:30 PM  
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Sparksy72
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Just WOW! Those cocktail creations are just incredible- all those flavours just sound wild. What a perfect day.😍 xx
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Old 9 Oct 21, 09:44 AM  
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Originally Posted by Sparksy72 View Post
Just WOW! Those cocktail creations are just incredible- all those flavours just sound wild. What a perfect day.😍 xx
It was sooo good, one of the best cocktail menus we have ever tried, was like a tasting experience
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Old 9 Oct 21, 07:53 PM  
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Maxwells looks great I’ve just had a peak at their menu , my day and I are in London for the day on Wednesday, it’s her 21st so I may chance a visit for us to try a cocktail and plate of nachos, so classy
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Old 9 Oct 21, 08:35 PM  
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Originally Posted by WIGGYSMUM View Post
Maxwells looks great I’ve just had a peak at their menu , my day and I are in London for the day on Wednesday, it’s her 21st so I may chance a visit for us to try a cocktail and plate of nachos, so classy
Weve never eaten at Maxwells but food did look good, cocktails are fantastic for the price and its got a real American vibe if you sit at the bar! If you like steak though try Flat Iron honestly its the most basic menu but so good and cheap, we did Soho but there is one in Covent Garden if thats where you are heading
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Old 9 Oct 21, 08:44 PM  
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Originally Posted by princessnicki View Post
Weve never eaten at Maxwells but food did look good, cocktails are fantastic for the price and its got a real American vibe if you sit at the bar! If you like steak though try Flat Iron honestly its the most basic menu but so good and cheap, we did Soho but there is one in Covent Garden if thats where you are heading
Thanks for that , we are having breakfast at The Ivy Soho , we had tickets for the HP Photo Exhibition but they cancelled for a closure due to u foreseen circumstances…… absolutely gutted 😢
It’s the sitting at the bar that appeals , love doing this when in the US so I think that’s the main draw
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Old 9 Oct 21, 08:52 PM  
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Originally Posted by WIGGYSMUM View Post
Thanks for that , we are having breakfast at The Ivy Soho , we had tickets for the HP Photo Exhibition but they cancelled for a closure due to u foreseen circumstances…… absolutely gutted 😢
It’s the sitting at the bar that appeals , love doing this when in the US so I think that’s the main draw
Definitely have a cocktail at the bar in Maxwells then, its got an American vibe about it with the service and cocktails are ridiculously cheap! Sorry your HP experience got cancelled, Frozen is on in Covent Garden if you like that, its an amazing show, bit rowdy with so many kids in the audience but such a great production, we only paid £20 each too
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Old 10 Oct 21, 06:18 AM  
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Oh my life what an awesome cocktail day. I would have been finished after the zombie but just wow. What a stunning collection. The most interesting set of flavours. Not sure about the lamb dinner one but the Eton Mess sure caught my eye.

Sorry the museum was disappointing.

Those looked great seats for Hamilton and fab you enjoyed the show.
Another top day x
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Old 10 Oct 21, 10:37 AM  
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Originally Posted by WileyCoyote View Post
Oh my life what an awesome cocktail day. I would have been finished after the zombie but just wow. What a stunning collection. The most interesting set of flavours. Not sure about the lamb dinner one but the Eton Mess sure caught my eye.

Sorry the museum was disappointing.

Those looked great seats for Hamilton and fab you enjoyed the show.
Another top day x
Thank you, one of our favourite days, Hamilton seats were amazing for the price
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2019- Our Super Secret Wedding and Honeymoon In Disney World
2021- London
2022- Brett's 40th Celebrations In Orlando
2023- Lisbon and Sorrento
2024- Athens and Italy Tour


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Old 10 Oct 21, 06:19 PM  
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Another great day All the food and drinks look amazing
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