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Five Best Bars and Restaurants in London: Travel Opinion and Analysis

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London, the capital of England and UK, is also the capital of arts, entertainment, education and fashion. Learning about arts and theaters and English literature during school time, some of the streets, theater names had got registered in my mind so prominently that when I first time visited London I felt as if I have been there before. Familiar street names, familiar building names and the scenes of Big Ben, Thames river, Palace of Westminster, and red coloured Double Decker buses and phone booth everything gives me a Déjà vu.

London is also one of the biggest transport hub of the world. If you are a frequent traveller  there is a big chance that you will come to London at least once even if you did not want to. I was here on my educational trip, working hard and spending time in learning and enhancing my skills during the day, I spent my evening exploring the London bars and night life of the city. I used to visit these places just to sense the London’s youth spirit  I had not thought that I will write an article ever on it, but I feel I have some good opinion about some of the bars in London and today I can share my experience on five of my favourites.

1. Nightjar

129 City Road, London

I would recommend you to visit this bar situated at City Road just north of Old Street tube station. You must Email and confirm your arrival before entering. As soon as you enter this place, you emerge into 20th century environment. They play live jazz and their menu talks about the history of cocktails which gives you the real speakeasy atmosphere. Food is good, but Cocktails are amazing, the waiters are gentle and will suggest you the best cocktails according to your taste. All cocktails had certain flamboyance and the garnishes were amazing. They served my ordered cocktail in steamy copper teapot. It was inventive, and reasonably priced. The average price per cocktail was around £10. The bar is not so big and tables are closely packed, you might have to wait if you did not book your table in advance. Sometimes you may even have to book two weeks in advance, as its popularity is increasing day by day.

Drinks which I tried and you would love too.

  1. Smoky candy floss
  2. Cheddar cheese-matured monkey shoulder
  3. Nightjar Pomelo Jelly
  4. Fig perfume
  5. Oolong infusion
  6. Fresh squeezed lemon
nightjar bar in London
Jazz Music in Night Jar,  Photo taken by Mecaniques

2. Gordon’s Wine Bar

47 Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NE, England (Charing Cross / Trafalgar Square)

It is also a good self serviced bar I had visited; oldest licensed wine bar in London. It is an underground bar, made in a former tube station. It is easily accessible from Embankment Tube stop, short walk from the London Eye or Trafalgar Square. As the name suggests you will find only wines here. A large range of award winning wines are fairly priced for London. You would love this place if you love wine, and you can do the real justice to the beauty of wine here. It is a dark cavern style place with candle lit inside old wine bottle on every table. The atmosphere was great but the lights were dim, and the walls were close and ceilings were low, not a big bar either. Claustrophobics may not like to be here. My friend and I had shared a bottle of red wine with a three cheese plate (which comes with a half loaf of French bread, relishes and pickles) and we were very satisfied for under £45. Cheese were amazing and have good range to order. You might have to wait for table, or if you are comfortable, you may just ask a person if you can join him. Watch out for pick pocketers, I have heard some stories, however I did not experience anything like that. Still I would advice to be cautious and enjoy the wine!

Gordon's wine bar in london
Gordon’s Wine Bar, Photo taken by Graeme Maclean

3. Bar 61 Restaurant

61a Streatham Hill, London SW2 4TX, England

Head to Bar 61 if you love Spanish cuisine and want to try some authentic Tapas in London. This is another wonderful place in London to try some great wines. They also serve cocktails, which were OK. Food is delicious. The service is compared to five star and the staff is great, don’t get surprised if you are welcomed with warm hugs and kisses. The environment is cozy, simple and you will feel homely. Tapas are excellent as you would have had in best restaurants in Spain, I tried Pollo Al Ajillo, and I can say it was literally delicious. Some of the guests I talked to were very happy with the restaurant and most of them had a long relation with this place. Many people have been coming here for past nine to ten years, which is very good to hear. The restaurant is for everyone from couples to family. When I was there, there was a birthday celebration of a five years old kid.

4. Euston Tap

190 Euston Road, London NW1 2EF, England

This place is small, a living room sized bar right in front of Euston railway station. But you have fantastic range of ales and beers. The building is a Grade II-listed Portland stone lodge from the original station built in the 1830s. The place sometimes feel so small that everyone around you feels like a close friend and you might end up making some friends. You might be invited in someone’s ongoing conversation too. The bar has two floors and has around 27 taps from all over the world. Being so close to the railway station, it is also the place where people come to drink when waiting for their trains. If you are a beer lover then you must come here. With a rotating cask range and plenty to offer on draught you won’t even need to think about the more than hundred bottles in the fridge.

Euston Tap beer bar in London
Euston Tap, Photo taken by  Bernt Rostad

5. Dabbous Restaurant

39 Whitfield Street | Fitzrovia, London W1T 2SF, England

A nice place, good food and cocktails. The place had a aesthetic look, felt like as if you are in New York City. The flavours lived up to the hype which has been adequately reported in reviews around the web. The food is so unique and so light for what I suppose is modern French cuisine. Wine list was nice and compact .The restaurant has polished concrete walls, bare light bulbs and a lot of metalwork. The tables are plain wood and there are no fancy touches; just good linen napkins and well balanced cutlery. The service was impeccable. However you might have to book a table four to six months in advance. In rare cases you might have to book it ten months in advance. My friends had kept it already booked for me when I arrived. The bar is downstairs with sensational Cocktails, don’t leave without going downstairs to the bar if you had come to the restaurant. I had an amazing cocktail, Italian Fizz, garnished with sage leaf.

codled egg at dabbous bar and restaurant in london
Coddled egg with mushrooms and smoked butter at Dabbous, Photo taken by Kake Pugh

If you have visited these bars and restaurants do share your opinion or experience about it in our comment section. I would love to try more London’s amazing bars and restaurants when I will be back again.

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Cheapest place to buy a house abroad

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Buying a house or making investments in development projects was always a great way to access a better life. This can be seen in foreign lands, where families and investors find great opportunities to live or invest —and profit of—. The dominican republic real estate is one of the best ways to do so.

Buying property oversea

Nowadays, many people find that the best way to invest in the real estate business is to look oversea; there are incredible countries and opportunities to get our money’s worth. Between the best places, we can mention the Caribbean shore and, in Europe, the Spanish peninsula —between many others—. These places are beautiful and the respective real estate markets are strong.

Nevertheless, the people who have most success in this area recommend getting a great assessor in property law & investment from the country in which we want to make our investment. The cost of doing so is marginal, but it can help us to avoid any inconvenient or delay in the process.

Which are the best options to buy abroad?

Spain

According to the specialists, Spain can be one of the most attractive places to live and invest. There, the opportunities are bigger and more lucrative, as this country contains some of the most exclusive cultural and historical sites in the world, and is one of the most selected destinations because of his great landscapes and beaches.

The real estate law is especially hard, and requires the listing of a professional that can resolve the different aspects of the purchase. Even more, if we want to invest in an urban project, they bring comfort and security to the process —they are guaranties of the success of our investment—.

Even though the spain real estate business can be complex and overwhelming for someone who doesn’t know the law —many taxes must be pay and there’s an abundance of documentation that must be presented to avoid any inconvenient—, it remains one of the best options to buy abroad.

The Caribbean shores and Dominican Republic

Across the Atlantic, one of the most lucrative and safer investments out there remain in the Caribbean shores; in the Dominican Republic real estate business. If we want to buy a house to live in or if we want to put our savings in a safe and profitable financial instrument, there’s no better place.

Effectively, this country is much cheaper than Spain. This is one of the most important reasons why so many people choose to live there. In the Caribbean, we can find many affordable properties and developments of ever-growing performance in a market of great demand.

There, we can find many properties close to the most incredible shores in the whole continent; even more, the prospect of growth in this market, over the years, will give us a profit over our investment that can’t be match.

Many specialists recommend investing in the Dominican Republic real estate. Then also indicate the benefits of hiring a property law advisor that can provide knowledge and experience in the matter. The cost of doing so is relatively low, and it betters our chances to buy a cheap house abroad.

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Yacht charter in Barcelona, the comfort and privacy you can’t get on land

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Traveling the coast of Barcelona in a luxury yacht is an unforgettable experience that everyone should experience sometime in their lives. It is the perfect trip for those who want to get away from the city and its noises, to relax in a peaceful atmosphere that can only be reached at sea.

Barcelona, located on the northeast coast of the Mediterranean Sea, is one of the most visited cities in Spain, even in Europe. It is the perfect place to enjoy the architectural, artistic, cultural and gastronomic diversity of the country, making it one of the favorite tourist destinations for millions of people around the world.

Among all the many attributes that the city of Barcelona has, one of the most outstanding is its beaches. Years ago the American magazine National Geographic named Barcelona as the best coastal city in the world.

There are 4 kilometers of sand in the Catalan capital available for the fans of maritime landscapes, finding beaches for any activity you could wish for during your holidays, either to relax, practice water sports and more. 

Among all the activities that have been on the rise in this paradise is the rental of luxury yachts. And nothing can compare to sailing along the beautiful coasts of Barcelona in one of these majestic vessels, which are at your disposal to discover the most beautiful landscapes.

Undoubtedly, touring these paradisiacal landscapes aboard Barcelona charters is the best way to get away from the noise of the city and just enjoy the feeling of freedom and calm that can only be achieved on the high seas.

Imagine living the pleasure of riding on a modern motor yacht with capacity for a dozen people traveling at speeds up to 25 knots; it would be, without a doubt, a unique experience! 

In the city of Barcelona there are prestigious agencies that rent these fast and elegant luxury boats for periods ranging from one hour to the whole day and even the weekend. 

These services are aimed at VIP clients and can be used for all kinds of events, such as corporate events, meetings and romantic dinners, including unforgettable tours along the coast of Barcelona and the Maresme. There is also the option of buying drinks on the boat and catering service. There are a lot of possibilities, and companies will always provide alternatives to suit the client’s needs.

Learn a little more about these boats

Luxury yachts fascinate those who seek privacy and comfort in its maximum expression, which is sometimes difficult to achieve on land. It is a pleasant way to get away from the world.

These boats can be quite amazing in terms of all the luxury features they offer. Specialized blogs have even made rankings of the 10 most expensive yachts in the world, which are a privilege that is only reserved for a very exclusive elite.

These yachts are considered by many as titans of floating vehicles. They are jewels of engineering equipped with the latest technology and elements for maximum comfort. 

The top 10 most expensive yachts are as follows: 

1.- History Supreme ($4.8 billion).

2.- Eclipse ($1.5 billion).

3.- Streets of Monaco (1.1 billion dollars).

4.- Topaz (527 million dollars).

5.- Motor Yacht A ($440 million).

6.- Dubai (350 million dollars).

Sailing Yacht A (US$323 million).

8.- Al Said (300 million dollars).

9.- Dilbar (256 million dollars).

10.- Lady Moura (210 million dollars).

We encourage you to review the features of these amazing vessels in specialized portals, among which we can mention, heated swimming pools, heliports, basketball courts, concert halls and more. The wealthy owners of these “mega yachts” spare no expenses to make these vehicles with all the comforts that anyone could imagine.

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Planning to Travel? Here Are the Do’s to Observe

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Air travel

Traveling abroad isn’t just a matter of packing and leaving; there several significant aspects of your journey that you need to be on top of before you embark on your journey. For a safe, peaceful, and enjoyable stay at your travel destination, your health should top the list from your travel plans.

It would be best to consider a thorough health checkup for vital health concerns like vaccination, blood test, malaria, urine test, and dental checkup.

Why Is a Dental Checkup Important?

If you plan to have an extended stay, you should tend to broken fillings, decayed teeth, or any dental issues to minimize dental emergencies. It’s prudent to also have the necessary treatment before leaving.

The standards of dental care worldwide vary widely and the certainty of getting dental supplies from a trusted and certified dental supplier isn’t assured. The cost may also become cumbersome given that your destination of choice may not have dental care coverage for kids.

Depending on where you’re traveling, either in developing, developed, or remote areas, leaving your dental health to chance can be uncomfortable if not dangerous. Your chosen destination may lack the resources, dental supplies, and equipment to cater to your dental needs.

Air travel causes specific pressure changes, affecting your root canal, causing pain and potential infections. Therefore, it’s advisable to ensure that you complete all your treatment before traveling or consider paste filling to minimize the risks.

Pericoronitis is an infection caused by food trapped through the flesh covering your teeth. The condition can spread to parts of your neck and head; to avoid this outcome, consider removing lower wisdom teeth that are partially exposed.

The other thing you should look out for is if you have gum (periodontal) disease, it’s essential to have your teeth cleaned by a hygienist or a dentist.

Checklist Before Travel

As stated earlier, the most vital thing is you and your health, so here are some things you should consider.

Travel Insurance

Probably, the health care insurance coverage that you have at the moment will not cover the scope of international travel. After you’ve assessed the situation keenly, consider opting for emergency medical insurance and medical evacuation.

The majority of options and plans offered by travel insurance providers occasionally cover trip cancellation, lost luggage, plus medical emergency and evacuation.

Get the Right Visa

Do thorough research on the kind of visa you need. This is a critical but overlooked aspect by many travelers. Any mixup can turn your trip into a disaster, as this little mistake could mean you’ll get turned away from the said country.

To make matters worse, you won’t even be allowed to leave the airport, which should serve as a motivation to be extra keen. Find out the visa you qualify for and apply early in advance.

Pre-Book Accommodations

You wouldn’t want to deal with the stressors involved in getting an instant spot without prior arrangements. Start on the right foot by booking a one-night accommodation in advance, ensuring you aren’t anxious through your journey.

You can have a fun-filled day exploring the area after a comfortable night’s sleep. To prepare for any eventualities, ensure that you also have a hard copy of your accommodation reservation besides having a soft copy.

Travel Advisory

Before you decide your destination, it’s vital to cross-reference through the government state department website to see if the country you wish to travel to poses a threat (short or long term) to travelers. You’ll find a list of countries with a travel warning. This is critical because travel insurance does not cover countries under a travel warning.

Vaccination

Scour through to find the health information of the country you’ll be traveling to and whether you’ll need to be vaccinated. Finding out nations that pose a risk to your health are highlighted on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

This mainly applies if you’re traveling to third-world countries and the vaccination may vary, including yellow fever, Zika virus, malaria, cholera, etc. Also, get enough supplements to last you the entire trip if you aren’t sure you’ll be able to supplement your fill abroad.

To avoid security hiccups, find out which drug prescriptions are not illegal in your destination or countries you’ll pass through. It’s essential to bring along photocopies of your prescription and always carry the medicine in its prescribed bottle.

Suppose your medical condition requires you to have syringes, relay the information before security checks. Take your vaccination six weeks before departure, as vaccines take a couple of weeks before they can kick in.

Enjoy Your Stay

We didn’t delve deeper into aspects including culture shock, travel deals, packaging, payment methods, etc., adhering to those mentioned above essential will keep your mind at ease. What remains is to enjoy your exploration.

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