Pub Food

We really enjoy dining in pubs when we are in London. The food has been quite varied from the usual shepherd's pie and fish & chips to wild boar, venison, lamb, salmon, and, one of our favorites, arugula with crayfish, pine nuts, avocado, capers, and olive oil. That was one tasty salad. Typically you find a table at one of these establishments then go up to the bar to order and pay. They will then bring your order to your table when it is ready. We like this because when we are finished, we just leave instead of waiting around to pay.

One thing we learned this trip was there can be a difference between the time they open and the time they start serving food. I guess they open their doors early to start serving drinks.

Our favorite pub is Pride of Paddington which is catty-corner to the South from the paddington station. The food is good and the people are friendly.

Oyster Cards - The best deal for getting around London by transit

Although you can still use cash to get around on the transit system in London, an Oyster Card is really the best deal. There is a nominal charge to purchase a card and you can "Top Up" your account with cash. When you use the card on the transit system, the charge is automatically deducted from your account. The good deal is that they discount the fares for card users. What would normally be a 4 pound tube ride is only 1.6 pounds on the oyster card. Buses which normally cost 2 pounds per trip are 1 pound on the card. Another feature is that when the fares reach a certain amount during the day, you aren't charged any more because the Oyster card then becomes a day-pass. That amount varies depending upon where, when, and how you have traveled, but is less than buying a day-pass up front. This way you don't need to figure out your travels ahead of time to determine if a day-pass would be more economical.

What I have done is run the balance of my account low toward the end of my trip and add cash as I need to during my last day (there are machines at every tube station) and try to end that last day with a zero balance. So far I have been successful. If you don't want to do that figuring, don't worry: the money left on your account does not expire and you can us it the next time you are in London.