M&H city guide: London

Note: This article was first published in September 2022 and some details may be out of date.

Rikke Krefting, Betty Bachz and Caroline Krager share their favourites in London.

After a few years when we could only dream of getting on a plane abroad, we’re finally more or less back to normal again. Many of us probably feel that it’s a little extra tempting to dig out the passport and set off on new adventures after quite a while when a holiday in Norway was the only option. And then it’s nice to get some tips from people who know the place you’re going inside out.

Because where do you eat the tastiest food in Paris, what are the coolest shops in Copenhagen and which is the best rooftop bar in Barcelona?

In this week’s city guide we talk to Rikke Krefting, Betty Bachz and Caroline Krager about London.

Rikke Krefting grew up in Oslo, but has lived in the English capital for the last ten years.

What’s the first thing you think of when someone mentions London?

– Home. I’ve lived in London for almost ten years, so even though I grew up in Oslo, London feels like home. It’s where my husband and I have lived ever since we got together, and it’s where we have our main home. Oslo feels like home in a different way since I grew up. That’s where I have all my lovely childhood memories and my family, whom I love so much.

– But London is where I have my everyday life, our home and my routines.

Why did you choose to move there?

– I moved to London when I was 19 to follow my dream of studying fashion. In the second year of my bachelor’s in Fashion Marketing I met my husband, who is also Norwegian, and now here I am almost ten years later. I’m a real homebody and incredibly close to my family, so I never really thought I’d stay here. But after a bachelor’s and a master’s in fashion I worked in PR at Tom Ford for a couple of years, and a year ago I decided to quit and follow my dream of working for myself. It’s a choice I’m very glad I made, even though it was terrifying.

– Luckily it has gone beyond all expectations, and London feels more like home than ever after we were stuck here during the coronavirus pandemic. I take every chance I can to travel to Oslo to see my family and friends.

– But London remains home for us, says Rikke Krefting.

Which parts of the city are your favourites?

– Chelsea is definitely one of them, since that’s where we live. Since I moved to London I’ve always lived in Chelsea, and that’s where I have my everyday life and my routines. I love using the city, and my husband and I really like going on long walks at the weekend through different areas of the city. When I met him he lived in Shoreditch, and that’s definitely one of my favourite places in the city.

– There are so many different people, and very inspiring and cool influences that you don’t find in many other places in the city.

– Soho and Mayfair are where I spend time for work, and both areas are very inspiring and cool in different ways. I love strolling up to Notting Hill at the weekend, stopping by HJEM in Kensington for a coffee and a cardamom bun, and then carrying on up through Hyde Park and into Notting Hill to watch the world go by and eventually have a cosy lunch with friends or my husband.

Which hotels can you recommend?

– I think it really depends on which area you want to stay in. In Mayfair, The Connaught is my favourite. The location is very good and they have such cosy bars for pre-drinks before dinner. In the Chelsea area the best are the Berkley Hotel and Mandarin Oriental. And the Knightbrigde Hotel and NR.16 Hotel are super cosy boutique hotels.

– In the Shoreditch area, Redchurch House and Shoreditch House are very cool hotels for a real big-city feeling.

Where do you prefer to have breakfast and lunch?

– I like a light breakfast, especially early in the morning. So preferably an acai bowl from C Press, or a cinnamon bun from HJEM or Café Kitsuné London, or a croissant and coffee at Colbert. Colbert is also a favourite for lunch.

– And I love avocado toast, which I either make at home or buy at Good Life Eatery.

– I also think the food at Granger & Co is perfect for lunch.

And what about dinner?

– Oh, there are so many good places for dinner here that it’s a bit hard to mention them all. But some favourites are Cecconi’s, Bar des Pez, and C London has the best pasta.

Where do you prefer to have drinks or go dancing in London?

– The Soho Houses, especially Soho House Greek Street. And 5H and LouLou’s.

– The Box is also great fun if you’re a big group going out for a proper disco night.

Which shops do you prefer?

– Online, haha! I don’t shop that much, and when I do it’s usually online. When I shop I know exactly what I want, and online it’s much easier to keep track of where you can get it. But if I have visitors who want to shop, I prefer Sloane Street and Bond Street.

– I’m no shopping-centre girl, so I can handle Harrods for five minutes at most.

What are your cultural favourites there? (Museums… galleries… other things?)

– I love exploring different museums and galleries here. My recent favourites are Isamu Noguchi at White Cube and the Barbican Center. Both incredibly beautiful exhibitions, and very different from each other even though it’s the same artist.

– A friend took me to Louise Bourgeois’s exhibition this autumn, and that was also incredibly unique. She knew a lot about the artist and her story, so it was really fun to learn more about her while we were at the exhibition.

– The other day I went to the Tiffany & Co exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. It was fun to learn more in depth about Tiffany’s history, even though it was something I already knew quite well, since I think Tiffany & Co has something uniquely iconic about it as a brand.

Betty Bachz is a former eyewear expert for Vogue Scandinavia and the founder of the sunglasses brand Møy Atelier. She has lived in London for the last ten years.

What’s the first thing you think of when someone mentions London?

– Home.

Why did you choose to move there?

– I have a bit of little mermaid syndrome. I want to be where the people are.

Which parts of the city are your favourites?

– My favourite areas are in north-west London, and that’s where I choose to live. Hampstead has the charm of a small village, but also all the advantages of a big city.

– Primrose Hill for the best view, and Queens Park has the best farmers’ market in the city.

Which hotels can you recommend?

– The boutique hotel Beaverbrook Townhouse in Belgravia is my best tip for a hidden gem. It has only 14 rooms, and each room is named after a famous theatre in the city. All the rooms are unique and admittedly a little theatrical, but still tastefully decorated. And the Japanese restaurant Fuji Grill is one of the best hotel restaurants I’ve tried.

– Otherwise I’m a fan of staycations at The NoMad Hotel in Covent Garden, right by the Royal Opera House. The hotel is well thought through and simply stylish.

– Bonus points for a solid concierge service that can get you even the most sought-after table in the city.

Where do you prefer to have breakfast and lunch?

– I prefer to have breakfast at home, but if I have to do a breakfast meeting it’s a full English at one of the Soho Houses, preferably White City House or 180 House.

– For lunch I prefer Chinatown. If I’m on my own I often eat at Lanzhou Lamian Noodle Bar or order a basket of Xiao Long Bao at Dumpling Legend. They’re not exactly places where you sit and take in the view, but the service is quick and the food is fantastic.

And what about dinner?

– With dinners I’m much more experimental, and I prefer long dinners with lots of wine on the table.

– Ida, River Cafe, Sachi, Cecconi’s, Joy and Drunken Butler are some of my favourites.

Where do you prefer to have drinks or go dancing in London?

– There are so many fantastic bars in London, but dance venues are harder. If you try to chase a beat in the city, in my experience you end up hopping from place to place in black cabs and then ending up back where you started. Read: Soho.

– The best thing is to let the beat come to you, and make your own dance floor.

Which shops do you prefer?

– I shop vintage for myself in Notting Hill, where you can find vintage YSL and Galliano at reasonable prices. If I’m looking for gifts, I shop at Selfridges.

– They have everything.

What are your cultural favourites there? (Museums… galleries… other things?)

– I catch most of the exhibitions at the Royal Academy and TATE. Theatre is the best thing about living in London. I see it as an investment in my own mental health. I recently saw a modernised version of Chekhov’s The Seagull in the West End. Recommended!

Melk & Honning’s fashion journalist and former editor Caroline Krager has lived in London for five years.

Why did you choose to move there?

– A good combination of a cute and funny philosopher, the fact that all the magazines I want to write for are based there, and that it’s a city of almost ten million people. I love that there’s always something to do, a bit of buzz, diversity and something new to see around every corner.

– I haven’t regretted it for a single second. It’s still an exciting place to be after five years.

Which parts of the city are your favourites?

– I live, hang out, party, eat and wander mostly around east London for sure. De Beauvoir Town, Dalston, London Fields, Stoke Newington, Hackney Wick and Victoria Park.

– But after being in a busy melting pot for a while it’s lovely to head up to Hampstead Heath to get some fresh-ish air into your lungs among the trees on the heath up there. Or Richmond Park to wander among the deer.

– At the other end of the scale I’ve had some fun evenings in Peckham in the south at hip rooftop bars and tiny, packed restaurants. The best thing about London is that you can go west and be surrounded by Rolls Royce Phantoms and homes that literally cost a billion, and see ladies pushing their dogs in prams, and then head off to a rave full of the strangest people you’ve ever seen in your life in the middle of a dark bush in the east.

– The contrasts are big and interesting.

Which hotels can you recommend?

– I think The Nomad is incredibly beautiful. It feels luxe and has a super central location. The Standard is also fun – I love the retro vibe of both the exterior and the interior. The rooms with their curved design also remind me of being on a cruise!

– For those keen on a slightly more homely feel in a somewhat quieter area, Lime Tree Hotel is cute. It’s a smaller, family-owned boutique hotel in Belgravia, a few streets from Sloane Square, the Saatchi Gallery and lots of shopping on Kings Road. Otherwise, The Hoxton is always nice; hip, a good location if you’re the type who’d rather see things in east London, and lots of restaurants nearby.

Where do you prefer to have breakfast and lunch?

– Breakfast: I prefer egg dishes at Ozone or the shakshuka at Ottolenghi. Experimental pastries at Pophams, ricotta pancakes at Granger & Co or delicious, over-the-top porridges at 26 Grains.

– Lunch: Oh, lunch can be so many things! I like the stews and pastries at the Bali-inspired café Wave in Hackney Central. And I love the bao buns at BAO in SoHo, all the sushi at Itsu or the massive sandwiches at L’eau a la Bouche on Broadway Market in the area I’ve probably walked around the most, namely London Fields.

And what about dinner?

– Dinner at the aforementioned The Nomad is an experience. The room itself is spectacular. The same goes for the restaurant at Berner’s Tavern, where the walls are covered in paintings (you feel a bit like you’re sitting in some castle). The mac and cheese there is the best I’ve ever had. Gold in Notting Hill is buzzy and perfect for those who love drinking cocktails and sharing small plates. Sunny evenings up on the roof at Forza Wine down in Peckham, while the sun sets over London’s skyscrapers, are gorgeous. The dishes there are inventive and seriously delicious. The ramen at Okko on Broadway Market is also very nice. And Sessions Arts Club! I love the space and the food.

– One of the coolest restaurants in London right now.

Where do you prefer to have drinks or go dancing in London?

– I prefer dancing at raves in secret locations :’-))) or at friends’ places after far too many whisky sours!

Which shops do you prefer?

– Oh, I love Browns East on Redchurch Street. That whole street is nice. The vintage shop Rellik in Notting Hill is absolutely fantastic. Only designer clothes, and everything is in perfect condition. Quite expensive, but truly a place overflowing with things you want. Otherwise, Arket is a big favourite (it doesn’t have a physical shop in Norway yet).

– The Brick Lane Vintage Market is also worth the trip for those who like hunting for second-hand treasures.

– If you head up to Stoke Newington Church Street, the bits-and-bobs shop Search & Rescue is lovely for everything from scented candles, vintage furniture, cards, glassware and books.

What are your cultural favourites there? (Museums… galleries… other things?)

– I really like the Barbican Art Gallery, Saatchi Gallery, White Cube and the Royal Academy. To see London from a new angle, I recommend buying a coffee and a sandwich at one of the shops in Coal Drop’s Yard and walking along Regents Canal all the way to Victoria Park.

– It’s incredibly idyllic and beautiful, there are hardly any tourists and you can flop down in one of the city’s finest parks afterwards.

Read also: M&H city guide: Barcelona