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Kosher eats in Heathrow and London & Jewish tourist suggestions

Kosher eats in Heathrow and London & Jewish tourist suggestions

Old Aug 12, 2008, 7:06 pm
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Kosher eats in Heathrow and London & Jewish tourist suggestions

My sister and I are traveling on BA and have a full day layover at Heathrow. We will be arriving at 7:15am and departing at 10:30pm from terminal 5. A few questions:
1) Is there any kosher food available in terminal 5?
2) I understand that there is kosher food available in Selfridges and D&D kosher sandwiches are available all over London. If we purchase a sandwich where (other than a park bench) can we eat it? I guess that sounds like a weird question but can we, for example, purchase a cup of coffee in a Starbucks and eat our kosher sandwich there?
3) Any suggestions for any Jewish London experiences? (We had wanted to do the Jewish London Walk tour but thats not offered on Mondayswaah!)
4) Can't decide between the Big Red Bus or the Original London Tour hop on hop off buses...your two cents, please.
Thank you!
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Old Aug 12, 2008, 7:45 pm
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Originally Posted by gr8aunt
2) I understand that there is kosher food available in Selfridges and D&D kosher sandwiches are available all over London. If we purchase a sandwich where (other than a park bench) can we eat it? I guess that sounds like a weird question but can we, for example, purchase a cup of coffee in a Starbucks and eat our kosher sandwich there?
If the weather's good, in Green Park. You can get a nice picnic (kosher supervised stuff plus fresh fruit, veg and so on, from Selfridges' food hall).

3) Any suggestions for any Jewish London experiences? (We had wanted to do the Jewish London Walk tour but thats not offered on Mondayswaah!)
The company London Walks (www.walks.com) does a fascinating tour of the East End (Whitechapel, Brick Lane, etc area). It's the places where the latest group of immigrants to London has generally settled -- so it used to be mainly Jewish but is now mainly British Bangladeshi.

If they're not doing a tour of the area on Mondays right now (we did one that wasn't specifically a "Jewish London" tour but which pointed out a lot of Jewish sights), you should get a book and follow your own itinerary.

Things not to miss: Bevis Marks synagogue, the park near where the battle of Cable Street where the fascists squared off against their opponents in the 1930s, the building at the corner of Fournier (?) St and Brick Lane which was formerly a church then a synagogue and is now a mosque. Another synagogue next to much larger mosque elsewhere -- can't remember the street name, unfortunately...

The best walking guides to London I know of are those by Andrew Duncan:
http://www.andrewduncan.co.uk/

I'm not sure which one of his books would be relevant: perhaps "The City East of St Pauls walk" in Secret London, or "The City (East)" in Walking London and maybe "Wapping to Limehouse" in the same book. Maybe the City or East London chapters in "Favourite London Walks" would also be relevant.

If the weather is bad, and you can splurge on a sit down meal, the restaurant at Bevis Marks synagogue is fantastic (but very pricey). http://www.bevismarkstherestaurant.com/
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Old Aug 12, 2008, 9:52 pm
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Not far from the Main Marks & Spencer store on Oxford St is a place called Reubens its on Baker st #79 Fleshig. If I remember correctly Selfridges is across the street from that M&S and the street that is between is Baker St. Its a ways up not a long walk or hop a bus (I think Baker is a 1 way going the wrong way, so youd have to go 1 street over grab a bus over there and then walk back to Baker st. Or simply walk up Baker for appx 5-10 mins. If walking from OxfordSt it will be on your left side.

If I was you Id buy a day pass for Zones 1-6 (LHR is in Zone 6) that way you can travel on the Underground and the buses as well

Or simply take the Nothern Line to golders Green station or Hendon station and there will be more places to eat then you will be able to decide where to actually eat. GG will be closer, Hendon will be a bit of a walk, but I prefer the restaurants in Hendon. Or take the #13 bus to GG from Oxford st it ends at the GG underground station. It used to be the old Roadmaster double decker buses, Boy I miss them. Its a great ride and you'll see alot not much Touristy but I love the ride on the 13.

What ever you do, DONT stay at LHR unless its pouring rain!
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Old Aug 12, 2008, 10:16 pm
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Originally Posted by craz
(I think Baker is a 1 way going the wrong way, so youd have to go 1 street over grab a bus over there and then walk back to Baker st. Or simply walk up Baker for appx 5-10 mins. If walking from OxfordSt it will be on your left side.
Buses go south down Baker St / Orchard St and north up Gloucester Place / Portman Square.

Or simply take the Nothern Line to golders Green station or Hendon station and there will be more places to eat then you will be able to decide where to actually eat.
Solly's is a good place - excellent fresh baked Iraqi pita. But to be honest with you, London is not a destination for its kosher restaurants if you are used to what's available in NYC (there's nothing to match the panache of Tevere, Le Marais, or even Colbeh or Taam Tov). Although London does have some good places, most don't generally compete with non-kosher restaurants for the custom of people used to the level of service and professionalism at non-kosher restaurants, like many kosher places do in NYC or Israel. (To preempt any possible offence being taken at my comments here, I'd say that kosher restaurants in London can often be good, but with a few exceptions (Bevis Marks above being one) as the Michelin guide might say, they are largely "vaut le detour" as opposed to "vaut le voyage"...)

If you have limited time in London, I wouldn't spend much of it in Golders Green -- although in the walking guide I mentioned above, there are some great walks not too far from Golders Green or Hendon through Highgate/Hampstead/Kenwood. These other places I mention are really interesting and quirky London "villages" which became suburbs, whereas Golders Green and Hendon were mostly purpose-built in the 1920s as developments that followed the extension of the tube (subway) lines. GG and Hendon have some nice enough residential streets to walk down, but they're otherwise quite bland suburbs (think Forest Hills or Riverdale).

What ever you do, DONT stay at LHR unless its pouring rain!
Don't stay there even if it is pouring rain -- take the Heathrow Express into town to maximise your time and spend your day at the British Museum or one of the other free museums instead.

Last edited by salut0; Aug 12, 2008 at 10:41 pm
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Old Aug 13, 2008, 5:54 am
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I get to London once a year.

I would endorse Solly's. It is at the extreme of the locations of the jewish businesses, but a good eat and there are still plenty of stores to walk around. If you are interested in more variety, at the other end of Golders Green there is Chinese, Pizza, Hamburgers, Dairy Restaurants and so on. (also a short walk from the tram) As mentioned, GG should be a dinner destination, bu not much else.

Be prepared for sticker shock. If it is $1 in America, it is going to be a pound in London - very expensive town!

My wife and I have done the Big Red Bus, and again, I would highly recommend it due to the amount of time you have. You will get to at least see, if not go in, all the major London attractions. I especially loved the part where you get off the bus, get on a boat up the Thames, then get back on the bus. We bought our tickets via the internet before we left.
CHeck for dates and time of guard changing at the Palace, it is not every day.

Layovers like this are my favorite! Wife and I had a similar day like this in Zurich. Had such a good time, we tacked it on to our return from Israel the following year.

Have a great time, bu like I said, be prepared for sticker shock.
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Old Aug 13, 2008, 7:36 am
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Originally Posted by Thumper
I get to London once a year.

I would endorse Solly's. It is at the extreme of the locations of the jewish businesses, but a good eat and there are still plenty of stores to walk around. If you are interested in more variety, at the other end of Golders Green there is Chinese, Pizza, Hamburgers, Dairy Restaurants and so on. (also a short walk from the tram) As mentioned, GG should be a dinner destination, bu not much else.

Be prepared for sticker shock. If it is $1 in America, it is going to be a pound in London - very expensive town!

My wife and I have done the Big Red Bus, and again, I would highly recommend it due to the amount of time you have. You will get to at least see, if not go in, all the major London attractions. I especially loved the part where you get off the bus, get on a boat up the Thames, then get back on the bus. We bought our tickets via the internet before we left.
CHeck for dates and time of guard changing at the Palace, it is not every day.

Layovers like this are my favorite! Wife and I had a similar day like this in Zurich. Had such a good time, we tacked it on to our return from Israel the following year.

Have a great time, bu like I said, be prepared for sticker shock.
Yep, Ive been telling this to people for years, when going to TLV fly with a European carrier so that you can get either a 12+ hr layover or a day or 2 going or coming in that Hub city and see the city.

As for Sticker Shock, I think the Sticker Shock will be for those people who use Premium Pounds Cert on their Marriott stays. The reason is the GBP went below $1.90 yesterday the 1st time in a couple of yrs. Last yr I was getting over $200 when presenting the cert, with the higher cost for the PPs and the lower Pound its getting to a pt where its not worth getting them, unless the cost per PP goes down $10 or more per cert
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Old Aug 13, 2008, 12:58 pm
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Thanks so much for your input. Since our time in London is so limited we really don't want to go all the way to Golders Green. We don't even want to waste time sitting through a full restaurant meal since we are on our way to Israel and will find plenty of good eateries there. We just wanted to be able to grab a sandwich but would like to eat it somewhere where we could also grab a cup of coffee or tea.
Saluto, thanks for your suggestions but I'm not big on self guided tours. I've done the London walks before and have always enjoyed the personalized insight the tour guides provide. I'm just disappointed that the Old Jewish Quarter (a shtetl called Whitechapel) walk isn't given on Mondays. If you can think of the name of the walk you went on that wasn't specifically Jewish let me know and maybe that walk is one that's available on Mondays. I do like your idea of spending the day at the British Museum if there's a monsoon the day we arrive!
Craz, yes, we do plan to purchase a day pass for Zones 1-6 so we can get all around London. I understand the day pass also gets us 1/2 price tickets to the Tower of London so that's a nice little bonus.
Thumper - So, why did you and your wife choose the Big Red Bus over the Original London tour one? Both bus companies pretty much offer the same tours and river trip so I am curious as to what made you choose one over the other.
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Old Aug 13, 2008, 4:55 pm
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Originally Posted by Thumper
(also a short walk from the tram)
I never knew there was a tram in Golders Green...
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Old Aug 13, 2008, 4:57 pm
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Originally Posted by gr8aunt
I guess that sounds like a weird question but can we, for example, purchase a cup of coffee in a Starbucks and eat our kosher sandwich there?
Yes, that really is not a problem at all.
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Old Aug 14, 2008, 5:42 am
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Originally Posted by clubman
I never knew there was a tram in Golders Green...

tram
3: a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by
electricity: "`tram' and `tramcar' are British terms"

Brents Cross train station is two blocks to Golders Green Road.
And now you know. If you wish to debate definitions, please feel free. My post was to help someone looking for assistance with a trip to London.

Originally Posted by gr8aunt
Thumper - So, why did you and your wife choose the Big Red Bus over the Original London tour one? Both bus companies pretty much offer the same tours and river trip so I am curious as to what made you choose one over the other.

We chose Big Red because at the time the advance purchase internet discount was greater. Since it was a completely positive experience, I feel comfortable endorsing it.
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Old Aug 14, 2008, 10:03 am
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Smile

OK, then...thanks everyone for your suggestions and comments. You've really been helpful. I'm a FlyerTalk newbie but I think I'm gonna like it here!
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Old Aug 14, 2008, 2:56 pm
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Originally Posted by Thumper
tram
3: a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by
electricity: "`tram' and `tramcar' are British terms"

Brents Cross train station is two blocks to Golders Green Road.
And now you know. If you wish to debate definitions, please feel free. My post was to help someone looking for assistance with a trip to London.
.
No offence Thumper, but I still don't get it...
Are you referring to the Underground (The Tube) as a Tram?

Actually Golders Green station is closer to most of the restaurants...
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Old Aug 15, 2008, 12:08 am
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Originally Posted by clubman
No offence Thumper, but I still don't get it...
Are you referring to the Underground (The Tube) as a Tram?

Actually Golders Green station is closer to most of the restaurants...
No offense taken, but I am also bewildered on how your fixation on semantics is a help to a fellow traveler. You seem upset that someone might call a jet a plane. And if you are up to now correcting which station I mentioned, even you understood my meaning. We all posted to help this nice woman better enjoy her limited time in London.

As a Londoner we can only assume you are traveling allot and still haven't gotten around to sharing with others the best way to enjoy your city, and only have time for the posts you have done so far. I wish a native would take more time to help us all. Even though I spend a month in London once or twice a year now, I am certain there is allot I am missing.
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Old Aug 15, 2008, 1:47 am
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Originally Posted by Thumper
As a Londoner we can only assume you are traveling allot and still haven't gotten around to sharing with others the best way to enjoy your city, and only have time for the posts you have done so far. I wish a native would take more time to help us all. Even though I spend a month in London once or twice a year now, I am certain there is allot I am missing.
Thumper, sorry, you obviously took my posts the wrong way, and I apologise!
Like I said, I was in no way having a go; it's just that I have never ever heard anyone before refer to the Tube as a Tram that's all, so I was wondering, no more than that.

I saw the thread only once the OP got most of the answers he needed, and there really wasn't much more I could add.
The one question nobody did answer and seemed to trouble them was whether they could take a kosher sandwich into Starbacks, to which I did reply.
As to my correction of the station you mentioned, it was to help them as well, in case they did end up going to GG, they would be far better getting off at GG station, not Brent Cross.

I'm sure if you look back at my posting history, I do my very best to help and advice, as I have been helped and advised on FT myself.

I would be more than happy to advise you or anyone else here with anything I can.
To be honest being so busy with the BA/BD/LY Board I sometimes forget this one exists, and at times don't come on here for weeks.
If I can help you or anyone else with anything you could always PM me as well, and I would be more than happy to help out.

Again, my apologies if it seemed I was being a bit picky with the small non important detail.
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Old Aug 16, 2008, 6:00 pm
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gr8aunt - you have a PM
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