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 that’s not offered on Mondays…waah!)
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 Paul’s 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/