Akhil Gupta

Avid traveller, travel blogger, love exploring new cultures, food, people and adventures.

Lunch at Oblix The Shard

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Today I am writing about my Experience in “The Oblix” Restaurant situated on the 32nd floor of The Shard” First of all wish you all a very Happy New Year. This is my second blog post of 2015. Hope all of you had a great start to the New Year. People, who celebrated their New Year in London, hope you had an awesome and memorable time. I am writing this blog pretty late, but never the less it’s always fun to write about my experiences while travelling to London and find the best packages available for travel to London for you all.

The Shard, London Bridge Street

Recently the shard has become a popular name with the London tourist. And I must say it stands for its reputation by a mile. I went to The Shard last October for lunch with one of my close friends. Travel in London, is, as usual, smooth and by underground trains, the commute is much easy to any part of London. The nearest tube station to The Shard is London Bridge.
The Shard Restaurant Entry gate
The Shard Restaurant Entry gate
It was not a very cold day, but surely a dull one as usual weather in London can be spoiled sometimes. But this didn’t stop us to go to the shard for lunch that day. We went on 12th October 2014 and thankfully it was Sunday. Though tourist places in any city will get busy and crowded luckily we got the tables. Make sure if you plan to go for lunch in The Shard book your table in advance, as they accept visitors who have already booked the table. Well, it’s always a good idea to book the table in advance so that you get a good bird’s eye view of the city and surely you wouldn’t want to sit next to a pillar, now would you? You have about a 5-7 minute walk from London Bridge station to the Shard. While you are walking towards The Shard, Thames River and Tower Bridge will be on your left. Once you reach The Shard you will see two entry points. First, you will come across The Shard Viewing Gallery by which you can go to the 72nd floor of The Shard. Essentially you will be on the topmost floor of the building and solely for spectacular viewing of London City. You can also book the “Skip the line: The view from the Shard direct entry ticket” if you wish to go straight to the 72nd floor for the breathtaking view of the city.

Oblix at the Shard

As we booked our lunch at Oblix at the Shard we went passed by the Viewing Gallery gate and took a left turn for the entry to the Restaurants on the 32nd Floor.
View of Tower Bridge from Oblix the Shard
View of Tower Bridge from Oblix the Shard
Once you reach the 32nd floor you are welcomed at the Restaurant gates and asked for your name and table booked. You can then drop your overcoats/jackets at the cloakroom and are then escorted to your table. All this was a very warm and welcoming experience for both of us and were delighted and staggered by the views which we saw from our eyes. We were lucky enough to get the table next to the glass wall and opposite St Paul’s Cathedral. The view from the Shard was mesmerising and equally scary.

Food and Tasting Experience at the Oblix

After ogling over the view for 10 minutes or so the waiter came in and asked for our order and we ordered what we felt we had the appetite for and was worth giving a try on. Sparkling water, bread loaf and butter came as a welcome starter. From the menu as a starter, we ordered Grilled diver scallops, peanut, lime & tamarind cream(£ 16.50) and Burrata, olives & datterini tomatoes (£14.50). And a bottle of nice sparkling champagne. It was a perfect start to our lunch and it went on well. Our taste buds were teased and we then ordered the main course. For the main course I was craving some chicken so I went with the chicken meal and my friend went with the fish meal.
Grilled Diver Scallops, Peanut, Lime & Tamarind Cream - Starter
Grilled Diver Scallops, Peanut, Lime & Tamarind Cream – Starter
Burrata, Olives & datterini tomatoes - Starter
Burrata, Olives & datterini tomatoes – Starter
Rotisserie chicken, skordalia & rosemary - Main Course Meal
Rotisserie chicken, skordalia & rosemary – Main Course Meal
Bbq black cod & coriander salsa - Main Course
Bbq black cod & coriander salsa – Main Course
I must say our main course meals were delicious, we ordered Rotisserie Chicken, Skordalia & Rosemary for £ 19.50 GBP for myself and my friend ordered BBQ Black Cod & Coriander Salsa for £ 31 GBP. We had a perfect day out lunch and was worth the visit. The views were staggering and on top of that, the meal was incredibly delicious. On the other side of the restaurant, there was another good restaurant named Aqua, which we didn’t, have a chance to go to. But I did sneak in to get a glimpse of the other side of the shard. And my god the views were even better. On a sunny day and clear skies, you can see people walking on the Tower Bridge and the view was the best I have come across on that day. I took some pictures and then I took off. So to conclude if you plan to see the Tower Bridge side go to Aqua and if you want to see the St Paul’s Cathedral side of London then go to Oblix. But this would be unfair not to talk or compare who serves better food between the two. For that comparison, you will all have to wait till I go to the Aqua. Do let me know if you like what I write by leaving some comments on the articles. Ciao!

Book The Shard Entry Ticket

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the shard entry ticket and experience

The Shard Entry Ticket

Regularly voted as one of London’s greatest tourist attractions, offering the city’s best views from the top of London’s tallest

London’s Breathtaking Fireworks Display Welcomed 2015 in Style

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London Welcomed 2015 with a BANG! More than 15 tones of Fireworks displayed lighted up the skies of South Bank! Thousands of people gathered to exhibit the spectacle unfold. If you were not in London, I am sure you missed a lot in this year’s New Years’ Eve Celebration. London welcomed New Year 2015 in Style. For the first time in history, the New Year fireworks event was ticketed and to see the view of the London eye in the viewable distance was paid. Rumour has that the ticket prices started from 10 and upwards.

Thousands braved the cold weather – and a first year that required tickets to be purchased at £10 a pop – to experience the display, centred around the London Eye on the capital’s South Bank.

And although temperatures remained near freezing, as they have been for the last few days, the crowd were given plenty of entertainment to keep them distracted as 12,000 fireworks were set off during the 10-minute display.

Although it was the first time spectators had paid for the privilege of witnessing the display since the first of its kind in 2003, the limits on numbers – which saw just 100,000 people attend in 2014/15 compared with an estimated 500,000 in 2013/14 – appeared to mean more space for those in the centre of the city.

The British celebrations weren’t just restricted to those in the capital or the other large fireworks display witnessed in Edinburgh for Hogmany – the astronauts on the International Space Station also joined in.

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London Christmas Lights 2014

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London Christmas Lights 2014

Christmas and New Year Celebrations in London can always be a treat for all age groups. No matter what if I didn’t get the chance to travel to London this year. But I can assure you there is a lot I miss about London. Especially in winter, the whole of London gets in a festive mood and the chill in the air makes no difference whatsoever when out and about shopping and celebrating on Christmas Eve and New Year’s night. One thing you will notice about London when you come as a tourist is, that London from November onwards starts getting decorated. The high streets and tourist places with bright, shiny, sparkling lights all in and around London. Christmas lights give such a warm and festive feel to anyone who sees them. It’s like festivities are on their way when you see them around central London’s famous shopping street “The Oxford Street” you feel like you are in a very nice shopping place with a lot of people from around the world. The place is lively and vibrant full of colours. When you are in London, make sure you go to these places which are worth going when Celebrating Christmas and New Year in London 2014.

Best Places to See Christmas Lights in London

1. Bond Street – You can expect the best Christmas lights showdown in Bond Street. Year after Year the lights around the city are simply spectacular and bring cheer to passersby and shoppers from around the world.

Bond Street Christmas Lights 2014
Bond Street Christmas Lights 2014

2. Covent Garden – Covent Garden is a place which is the cosiest and warmest place in town, with great sparkling lights. The piazza, and the arcade all light up with lights and this time you will also see a huge Christmas tree with red and white lights. I insist on not staying in a hotel when you are in London because, at this time of the year, London looks gorgeous at night too! There is a special installation of Lego Santa with a sleigh where you can go and have a selfie taken :). All in all, you got to enjoy the lights, the people and the food of Covent Garden. It’s one place I always go to every time I visit London.

Lego Santa at Covent Garden

Lego Santa at Covent Garden

3. Oxford Street – Oxford Street is the shopping Mecca of Europe. Shopaholics get their fix when they visit London. Your London tour is incomplete if you don’t go to Oxford Street to exhibit some shopping madness. Oxford Street is not only famous for its shopping discounts on the high street but also for the Christmas lights. This year 2014 I must say the lights have been rather simple, but no matter still the street is buzzing with tourists from all around the world. This makes Oxford Street the must-visit place when coming to London. Surely every London tour package consists of a day of shopping and being free to hang out. Make sure this is the place to visit ;).

Oxford Street Lights 2014
Oxford Street Lights 2014

4. Regents Street – Regent Street has been another shopping paradise for tourists and locals. Christmas lights again this winter are spectacular, and they make a perfect sparkle to make the list of the complete best London Christmas lights of 2014. The whole street gets traffic-free, and pedestrians have access to walk around and shop till they drop. You will exhibit many activities happening on this street as it is a nice Georgian-style building street with expensive retail chains having their high street outlets.

Regents Street christmas Lights 2014
The Regent Street Christmas lights were switched on by the pop group Take That on November 16, 2014.

When you explore these areas of London at the time of Christmas, you can rest assured that you will love these places and come back again and again next year.

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Georgian London

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The early years of the 18th century saw the birth of newspapers in London. The early papers, the most distinguished one of which was Richard Addison’s Spectator, satisfied the demands of an increasingly literate population in London. In many of the newspapers that followed, Addison put up shop along Fleet Street. Fleet Street as we all know it today.

The Georgian period in London overlapped very neatly with the Palladian Revival in architecture and art. Lord Burlington, in his 1715 design of Burlington House in Piccadilly, played a major role in popularizing this classical style which became the norm for much of the 18th century. A few years later, in 1725, Lord Burlington was at it again, with his remodelling of Chiswick House, then a country retreat but now part of Greater London’s irregular spread.

At the same time, Grosvenor Square was built in Mayfair, part of the Grosvenor family’s development of an aristocratic district. More London squares followed, notably Berkeley Square (designed by William Kent). Kent was also responsible for building the Treasury Building (1733), and the Horse Guards (1745).

Theatre, which had been so popular under the Stuart Restoration, became a little too vociferous for the taste of the city authorities. In 1737 a series of satires staged at the Theatre Royal Haymarket so infuriated them that the Lord Chamberlain was given the power of censorship over all public theatre performances. This power was not revoked until 1968.

For some six hundred years the only bridge across the Thames in London was London Bridge, of nursery rhyme fame. However, the growing city required more ease of movement and space to travel, so the shops and houses on London Bridge were moved down, and large sections of the old city walls were destroyed. In 1750 a second stone bridge was added, named “Westminster Bridge”.

If the early Georgian period was influenced by Lord Burlington, the latter was influenced by Robert Adam and his neo-classical followers or I shall say his imitators. Adam was responsible for a spate of influential house designs around London, including Syon House (1761), Osterley Park, and Kenwood House.

A year after Adam’s work at Syon, King George III, and Queen Charlotte moved into Buckingham House (later to become Buckingham Palace). St. James Palace remained the official royal residence.

One of the biggest social revolutions in Georgian London was a quiet one. It was the popularity of coffee houses as a forum for business, entertainment, and social activity. The London coffee houses were immensely popular and certain places became associated with different political viewpoints or kinds of commercial activity. It was in one of these coffee houses, New Jonathan’s, that merchants gathered, and formed what was to become the current London Stock Exchange.

Georgian London saw a new form of entertainment, the pleasure garden, become popular. These pleasure gardens, notably at Ranelagh and Vauxhall, were like outdoor amusement parks, complete with musicians and fireworks.

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Paddington Movie and the Trail

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Well, this is kind of an interesting story about a bear, not a normal bear but a bear gifted from a husband to a wife on Christmas Eve of 1956 while he was travelling via the Paddington station. This is how Michael Bond gave the stories their name The Paddington Bear. One thing is for sure, kids of young age who have read about Paddington Bear in their childhood will surely going to enjoy the movie. I myself am very excited to see the film.

Recently there has been a Walking tour organised by Viator to help you go around all the places in London where the Paddington Bear is located. See key filming locations from the Paddington Bear movie, as well as places in the Paddington Bear books.

Book your Paddington Bear Walking Tour

Check out the trailer of the Paddington movie here

In celebration of British art and culture Visit London, NSPCC and StudioCanal have come up with a rather interesting exploration campaign in and around London with the name the Paddington Trail. The campaign as per Visit London has already started and we call can see 50 Paddington statues across London in public places. This is sure quite an adventure. As I myself am not in London and if you go around in London, you are most welcome to share your pictures with us here or on our Facebook, Google, and Twitter pages.

The Paddington Trail Map

If you would like to know where you could find the Paddington Bear statues please look at the map here:

Paddington Trail Map
Paddington Trail Map

The bears are named after many famous people for example  Nicole Kidman, Emma Watson, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, and even a bear for the Telegraph. It’s instead a nice exploration for tourists to London too. People who are coming to London for the first time, have got a little extra to explore this time. If you want to buy memorabilia or stuffed toys, you could buy them from Selfridges, Harrods, Hamley’s or any good toy store.

Make your Paddington Bear Trail tour with us. Book your Paddington Bear Walking Tour of London. The Paddington Bear walking tour of London is perfect for the whole family. And it takes the hassle of finding something to do together and identifying all the locations of the bear statues and bookstores. Follow a guide around London neighbourhoods and attractions,

Book your Paddington Bear Walking Tour

Tudor London

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When Henry VII took the throne in 1485, the population of the city of London was about 75,000. By 1600 that figure rose to 200,000. London under the Tudors was prosperous and full of activity city.

Henry’s son Henry VIII made Whitehall Palace the principal royal residence in the city, and after Cardinal Wolsey “gave” Hampton Court to Henry, that palace became a countryside retreat for the court.

During Henry’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, the 13 religious houses in London were either converted for private use or destroyed for building materials. All that now remains are the names they gave to areas of the city, such as Whitefriars and Blackfriars.

Many areas that are now London Parks were used as Royal hunting forests during the Tudor period. Richmond Park served this purpose, and so did Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, and St. James Park which we all see daily currently.

An international exchange was founded by the mercer Thomas Gresham in 1566 to enable London to compete for financial power with Amsterdam. This became the Royal Exchange in 1560 and is now housed in a massive Victorian building beside the Bank of England Museum in Mansion House Square. If you want to see this great building hop on either Circle or the district line Westbound to Mansion House tube station.

After the reorganization, theatres were banned in the city of London, but it wasn’t for religious objections to the play’s contents. Rather, the city authorities (read guilds) thought they wasted workmen’s time.

Instead of theatres disappearing, they moved across the Thames to Southwark, outside the authority of the city government. Southwark became the entertainment district of London (it was also the red-light area of that time).

The Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was built on the South Bank in 1599, though it burned down in 1613. A modern replica, also called the Globe has been built near the original site. Southwark was also a favourite area for entertainment, like bull and bear-baiting.

Unfortunately, many of London’s Tudor buildings were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, so it is difficult to get a real sense of what the city was like at that time.

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Danes periodically sailed up the Thames and attacked London

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Halloween Celebrations in London 2014

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Halloween is a celebration celebrated pretty much all over the world. But it is something special in London. They start the preparation way too early and this is evident when I went to London recently and exhibited a parade in Leicester Square. London is famous for very reasons and Halloween is also one of them. There are many clubs, pubs and restaurants, which organise Halloween parties. Parties go on from the 31st night to the 1st night. You can also participate in the best costume competitions as well around the town.

halloween celebration in Leicester square oct 2014
Halloween celebration in Leicester square Oct 2014

While walking around on 11th October in Leicester Square, I stumbled on this gathering of the best Halloween costume parade. And It was pretty amazing looking at the people dressed in so many weird and scary makeups and dresses. The best part was it, was all enjoyable, people were drinking, laughing and having a good time. Some people were even making the policeman laugh and took the selfie with them. I must say this, it was not a warm day at all, but there were brave people out there who were up and spirited wearing wicked and scary dresses and makeup entertaining visitors and tourists. It was worth the visit, and I am sure if you go on to London on Halloween night you will have a great time. Make sure you wear something out of the box, you will get some appreciation also there are best costume competitions as well on the 31st night. Which is worth the effort to get dressed, filthy and very scary.

human chain pulling at halloween celebration in leicester square oct 2014
Human chain pulling at Halloween Celebration in Leicester Square Oct 2014

Some of the best places in town for Halloween night are:

  • BGWMC’S Haunted House Party (31st Oct – 1st Nov)

    – The environment they will offer on Halloween night will be something you would love to go to every other day. Well if you are a dance music freak. 3 floors with great dance music will be a treat. Address – Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club 42-46, Pollard Row, E2 6NB

  • Black Butter Records Halloween Special (31st Oct – 1st Nov) –

    Especially known for producing many famous bands and acts. The music offered on the floor is hip hop, electronic, R&B, deep house and many other heart-pounding, breathtaking tunes. Address – Village underground 54, Holywell Lane, EC2A 3PQ

  • Butcher’s Basement (31st Oct – 1st Nov)

    – The best part of going to this party on Halloween is that you will get to see two scary horror movies to bring you into a grove of horror and freaky vibes. The name of the movie, which will be played, is not announced, but surely it will be worth it. You can buy the ticket for one or both if you are up for it. The screen of the movies will be part of the Halloween extravaganza organised by Butcher’s Basement. Address – The Four Quarters 187 Rye Lane, SE15 4TP

nurse halloween dress leicester square london oct 2014
Nurse Halloween dress Leicester Square London Oct 2014

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Delhi to London Jet Airways flight 0122 review

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Travelling to London is always a joy. I have been to London more than any other destination abroad in my entire life. There are many reasons for it, firstly I did my masters from there back in 2006 and then worked there for a couple of years and then went there for tourism and to see my dad. There is something that attracts me to go there often. This time I went there on a business visit. And was looking for a change, I have travelled quite many times from Emirates and Air India. I have travelled with Jet Airways in the past only once and this was my second time. The last time my experience with Jet Airways was back in 2008 was kind of mixed, they had a small entertainment screen and the cutlery was pretty good compared to Virgin Atlantic and Air India. So I booked my Delhi to London flight tickets with Jet Airways, mind you they are more expensive than any Air India flight and Virgin Atlantic flight. So they must give a class service and the meals should be not only satisfactory in portion but in quality too. I know quantity and quality are quite a task to go hand in hand. But then they do charge a premium even on economy class tickets.

jet airways flight 0122 on board meal
Jet Airways Flight 0122 onboard non-veg mean consisting of chicken curry, rice, and roti.

Inside the Jet Airways Flight 0122

I sat humbled and tired in my seat and I felt that the flight departure time will be delayed, and yes the flight moved almost half an hour late. I shall rather say clearly that the meal on the flight was much better than the meal served on Air India. The air hostess was friendly and the entertainment system on board was satisfactory as compared to my last experience. I asked for a low-salt meal when I was checking in and this was well kept in mind when I was served. These are small things, which make a huge difference when giving a nice customer experience. The best surprise was the midnight ice cream which they distributed to everyone. I simply loved having those yummy chocolate ice creams.

USB ports missing on the Economy class seats

Also another small thing worth mentioning, the only thing which I missed Jet Airways should take care of was the USB porta Charging point. To my surprise, there were no USB Charging points available neither near the screen or around the seat. When I asked the air hostess she said me that they don’t have USB points but they can give me universal plugs, which can be used to charge my iPhone under the seat. I must tell you it was not convenient at all but then at least they are courteous enough to lend me the plug so that I could charge my phone. Jet Airways if you are reading this blog post, please in the future make sure you have USB support available for the passengers. Emirates supports USB and is having it next to each screen.

view of London city from jet airways flight 0122
View of London City from Jet Airways flight 0122

Delhi to London flight duration

The flight from Delhi to London took 9 hours and 15 mins. I would recommend people fly with Jet Airways over Air India. Surely I have had enough of horrible service from them. Jet Airways is a better airline than Air India. But then you also have 5-star airlines in Emirates who just outclass Jet Airways in all departments. Perhaps I shall write about my experience travelling with Emirates in my next blog post.

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Medieval London

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Some say that the medieval history of London began on Christmas Day, 1066, when William the Conqueror was crowned and jewelled as the king of England in a ceremony at the newly furbished Westminster Abbey, just three months after his victory at the Battle of Hastings.

William granted the citizens of London special privileges, but he also built a castle in the southeast corner of the city to keep them under control. This castle was expanded by later kings until it became the multifaceted place we now know called the Tower of London.

The Tower was utilized as a royal residence, and it was not until later that it became famous as a prison. During the medieval period, it also acted as a royal mint, and treasury, and catered to the beginnings of a zoo.

In 1097 William II began the building of Westminster Hall, near the abbey of the same name. The hall was to prove the basis of a new Palace of Westminster, the prime royal residence throughout the Middle Ages. On William’s death, his brother Henry needed the support of London merchants to maintain his dubious grip on the throne. In exchange, Henry I gave city merchants the right to levy taxes and elect a sheriff to keep things under his control.

By the early 12th century the population of London was about 18,000 (compare this to the 45,000 estimated at the height of Roman Britain). In 1123 St. Bartholomew’s Priory was founded in the city, and other monastic houses quickly followed.

At one point in the medieval period, there were 13 monasteries in the city. Today, these houses are remembered only by the names they gave to their areas, such as Greyfriars, Whitefriars, and Blackfriars.

The city played a role in the outcome of the struggle between Stephen and Maud for the crown in the 12th century. Although they initially supported Maud, her arrogant behaviour when she occupied Westminster so angered the citizens that they rose in revolt, and Maud was forced to flee London.

In 1176 the first stone London Bridge was built, mere yards from the original Roman bridge across the Thames. This bridge was to remain the only one in London until 1739. Because the passage across this one bridge was narrow and congested with traffic, it was much quicker and easier for travellers to hire water boatmen to row them across the river, or transport them up or downriver.

In 1191 Richard I recognized the right of London to self-government, and the following year saw the election of the first Mayor. This right was confirmed by later monarchs.

In 1245 Henry III began his lifetime work of rebuilding Westminster Abbey, which was reconsecrated in 1269. The other major building project of the medieval period was Old St. Paul’s. The cathedral was finished in 1280.

In 1381 the city was invaded by peasants during the Wat Tyler’s Peasant’s Revolt. Although the major grievances of the peasants were aimed at the advisors of Richard II, they took advantage of their occupation of London to burgle houses within the city. The Lord Mayor, William Walworth, stabbed Wat Tyler to death in an argument at Smithfield.

The London merchants supported Edward IV in his grip on the throne in 1461. In gratitude, Edward knighted many of the merchants.

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The early years of the 18th century saw the birth of newspapers in London. The early papers, the most distinguished

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When Henry VII took the throne in 1485, the population of the city of London was about 75,000. By 1600

Danes periodically sailed up the Thames and attacked London

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Saxon London

Published on

After the Romans left, the city of London fell into a downside of decline. The population diminished considerably and a large area of the city was left in ruins.

London’s location on the Thames River where the London Bridge was made by the Romans was too good for this decline to continue, and the 7th century saw trade once more expand and the city grew once again.

By the 9th century, London was a very wealthy trading and business centre, and its wealth attracted the attention of Danish Vikings. The Danes periodically sailed up the Thames and attacked London. In 851 some 350 longboats full of Danes attacked and burned London to the ground.

The tale of the next century is a confused one, with first English, then Danish, then Norman kings controlling the city. The Danes were ousted from the city by Alfred the Great in 886, and Alfred made London a part of his kingdom of Wessex. In the years following the death of Alfred, however, the city fell once more into the hands of the Danes. Danes seriously didn’t’t want to give up the city of London knowing the wealth made by people through business and trade at that time.

The Danes did not have it all their way. In 1014 when they were busy occupying the city a large force of Anglo-Saxons and Norwegian Vikings sailed up the Thames to attack London. The Danes lined London Bridge and bombarded the attackers with spears.

The attacks ceased when the Danish king Cnut (Canute) came to power in 1017. Cnut managed to unite the Danes with the Anglo-Saxons and invited Danish merchants to settle in the city. London prospered under Cnut, but on his death, the city reverted to Anglo-Saxon control under Edward the Confessor. Edward had been raised in Normandy, so his rule brought French influence and trade.

London was now the wealthiest and largest city on the island of Britain – but it was not the capital of the realm. The official seat of government was at Winchester, although the royal residence was generally in London.

Edward the Confessor was an extremely religious man, and he made it his dream to build an enormous monastery and church on an island on the Thames just upriver from the city. He founded again the abbey at Westminster and moved his court there.

When Edward died in 1065, his successor, Harold, was crowned in the new abbey, strengthening London’s role as the most significant city in England.

Check out more History of London here.

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The early years of the 18th century saw the birth of newspapers in London. The early papers, the most distinguished

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Tudor London

When Henry VII took the throne in 1485, the population of the city of London was about 75,000. By 1600

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Medieval London

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