Europe 2016

Starting of this year.. I never thought I would travel to the cities I have been wanting to visit for the longest time - Paris & London. It had been a great time planning our itinerary and although not everything was fulfilled, I'm glad it all went pretty well.

In this post, I'm going to selectively pick a few places on where to eat.. and probably a little more on tax refunds and where to get your items!

Paris

Carette

They serve the best scrambled eggs I have ever eaten in my life. Even the ambiance feels so parisian. A pity I didnt manaage to score a table outdoors but I still left this place feeling bloated :)

Brunetti

I thought I can never have another good gelato other than Cow & the Moon from Sydney but Brunetti blew my mind. I had 3 cones of ice cream straight (and even before breakfast!) and no, I am not guilty of my actions. Not a single bit :)

Jacques Genin

Their chocolates and truffles were sooooo yummyz. What's better is that you'll get to taste before you buy too, all you have to do is just ask. No worries about bringing them back because it will be packed into hot/cooler bags before you leave the shop to suit the temperature of your surroundings!

Le Comptoir de Gastronomie

Famous for their Foie Gras, I am not surprised about the taste of their Foie Gras Truffle Ravioli. The boyfriend enjoyed their Cod Fish very much while I liked their Duck Sheperd Pie better. The chocolate lava cake was good too.

Cafe de La Paix

Near to our vicinity was this eye catchy cafe/restaurant which we kept walking pass! Decided to try it during one of our stays in Paris and certainly wasn't a disappointment at all. I had my first Croque Madame and it was really delicious! Their cafe was separated into two, for both fine dining and casual dining. Was supposed to come back for fine dining but didn't manage to find the time to. Next time then!

Monsieur Bleu

A restaurant that has a view of an Eiffel Tower. Making reservations with them was a hassle as it's super not user friendly. The mains weren't amazing but I guess if you're paying for the view and ambiance, it is worth it. I did enjoy their Calamari and Chocolate Dessert though, they were delish.

London

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

We were lucky to get a table for lunch at the 3 michelin starred restaurant in London!!! Their service was top notch and they even surprised us with a dessert on the house cause it was our anniversary! Loved their dessert and mains very very much, thinking of them now makes my tummy grumble.. We paid about GBP $110/pax for lunch, pretty much affordable I would say.

Duck & Waffle

BEST DUCK CONFIT IN MY LIFE. I am not kidding. At GBP $17 at level 40 with floor to ceiling windows, it was truly a steal. I had a great time! I wish I can devour you again T.T

Flat Iron

Hummingbird Bakery

SAID Dal 1929

Chocolate lovers rejoice! Visit them for a cuppa hot chocolate and take a short rest here before continuing with your shopping/sight-seeing!

The Breakfast Club

The Muffin Man Tea Shop

Borough Market

Is it me or every brownie I've tried in Europe was just darn amazing? Even those at Borough Market made me packing 4 of them back to Singapore! I am even regretting now that I did not get more than what I did. They sell many things such as Truffle Sauce, Sausages, Desserts, Cheese, Coffee..etc!! Make sure you visit with an empty stomach :)

Since the BREXIT, we were afraid that we will not be able to get our tax refunds done in London airport for our Paris purchase but not to worry, it can still be done as of now! Leave yourself enough time before checking in for your plane though.

THE TAX REFUND QUEUE IS REAL.

My flight was 2200hours and I reached the airport at 1830. I was supposed to shop at duty free but guess what, I was only done with tax refund, custom checks and check-in at 2145. I literally had to run to my gate for boarding! I was super bummed. Nonetheless, if you are rich enough then skip the tax refund since whatever you're paying for is already cheaper than in Singapore hahaha!

TIP FOR SHOPPING

Hermes

Get your items in Paris!! Every items for Hermes sold in London is slightly more expensive unless you have time to get in Heathrow Airport, then by all means!

We managed to score a few belts from Paris boutiques which were at almost 40% cheaper than in SG, 2 bags which were slightly cheaper and in a new seasonal colour! Accessories were also cheaper in Paris and Heathrow Airport so ya.. skip London's boutique unless you are just...overloaded with money.

Chanel

It is no doubt happier to purchase from their first original boutique in Paris's Rue Cambon. It is where you will get your packaging in white rather than the usual black box. However when I was there, it was cheaper to get Chanel bags in London due to exchange rate (so it really depends, make sure you know your price). A medium classic bag would cost about SGD $5700 in Paris and in London it's about SGD $300 cheaper!!

As of July 2016: Classic Medium EUR $4260

Galleries Lafeyette / Printemps

Wow.....a shopping centre full of brands! You can easily purchase brands like Louis Vuitton, Celine, Balenciaga, Chanel, Saint Laurent... etc. The shoes were also priced slightly lower because of sales. 

Summer Sale

Going in July means SUMMER SALE!! What is Great Singapore Sale because it is NOTHING compared to London's SUMMER SALE. I SWEAR Everything was so cheap!! Even the boyfriend who rarely shops actually bought more stuff than me... -_-

You say it, they have it. Glasses, polo tees, shirts, dresses, shoes.. whatever!

Primark

It was literally a cheap thrill heaven! Priced at lowest about GBP $1?! We bought almost SGD $400 worth or maybe more.

Ralph Lauren / Paul Smith / Ted Baker / Burberry / G-Star Raw

Ohhhhhhhhh... All their jeans, shirts and polo T-s were almost at 30%-50% discount! Super good deal right?!

Fortnum & Mason

THEIR CHOCOLATES LOOK SO GOOD. Skip Harrods, go for Fortnum & Mason instead. Their items are all so pretty that I filled a basket full of food but left empty handed in the end cause I was thinking of my luggage space and weight :( It was very sad that I had to leave without even getting my Alice in the Wonderland teacup! But all is good cause I went for their high tea instead. I WILL RETURN FOR YOU!

Last Tip: DONT BOTHER BRINGING A LOT OF CLOTHES TO LONDON in july because you can basically go with empty luggage and come back full I promise. We went on this trip with 1 luggage and came back with 4 (and we did not even buy finish what we wanted).

♡