Today Bo and I spent the afternoon shopping for our Marylebone flat. Have I mentioned how tough it is to set up two homes simultaneously? Unfortunately for Bo, our Geneva flat was prioritized since the moving process started there earlier and is now solidly in a place where I am comfortable entertaining for girl’s night this week!  That said, the London flat is still in much rougher shape.

Luckily, during the madness better known as fighting London crowds while trying to shop on a Saturday, we discovered three new spots, each serving a different purpose.

Selfridges: There is something to be said for the convenience of shopping in a large department store. Our list of things to buy today included everything and anything including, but not limited to a duvet and cover, shoes for both Bo and myself, a bread knife, power strip, and a UK Apple TV. Walking through the front doors of Selfridges we expected it to be most similar to Saks in New York, delivering a high end shopping experience while still having a range of brands. What was shocking and delighting was the fact that each level in the store served just about every consumer need from clothing to home goods to electronics. In addition, the customer service was absolutely incredible which was so nice given that customer service in Europe (except for five star restaurants and hotels) generally lags far behind the US.  Every single salesperson went above and beyond to meet our needs and help us in anyway possible, even when it included handing us over to another brand shop or associate. We spent more than 30 minutes meandering through their Food Hall which was more like a farmer’s market than a food court. While their prices are on average higher than John Lewis, their competition located across the street, the experience is far more pleasant and worth the extra pence, especially if you have a long list. If you’re visiting London, similar to Harrod’s, it is an experience you shouldn’t miss. Hop into their Food Hall for a delicious lunch and then spend a few hours meandering through their many boutiques and aisles, especially the shoe floor and beauty section.

The Fromagerie: In New York City we never lacked for an abundance of great cheese shops. However, one thing that we’d never seen until today was a walk-in, refrigerated room with showcased cheese. There were even cheese monger’s on hand who happily made phenomenal recommendations and allowed samples.  If you don’t want to find cheeses to take home for your next cheese plate, go for the experience and stay for a snack served in their on-site cafe which looked equally as inviting. The Marylebone: Maybe this bar wins points because it is walking distance from our flat. Or because we happened to walk up to the bar just as we were both reaching the point in the day when we couldn’t handle shopping or walking into one more shop. Regardless, any bar who serves cocktails in Mason jars wrapped in burlap is pretty epic, especially in London. The service was friendly and fast even though they were overflowing with customers on this rainy Saturday evening. From 12-8pm on Saturday they have 2 for 1 specialty cocktails which is quite rare for a bar with mixology as sophisticated as theirs (think house made liquor infusions and blow torches used to caramelize garnishes).  We spent an hour sitting in their outdoor seating relaxing with the bar’s flavored popcorn and sipping drinks. Not a bad way to end a long day of shopping.