London
Morning arrival meant breakfast. Ordered the omelet but got french toast instead, wtf? Although I was too hungry to complain... and the french toast, while too soft, was otherwise pretty good.
The Elizabeth line is awesome for access to the rest of London from Heathrow, and it was a very convenient ride to catch Sam for lunch at Blacklock. The 5 quid-each chops (3x for GBP 15 deal!) there are nothing special but the price is really good, especially if you go for the cuts that are bigger portions. Get a side of tomatoes and some chips too, and enjoy their chalk-written menu on the massive big chops if you want a serious meal.
Saw a massive inflatable duck advertising a local arcade on the Thames in Canary Wharf, soaked in the lovely summer day, then off to NQ64 for some classic arcade games with Sam and Parveen. Was more fun than I expected, even if half the Mario Kart machines were broken. Free-to-play consoles were a nice add, and we didn't mind paying for the co-op Pac-Man game.
Dinner was Kerridge's Bar and Restaurant, where they have a ciassic old-school-wealth vibe of high ceilings and very subtle-yet-showy displays of dry-aged beef on display. The GBP46 fish and chips (sole, not cod) was so fresh it was still crackling from the fryer, although it's hard to say a fish and chips that expensive is remotely worth it. Lamb was good but not memorable, appetizers were actually a highlight if a bit small-- scallops were good and artsy, tomato thing was very fresh. Dessert was probably the best part of the menu, particularly the souffle and the unusual strawberry tart-- the latter was a study in contrasts that worked out very well, with slightly sweet and slightly tart strawberry bits, pastry crust, and a strawberry and champagne gelatin.