Travel photos and trip write-ups: Las Vegas, Seattle, New Orleans, Orlando and Disney, London, Croatia, the Dominican Republic and more, with tips from each visit.
A morning at Borough Market, one of London’s oldest and best-known food markets, next to London Bridge in Southwark.
The market is packed with stalls selling everything from fresh produce, cheese and bread to hot street food from around the world. The photos show the market hall and some of the food on offer.
It’s busiest around lunchtime and on Saturdays, so arriving early makes it much easier to get around. Southwark Cathedral and the Thames riverside walk are right next door.
Before the market we walked across London Bridge for this view of Tower Bridge. See the whole day in A Week in London.
Dinner at Smith’s, a seafood restaurant whose sign promises it’s “Famous for Fish”, during a March 2024 trip to London.
The photos show the restaurant’s sign and some of the seafood dishes from the meal.
Fish is a big part of British cuisine, from classic fish and chips to more upmarket seafood restaurants like this one.
Smith’s is on Wapping High Street, right by the Thames. This was one of the highlights of our March 2024 trip, which you can read about in A Week in London.
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Four days in Washington, DC at the end of February 2024 turned into a seafood-heavy eating tour: oysters by the Potomac, a sushi dinner near the White House, Levantine small plates in Dupont Circle, a seafood tower in Penn Quarter and a basket of fried oysters at an Arlington crab house. Here is where we ate, in order.
Views from Pentagon City
We stayed on the Virginia side, which comes with a great skyline view across the river: the Washington Monument, the Capitol dome and the highways that feed into the city. (More on that traffic in DC traffic is serious.)
Water Bar, National Landing (Crystal City)
Our first proper meal was at Water Bar in National Landing, a short walk from Pentagon City. A bright cucumber cocktail, a fresh salad with wrapped breadsticks and a plate of oysters on ice set the tone for the trip.
Toryumon Japanese House, West End
Dinner that night was Toryumon at 1901 Pennsylvania Ave NW, a few blocks from the White House. Highlights were a cabbage salad heaped with bonito flakes, a long board of nigiri and a nigiri plate served with a little bonsai.
The White House at night
Toryumon is close enough to walk over to Lafayette Square afterward. The White House looks great lit up at night. See also our post The White House.
Ala, Dupont Circle
Ala is a Levantine restaurant in Dupont Circle and the best spot for sharing. We started with a spread of dips and bread, then worked through salads, shrimp in a herby pepper sauce and kebabs with rice.
Café Riggs, Penn Quarter
Café Riggs is the all-day brasserie inside the Riggs hotel, set in a grand old bank building. We had a pink cocktail, bread service, a chilled seafood platter and steak tartare with an egg yolk.
Quarterdeck, Arlington
Our last seafood stop was Quarterdeck, a casual Arlington crab house. Order fried oysters in a red-checked basket, peel-and-eat shrimp and hush puppies.
Where to stay
We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Crystal City, a short walk from Water Bar and the Crystal City Metro station, with quick trains into DC.
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Three days in Las Vegas in November 2023, planned around food: two of the Strip’s best-known buffets, a giant deli sandwich and a night at our favourite tiki bar off the Strip.
Day 1: Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace
We landed and went straight to the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. Glazed ribs, roast chicken, shrimp cocktail, fried rice, tacos and a shrimp soup, then a plate of desserts. It’s one of the biggest buffets in Vegas, and you can tell.
Day 2: Breakfast, Caesars and The Golden Tiki
Breakfast on the Strip was smoked salmon, shrimp and grits and a bagel, followed by ham and an omelet. Then we walked through Caesars Palace, past the famous Caesar statue in the rotunda.
That afternoon there was time for one souvenir that won’t fit in a suitcase: a new tattoo of a retro flying saucer with rocket flames, done by Jason Tritten at Revolt Tattoos in the Fashion Show Mall.
In the evening we went to The Golden Tiki in Chinatown, just west of the Strip. It has glowing waterfalls, tiki lamps, a wall of shrunken heads and video poker built into the bar. We drank a daiquiri and pink and blue frozen tiki drinks, and one came in a skull mug.
Day 3: Greenberg’s Deli and The Buffet at Wynn
Lunch was a towering pastrami Reuben from Greenberg’s Deli. It was barely enough room for dinner.
Dinner was The Buffet at Wynn, our pick for the best buffet of the trip. There were crab legs, sushi and nigiri, prime rib, and a dessert plate with a churro and strawberry cake.
Where to stay
We stayed at Caesars Palace, right in the middle of the Strip. The Bacchanal Buffet is downstairs, and the Wynn is a short ride north.
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The Golden Tiki in Las Vegas, a tiki bar in the Chinatown area just west of the Strip.
The bar is known for its dark, kitschy interior packed with tiki carvings, shrunken heads and themed booths, along with a long menu of classic and original tropical cocktails. The photos show some of the drinks from this visit, including a bright blue one.
It’s open late, which makes it a popular stop after a show or a night on the Strip.
The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace during a November 2023 trip to Las Vegas.
Bacchanal is one of the largest buffets on the Strip, with stations covering everything from seafood and prime rib to dim sum, tacos and a long dessert line. The photos show some of the plates from this visit.
Reservations or a virtual queue spot are recommended at busy times, particularly for weekend brunch and dinner.
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