Katherine MacAlister visits Seven Dials and sees a side of London that she didn’t even know existed

An Indian breakfast might seem an unusual way to start off the day, but I was game. My taxi driver was less sure as he dropped me off. “There’s a first time for everything,” I told him, “and maybe a last,” he retorted driving off chortling.

But that was exactly why I was here in Seven Dials – to try a bit of everything, starting with Dishoom. Having to get up at the crack of dawn, I used the new Oxford Parkway train and arrived in Marylebone in under an hour. What an amazing addition to our local transport system and how much easier it makes life. Which meant that by 9am I was sitting in Dishoom in Upper St Martin’s Lane awaiting my best friend for a girly weekend of shopping, laughing, adventure and exploration.

Dishoom is a homage to the Irani cafés that were once part of the fabric of life in Bombay, and I can still taste its chai tea, a gentle, smooth, tasty, spicy, milky drink, which I refilled again and again. It made me want to try everything on the menu, especially as the place was packed with people queueing out of the door for a table. This was obviously the place to be even at this time of day.

We tucked into Kejriwal – fried eggs on chilli cheese toast, and a Bombay omelette with soft pau buns and masala beans and it was a good job we ate such a hearty breakfast because we had a busy day ahead of us.

Christmas shopping is daunting at the best of times, let alone in London. But Seven Dials has taken all the stress out of it by offering you everything you need in one small but beautiful part of London and just far enough away from the busy thoroughfares of Christmas hell holes like Oxford Street to make it a pleasurable experience.

Home to over 120 shops, including international flagships and concept stores, renowned beauty and grooming salons as well as over 50 vibrant cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs, the area comprises of Monmouth Street, Earlham Street, Neal Street, Shorts Gardens, Neal’s Yard, Endell Street, Shelton Street, Mercer Street, the Seven Dials monument and St Martin’s Courtyard.

So why not make a weekend of it and really get stuck in. This was certainly my mission. Staying in the opulent One Aldwych Hotel, we checked in our bags and headed off to Blow, a small salon in St Martins Courtyard offering instant blowdrys, nails and make-up, perfect for anyone planning a night out with little time, and we emerged gleaming with movie star hair and painted nails half an hour later. The transformation was complete.

If you don’t know Seven Dials it is a fun, curious and unique part of London, with lots of small kookie and wonderful shops selling everything from cashmere to jewellery. Blissfully unchainy, we strolled contentedly around taking it all in.

Miller Harris on Monmouth Street was a classic example, a tiny little white shop full of gorgeous perfume. We were shown around by the lovely Kat and introduced to each scent, before choosing our favourite, all very different and unique.

Window shopping all the way to Neal’s Yard we joined yet another queue, this time of people trying to get into Homeslice, the local pizzeria. Although it was raining, people were eating pizza in the rain, it was that good. Only serving the specials on the board as slices or a whole, wine is measured in the bottle, or pizzas served with pints of ale. Massive, juicy thin and with the freshest most delicious toppings imaginable, the chestnut mushrooms with parsley and sherry pizza was out of this world. I can’t wait to go back.

Oxford Mail:

  • The stunning One Aldwych Hotel an oasis in the busy metropolis

We got to Hotel Chocolat just in time for our two-hour chocolate lesson, emerging into the late afternoon much more clued up and clutching the chocolate bars we had made ourselves. Then a consultation with Ricardo at Kiehl’s who analysed our skin and gave us lots of good advice about beauty products. A quick glass of wine in local Portuguese wine bar Canela and we headed back to our hotel, elated and exhausted.

A soothing and tranquil retreat, our room at One Aldwych was equally calming. Showered, dressed and rested we settled at the ample cocktail bar, funkily decorated and spacious to an extreme before moving to the dining room on the mezzanine level.

A night out in London seemed too good to waste and we wrapped up and headed out again, finding some lovely bars selling ham and wine, and a good English boozer, to complete our magical day and night in London.

Waking up the next morning to a sumptuous breakfast, we headed out for a morning of proper shopping, spending a fortune and enabling me a stress-free December, before trotting home on the train in time for lunch. It really is that easy, so why not head off to Seven Dials and take the sting out of it.

FACT FILE
Tonight Seven Dials is hosting an exclusive shopping party. Over 100 participating shops, bars and restaurants, including neighbouring village St Martin’s Courtyard, will offer a 20 per cent discount from 5-9pm.
Visit SevenDials.co.uk and StMartinsCourtyard.co.uk for more information.
www.onealdwych.com