My London

Image: Julian Calverley/Corbis

London offers me a sense of familiarity. There have been some noticeable changes in the transport system, and of course, the skyscrapers within the city and the dockland area add to the shift to a new era of a modern city, but these changes are not really felt within central London.

Recommendations
There is no dearth of good hotels in London. While I now stay in a flat in central London, I used to use the hotels around the Marble Arch, which gave me access to the city, shopping and restaurants. Cumberland Hotel in Marble Arch and the Hilton at Edgware Road are two of my favourites.

It is a city of restaurants; I do not believe that there is any city in the world which offers such variety. There are clusters of different kinds of restaurants, notably in Leicester Square, Soho, Edgware Road, Mayfair, Chinatown and Duke Street. For Lebanese food, try Maroush (Seymour Street), Fakhreldine (Green Park) and Al Hamra (Mayfair). Some other picks: Zafferano (Italian; Knightsbridge), Wolseley (English; Piccadilly), Thai Square (central London), Busaba Eathai (Thai, Wardour Street), Nobu (Japanese; Berkeley Street), Ping Pong (for dim sum; central London). And for an English Tea, visit Fortnum and Mason (Regent Street).

Getting Around
Traffic, like in any big city, is maddening. Using one’s own car is expensive (there’s a congestion charge) and it’s almost impossible to find parking. The quickest and easiest way to travel is by the Tube. Even for a first-timer, it is simple to understand and it is well networked, so you can travel to any part of London.

Get an Oyster Card for travel. You can buy one at a tube station or at some newsagents. For a social evening, black cabs are best.  

Time Off
There are umpteen museums which do not have any entry fee. Go for a walk in the beautiful Hyde Park, St. James’s Park, Green Park or Trafalgar Square. The shopping in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly is great. Sale season is in summer, in July, and in winter after Christmas — that’s when you get the best bargains.

If you have a day off, I’d recommend Hampton Court, Oxford, Cambridge, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Brighton and Durdle Door.

Tips
Business meetings are best over lunch or dinner at restaurants or at some of the business centres. It is very expensive, however, to book rooms in a hotel for business meetings. Always book restaurants in advance, especially in the evening.

Som Mandal is Managing Partner at law firm Fox Mandal Little
(Co-ordinated by Shloka Nath)