Lads, I’m back in the game. After accidentally taking maternity leave from my blog (I just didn’t have time it seems), I’m diving straight in by reviewing a cool foodie experience in London – Bustronome!
I was kindly invited to come and try out the Bustronome experience earlier this week (hashtag gifted) and so I used it as a bit of a date day for me and Josh. Since having Indi, dates are few and far between so it was nice to spend some baby-free time, just the two of us.
But wait, WHAT IS BUSTRONOME I hear you cry!
Well, it’s a double decker bus with a glass panoramic roof that drives around the capital so that you can see all of the best London landmarks. Oh and you’re served a gourmet meal at the same time. Cool, huh?
There are a few meal options – a 4 course lunch, a 6 course dinner or an afternoon tea – but we decided to try out the lunch onboard Bustronome. Mainly because I had to be back for the babysitter innit. #MumLife
Here’s how I got on.
Bustronome London Review
The Bustronome bus picks up and drops off at the same point – on Victoria Embankment, just a couple of minutes from Embankment Tube station. It’s just a regular bus stop so isn’t really advertised and made me worry we were in the wrong place at first. But unlike most London buses, this one was on-time! As it pulled up, they opened the doors and pulled out velvet ropes so it feels like a proper VIP experience, which I thought was a nice touch.
The host showed us to our seats, a cute table for two, and we got our first glimpse of the inside of the bus. It’s nice, fancy chairs and the glass roof is quite impressive so you can see in all directions. Good first impressions.
And then we were off!
A few people have asked me about the ride, whether it was bumpy onboard, whether it made you feel sick to eat on a moving vehicle. But actually, no, it was really smooth. Every table has a plastic contraption that keeps your wine glasses and jug of water secure, but the bus goes quite slow so it’s not really a problem. I mean, it’s Central London traffic after all, so it’s slow-going. But that gives you plenty of time to soak in the landmarks that you pass.
The route of the Bustronome bus is cool, it passes all of the main London sights – Tower Bridge, Tower of London, the London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Shard. And like I said, it’s slow so takes about 2 hours in total for lunch. I believe dinner is a bit longer but takes in some additional sights like Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park.
Everyone onboard also gets an electronic device that lets you point to a landmark on your map, presumeably one you’re passing, and hear all about it and it’s history, etc.
The thing is, the weather was horrendous on the day we visited! So whereas I’ve seen other people getting great photos of the London sights from the Bustronome bus, mine weren’t so hot… But y’know, if it’s raining when you visit London, which it often is, I think I’d rather see the sights from the comfort of a cosy bus, drinking a glass of wine, than being out in the rain. Just saying.
Food-wise, the 4 course lunch was fancy AF. I’m not really used to fine dining, being a street food kinda girl, but I embraced it and felt very “Masterchef” eating it all. Think foam and jus and puree, that kind of thing.
I had the vegetarian option as most of the courses were fish and I don’t eat fish. So I enjoyed an artichoke and houmous “gateau” for the first course, goats cheese and three ways beetroot for my second course, a risotto croquette with carrots and mushrooms for my main and a strawberry and ginger pavola for dessert. Dessert was definitely the best part and Josh raved about his tuna main. Like I said, I’m not normally this fancy but we both enjoyed the food regardless.
It was also paired with two glasses of wine which I did enjoy. Mainly because it feels so frivolous to drink at midday on a Wednesday. I’m into it.
One thing I didn’t really like was the music choice onboard. It jumped from Ed Sheeran to soft jazz to hiphop to Backstreet Boys and kinda sounded like different DJs were fighting over the playlist! But hey, it’s just a little thing and at least means there’s something for everyone I guess?!
Overall we had a really lovely lunch on the Bustronome bus. I think it’s a cool concept and a great idea for someone visiting London for a short amount of time to see the city’s landmarks. Or it would make a lovely date activity. I imagine at night it would be quite romantic surrounded by the city’s twinkling lights.
If you’re keen on trying it out, head over here for more info and to book your tickets.
What do you think, would you try an experience like this? Let me know in the comments below.
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Total Blogger Transparency: This experience was gifted by Bustronome London, however all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I wouldn’t play you like that, shorty.
