Yes we’re drinking Italian beer in London. So? Look at that BURGER.

By Wendy
My husband Jack and I arrived in London late on a Thursday night. Our flight from Copenhagen was running behind schedule. Our customs officer was chatty. And in our haste to purchase Heathrow Express tickets, we failed to read the “no change given” sign on that particular machine. So we spent a few more minutes explaining our embarrassing error to the kind airport staff, who reimbursed us and sent us on our way. The Heathrow Express was super fast – but the underground train traveling between Paddington our destination stalled at several stations. We were a little impatient but not at all cranky – we were in London!

A light drizzle began as we looked for our hotel, the Hyatt Andaz Liverpool Street. Of course it was right under our nose, but we proceeded to circle it several times, dragging our luggage and consulting the map until we finally spotted it. The hotel was gorgeous, the staff very welcoming. We checked in, freshened up in our room, and made a beeline for a nearby pub. We walked around the busy streets, hit another pub and continued to get our bearings in the cool East London neighborhood.

As we began to consider dining options, we noticed they were dwindling. And this is a spot we find ourselves in again and again. There’s something about arriving in a new international city that makes Jack and me kind of giddy. We get a surge of energy that counters jet lag and erases any previous little travel annoyances in getting to our destination. Pair that with a few celebratory “yeah, we’re here!” drinks and suddenly it’s midnight and we’re starving. However, a trivial quandry like this usually leads to interesting, and sometimes unforgettable, finds.

We spotted The Polo Bar tucked in a line of buildings not far from Andaz, and the glorious open 24 hours sign. A quick walk past the front confirmed they were serving food, including breakfast all day. Don’t you love places that serve breakfast all day?

The layout feels like an old townhouse, with a narrow staircase connecting three levels of cozy rooms. We climbed up to the top floor, a room packed with tables and a couple of booths near the windows. We ordered burgers, chips and beer – what else?

Polo Bar in the light of day

It was the perfect thing for tipsy tired travelers like us. The chips were steak fries with just the right amount of crispiness around the edges. The juicy burger was dressed with cheese, a fried egg, and bacon. How delicious was it? Basically, I nearly wanted sing a rock ballad tribute to this burger like SpongeBob SquarePants does for his favorite Krabby Patty in the “To Love a Patty” episode.

The Polo Bar atmosphere was down to earth but lively, with friendly, hip staff and a place where you’d see club kids, tourists, colleagues meeting after work or old mates catching up. Not a dive bar exactly, and maybe too popular to be a hole in the wall – but it’s got character. We ended up going back to Polo Bar two other times during our stay in London, once for breakfast – amazing bubble and squeak dishes – and once for another late night snack.

I love London and there is so much to see and do in this city. However, we’ll be sure to make time for Polo Bar next time we’re lucky enough to visit. I may camp out there for 24 hours, people watching and trying everything on the menu.