Bustronome might just be the most delicious way to see the city.
Of all the bus routes in all the boroughs, this is definitely our new favourite. Bustronome (pronounced like gastronomy, rather than metronome, we assume) whizzes you around London, taking in the most famous spots in town, but what sets it apart from your standard bus tour is the addition of a gourmet meal, served under a panoramic glass route. Certainly beats a soggy Tesco sarnie on the 88 to Camden – and you can book your spot here.
Bustronome arrived on these shores over the summer, having taken Paris by storm. The concept is simple, but effective: you hop aboard the bus for a sitting, and whilst the bus ferries you around the city, you’ll dine on a gourmet meal with a French twist. This means scoffing scallops as you speed past the Shard, which probably means it isn’t the best for those who get carsick. I also have questions like “where is the kitchen?”, but those are just minor details really.
You have three dining options: lunch, dinner, or afternoon tea. Both the number of the courses and the bus routes vary for each sitting, so choose carefully. Lunch is a four-course affair, served as you take in the sights of the City and the South Bank – the Tower of London, The Shard, the London Eye, and Tower Bridge feature prominently on this route. Meanwhile, the dinner route takes you past Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Natural History Museum, whilst you dine on six courses of French-inspired cooking. Finally, Bustronome’s afternoon tea experience is a mix of savoury and sweet, all wrapped up in a one hour, forty-five minute jaunt around town – get your tickets for that here.
Should you choose to join the Bustronome experience, a spot on the top floor — underneath that wonderful glass roof — awaits you. They aren’t allowed to serve alcohol that hasn’t been pre-ordered on board either, which means you need to plan ahead to get merry on the bus. Still, it’s an experience quite unlike any other, so I’m into it. Now let’s just hope they get in on the Hopper scheme so we can do back to back sittings…
Location: departs from coach bay 40B, Victoria Embankment, WC2N 6PB. Nearest station is Embankment. Find a map on their site.
Opening hours: vary depending on which sitting you choose – see them all here.
Price: lunch is £65 per person (£85 with wine pairing) and you can book it here; afternoon tea is £60 per person (£72 with champagne) and you can book it here; and, finally, dinner is £105 (£135 with wine) and you can book it here.
More information: over on Fever.
Featured image: @monsurphotography