Just a few hours after we arrived in London, Dan's parents took us out to dinner on the R.S. Hispaniola, a boat docked on the Thames River. My jet lag and travel exhaustion melted away as we walked from the Strand Palace Hotel to the R.S. Hispaniola and I soaked in my first sights of London.

The boat has two decks and as the bottom deck was closed off for a private event, we sat on the top. One of the biggest reasons that you should dine on the R.S. Hispaniola, is the unparalleled views of London. We were directly across from the London Eye.

The menu was filled with a variety of options and with my mind on London overload, I found it hard to decide.

I finally settled on the Goat Cheese and Walnut salad for a starter with the Risotto Primavera for my main. Dan's mom also had the same starter and main.

Dan started with the Scallops on Asparagus and had the Welsh Lamb Chops for his main. Dan's father also had the lamb, but had the pigeon for his starter.

Dinner was delicious and we ended with some equally amazing desserts. I was curious about the Traditional Summer Pudding, so Dan ordered it for me to try, while I stuck with the safe bet of the Icebox Chocolate Parfait. The Traditional Summer Pudding is a mix summer berries cooked in their own sauces with bread to hold it together. It was okay, but I'm glad that I ordered the parfait! Dan's parents had a cobbler and a lemon based cream dessert.

Here is a shot of our group at dinner. A big thank you to Dan's parents for starting off our UK trip in style!

A few more pictures of the boat.

If you're looking for a special place for a meal in London, I highly recommend the R.S. Hispaniola. Stay tuned as I have many more UK restaurant reviews coming soon, including the best pub meal ever!

Our first hotel of the trip (and there have been many) was the Strand Palace in London. The Strand Palace is a hotel that Dan's parents like when they visit London and they very generously treated us to four nights in the hotel to kick off our trip.

The Strand Palace is a grand building that was erected in 1909. It has many art deco decor touches, but is completely modern in the rooms. I'm so used to visiting Las Vegas, where a hotel is outdated after ten years and knocked down within twenty, that it has been amazing to stay in so many old hotels and inns during this trip.

Here are a few pictures of the reception, which had several large fish tanks.

Since the Strand Palace is an older hotel and has been modernized to include en-suite bathrooms, the space in the rooms is a bit tight. It felt like being in an Ikea store mock-up, where the functionality of the space was a top priority. The rooms do not have closets, but they do have several shelves and plenty of drawers.

The color scheme and decor were very tasteful and most important, the bed was comfortable. I've had a real lesson in hotel beds during this trip and I have learned the importance of not only a good mattress, but quality linens. The linens make such a huge difference to getting a good nights sleep. The Strand Palace nailed it.

The bathroom was nice with a big, deep bathtub. The only complaint regarding the bathroom was the lack of storage. As well thought out as the bedroom was with regard to storage space, it was the opposite story in the bathroom. They need to add a shelf for toiletry storage.

Normally I'm not too bothered by the complimentary toiletries, but I need to give a special mention to the Brazilian Nut Body Lotion provided by the hotel. It smelled fabulous and I even took the leftovers with me. It was good enough to track down the supplier and buy some for home. The fragrance reminded me of a beach vacation.

The best thing about The Strand Palace Hotel is its location. We were a short walk from Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross Station, The London Eye, Big Ben, et... The fantastic accessibility makes this hotel a great home base for exploring the city.

I highly recommend The Strand Palace for your next visit to London.

UK August-October 2013 - London Gluttony R.S. Hispaniola

UK August-October 2013- Strand Palace Hotel