48 Hours to Impress Your University Child in Canada’s London

Here in the third installment of our “48 hours to Impress Your University Child”, Vacay.ca Contributing Writer Diana Ballon returns to her alma mater at Western University and explores London, Ontario with her daughter. They discover that what parents can offer their adult children is a bit of luxury, some fun one-on-one time, and the chance to have cool experiences that may be well out of range for most budget-strapped university kids.

For me, a visit to London felt a bit like stepping back in time. It has been more than four decades since I attended Western University, and a lot has changed in that time. As Mother’s Day approaches, I reflected on the occasions I’ve bonded with my kids. The holiday coincides with bird migration, an annual celebration that has historically been a time for me to spend with my children, while my birding-crazed husband goes to Point Pelee National Park. Quality time with kids looks different as they age. Diapers, sippy cups, negotiating sunhats, and nap time has been supplanted with cocktails, restaurant visits without meltdowns, crafts, films, and fun outdoor activities.

In April, I spent two days with my daughter, who is now a student at King’s University College, affiliated with Western. So I dare say she is now following in my footsteps. During our 48 hours, we had a series of experiences that brought us closer together, blending our long-standing parent-child relationship with the intimacy that grows between the closest of friends. And we did it all in places neither of us had ever been.

DAY 1: Friday

3 p.m., Check-in at Hotel Metro: A 23-room boutique hotel across the street from the Covent Garden Market, this three-star property isn’t fancy but beds are comfortable, downtown location is super convenient, and I appreciated the pass to GoodLife Fitness — located only a short walk from the hotel — for a quick afternoon workout.

6 p.m., Enjoy dinner at Hunter & Co.: This small plate-style restaurant with fabulous artisanal cocktails was our highlight dining experience of the trip. We chose a bunch of small plates: tuna aburi, birria tacos (with braised beef chuck), and duck dumplings (that also included ground pork) were our favourites.

Before booking, check out the restaurant’s Sunday to Thursday night specials. Into margaritas? You can get them for $10 on Mondays. Planning a date night with your university child on a Thursday? You can get four small plates and a dessert for $80. Or go for Oyster Sunday, Pintxos Tuesday, or Wine Wednesday.

And if you’re into enjoying a specialty cocktail with your young’un, the bartenders here take their drinks seriously, whether it’s to do a classic libation or a cocktail with a twist. They even have a staff cocktail competition.

7:30 p.m., Let it be Grand: The Grand Theatre opened in 1901 as the Grand Opera House, and although I wasn’t actually alive then (although I do feel quite “vintage” at times and have lots of grey hair), I did attend plays there in the mid-1980s. My daughter, Antonia, and I saw Rubaboo, a Métis cabaret of stories and songs with Andrea Menard. Among upcoming productions is Kim’s Convenience, which was written by and stars Ins Choi, and runs from October 17 to November 4.

DAY 2: Saturday

9 a.m., Buzz Bagelz for Breakfast: Walk one minute from the hotel to this spot that specializes in yummy gourmet bagels (open for breakfast and lunch) with great options like “The Buzz Breakfast” and “The De-Lox” with smoked salmon and lots of fixings.

10 a.m., Get Artsy: Formerly the London Clay Art Centre, the newly dubbed Clayworx is a ceramic arts learning centre where people can buy and view the work of local ceramic artists, and enjoy a shared member-based workspace for artists on the main floor. Classes and workshops are upstairs. Antonia and I had our own two-hour “customized experience,” in which she made a mug and I did a platter with a built-in bowl (very cool idea, I might add). But anyone can set up something similar: Your entire family or several university friends can join together to book a private wheel and/or hand-building workshop or a $100 Saturday clay-making date night. Or students can do an 8- to 10-week series of classes in mosaic making and various types of clay work.

Noon, Lunch and More in the Old East Village (OEV): The historic and diverse neighbourhood is where Clayworx is located. A block from the ceramic arts centre is Somerville 630, an open-concept food court. Once a box factory, it has seen been converted to a contemporary dining hall. Have lunch at Willie’s Café, or sample Nepalese food at Momos at the Market. Then enjoy a fine cuppa from the Fire Roasted Coffee Co., where its delicious coffee is roasted on site. (Note that Somerville 630 also has initiatives like Yaya’s Kitchen, which hosts monthly pop-ups and supper club events with African cuisine.)

You can then wander the OEV through self-guided walking tours, as described on the Tourism London website. One tour is on libations (think craft beers, artisanal cocktails, spirits, and coffee). Another focuses on culture, with sites like the original Town Hall for London East — now Aeolian Hall, a performing arts centre and music school — as well as outdoor murals and the city’s only National Historic Site. Called Banting House, it is dubbed “the birthplace of insulin,” because it’s where Sir Frederick Banting came up with the idea that led to discovery of the hormone that is vital to controlling blood-sugar levels. The third self-guided tour is a dumpling trail along Dundas Street.

4 p.m., Mix It Up with a Cocktail-Making Class: Union Ten Distilling is not just a facility producing and selling everything from gin to applejack and cream liqueurs. You can also book a 45-minute tour and tasting or get tickets to one of the venue’s shows or events, which include concerts, pizza nights, and margarita nights. All this is set in an historic building from 1886 with a rustic ambience.

Really want to wow your university child? Follow up a class or tasting and tour with a gift to enjoy when you’re gone. They distillery has fun cocktail gift boxes, like girlfriend kits to make Moscow Mules, taster sets of 50 ml bottles, and pre-bottled Caesars.

Of course, just sitting back and enjoying Union Ten’s Fireside S’Mores Northern Cream (think campfire in a glass) or one of its other creative options makes for a memorable visit.

6:30 p.m., Dinner at The Mule: The latest taco-and-tequila restaurant to hit London is in the downtown’s vibrant Richmond Row. The casual eatery has an excellent cocktail and food menu. Although not billed as a Mexican restaurant, it does have some great Mexican-style options, such as its reposado tequila-based cocktails, like margaritas and Half Way to Mexico (with St. Germain, crème de violette and lemon). The food choices are divided into non-tacos and tacos. Some delicious non-taco options are the guacamole and the “Mule bravas” potatoes with cheese and pickled red and green onions. For tacos, we loved the Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, pork belly, “O.G. fish”, and “cease and desist”— the latter with mixed ground beef, pork, and cheese.

DAY 3: Sunday

9:30 a.m., Breakfast at Edgar & Joe’s: A “social purpose initiative” of Goodwill Industries, this café employs people who face barriers to finding work as part of Goodwill’s six-week Hands-on-Hospitality program. Judging from the quality of the service and the food (we had avocado toast and a breakfast bowl with eggs, tomatoes, and avocado), the training has been a success. Make a difference by contributing to the “Community Café,” where you can pay it forward by adding a coffee or two to your bill for others who might not be able to afford it. (When I was there, 41,775 cups of coffee had already been donated.) While we went to the Café on Horton Street in the SoHo area, there is a second Edgar & Joe’s on Dundas Street.

10:30 a.m., Shop at Covent Garden Market: This covered market across the street from Hotel Metro sells everything from avocadoes to Ethiopian samosas, to smoothies and delicious coffee (at Hasbeans). But it is also more than somewhere to shop. Check the market’s website for a listing of indoor and outdoor events, from festivals to cooking displays and classes.

12:30 p.m., Stay happy: It seemed fitting that my daughter and I should end our time together with lunch at Happiness Café, which sells delicious sandwiches made with fresh croissants (including whole wheat ones) and waffles, as well as sweet treats like doughnuts (try the Nutella and hazelnut one or the Oreo option) and a vast assortment of macarons.

I kept my doughnut for the train ride home. That made me happy. But even more, I was so happy at the one-on-one time I had had with my daughter. Family travel is great, but alone time with your university student will sustain you through many months apart.

Read editions of “48 Hours to Wow Your University Child” in Montreal and Toronto.