Before I head off travelling, I thought I’d write a brief guide of my favourite things to in my hometown of London. I’m not going to go into any detail on the major touristy sites, as there’s plenty of information out there already. If you are looking for a full guide book I’d highly recommend the Lonely Planet guide (also available in Kindle format)
Things to do and see
The Barbican Centre – I love the brutalist architecture of the Barbican Centre. This is a cool place to wander around on your own (and take photos if you’re into photography), or you could also join a guided tour.
The Barbican centre also has the Barbican Conservatory, a huge greenhouse filled with tropical plants on the rooftop of the Barbican centre. It’s only open certain evenings, so best to check the website and book tickets in advance, but it’s a really cool place to go for an early evening drink.
The Tate Modern – ok, so this one does feature in a lot of guidebooks but it’s a relaxing place to spend a weekend morning or afternoon. On some Fridays and Saturdays it’s also open late, so you can make an evening of it. Permanent exhibitions are free, you have to pay if you want to see any of the temporary exhibits (best to book in advance for some of the more popular ones)
Walk along the Thames River from Tower of London to Greenwich. If you like walking this makes a lovely day trip. It’s about a 2hr walk but you can stop off at Surrey Docks Farm along the way. This is a cute little working city farm, which you can have a wander around and grab some light refreshments. When you get to Greenwich, there are plenty of things you can see and do (Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich Park, the Royal Observatory) before catching the Uber Thames Clipper back down the river
I really like spending a day in Rotherhithe It’s just past Tower Bridge on the South Side of the Thames and is a bit more relaxing than central London (plus has some nice pubs along the riverside!). Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s first project with his father Sir Marc was the Thames tunnel, and you can see the original tunnel shaft and learn more about this at the Brunel museum in Rotherhithe.
Just along from Rotherhithe is Stave Hill Ecological Park, which really does feel like an Oasis outside of London. It’s a beautiful nature reserve and generally much more quieter than the famous London parks (Hyde, Regents, Green Park etc)
Wapping has a similar vibe to Rotherhithe, although there is less to do there. There are some lovely pubs overlooking the Thames (they get very busy in the summer!) and there are some nice little ornamental canals you can walk along. The nearby St Katherine’s docks has several restaurants and bars
If you find yourself in Southwark (for example when visiting Mercato Metropolitano – see Food and Drink section below!), you could say hello to Stompie, the Mandela Way Tank. It’s an old decommissioned Soviet Tank which is regularly repainted by local graffiti artists. I particularly liked the NHS scheme, which was done shortly after Covid (note the Tank has recently been temporarily removed for restoration, I’m not sure how long this will take)
Food and Drink
Where to Eat
Borough market is a great place to visit for street food, restaurants, bars, and also to buy speciality food products (or fresh fruit and veg if you’re so inclined). One of my favourite places to visit is Padella which does excellent value homemade pasta dishes. I’d recommend going with a friend and ordering several dishes to share. You often to queue to get a table but it’s worth the wait! You could also pop over to Bedales of Borough Market for a glass of wine while you wait. It’s a lovely little wine bar with a great selection of wine as well as a menu of small plates. If you go upstairs you can get a table on the balcony overlooking the market.
A bit further out from Borough Market is Mercado Metropolitano, which is another large outdoor food market specialising in street food.
Close to Mercado Metropolitano is Theo’s, a pizzeria that is highly recommend. There is also a branch in Peckham, further to the South.
If you want a good gastropub, I’d recommend The Coach, which is near Farringdon (and also close to the Barbican Centre). I’ve been there a few times, but have to say the Scallops with Lobster Bisque was definitely a stand out dish.
Hawksmoor has several branches in London and does amazing steak, as well as excellent roast dinners on Sundays. I’d recommend going early evening, most branches have a very good value set menu. If you go outside of the set menu times, it can be a little pricey but is a good place to go for a special occasion or celebration.
Another restaurant which has a few locations in London is Flat Iron, which is quite a casual steak restaurant. They only do flat iron steaks (hence the name), but they do them very well and at a decent price.
One of my favourite restaurants in London is the Quality Chop House on Farringdon Road. This is a great place if you’re looking to splash out, they have exceptional meat and fish – whenever I’ve visited, everything has been perfectly cooked and the steak was exceptional. If you visit over lunchtime, they also do a good value set menu.
Where to drink
Diogenes the Dog is a lovely little wine bar in Elephant and Castle. They have a fantastic (and unusual) selection of wines, with most served by the glass. They’re also happy to let you try a bit before you buy a glass if you’re unsure what you like.
The Old Bank of England on Fleet Street probably has one of the most beautiful and ornate pub interiors you’ll ever see. It’s in the old Law Court’s branch of the previous Bank of England, which operated from 1888 to 1975.
Between Liverpool Street and London Bridge, the Crosse Keys is definitely the nicest Wetherspoons I’ve ever visited. The beautiful decor inside includes marble columns, vaulted ceilings and a curved island bar. Plus the drinks are very cheap (for London!)
If you want to splash out or celebrate a special occasion, I’d recommend one of the cocktail bars in the Shard at sunset, so you can look out over London in daylight and also see it lit up when it gets dark. I visited Hutong (on the 33rd floor) and the views were incredible! The cocktails were also pretty good, but (as expected) on the pricey side
Another place I like for cocktails is the Zetter Townhouse near Farringdon. It’s a quirky Georgian townhouse and a very cool place to have a drink or two. They have a somewhat limited menu, but if there’s a particular cocktail you’d like you can always request it.
Emma and Pete’s Asian Adventure 