For about 13 seconds I considered “The London Email” and then that ridiculous idea flew right by. Thank goodness. Unfortunately, there is no sensible world where I can pull together a succinct and manageable email on London. a) Because I live here and b) because London is huge. So if you’re looking for my restaurant recommendations – you can refer to my “Restaurants in London that are actually very good” posts – here is 2022 and 2023 is en route soon. This post will act as a list of my recommendations for non-eating ideas in London. I can tell I am already going to break that rule. It’s fine. I am comfortable with chaos.
To be very clear, this is my very personalised list of places where I would want to take you, if you, my lovely friends, visit me in London. I do not have children friendly ideas, I am not going to recommend any theatre and no, I don’t know where one clubs these days (or if it is even still referred to as clubbing?).
Day one of staying with me in London
This is a no brainer. We’re going on the uber boat. I love the uber boat. We’re jumping on it at the Greenwich station (but of course, there are many stops) and we’re riding it all the way through to Embankment. The uber boat is great because you can tap on and off with your card (ie no pre-booked tickets), it takes you straight into the city centre in relative airconditioned comfort and you can admire the many beautiful London bridges from the water at the fraction of the price of those tourist boats.
We’re going to wander up through the Victoria Embankment Gardens. We’ll probably walk passed Cleopatra’s Needle and I’ll comment I wonder where they stole that from (Egypt). I think these gardens are so beautiful and on a sunshiney day, they’re bordering on magic.
As we exit the far left of the gardens we’re walking passed Gordon’s Wine Bar. This wine bar is something of an institution being London’s oldest wine bar (130+ years kind of thing) built into a vaulted cellar with a giant cheese fridge. Because of the time of day, we’re likely just to pop our heads in so I can show you the cheese fridge. Highly recommend coming back for a glass of wine soon!
We’re now wandering up to the madness that is Trafalgar Square. You’ll suddenly feel like you’re in a corny early 2000s movie (What a Girl Wants starring the Oscar worthy Amanda Bynes springs to mind). This is peak London tourist’ing and honestly, it’s great! Look out for one of my favourite churches – St Martin’s in the Field – pop in to admire the warped glass window. Take your photo in front of the fountains in Trafalgar Square, look up at Nelson’s Column and spot London’s smallest police station. Look left to spot the Admiralty Arch which you’ll recognise from the recent coronation and if you went through and followed the road you’d end up at Buckingham Palace.
We’re here to see The National Gallery. This gallery is fantastic. In my opinion, if you ONLY go to one gallery in London – this is the one. If you don’t love art or it’s “not your thing” – a) grow up and b) you will at least find one thing you love here. The National Gallery is free so even if you pop in for twenty minutes to go find one thing to love – you haven’t lost a cent in the process!
While visiting The National Gallery, look up and around you – the building itself is absolutely incredible. Heavy hitters in The National Gallery include Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh, Monet, Cezanne, Rembrant, da Vinci, and The Arnolfini Portrait, by Jan van Eyck (spoiler alert – she wasn’t pregnant! It was just the style of the time!). They helpfully pulled together a list of “must sees” including their room numbers – do a little research to avoid missing a potential favourite!
At this point, you’re probably hungry and your feet are tired. We’re popping in for Lunch at Dishoom. Recommendations on what to order are included in this post! (Hint: okra fries! Trust me!).
From here you can head up to explore Chinatown and Soho. Antidote is a lovely wine bar to stop at for a little interesting wine and cheese and charcuterie snacking. You’re also in the area of Noble Rot. Chinatown is fantastic and does look like the movies. If you veto’d lunch at Dishoom – then Dumpling Legends is another fantastic lunch choice. I also suggest what to order in this post. If you’re looking for a corny dessert then matcha soft serve stuffed into waffle fishes can be found in Chinatown!
By now you’re absolutely knackered and we’re heading home (via the tube) to drink wine on the balcony. What a wonderful day one!
Day two of staying with me in London
Start your day with a pastry. We don’t eat breakfast in my house except if breakfast is pastries! There are so many fantastic options. I am such a fan of the M&S pain au chocolat – I know that feels insane to read but honestly, they’re sensational. Other widely found bakeries include Gail’s, Paul’s, Ole & Steen and Pret for their giant choc chip cookies. There are of course many amazing independent bakeries but of course, that’s super location specific so make sure to do a quick Google!
We’re off to Kew Gardens. I absolutely love Kew and have visited and loved Kew in all seasons. I will be honest, yes, Babylonstoren is better. BUT Kew is great with a fantastic glass conservatory, the orchid festival in February (free with your entry just remember to book a timed spot!), gorgeous roses in the summer months and our never missed annual Christmas lights visit including boozy hot chocolate. Don’t rush, you will need at least two hours in the gardens. Grab a coffee on entry if needed!
Pub lunch at Coach & Horses. This is definitely not the best pub in London but they give it a pretty damn good go. We have visited a few times and can recommend the fish and chips, the bangers and mash and the pork belly full Sunday roast. Sunday pub lunches are important so make sure to spend a little longer, order another beer or cider on tap, try the sticky toffee pudding!
Day three of staying with me in London
Right, it’s Monday gang and I love you but I haven’t taken leave. So I am going to work upstairs and you’re going out. Grab a free walking tour. London is a huge city – so there are many amazing free tours for each popular pocket of London – I think Jono has been on three of them when he first visited in 2018. I have also enjoyed the free Harry Potter walking tour which was pretty charming too.
If you only have time for one – I would probably recommend focusing on London City which covers many of the big deal spots. There are so many options – have a Google and make sure to pre-book to secure your spot! The tours are always super interesting and I feel you learn so much!
They’re called free tours but they’re tip-based tours so remember to carry some cash for tipping. When I first started doing these free tours, I didn’t have much money so I would tip between £5-10 per person. We are now in a better place financially and we try to tip a little more because we are privileged enough to be able to, so we work on between £10-15 per person. I like to think we’re paying it forward to help cover someone on the tour who isn’t able to tip much. It all comes out in the balance!
After the tour, you should land up in a pretty busy pocket. Have a skim through “Other London ideas we love” below for what to do next.
Because I am a pretty good friend, we’ll log off work at a reasonable hour and head up to Greenwich Park to see all the good boys and girls having their walks. Walk up to the Royal Observatory for a fantastic view over the city. It’s also home to the Prime Meridian line which is smack bang between the western and eastern hemispheres and all other time zones are set from here (GMT = Greenwich Mean Time). You can wrap the walk up there or spend another hour visiting the flower garden, the pond and One Tree Hill Vista Point.
And then we’re grabbing takeaway burgers at Honest Burger to enjoy back home on our balcony so we can catch up on your fantastic day.
Other London ideas we love
Right at this point you’ve left because house guests are like fish – they go off after three days. Jokes, jokes! You’re welcome to stay, I have just gotten over planning perfect days. Pick and mix your own perfect day with a few of the ideas below.
Free museums that are great
– British Museum – come see the many things the Brits have stolen from all over the world. Very important to comment a few times: “Look at all these things they stole!!”. Highlights include The Rosetta stone, Egyptian mummies, The Parthenon Sculptures (as in the statues on top of the Parthenon in Athens, as in this should be in Greece), crouching Venus, the bust of Ramesses the Great and Hoa Hakananai’a (moai from Easter Island). The museum itself is also very beautiful.
– The National History Museum is known for the Dippy the Diplodocus skeleton which hangs in the Central Hall but is absolutely packed with treasures. I love this free tour of the museum by Strawberry tours and I am saving the link here for me!
– The National Portrait Gallery – just around the corner from The National Gallery and a little smaller and easier to manage.
– Wallace Collection – just off Oxford Street. it’s the most beautiful decadent museum. The highlight must be the recently restored The Swing. The colours are dreamy!
– The V&A – I don’t have a highlight that springs to mind but I do remember it being absolutely packed with treasures. Maybe one I need to revisit!
– Greenwich Maritime Museum and the Queen’s House – we love these museums as they’re free and close to home. But if you have limited time I wouldn’t head to Greenwich to visit these museums alone.
Other fantastic touristy bits
– The Tower of London – includes a chance to see the crown jewels
– Buckingham Palace – if you get your timing right you can also catch the changing of the guards
– St James’s Park – next to Buckingham Palace. I love to see the swans.
– Westminster Abbey – highlight!!
– St Paul’s Cathedral
– Wave at Big Ben (he’s the bell, not the clock, blah blah, everyone will tell you this “fun” fact. Now you’re a genius too.)
– Houses of parliament
– Get a good photo of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament at this handy spot. Instagram guide linked.
– The Sky Garden for great city views – it’s free but you need to book
– Tower Bridge – this is the one you want. NOT London Bridge.
Markets worth exploring:
– Borough Market – Iconic. Mad. So expensive. But a must-visit.
– Columbia Road Flower Market – Sundays only from 8am til 2pm. If you’re a local and looking to take plants or flowers home, head through near the end of the day for discounted treasures!
– Camden Market – Again iconic. Again mad.
– Portobello Road Market – explore beautiful Nottinghill whilst you’re in the area
Foodie things (I said I’d probably cheat)
– Grab a great Sunday pub lunch – our current favourite is Guy Ritchies’ pub, Lore of the Land. It is excellent. You will need to book far in advance.
– Visit a Michelin-starred restaurant – London is jam-packed with them. Here’s a list of the cheapest ones in London which might be a good place to start. (Also saving this list here for me tbh…)
– Amazing curry on Brick Lane
– High tea somewhere very posh!
– The Churchhill Arms – built in 1750! Now you can find the entire outside decorated with the most incredible flower display. And believe it or not – this very old pub serves Thai food!
– Visiting some great bakeries – London really does have some of the best bakeries. Super famous names include Cedric Grolet and Dominque Ansel. I have these two reels saved down for future bakery adventures – Top 10 bakeries in London and Top 4 viral London bakeries for under £6.
Great shops to visit:
– Fortnum & Mason – MAGIC! Must grab a little treat to take home. I love the carousel biscuit tins. Check if the Christmas decorations are out (they arrive pretty early) as they’re the best!
– Pop into Jo Malone London on Regent Street – it’s the flagship and they often have unique campaigns running. You can also have your perfume engraved in store which makes for a lovely memento.
– Pop into the many charity shops – you might find a gem!
– Shop anything and everything on Oxford Street.
– Visit Liberty’s – an incredible department store near Oxford Circus. Founded in 1875, but the current building, constructed from the timber of two ancient warships was built in the 1920s.
Day trips from London
We haven’t done many of these and we are working on exploring more day trips from London. But the ones I can recommend are:
– Cambridge
– Oxford
– Brighton
– Windsor
– Hampton Court Palace
What I would skip
– London Eye – it’s really expensive. I’d rather catch the views from the Sky Garden for free.
– The Tate – it’s just not my vibe. It’s too far out there. If you love modern art – knock your socks off! It’s free! I will contradict myself here though because if Yayoi Kusama’s exhibition is on at the Tate Modern then I would recommend visiting. But this is a paid-for exhibition and I don’t think it’s on at the time of writing this.
– SEA LIFE London – I don’t support large marine mammals behind glass. Hard no for me.
– Madame Tussauds London – I am negatively interested in this experience. Save your money for wine.
– Catching a West End Show – I have such mixed feelings about this. We are not huge theatre buffs and it’s very expensive for something you may not love. So I leave this one to you.
On my London to do list
– Primrose Hill
– Books for Cooks
– Salt beef bagel from Beigel Bake on Brick Lane
– Tennis at Wimbledon
– Strawberry Hill
– Ludo Serpentine
– Bermondsey Beer Mile
– Spitalfields Market
– Crystal Grotto
– Hijingo Bingo – futuristic bingo in Shoreditch
Good links
This Time Out list is really lovely and has tons more details. Not quite as pretty, but the Secret London list is good too.
