Guidebook for London

Katrina
Guidebook for London

Essentials

215 locals recommend
Lidl
27 Well St
215 locals recommend
33 locals recommend
Phoenicia
192 Kentish Town Rd
33 locals recommend
101 locals recommend
Iceland Foods
1/11 Watney St
101 locals recommend
128 locals recommend
Co-op Food
116-118 Pitshanger Ln
128 locals recommend
189 locals recommend
Sainsbury's Local
105-109 Salusbury Rd
189 locals recommend
1336 locals recommend
Tesco Express
179 Shoreditch High St
1336 locals recommend
45 locals recommend
Earth Natural Foods
200-202 Kentish Town Rd
45 locals recommend
Also known as "Whole Paycheque Market" - shop with care, as prices are crazy, but it's good for rare specialty items and health foods.
782 locals recommend
Whole Foods Market
63-97 Kensington High St
782 locals recommend
Also known as "Whole Paycheque Market" - shop with care, as prices are crazy, but it's good for rare specialty items and health foods.
Really wonderful fruit and vegetable sellers - the quality and variety will inspire you to cook! Also sell some specialist dairy and oil items, rare grains, etc.
Parkway Greens
52 Parkway
Really wonderful fruit and vegetable sellers - the quality and variety will inspire you to cook! Also sell some specialist dairy and oil items, rare grains, etc.

Food Scene

Great brunch spot, busy with families on weekends.
29 locals recommend
Bread & Bean
37 Junction Rd
29 locals recommend
Great brunch spot, busy with families on weekends.
Informal Vietnamese street food
Carrots & Daikon
10 Highgate Rd
Informal Vietnamese street food
Traditional pub serving Thai food.
92 locals recommend
The Pineapple
53 Hercules Rd
92 locals recommend
Traditional pub serving Thai food.
Italian sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads, Italian cakes.
Tolli Coffee
327 Kentish Town Rd
Italian sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads, Italian cakes.
Informal Asian fusion, pleasant informal atmosphere, book on Fri and Sat nights.
16 locals recommend
Bintang
93 Kentish Town Rd
16 locals recommend
Informal Asian fusion, pleasant informal atmosphere, book on Fri and Sat nights.
Yes, this is a garden centre, but there's a fabulous cafe upstairs. Great cakes.
Camden Garden Centre
2 Barker Dr
Yes, this is a garden centre, but there's a fabulous cafe upstairs. Great cakes.
Glamorous, good-quality vegetarian restaurant with excellent cocktails. Brunch through to dinner.
60 locals recommend
Mildred's
200 Pentonville Rd
60 locals recommend
Glamorous, good-quality vegetarian restaurant with excellent cocktails. Brunch through to dinner.
Kitschy little checked-tablecloth restaurant with informal atmosphere and traditional (somewhat stodgy!) Italian food.
6 locals recommend
Goodfare
26 Parkway
6 locals recommend
Kitschy little checked-tablecloth restaurant with informal atmosphere and traditional (somewhat stodgy!) Italian food.
Decent Japanese food at good prices, and you rarely have to book.
Bento Ramen
29/31 Parkway
Decent Japanese food at good prices, and you rarely have to book.
Hip coffee shop serving nice lunches and sweet snacks. Macbook and beard optional.
26 locals recommend
Leyas
20 Camden High St
26 locals recommend
Hip coffee shop serving nice lunches and sweet snacks. Macbook and beard optional.
There are several Ottolenghis in London. Google for more details, as some are more formal and some are more cafe-style. Lovely Mediterranean fusion food with a focus on big, fresh flavours. Great for vegetarians.
364 locals recommend
Ottolenghi Islington
287 Upper St
364 locals recommend
There are several Ottolenghis in London. Google for more details, as some are more formal and some are more cafe-style. Lovely Mediterranean fusion food with a focus on big, fresh flavours. Great for vegetarians.
Raw vegetarian food and amazing smoothies. Arrive early (like at 11am for lunch) because the queue gets long. No bookings taken.
7 locals recommend
Wild Food Café
14 Neal's Yard
7 locals recommend
Raw vegetarian food and amazing smoothies. Arrive early (like at 11am for lunch) because the queue gets long. No bookings taken.
Vegan Japanese food.
12 locals recommend
Itadaki Zen
139 King's Cross Rd
12 locals recommend
Vegan Japanese food.
Simple Turkish food. Try the mixed mezze platter. Good for vegetarians.
24 locals recommend
Red Art Cafe Bar London
113 Kingsland High Street
24 locals recommend
Simple Turkish food. Try the mixed mezze platter. Good for vegetarians.
Indian and South Asian street food in a hip East End cultural venue with live music and art cinema.
260 locals recommend
Rich Mix
35-47 Bethnal Green Rd
260 locals recommend
Indian and South Asian street food in a hip East End cultural venue with live music and art cinema.
Curry is one of London's iconic dishes, and Needoo is one of its most iconic curry houses (though a lot of people like Tayyab's, we think Needoo is slightly better). Beware: you will smell of grilled meat by the time you leave!
41 locals recommend
Needoo Grill
87 New Rd
41 locals recommend
Curry is one of London's iconic dishes, and Needoo is one of its most iconic curry houses (though a lot of people like Tayyab's, we think Needoo is slightly better). Beware: you will smell of grilled meat by the time you leave!
Surprisingly great little Korean barbecue restaurant, with a slick interior and very fresh food, steps away from the madness of Tottenham Court Road. An alternative to the crowded informal restaurants of nearby Soho.
Han Kang
16 Hanway Street
Surprisingly great little Korean barbecue restaurant, with a slick interior and very fresh food, steps away from the madness of Tottenham Court Road. An alternative to the crowded informal restaurants of nearby Soho.
Proper New Zealand coffee (and cakes) in the middle of Soho.
18 locals recommend
Flat White
17 Berwick St
18 locals recommend
Proper New Zealand coffee (and cakes) in the middle of Soho.
A big new brunch and lunch spot near King's Cross St Pancras. If you need to wait for a table, there's a bar area serving croissants and coffees. Civilised!
73 locals recommend
Grain Store
1-3 Stable Street
73 locals recommend
A big new brunch and lunch spot near King's Cross St Pancras. If you need to wait for a table, there's a bar area serving croissants and coffees. Civilised!
Good quality brunch and lunch by Australian chef Bill Granger.
58 locals recommend
Granger & Co. Kings Cross
7 Pancras Square
58 locals recommend
Good quality brunch and lunch by Australian chef Bill Granger.
Good quality brunch and lunch by Australian chef Bill Granger.
49 locals recommend
Granger & Co. Clerkenwell
50 Sekforde St
49 locals recommend
Good quality brunch and lunch by Australian chef Bill Granger.
Good quality brunch and lunch by Australian chef Bill Granger.
306 locals recommend
Granger and Co.
175 Westbourne Grove
306 locals recommend
Good quality brunch and lunch by Australian chef Bill Granger.
Great brunch and lunch.
83 locals recommend
The Modern Pantry
47-48 St John's Square
83 locals recommend
Great brunch and lunch.
Elegant Indian brunch and lunch, with a street food leaning.
93 locals recommend
Dishoom
12 Upper St Martin's Ln
93 locals recommend
Elegant Indian brunch and lunch, with a street food leaning.
New York style brunch spot.
40 locals recommend
Balthazar
4-6 Russell St
40 locals recommend
New York style brunch spot.
Hip lunch spot.
83 locals recommend
Pedler
One Canada Square
83 locals recommend
Hip lunch spot.
Not our style, but an iconic London destination - fancy sushi at the top of the "gherkin" building. Booking weeks ahead is imperative, but they'll try to be flexible if you're running late.
237 locals recommend
SUSHISAMBA London
Bishopsgate
237 locals recommend
Not our style, but an iconic London destination - fancy sushi at the top of the "gherkin" building. Booking weeks ahead is imperative, but they'll try to be flexible if you're running late.

Drinks & Nightlife

Top-notch cocktails at reasonable prices in a moody speakeasy atmosphere. Booking ahead is essential.
228 locals recommend
Nightjar
129 City Rd
228 locals recommend
Top-notch cocktails at reasonable prices in a moody speakeasy atmosphere. Booking ahead is essential.
One of London's oldest pubs. If you want to get a meal there, it's advisable to book a table. Around the corner is the Herschel Museum, which hosts monthly cocktail nights in the garden. Google "Midnight Apothecary Rotherhithe" for details.
200 locals recommend
The Mayflower Pub
117 Rotherhithe St
200 locals recommend
One of London's oldest pubs. If you want to get a meal there, it's advisable to book a table. Around the corner is the Herschel Museum, which hosts monthly cocktail nights in the garden. Google "Midnight Apothecary Rotherhithe" for details.
Friendly little bar with trees growing indoors and cute "treehouse" booths, drinks at reasonable prices.
15 locals recommend
Portobello Gold
95-97 Portobello Rd
15 locals recommend
Friendly little bar with trees growing indoors and cute "treehouse" booths, drinks at reasonable prices.
Hip queer venue - google for listings. "Clam Jam" is a regular women's club night.
187 locals recommend
Dalston Superstore
117 Kingsland High St
187 locals recommend
Hip queer venue - google for listings. "Clam Jam" is a regular women's club night.
Whiskey bar and sometimes live music venue. Check online for listings because some nights you need a ticket to the music gig to get in.
203 locals recommend
Cafe OTO
18-22 Ashwin Street
203 locals recommend
Whiskey bar and sometimes live music venue. Check online for listings because some nights you need a ticket to the music gig to get in.
Racketty, good-natured little bar attached to the Arcola Theatre - fills up with arty types having after-show drinks. Occasional live music.
199 locals recommend
Arcola Bar
24 Ashwin St
199 locals recommend
Racketty, good-natured little bar attached to the Arcola Theatre - fills up with arty types having after-show drinks. Occasional live music.
Tiny, very old subterranean bar serving wine by the glass or bottle and cheese platters. Amazing atmosphere, but not for the claustrophobic - the ceilings are very low and it rattles a bit when tube trains go past! A must-do-once London experience. Enter by small door on Villiers Street or side alley next to the park. A few outdoor tables for sunny days.
114 locals recommend
Champagne Bar
87-135 Brompton Rd
114 locals recommend
Tiny, very old subterranean bar serving wine by the glass or bottle and cheese platters. Amazing atmosphere, but not for the claustrophobic - the ceilings are very low and it rattles a bit when tube trains go past! A must-do-once London experience. Enter by small door on Villiers Street or side alley next to the park. A few outdoor tables for sunny days.
Rooftop summer cinema.
19 locals recommend
Rooftop Film Club
133 Rye Ln
19 locals recommend
Rooftop summer cinema.
Live music venue. Book ahead for gigs.
208 locals recommend
Roundhouse
Chalk Farm Road
208 locals recommend
Live music venue. Book ahead for gigs.
Atmospheric live music venue in a church. Book ahead for most gigs.
87 locals recommend
Union Chapel
19b Compton Terrace
87 locals recommend
Atmospheric live music venue in a church. Book ahead for most gigs.
Wine bar with an interesting approach - buy a pre-pay card and serve yourself from dozens of wines. You can buy a whole glass or a small sip, so you can taste as many as you like.
17 locals recommend
Vagabond Charlotte St
25 Charlotte St.
17 locals recommend
Wine bar with an interesting approach - buy a pre-pay card and serve yourself from dozens of wines. You can buy a whole glass or a small sip, so you can taste as many as you like.
Good gig venue. Check listings and book ahead.
15 locals recommend
Islington Assembly Hall
Upper Street
15 locals recommend
Good gig venue. Check listings and book ahead.
Hard rock and metal pub with a friendly vibe and frequent live shows. Check listings online or just show up.
12 locals recommend
The Black Heart
3 Greenland Pl
12 locals recommend
Hard rock and metal pub with a friendly vibe and frequent live shows. Check listings online or just show up.
189 locals recommend
Shepherd's Bush Empire
211 Shepherd's Bush Grn
189 locals recommend
Sticky-floored hard rock pub in Camden Lock.
8 locals recommend
The T.E Dingwall Building
11 Camden Lock Pl
8 locals recommend
Sticky-floored hard rock pub in Camden Lock.
Big gigs, book ahead. Caution, not all scalper tickets will pass. Buy scalped tickets at your own risk.
8 locals recommend
Brixton Academy (Stop B) station
8 locals recommend
Big gigs, book ahead. Caution, not all scalper tickets will pass. Buy scalped tickets at your own risk.
Another "iconic" destination that might be your style or might not. Take an expensive elevator ride to the top and drink sparkling wine while overlooking London.
828 locals recommend
The Shard
32 London Bridge St
828 locals recommend
Another "iconic" destination that might be your style or might not. Take an expensive elevator ride to the top and drink sparkling wine while overlooking London.
If you want the "drinks with a view" central London experience but balk at the price of going up the Shard, SkyLounge at the Hilton DoubleTree is a nice, posh-o feeling rooftop bar with slightly more reasonable prices.
13 locals recommend
Savage Garden LDN
7 Pepys St
13 locals recommend
If you want the "drinks with a view" central London experience but balk at the price of going up the Shard, SkyLounge at the Hilton DoubleTree is a nice, posh-o feeling rooftop bar with slightly more reasonable prices.

Entertainment & Activities

Luxurious cinema with high ticket prices, plush seats, food service and booze.
402 locals recommend
Electric Cinema
191 Portobello Rd
402 locals recommend
Luxurious cinema with high ticket prices, plush seats, food service and booze.
Art cinema running regular seasons and special events. Google listings for details.
109 locals recommend
BFI Southbank
0 Belvedere Rd
109 locals recommend
Art cinema running regular seasons and special events. Google listings for details.
Tiny little indie cinema with cocktails and small plates.
89 locals recommend
Kino Bermondsey
10 Bermondsey Square
89 locals recommend
Tiny little indie cinema with cocktails and small plates.
Low-cost cinema showing cult classics and some new releases. Go for Rocky Horror singalongs, and classics from Miyazaki to Kubrick.
23 locals recommend
Prince Charles Cinema
7 Leicester Pl
23 locals recommend
Low-cost cinema showing cult classics and some new releases. Go for Rocky Horror singalongs, and classics from Miyazaki to Kubrick.
Nice arthouse cinema. Pick up sponge cake and bubble tea in nearby Chinatown before the show, or get a beer or snack from their inhouse bar.
29 locals recommend
Curzon Soho
99 Shaftesbury Ave
29 locals recommend
Nice arthouse cinema. Pick up sponge cake and bubble tea in nearby Chinatown before the show, or get a beer or snack from their inhouse bar.
Adorable little farm full of cute farm animals, right in the middle of hip east London.
269 locals recommend
Hackney City Farm
1a Goldsmiths Row
269 locals recommend
Adorable little farm full of cute farm animals, right in the middle of hip east London.
Plush mainstream and arthouse cinema with cafe and bar.
20 locals recommend
Picturehouse Central
Piccadilly Circus
20 locals recommend
Plush mainstream and arthouse cinema with cafe and bar.
Pool, gym, yoga, fitness classes.
27 locals recommend
Kentish Town Sports Centre
Grafton Road
27 locals recommend
Pool, gym, yoga, fitness classes.
Spa and steam room - for about £25 you get several hours' access to an amazing complex of heat treatments - herbal saunas, steam rooms, a caldarium, ice bath, plunge pool, and a lounge room with magazines and herbal teas. An affordable treat. Check Groupon - they have frequent special offers. CHECK online for gendered hours - there are some couples sessions, but mostly the spa is men only or women only. (Note: I have called and left a message asking them about their policy regarding gender-non-binary and trans* individuals, I'm waiting for their reply). The swimming pool upstairs costs a few pounds for one visit.
30 locals recommend
Spa Experience Old Street
1 Norman St
30 locals recommend
Spa and steam room - for about £25 you get several hours' access to an amazing complex of heat treatments - herbal saunas, steam rooms, a caldarium, ice bath, plunge pool, and a lounge room with magazines and herbal teas. An affordable treat. Check Groupon - they have frequent special offers. CHECK online for gendered hours - there are some couples sessions, but mostly the spa is men only or women only. (Note: I have called and left a message asking them about their policy regarding gender-non-binary and trans* individuals, I'm waiting for their reply). The swimming pool upstairs costs a few pounds for one visit.

Arts & Culture

Big arts and culture venue with cinema, theatres, concert halls and museum spaces, in the middle of the amazing brutalist Barbican apartment complex (it started out affordable - now a flat here goes for a million pounds). On Sundays you can also visit the wonderful conservatory, which includes a cactus house and lots of lush tropical plants, growing right in the middle of the city.
509 locals recommend
Barbican Centre
Silk Street
509 locals recommend
Big arts and culture venue with cinema, theatres, concert halls and museum spaces, in the middle of the amazing brutalist Barbican apartment complex (it started out affordable - now a flat here goes for a million pounds). On Sundays you can also visit the wonderful conservatory, which includes a cactus house and lots of lush tropical plants, growing right in the middle of the city.
The Southbank Centre hosts theatre shows, music performances and sound art.
436 locals recommend
Southbank Centre
436 locals recommend
The Southbank Centre hosts theatre shows, music performances and sound art.
Huge, free museum full of the world's treasures (even a few things the world wants back - like the marble frieze from the Parthenon). An unmissable London experience. Google the "History of the World in 100 Objects" podcast, which is all about objects in the museum, and is free to download.
1546 locals recommend
British Museum
Great Russell Street
1546 locals recommend
Huge, free museum full of the world's treasures (even a few things the world wants back - like the marble frieze from the Parthenon). An unmissable London experience. Google the "History of the World in 100 Objects" podcast, which is all about objects in the museum, and is free to download.
Huge museum of design and applied arts. Some paid exhibitions but the permanent collection is wonderful and free.
1694 locals recommend
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
1694 locals recommend
Huge museum of design and applied arts. Some paid exhibitions but the permanent collection is wonderful and free.
A love letter to Charles Darwin, this museum houses an amazing array of animal skeletons, dioramas and rare minerals. Don't miss the dodo.
1954 locals recommend
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
1954 locals recommend
A love letter to Charles Darwin, this museum houses an amazing array of animal skeletons, dioramas and rare minerals. Don't miss the dodo.
A replica of an old clipper ship, with a small museum inside. Good for kids.
226 locals recommend
Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich station
226 locals recommend
A replica of an old clipper ship, with a small museum inside. Good for kids.
Stand on the international date line, see exhibitions on the history of time keeping, and visit the astronomy museum, which includes informative lectures (you must buy a ticket for these).
612 locals recommend
Royal Observatory Greenwich
Blackheath Avenue
612 locals recommend
Stand on the international date line, see exhibitions on the history of time keeping, and visit the astronomy museum, which includes informative lectures (you must buy a ticket for these).
A tiny museum made out of a house where John Keats the poet lived late in his life. Possibly one for hardcore fans only, but I think it's charming :) Pay to enter.
63 locals recommend
Keats House
10 Keats Grove
63 locals recommend
A tiny museum made out of a house where John Keats the poet lived late in his life. Possibly one for hardcore fans only, but I think it's charming :) Pay to enter.
Freud's London house is now a museum about his life and work.
88 locals recommend
Freud Museum London
20 Maresfield Gardens
88 locals recommend
Freud's London house is now a museum about his life and work.
Ramshackle collection of art objects amassed by a 19th-Century collector, and now on display in his house.
183 locals recommend
Sir John Soane's Museum
13 Lincoln's Inn Fields
183 locals recommend
Ramshackle collection of art objects amassed by a 19th-Century collector, and now on display in his house.
Quirky, plush little museum of mostly 18th-century European art and design objects. Once a private collection, now available to the public. The collection has a crazy history - google it, or ask an attendant for more info.
230 locals recommend
Wallace Collection
Manchester Square
230 locals recommend
Quirky, plush little museum of mostly 18th-century European art and design objects. Once a private collection, now available to the public. The collection has a crazy history - google it, or ask an attendant for more info.
Tiny little museum of pre-Raphaelite paintings and rare Turkish tiles, amassed by a collector in the late 19th century. Good way to pass a peaceful hour.
105 locals recommend
Leighton House Museum
12 Holland Park Rd
105 locals recommend
Tiny little museum of pre-Raphaelite paintings and rare Turkish tiles, amassed by a collector in the late 19th century. Good way to pass a peaceful hour.
Picturesque location in the middle of a park, hosting shows by prominent contemporary artists.
240 locals recommend
Serpentine Galleries
240 locals recommend
Picturesque location in the middle of a park, hosting shows by prominent contemporary artists.
Free private gallery of post-war and contemporary art. A strong collection of YBA artworks.
585 locals recommend
Saatchi Gallery
King's Rd
585 locals recommend
Free private gallery of post-war and contemporary art. A strong collection of YBA artworks.
Gallery of contemporary art hosting several temporary shows at a time. Free entry. Cafe and bookshop.
589 locals recommend
Whitechapel Gallery
77-82 Whitechapel High St
589 locals recommend
Gallery of contemporary art hosting several temporary shows at a time. Free entry. Cafe and bookshop.
Blockbuster summer art shows. You may need to buy tickets in advance.
161 locals recommend
Royal Academy of Arts
Piccadilly
161 locals recommend
Blockbuster summer art shows. You may need to buy tickets in advance.
Contemporary art gallery with a focus on temporary shows by major artists. Good gift shop.
38 locals recommend
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Mall
38 locals recommend
Contemporary art gallery with a focus on temporary shows by major artists. Good gift shop.
Lovely gallery hosting a free permanent collection and ticketed temporary shows. A long way to travel, so google for listings first, but the journey is nice and it's near a lovely park in a peaceful neighbourhood with a village feel.
271 locals recommend
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Gallery Road
271 locals recommend
Lovely gallery hosting a free permanent collection and ticketed temporary shows. A long way to travel, so google for listings first, but the journey is nice and it's near a lovely park in a peaceful neighbourhood with a village feel.
See a Shakespeare play as his contemporary audiences would have seen it. Book ahead. Note it is outdoors, and some tickets are standing room only. Plays run about three hours. Come prepared.
449 locals recommend
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
21 New Globe Walk
449 locals recommend
See a Shakespeare play as his contemporary audiences would have seen it. Book ahead. Note it is outdoors, and some tickets are standing room only. Plays run about three hours. Come prepared.
Totally charming theatre with a good bar that serves small plates. Only prob is it's a real pain to get to from North London - plan ahead, and don't miss the last tube home! The staff are a delight. Productions range from silly to spooky to moving to deeply strange and are very affordable. Check listings online.
102 locals recommend
Battersea Arts Centre
Lavender Hill
102 locals recommend
Totally charming theatre with a good bar that serves small plates. Only prob is it's a real pain to get to from North London - plan ahead, and don't miss the last tube home! The staff are a delight. Productions range from silly to spooky to moving to deeply strange and are very affordable. Check listings online.
Great small theatre in hip Dalston area. Check listings online. Sometimes hosts micro operas with talented young singers. Can get very hot in summer, bring a bottle of water. The bar is fun for an after drink, or go around the corner to Cafe Oto (whiskey and jazz) or the Dalston Roof Garden (cutesy rooftop pop-up cocktail bar).
199 locals recommend
Arcola Bar
24 Ashwin St
199 locals recommend
Great small theatre in hip Dalston area. Check listings online. Sometimes hosts micro operas with talented young singers. Can get very hot in summer, bring a bottle of water. The bar is fun for an after drink, or go around the corner to Cafe Oto (whiskey and jazz) or the Dalston Roof Garden (cutesy rooftop pop-up cocktail bar).
Iconic north London small theatre. Shows often have their first run here and, if they do well, move on to bigger and more expensive theatres. Check listings and book online.
21 locals recommend
Tricycle Theatre
21 locals recommend
Iconic north London small theatre. Shows often have their first run here and, if they do well, move on to bigger and more expensive theatres. Check listings and book online.
Medium sized theatre in the pleasant Islington area. Nice to combine with some bar hopping. Check listings and book well ahead.
224 locals recommend
Almeida Theatre
Almeida Street
224 locals recommend
Medium sized theatre in the pleasant Islington area. Nice to combine with some bar hopping. Check listings and book well ahead.
Huge modern and contemporary gallery housed in a disused power station. Free permanent collection is well worth a look; ticketed major shows are advertised online. You can usually buy a ticket on the day. Check website for other events - shows, lectures, guided tours etc.
2008 locals recommend
Tate Modern
Bankside
2008 locals recommend
Huge modern and contemporary gallery housed in a disused power station. Free permanent collection is well worth a look; ticketed major shows are advertised online. You can usually buy a ticket on the day. Check website for other events - shows, lectures, guided tours etc.
Worth visiting for the Turner wing alone, major gallery of British art spanning several centuries. Permanent collection is free. Usually less busy than the Tate Modern or the National Gallery. Take the Tate Boat to the Tate Modern.
656 locals recommend
Tate Britain
Millbank
656 locals recommend
Worth visiting for the Turner wing alone, major gallery of British art spanning several centuries. Permanent collection is free. Usually less busy than the Tate Modern or the National Gallery. Take the Tate Boat to the Tate Modern.
If you're a people person or a history buff, this is the art gallery for you. Around the corner from the National Gallery, but smaller and less daunting, and sometimes less crowded. Free permanent collection. Free and ticketed events, too - check website for details.
353 locals recommend
National Portrait Gallery
Saint Martin's Place
353 locals recommend
If you're a people person or a history buff, this is the art gallery for you. Around the corner from the National Gallery, but smaller and less daunting, and sometimes less crowded. Free permanent collection. Free and ticketed events, too - check website for details.
A nifty museum covering the history of London from the neolithic period onward. Good way to spend half a day, and often less crowded than the other major museums.
300 locals recommend
Museum of London
Museum of London
300 locals recommend
A nifty museum covering the history of London from the neolithic period onward. Good way to spend half a day, and often less crowded than the other major museums.

Sightseeing

London's iconic ferris wheel, for views across the city. Quite expensive, but for many a tourist must.
2099 locals recommend
London Eye
2099 locals recommend
London's iconic ferris wheel, for views across the city. Quite expensive, but for many a tourist must.
One of the nicest of the "big sights" in London, in our opinion. If you're okay with lots of stairs, climb up to the whispering gallery and the dome for views over London. Look out for a very very small window in the floor just below dome level. You can look through it right down to the main cathedral space.
845 locals recommend
St. Paul's Cathedral
845 locals recommend
One of the nicest of the "big sights" in London, in our opinion. If you're okay with lots of stairs, climb up to the whispering gallery and the dome for views over London. Look out for a very very small window in the floor just below dome level. You can look through it right down to the main cathedral space.
A historical prison for enemies of the state (including rivals to the monarch of the day) with a rather grim museum (but also the crown jewels, if you're into that sort of thing). Ticketed entry.
1372 locals recommend
Tower of London
1372 locals recommend
A historical prison for enemies of the state (including rivals to the monarch of the day) with a rather grim museum (but also the crown jewels, if you're into that sort of thing). Ticketed entry.
Climb the monument for views over London. Small fee. MANY steps.
107 locals recommend
The Monument to the Great Fire of London
Fish Street Hill
107 locals recommend
Climb the monument for views over London. Small fee. MANY steps.
You know - the big clock.
1337 locals recommend
Big Ben
1337 locals recommend
You know - the big clock.
The Houses of Parliament - where Britain's public services are being sold off one by one. Our prime minister once had sex with a dead pig, but we don't mind because he's rich and he's friends with the man who owns most of our newspapers.
305 locals recommend
Palace of Westminster
305 locals recommend
The Houses of Parliament - where Britain's public services are being sold off one by one. Our prime minister once had sex with a dead pig, but we don't mind because he's rich and he's friends with the man who owns most of our newspapers.

Parks & Nature

London's biggest park, with swimming ponds, a stately home, and loads of space to walk around. Bring a picnic and water - there are no shops on the Heath.
1215 locals recommend
Hampstead Heath
1215 locals recommend
London's biggest park, with swimming ponds, a stately home, and loads of space to walk around. Bring a picnic and water - there are no shops on the Heath.
One of London's iconic parks, and home to London Zoo. Good for picnics and dog-spotting, big enough for ball games.
1607 locals recommend
The Regent's Park
1607 locals recommend
One of London's iconic parks, and home to London Zoo. Good for picnics and dog-spotting, big enough for ball games.
Lovely park in central London. Home of Kensington Palace, a royal residence.
664 locals recommend
Kensington Gardens
664 locals recommend
Lovely park in central London. Home of Kensington Palace, a royal residence.
Huge park in London's far west, with deer roaming wild. Good for frisbee, ball sports, and picnics.
932 locals recommend
Richmond Park
932 locals recommend
Huge park in London's far west, with deer roaming wild. Good for frisbee, ball sports, and picnics.