London is probably one of my favorite cities in the world to live in - I spent my summer of 2016 at LSE taking classes here (living near Angel Station), and 6 months in the winter and spring of 2017-2018 working in London (living in Ladbroke Grove). I love it for the museums and food, the diversity of culture and thought, and the proximity and ease of travel to other European countries.
I’ll cover some of my favorite things to do and places to eat in the following.
Sights to See & FOOD TO EAT
Within London
1. Walk along the River Thames (once at night and once during the day)
London has the famous River Thames running through it, and much of what I love about the city is what’s around this river. First off, the bridges are absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend taking the tube to Westminster station. Check out the Big Ben and London Eye, as well as the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey. Then, walk along Southbank all the way to Tower Bridge (around a 1 hour walk). Along the way, you’ll find Shakespeare’s Globe, Millenium Bridge, Southbank Center, and the Tate Modern. Finally, you’ll arrive at the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. This walk is perfectly safe both at day and night, and there are often many people walking through. During holiday seasons, there are Christmas markets lined up across this route.
2. MUSEUMS!!!
Most museums in London are free. There are many world famous museums, and I’ll list a few here that I particularly enjoyed.
My absolute favorite is the Tate Modern, which is a modern art gallery with a very aesthetic interior (perfect for spending a day reading or taking photos). On the top floor of the Blavatnik Building, there’s a great viewing terrace, where you can see the London skyline.
Fun fact: They sell amazing coffee beans brewed by the Tate
The British Museum is the first ever national museum for the public and has things like the Rosetta Stone and Parthenon sculptures.
Natural History Museum is for the history buffs.
National Gallery at Trafalgar Square is smack in the middle of bustling London, and it has many paintings from Van Gogh, da Vinci, Rembrandt, and the other famous Renaissance artists.
3. Shopping/Markets
There are plenty of places to shop and to explore. A lot of these areas are wonderful for just walking around and people watching, as well as sitting for a coffee and working in one of the many quaint cafes.
Covent Garden - Really cool shopping, theatre, and entertainment area with buskers.
Seven Dials - Probably one of my favorite places to just walk around. It’s 7 streets of shops all kind of connecting at one center (like… seven dials…) There’s a bunch of cafes with good vibes, boutique shops, and small eats.
Monmouth Coffee (really good coffee and beans)
TY Seven Dials (probably my favorite cafe - great area to sit around and study/read)
Oxford Street - This is the “Fifth Avenue” of London. It’s a huge shopping street with all the shops that you can think of.
Borough Market - Great food market near London Bridge
Chinatown + Leicester Square + Piccadilly Circus - Decent dim sum/chinese food. M&M Store. Theatre. Food.
Camden Town
Portobello Road Market - World’s largest antique market. Food stalls and many other things are sold here. Worth a Saturday morning visit.
Leadenhall Market - Cool market; also where Diagon Alley is in the Harry Potter movies.
4. Parks & Palaces
Not much to say about the following, as they’re all really famous sights to see.
Buckingham Palace - Go for the changing of the guards!
Hyde Park - Beautiful park in the summer. In the winter, Winter Wonderland (a HUGE Christmas carnival) is held here. Definitely worth a visit.
Kensington Palace
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Regent’s Park
221b Baker street - For the Sherlock fans. There’s a small little museum + gift shop here too; it’s right next to the Baker St. Tube Station
Food
1. Most Recommended London Chains
Dishoom - The most famous Indian food chain in London. Absolutely amazing food (the ruby chicken and garlic naan, as well as the shrimp are my favorites.) You can also get naan rolls for breakfast. The lines are really long, but there’s a few locations. I personally liked the one at SoHo the most.
Honest Burgers (Chain Store, Covent Garden rec.) - They always have a special burger that’s quite interesting. Great burgers for a good price!
Nandos(Chain store, everywhere) - Everyone seems to ask if you’ve had it in London. It’s chicken with really good sauces.
Flat Iron - Stellar steak and good atmosphere. I like the Covent Garden location the most.
2. Great Affordable Choices
Zelman Meats (Soho) - Order meat by the ounce. Really. Good. Ribs. And. Steak.
Lanzhou Noodle Bar (Covent Garden) - If you want some great Chinese noodles, this place is open until 5AM on weekend nights.
The Savoy Grill - Gordon Ramsay’s famous beef wellington is served here, and it’s amazing!
St. John (1 Michelin Star) - Bone Marrow is really good here.
Duck & Waffle - This is mostly for the views, as it’s on a really tall building. Go at night (open very late). The food itself is mediocre, but I do like the duck and waffle dish.
3. Fancy Dining & Afternoon Tea
The Ledbury (2 Michelin Stars) - Probably one of my favorite dining experiences ever. Everything from service to food was wonderful. (will run you around 200 pounds per person though)
The Shard (Afternoon Tea) - Great Ambiance and very nice views. The tea is okay and the snacks are mediocre.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (2 Michelin Stars) - Great ambiance and service. If you want a more affordable option, the afternoon lunch 3 course is great. (Meat Fruit is one of the specialties)
Sketch (2 Michelin Stars) - Has a great afternoon tea vibe (it’s all pink). The restaurant itself I wouldn’t say has the best food ever. Probably not worth the price, but the afternoon tea is very good!
Clove Club - One of the most famous restaurants in London.
Outside of London (Day trips)
1. Bath - The Roman Baths is the feature here, but the entire town is a great trip overall. It’s only an hour and a half from London Paddington Station!
2. Cambridge or Oxford - I personally really liked Cambridge. The school was beautiful and the river is well worth exploring. You can punt through the river on boats and explore the scenery.
3. Stonehenge - They’re really just rocks tho.
4. Harry Potter Studios - Absolutely must visit for any Harry Potter fans. Buy the tickets ahead of time.
5. Brighton - Beach town. Quaint place with cafes and nice boutique shops. Easy to reach by train, but watch out for the seagulls!
6. Seven Sisters - Beautiful hikes and beautiful seashores, as well as beautiful cliffs.
