What to do in London
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- richwilkinson0
Just sent a similar recommendation email. It's a bit art/museum-centric. No specifics on food or bars. It's broken into days for them. Hope it helps.
Here it is.
Borough Market (Friday best day) (amazing farmers market don't go on sat or sun too busy) 5 mins walk to Tate Modern (must see - free), Cross very cool millenium bridge to St. Pauls Cathedral (Sir Christopher Wren) back across bridge & 10 mins lovely walk to Southbank (galleries, restaurants, theatres, book markets - one of londons best bits). Go on the London Eye (don't be cynical - it's great)
Trafalgar Square is right in the heart of town and there (obviously) lots to do and see around there. National Gallery (must see - incredible collection - free) borders the square, as does the National Portrait Gallery. Walk 5 mins to Covent Garden (beautiful - shops and restaurants - great market square with very good entertainers). Through theatre district to Leicester Square (enormous cinemas - tacky ) and into Soho (sex, retaurants & bars - very interesting, very london). Good evening place. Good/cheap Korean, Nara on D'Arblay. Loads of great little places to eat.
The central White Cube (modern) is here too. OK 2 days at least around here. It is the centre so I'm sure we'll keep coming here.Palace & Parks - Buckingham Palace is between 3 amazing parks. Pick the sunniest day and wander through them. You could start at Westminster to see Big Ben & Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey (all very close) then through St James' Park to Buckingham Palace, through Green Park to Hyde Park (with a river (pedalo) & Serpentine Art gallery - good if good exhib on - free).
Or Piccadilly Circus and Bond Street (very expensive shops) are nearby if you fancy.Museums & Parks - South Kensington. Natural History Museum. Science Museum. Victoria & Albert Museum. Royal Albert Hall (if something you want to see is there it's well worth a visit). Also nice parks & gardens. Walk to Kensington High street for posh shopping.
or
save that for Notting Hill day (I think Portabello Market is Sat/Sun, maybe more). Walk up Kensington Church St. to Notting Hill. Then up Portabello road. Culture clash of Caribbean and upper-class. Nice food. Antique shops. The Ladbroke Grove for record shops and food.
Tower of London is amazing (and very expensive). You would have to be the biggest cynic to not be impressed by the history. It needs at least half a day. Probably more. See Tower Bridge (just look at it, don't go on it, it's just a road), then the Tower and then maybe wander up the Thames. Amazing architecture and lovely views. or if you have time, The Design Museum is nearby.
British Museum is amazing and again needs a good half a day to see properly (as do most of the big museums). Nearby is the Hunterian museum which is a hidden gem - a collection of medical specimens from an 19thC collectors private collection. (He's the guy Dr. Jeckyl is based on, supposedly!). Lots of little bookshops nearby too. Pretty area.
Greenwich is lovely. A nice place for a lazy day. Not loads to see but a beautiful park with amazing views over London. The Cutty Sark (old boat!) and the Observatory. Lots of lovely shops and cafe's and pubs.
East End.
You could try and do all this in 1 day but it might be tricky. Old Dickensian London. Edgy & beautiful.
Columbia Road flower market (Sat/Sun i think) - amazing flower market & cafe's
Broadway Market. Lovely old-style market selling everything and good food.
Spitalfields - antiques + . Nice area. Loads of lovely pubs and bars. Fashionable part of town.
Brick Lane - fashion central. Very young. very vibrant. Art & pubs and clubs and Indian food.
Hoxton Square - White cube gallery east & some overly expensive bars. Used to be the cool hub.
Jack The Ripper tour in the evening!There are loads of other places but I think you get the idea...
oh yes, Camden (not my favorite but I guess it has to be seen) on the way to Regents park (beautiful and huuuge! with the most amazing houses) and the zoo. Good zoo if you like zoos. I like zoos.
Loads of private galleries on Cork St. (free to enter) Saatchi gallery (free - Charles Saatchi's personal collection - lots of YBA's), another Tate (Tate Britain)....lots of art.