City Travel Guide // London, England

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Written By Janice Rohrssen

Since moving to London a year and a half ago, we’ve had over 20 groups of visitors come through, and I always have so many recommendations, but nothing formalized. So I’m finally putting together this travel guide so I can send them a link and not a conglomeration of texts and emails.

In this guide, you will find recommendations on the best things to do in London, including areas to explore, restaurants, museums, and iconic markets.

Best Places to Visit in London

Popular Landmarks

  • Buckingham Palace

  • Westminster Abbey

  • Big Ben / Elizabeth Tower

  • Palace of Westminster

  • St Paul’s Cathedral

  • London Eye (get tickets)

  • Tower of London

  • Tower Bridge (not to be confused with London Bridge, which is not photogenic)

Museums

  • Victoria & Albert Museum

  • Natural History Museum

  • British Museum

  • Tate Modern

  • Tate Britain

  • National Gallery

  • The Wallace Collection

  • National Portrait Gallery

  • Design Museum

Best Gardens & Parks

  • Regent’s Park

  • Hyde Park (Italian Gardens + Kensington Gardens)

  • Kew Gardens (Royal Botanic Gardens)

  • Hampstead Heath

  • Sky Garden

  • Holland Park (Kyoto Garden)

  • Battersea Park

  • Greenwich Park

  • The Barbican Conservatory

Iconic Markets

  • Borough Market

  • Camden / Camden Lock Market

  • Portobello Road Market

  • Covent Garden Market⁣⁣

  • Spitalfields / Old Spitalfields Market

  • Columbia Road Flower Market

  • Brick Lane Market

  • Greenwich Market

  • Broadway Market

  • Brick Lane Market

My Favorite Areas to Explore

  • Marylebone

  • Mayfair

  • Soho

  • Chinatown

  • Notting Hill

  • Covent Garden

  • King’s Cross

  • Battersea

  • Chelsea

  • Hampstead Heath

Best Places to Eat in London

If you’ve been here before, you know that I am very particular about food, and having spent a lot of time in various cities around the world, London is not known for its food. So below is a list of restaurants that can be understood as follows:

*** = We’ve been and would recommend

** = We’ve never been but heard good things

* = Everyone in London talks about it, we’ve been and thought it was okay, but wouldn’t say it’s a must try

Again, more details to come in a future London food-only blog post.

Best Restaurants

££

  • Dishoom*** (Indian)

  • Big Mamma Group***: Circolo Popolare, Jacuzzi, Carlotta, Gloria, Ave Mario (Italian)

    • The pizza here is world class. Everything else, including the pasta, is just okay. But the vibes are immaculate.

  • Franco Manca*** (sourdough Neopolitan pizza)

  • Hoppers*** (Sri Lankan/Indian)

  • Marugame Udon*** (Japanese)

  • Bao*** (Taiwanese)

  • Smoking Goat** (Thai)

  • Manteca** (Italian)

  • Fallow** (Modern European)

  • Brawn** (French)

  • Tokyo Diner* (Japanese)

  • Kiln* (Thai)

£££

  • J Sheekey*** (Seafood)

  • Hyde Park Garden*** (Modern British)

  • Ivy Asia*** (Asian fusion)

  • Kahani*** (Indian)

  • Royal China Club*** (Chinese Dim Sum)

  • Duck & Waffle** (Modern European)

  • Hawksmoor** (Steak)

  • Sushisamba** (Peruvian/Brazilian/Japanese)

  • Petersham Nurseries Café* (Modern)

££££

  • Core by Clare Smyth*** (Modern British)

  • Dinner by Heston Blumenthal*** (Modern British)

  • Gymkhana** (Indian)

  • Claude Bosi at Bibendum** (Modern French)

  • Ikoyi** (West African)

  • China Tang at the Dorchester* (Chinese)

  • Sucre* (Argentinian)

Bakeries & Brunch

  • Gail’s*** (Bakery)

  • Beigel Bake*** (Beigels)

  • WA Cafe*** (Japanese cafe)

  • KOVA Patisserie*** (Japanese cafe)

  • The Dusty Knuckle** (Bakery)

  • Bread Ahead** (Bakery)

  • Sunday in Brooklyn** (Brunch Restaurant)

  • Beam** (Cafe)

  • St John Bakery** (Bakery)

  • The Farmer’s Mistress** (Brunch Restaurant)

  • Granger & Co* (Aussie Brunch)

  • Buns From Home* (Cinnamon Buns/Rolls)

Best Afternoon Teas

££

£££

For more, https://afternoontea.co.uk/ is a great resource. They sometimes even have offers available.

Best Bars in London

  • Tayēr + Elementary***

  • Scarfes Bar***

  • Swift***

  • Satan’s Whiskers**

  • A Bar with Shapes for a Name**

  • Connaught Bar*

Tours of London

Day Trips from London

London is amazing, but if you’ve been here a few times, take a day trip to a different part of the UK.

Best Time To Visit London

The British Isles are not known for phenomenal weather, but London offers visitors lots to do, no matter the weather. Personally, I think the best months to visit London are May, June or September or December. January, February, and March are probably the worst months to visit, as these winter months are usually cold and very, very grey.

While I think most of London can be seen in 3-5 days, you could easily spend 2-3 weeks here and still find plenty of things to do. And if you run out, there are many, many day trips you can do, including trips to Kent, the Cotswolds, Oxford, and Bath. If you can, spend no fewer than 3 days in Great Britain’s capital city.

Janice Rohrssen
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