London
Portobello Rd, London, UK
Portobello Road is a colorful stretch of shops and stalls selling bric-a-brac and antiques. Part trendy neighborhood, part flea market. On Saturdays, thousands of people flock there for bargains. I recommend going on a weekday. You can have the...
84 Marylebone High St, Marylebone, London W1U 4QW, UK
Daunt Books really is special. Even if you are not a big reader, it is well worth a visit because the space is so beautiful and filled with exceptionally well-chosen books. Daunt is the ultimate antidote to the Amazon generation and connects you...
33 D'Arblay St, Soho, London W1F 8EU, UK
Looking for delicious home-cooked comfort food, and a great breakfast served in the hip and funky Soho? Then look no further. The Breakfast Club is so good you will want to go every day. Some egg dishes you must try with a big cup of great coffee—...
A new friend I had just met told me that I simply must have afternoon tea in the top-floor restaurant at the National Portrait Gallery, and to sit by the window! I had have scones and jam before, nothing special about that... but these scones—...
47 Villiers St, London WC2N 6NE, UK
Cozy atmosphere and no electric lights, just candles in a cellar underground....
29 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 5DH, UK
While everyone and their mother (and aunt and grandmother) are on the waiting list to have afternoon tea at Brown's or Claridge's some time next April, head to Soho for the no-longer-a-secret-but-still-unknown tea room inside the Coach &...
Lots of people don’t know that there’s a canal,Regent’s Canal, that winds through the middle of London. Hire a bike at Broadway Market, and you can carry on down the canal to Olympic Park. I want to get everyone rambling around London on back...
Euston Rd, Kings Cross, London NW1 2AR, UK
I watch as yellow-and-white Eurostar trains snake in and out of London’s St. Pancras train shed, a vaulted Victorian masterpiece of glass panels and iron arches. My room at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel has this floor-to-ceiling view:...
24 Sukhumvit 53 Alley, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110, Thailand
Two of the cooks who worked with me at Nahm in London opened a dinner-only spot named Bo.lan. Bo and Dylan prepare traditional but often hard-to-find dishes, such as stir-fried chicken thighs with bamboo shoots, and red curry of pork hock. —David...
22 Great Chapel St, Soho, London W1F 8FR, UK
Julia Forte turned the Star At Night pub, an old fashioned boozer in the heart of Soho, in the London Gin Club in 2012, when she decided to start specialising in her favourite tipple: gin. Now, her bijou bar is home to 350 premium...
Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN, UK
The National Gallery in London holds art works of the masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, and Rembrandt. Most importantly, entry is free!
117 Rotherhithe St, London SE16 4NF, UK
An 18th century pub near the site where the Mayflower set sail for the new world, this eponymous pub is a pilgrimage site for Londoners and Americans. Order a local beer and custom cheese plate to enjoy on the deck perched over the Thames. It's...
71a, 73 Marylebone Ln, Marylebone, London W1U 2PN, UK
I know that's a bold statement to make, as there are hundreds of fish shops throughout London, but they all are typically heavy and very greasy. My sister and I wandered into Golden Hind in Marylebone after nixing other fine-dining options. There...
103 Borough Rd, London SE1 0AA, UK
South Bank has both the best river walk in London and the city's liveliest cultural centers, so a walk along it is a must. The path takes you from the Globe and the Tate Modern along the Thames—passing Gabriel's Wharf with its...
Regent St, Carnaby, London W1B 5AH, UK
It’s no coincidence that walking around Liberty feels as if you’re exploring someone’s grand home; the department store’s founder, Arthur Lasenby Liberty, wanted to create that very feel, and so in 1875 settled on a...
44-46 Cranbourn St, London WC2H 7AN, UK
Drinks in London's West End rarely come cheap. Even less so in the crowded environs of Leicester Square, but if you find yourself in the area, there's a quiet, reasonably priced refuge known as the Cork and Bottle. It's a basement level wine...
91 Brick Ln, London E1 6QR, UK
Brick Lane Market has everything from bric-a-brac to high-end design.Brick Lane between Bethnal Green Road and Wentworth Street Sundays, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. This story appeared in the Premier 2009 issue. See all oflondon"Sophie Howarth’s favorite places...
32 Camden Lock Pl, Camden Town, London NW1 8AL, UK
I could have spent days at Camden Market! There's loads to see and something for everyone. My favourite find from Camden is an awesome nautical style rockabilly dress (which I saved £10 on :). I also ate the most epic burrito of my life in...
For a satisfying lunch near the St. Pancras railway station, head to Shrimpy's, a new restaurant in a former gas station opened by the owner of the hip Shoreditch restaurant, Bistrotheque. The decor is vintage Californian and the food is artful...
31 Carnaby St, Carnaby, London W1F 7DL, UK
Just off the quite massive central shopping district of Oxford Circus is a little place called Carnaby Street. Here you'll find more boutique shops, street performers and smaller crowds. It's a cute place to walk around and grab a drink as well!
49-50 St John's Square, Clerkenwell, London EC1V 4JJ, UK
In many ways, the Zetter Townhouse is the quintessential British hotel: quiet and unobtrusive from the outside, playful and witty within. Its exterior is the picture of buttoned-up gentility, a handsome Georgian townhouse at the far end of St...
St Dunstan's Hill, London EC3R 5DD, UK
In the midst of bustling London a friend of mine surprised me with a gem of a place surrounding the picturesque ruins (walls, no roof) of a church. An intimate, romantic garden with–in case you didn't guess the picture–an INSECT hotel! Its...
7 Roach Rd, London E3 2PA, UK
Possibly London's best kept brunch secret, the Counter Cafe, hidden on the industrial brownsite of Fish Island, is pretty unique. Not only is it part of the Stour Collective, an arty bunch whose works of art and sculpture are dotted around this...
Lambeth, London SE1 7PB, UK
Having lived in London for many years and adoring markets, I can safely say I've spent time at many. Spitalfields used to be my favorite a few years ago, but with all the gentrification in the area, I feel it's lost its charm. Yes, Portobello is a...
Columbia Rd, London E2 7RG, UK
Columbia Road is London’s main flower market. On Sundays, it’s totally filled with flowers. It’s an amazing place. —Sophie Howarth Columbia Road Sundays, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. This story appeared in the Premier 2009...
The Courtyard Theatre, 40 Pitfield St, Hoxton, London N1 6EU, UK
The area of Hoxton, in and around Brick Lane, is brimming with murals and street art that seem to integrate perfectly with both the industrial and natural surroundings. (Case in point: That tree is actually real. When I first saw it, I thought it...
43A Duke Street St James's, St. James's, London SW1Y 6DD, UK
“I visit Sims Reed Rare Books for its excellent selection of art books. They are true experts at curating interesting and surprising titles. Most recently, I bought a book of photographs by Cy Twombly.” —Edward Barber, cofounder of the design firm...
Don’t be deceived by its West London locale. Notting Hill may be one of the city’s poshest neighborhoods but all that is forgotten when it comes to its outdoor flea market. Portobello Market is mainly known for its impressive collection of...
Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, Wapping, Wapping Wall, St Katharine's & Wapping, London E1W 3SG, UK
Is it a restaurant? An art gallery? A book store? Try all of the above. This vaulted-ceiling space, way over in Wapping just south of Whitechapel, features an array of feasts for all senses: Dine on small-portion fancy food in the main area of the...
Tucked in an Art Deco building, Alfies Antique Market can easily have the potential to become the new Portobello Road Market. In this market you can find antique furniture, knickknacks house, lamps, Scandinavian glassware, clothes and hats from...
83 Upper St, London N1 0NP, UK
Taking the time to see a movie while I'm traveling usually doesn't rank high on my list of priorities but when the cinema itself offers a unique experience or cultural offering, I'm more than willing to reconsider. Roman Polanski opined that going...
Hoxton Square, London, UK
London's East End. Shoreditch, Hoxton, Redchurch, Brick Lane, and Arnold Circus are just a few spots where you'll find some of the world's coolest people. What really strikes me is how beautifully diverse it is (and, yes, suits and facial hair are...
Chalk Farm Rd, Camden Town, London NW1 8AH, UK
During a recent visit to London’s Camden Town, an unusual structure immediately caught our eye as the focus of a brand new complex. Rising out from the ashes of 2008’s horrendous Camden fire, the modern three-level glass building was certainly in...
Du-Ry-Straße 1, 34117 Kassel, Germany
2-4 Boundary St, London E2 7DD, UK
Despite launching on New Year’s Eve in 2008, Sir Terence Conran’s boutique hotel is a discreet affair. The Boundary was the first hotel project by the eminent octogenarian British designer and his partner, Peter Prescott, but the...
81 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3HU, UK
East London is a whole new world; this area brings in twentysomethings from all over the globe. The streets are lined with spectacular graffiti, and there is always something going on, whether it's a street party or a midnight showing. Grab a...
London, UK
Each time I prepare for a new trip to an urban destination, I begin by comparing lodging. And my findings are almost always the same: renting an apartment is more cost effective and lends itself to a deeper, more locally-focused experience. On my...
1 Seething Ln, London EC3N 4AX, UK
Looking for a luxury hotel at a great price? Check out the Apex City of London hotel. Located very close to the Tower of London and the Tower Hill tube station, it's a perfect spot to relax or start a sightseeing adventure. I've stayed twice and...
8 Patriot Square, London E2 9NF, UK
Though East London is not really my thing, I have to admit this hotel is one of the amazing places you can stay in London. It's a 100-year-old town hall building renovated into a boutique hotel with a fascinating interior. You see a combination of...
1 Leicester St, London WC2H 7BL, UK
Chef Fergus Henderson, best known for resurrecting Britain’s rural tradition of whole-hog (“nose-to-tail”) eating, isn’t one for embellishments. The seasonal menu at the ground-floor restaurant of his new St. John Hotel in London reads like a...
8 Southwark St, London SE1 1TL, UK
Over the past two centuries, the covered market at Borough, not far from London Bridge, has become one of the country’s most famous foodie spots. From Wednesday to Saturday each week hundreds of traders gather to sell homemade breads,...
1 Graces Alley, Whitechapel, London E1 8JB, UK
Down a dark alley just off the Highway, close to the Tower Hill of London in the East End, is a teeny tiny relic of a music hall known as Wilton's. It originated as an ale house way back in the early 1700s, and soon after was turned into a...
16 Playground Gardens, London E2 7FA, UK
I had a lovely picture of what lies behind the walls of Rochelle Canteen, but the nice man asked me not to post it. It's a bit of a secret, you see. Rochelle Canteen has no sign. No hint that a lovely cafe sits hidden behind the high walls of an...
