London

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...

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...

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—...

Cozy atmosphere and no electric lights, just candles in a cellar underground....

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 &...

I had a 12-hour layover in London, strategically chosen around three things I wanted to accomplish - lunch with a friend @ Canteen Spitalfields, taking in the Damien Hirst exhibit at the Tate Modern, and Alternative London's free East End street...

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...

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:...

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...

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...

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!

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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!

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...

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...

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...

London is an incredibly crowded city and when it comes to tourist attractions, it may seem difficult to snag a good view of Big Ben and Parliament. Rise above the crowds and grab a slow and quiet ride on the London Eye, London's famous Ferris...

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 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 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...

“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...

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...

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...

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...

The Barbican centre is one of many gems in the heart of the city of London. From plays to orchestras to art exhibits, it's a great place to keep your eye on....you never know what's going to pop up! That being said, the Rain Room is certainly one...

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...

While the world waits with bated breath for the 2012 Olympics is London, my interest lies across the Channel in a little city of Kassel, Germany. Every 5 years, the art world gather here to celebrate the dOCUMENTA, one of the most important art...

“Forgive the nepotism, but my father, Terence Conran, has set up a brilliant site here in The Boundary Complex—a restaurant, hotel, café, and rooftop terrace in an old Victorian Printworks. It took a long time to bring everything together, but it...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...