Printable destination guide

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London

United Kingdom
Cityscape
Pretty, gritty and green
City life
Cultural kaleidoscope

England's capital has got it all. And she flaunts it.

From the revived East End to the swish haunts of Notting Hill, London accessorises its heritage beauty with couldn’t-give-a-damn street cred. This feisty lady is effortlessly cool: glorious parks and historic squares, monuments galore, museums piled with colonial swag, galleries where art soothes or surprises, and stages attracting theatre’s hottest talent. A multi-ethnic English eccentric, the British capital lets you eat and shop your way around the globe, sending you home sated and satisfied. The Routemaster buses, King’s Road punks and Carnaby Street swingers may be long gone, but this shoppers’ Valhalla has reinvented itself as a modern metropolis. And, while architectural icons the Gherkin, the London Eye and Wembley Stadium provide a skyline for the new renaissance, the build-up to the 2012 Olympics provides an endlessly fascinating topic for the city’s enthusiastic cabbies…

Pictured: Haymarket Hotel

Boutique hotels in London

From city-centre high-luxe to stylish stays in the suburbs, we've picked out the best boutique hotels in London.

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City break, London, United Kingdom

Getting there

Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.

more

City break, London, United Kingdom

Worth getting out of bed for

Highlights the best London has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.

more

London eating, drinking and dancing

Eating, drinking & dancing

We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in London.

more

London hotel map - Smith Maps

Smith Maps

Here is the map of London; each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel is marked by a flag; click it for more details.

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Local knowledge

Taxis
You can hail one of London’s trademark metered hackney cabs anywhere, or ring Zingo (0870 070 0700) from your mobile, and the nearest one will find you. Avoid unlicensed minicabs; we recommend Climatecars (+44 (0)20 8968 0440), whose carbon‑neutral minicabs operate in central London.
Tipping culture
10 per cent is standard, but many restaurants now add a discretionary 12.5 per cent, so be careful not to tip twice.
Packing tips
A pocket‑sizedA–Z guide with a Tube map will prevent ‘Where am I?’ moments becoming ‘Lost’ moments.
Recommended reads
Martin Amis’ London Fields follows three characters as nuclear disaster looms; Iain Sinclair circumnavigated the M25 on foot to research London Orbital; Peter Ackroyd’s epic London: The Biography treats the town as a personality.
Cuisine
You name it… London wins global praise for its authentic multi-cultural cuisine, from Chinatown’s dim sum to Brick Lane’s saucy spices and West London’s Moroccan tagines. You want Lebanese falafel or Vietnamese phô? You're in the right city. To tick the traditional box, acquire a taste for jellied eels or pie and mash – try F Cooke on Broadway Market, E8 (+44 (0)871 332 8190). Or just start your day, like your cabbie did, with a full English breakfast from a greasy-spoon caff. For the local brew, try a pint of Young’s or Fuller’s ESB.
Regional specialities
Hey, even a mega‑metropolis can source from its own garden. At Oliver Rowe’s King’s Cross restaurant, Konstam at the Prince Albert ((+44 (0)20 7833 5040; www.konstam.co.uk), all the ingredients used in the making of his Northern European menu are grown or produced within the M25. Norbury Blue cheese, Tower Hill honey and Amersham lamb not only lack air miles, they also offer a true taste of London town.
Currency
Pound sterling.
Dialing codes
Country code for the UK: 44. London: 020.
Do go/don't go
London empties out in August, but tourist sites still get crowded. Spring and summer can be lovely, even if the weather is reliably unreliable.

London hotels

From city-centre high-luxe to stylish stays in the suburbs, we've picked out the best boutique hotels in London.


Getting there

City break, London, United Kingdom

Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.

Planes
London has several international airports: Heathrow, to the west, is on the Piccadilly Line, or 15 minutes from Paddington on the Heathrow Express train (£14.50). Gatwick, to the south, is 30 minutes from Victoria via the Gatwick Express (£14.90). Stansted and Luton, to the east, are where most of the budget carriers land. There are trains to Liverpool Street four times an hour (£14.50) from Stansted, and a regular rail service to King’s Cross from Luton. City Airport in Docklands is dominated by European business flights and is on the DLR line.
Boats
There are commuter and leisure boats all along the river: the main service runs from Putney with regular stop-offs all the way to Greenwich Pier. See www.tfl.gov.uk/river for timetables and routes.
Trains
International trains arrive at St Pancras (www.stpancras.com), which has good links via the Underground. The Tube network will be your saviour, taking you anywhere you need to go (www.tfl.gov.uk/tube); your best bet is to buy an Oyster card from any station for reduced-price journeys (valid on buses too) across the capital.
Automobiles
On weekdays from 7am to 6pm, there’s an £8 daily Congestion Charge payable to drive into and around central London (www.cclondon.com); parking is easy, but pricey. Beware overzealous traffic officials.

Worth getting out of bed for

City break, London, United Kingdom

Highlights the best London has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.

Literally London

At Hyde Park’s Speakers’ Corner (www.speakerscorner.net) you are guaranteed the right to free speech. Drag your soapbox along on a Sunday afternoon and get whatever’s perplexing you off your chest. You’ll be in good company: Karl Marx, William Morris and George Orwell have all spouted their views here over the decades. Be prepared for vigorous heckling, though.

Viewpoint
Book a ride on the London Eye, the South Bank’s big wheel (www.londoneye.com), for sight‑spotting and vertigo‑inducing views of five counties. Then amble over Waterloo Bridge at sunset to reacquaint yourself with the cityscape from the ground. Want to work harder for your views? Climb the spiral steps of St Paul’s Cathedral to the Whispering Gallery and then up and out to the Stone and Golden Galleries for magnificent panoramic views of the capital. At King Henry’s Mound in Richmond Park, six miles away, there are incredible westward vistas of Berkshire, plus an amazing view back to St Paul’s.

Arts and culture
There's something to tickle all tastes: Tate Modern and Tate Britain house British and international art collections (www.tate.org.uk). Hoxton’s White Cube gallery (www.whitecube.com) is edgier, or, for the more experimental, try the galleries lining Vyner Street in Bethnal Green. At Somerset House, there are open-air pop and classical concerts in summer; ice-skating in winter (www.somerset-house.org.uk). Arm yourself with a copy of weekly listings magazine Time Out for the latest information about what’s on; visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk to book anything from West End drama to stadium gigs.

Something for nothing
The Changing of the Guard, at Buckingham Palace, 11.30am daily in summer. If it’s sunny, head to a green space (www.royalparks.gov.uk). If not, lots of museums are free: try the Photographers’ Gallery (www.photonet.org.uk), or the Serpentine (www.serpentinegallery.org). For more free museums, see www.londonnet.co.uk/museums. In summer, pull up a pew on the South Bank (www.southbanklondon.com) and, before long, street theatre will start happening all around you. Take note of Covent Garden’s buskers – they often go on to do greater things.

Shopping
Designer-label zones are Sloane Street and Knightsbridge, and Bond Street and South Molton Street. Markets abound in London: Camden gets packed on Sundays with students and tourists (good for vintage and clubwear); over east, Spitalfields Market sells funky babywear, T-shirts, artworks and organic food; get up early for Columbia Road Flower Market at the top of Brick Lane (itself a teeming Sunday-morning institution); for organic-food tasting opportunities, Borough Market is open Fridays and Saturdays; Portobello Market in Notting Hill is a Saturday stop for antiques, fashion and fruit and veg.

Daytripper
Catch the boat from Embankment Pier to maritime‑tastic Greenwich. Check out the covered arts and crafts market, the National Maritime Museum (www.nmm.ac.uk) and the Royal Observatory (www.rog.nmm.ac.uk), where you can, literally, straddle time, before chilling over a pint of real ale in a historic pub, such as the Trafalgar Tavern (+44 (0)20 8858 2909; www.trafalgartavern.co.uk).

Perfect Picnic
The 791‑acre expanse of Hampstead Heath has panoramic views, secret woods and enough grass to spread a rug out and still have room to get a good Frisbee session going. Fill up your hamper at the nearby Rosslyn Delicatessen (+44 (0)20 7794 9210).

Walks
For city strolling, head for the river, then stick with it. Try the towpaths around Richmond, Barnes, Putney or Chiswick for leafy ambling. In town, take in the South Bank from Westminster to Tower Bridge, ticking the reconstructed Golden Hinde galleon (www.goldenhinde.org) and City Hall (aka the Leaning Tower of Pizzas) off your to-see list.

Children
The Natural History Museum (www.nhm.ac.uk) in South Kensington keeps those obsessed with dinosaurs or body parts enthralled. In winter, ice‑skating rinks freeze into life all over town. The one at Somerset House was the first, and is still the best (www.somerset‑house.org.uk); Kew Gardens and the Natural History Museum often have rinks, too.

Activities
Cool off at the Serpentine Lido, where you can sling yourself into a deckchair, paddle, or show off your 110‑yard crawl (www.serpentinelido.com). Or see the city on blades: roll up for the Urban Rites Friday Night Skate (www.thefns.com) and just follow the pack through the city streets. No skates? That’s no excuse: hire some from Slick Willies on Gloucester Road (+44 (0)20 7225 0004; www.slickwillies.co.uk) and you can wheel wherever the wind blows you. Go horse riding in Hyde Park (www.hydeparkstables.com) or Richmond Park (+44 (0)20 8948 3209; www.royalparks.org.uk). Visit a tailor on Savile Row; we like Maurice Sedwell (+44 (0)20 7734 0824).

And...
London moves so quickly that, by the time you’ve heard about that hot club, exhibition or under‑the‑radar boutique, chances are it’s, like, so over. Tag along with an Urban Gentry guide, however, and you’ll get an up‑to‑the‑minute take on city life; choose from themed tours including Art Insider, East End Hip and Market Fresh, or get them to tailor a bespoke itinerary around your tastes. See www.urbangentry.com for details.

Diary

Late March Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race from Putney to Mortlake (www.theboatrace.org). Mid April The London Marathon: a 26‑mile race for athletes, fundraisers and mentalists in diving suits (www.london‑marathon.co.uk). Late May Chelsea Flower Show brings marvellous blooms to SW3 (www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea). See our events guide Smith 52 for details, or buy the book for the full insider lowdown). Late June The Wimbledon Championships (an event also featured in Smith 52) sends the capital tennis mad for a fortnight (www.wimbledon.org). July–September The BBC Proms concerts  (www.bbc.co.uk/proms). August Bank Holiday weekend Notting Hill Carnival, a float‑filled, bass‑thumping weekend of musical mayhem. Go to our events site Smith 52 to read more details. September Open House Weekend sees 600 buildings, old and new, open to the public, free of charge (www.londonopenhouse.org). Mid October–early November London Film Festival (www.lff.org.uk). 5 November On Guy Fawkes’ Night, there are fireworks displays in parks all over town; book an eighth-floor table at the Oxo Tower (+44 (0)20 7803 3888) for a premium view of the Lord Mayor’s fireworks on the river. London Jazz Festival – nice (www.serious.org.uk).

Eating, drinking and dancing

We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in London.

Cafés

Yauatcha


The French fancies are works of art and there are more than 150 types of tea with which to wash them down at this slick Chinese teahouse, handily located between Carnaby Street and Soho. The dim sum are pretty extraordinary, too (if a little pricey compared to China Town's offerings).

Great for: fancy tea and daring dim sum near Carnaby Street

15–17 Broadwick Street, London W1F 0DL
(+44 (0)20 7494 8888)

Flat White Espresso Bar

Trust us, we've done our research, and this place makes some of the best coffee in London. Pop into the busy NZ-run café for a cup of some superior coffee (they source their beans and brews from cult coffee roaster Monmouth Coffee Company) to break up a shopping spree on Carnaby Street, or before you hit the bars in Soho.

17 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1F 0PT
(+44 (0)20 7734 0370)


Daylesford Organic at Clifton Nurseries

Ah, how we love Daylesford Organic. Pop in here for a healthy, hearty, wholesome, happy-making lunch (the café is licensed so you could have a cheeky glass of something organic) and pick up freshly baked bread, biodynamic juices and guilt-free goodies galore. Visit the website for other London outlets, including Pimlico and Sloane Square (www.daylesfordorganic.com).

5a Clifton Villas, London W9
(+44 (0)20 7266 1932)


The Rooftop Restaurant

Head for this relaxed rooftop café atop the fantastic Alfies Antique Market in Marylebone for a hangover-busting full English breakfast or alfresco afternoon tea – or both, with a little shopping in between.

Alfies Antique Market, 13–25 Church Street, London NW8 8DT
(+44 (0)20 7723 6066)


Court Cafés

When you’ve had enough of the Ancient Greeks or the Imperial Romans, get your strength back and plan your afternoon city campaign with a coffee and a cake – you can admire/abhor Sir Norman Foster’s controversial Great Court extension at the same time.

British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
(+44 (0)20 7323 8990)


Inn the Park

Nibble freshly made sandwiches and wolf buttermilk scones as you watch the swans and the pelicans do their thing in the oldest Royal Park in London.

St James’s Park, London SW1A 2BJ
(+44 (0)20 7451 9999)


Meals at Heal’s

If browsing before brunch is your bag, this Hansel and Gretel house on the first floor of interiors and homeware magnet Heal's serves up a great line in crumpets, eggy soldiers and dolly-daydream fairy cakes.

First Floor, Heal's, 196 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7LQ
(+44 (0)20 7580 2522)


Gourmet Burger Kitchen

You want hand-cut chips with your 100 per cent Scottish beefburger? You got it. Imaginative combos are served here, with portions so huge, you can make one last all day. For branches, see www.gbkinfo.com.

15 Frith Street, London W1D 4RF
(+44 (0)20 7494 9531)


Rock and Sole Plaice

Rock on down for the best fish ’ n’ chips in town; your underwater/underground-produce combo is served with piles of buttered white bread for DIY butty building.

47 Endell Street, London WC2H 9AJ
(+44 (0)20 7836 3785)


Café 2

Art and tarts abound in this second-floor café in Tate Modern. The views over the river are impressive and it’s a convivial place to slurp a smoothie or indulge in a knickerbocker glory. There’s also the Espresso Bar on the fourth floor and a restaurant on the seventh.

Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
(+44 (0)20 7887 8888)


Bar Italia

This Soho institution has been frothing cappuccinos for night owls and early birds for more than 50 years. Sit at one of the tables outside and watch the world go by.

22 Frith Street, London W1D 4RF
(+44 (0)20 7437 4520)


Restaurants

Mint Leaf Lounge


Part snazzy bar, part restaurant serving thrillingly contemporary, tapas-esque Indian cuisine, Mint Leaf occupies what used to be a bank, (hence the dramatic dimensions inside), but is now a City-slick shrine to cocktail wizardry and culinary fireworks.

Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HB
(020 7600 0992)

The Ivy

Brush shoulders with showbiz legends gossiping over classic British dishes, among oak panelling and stained glass.

1–5 West Street, London WC2H 9NQ
(+44 (0)20 7836 4751)


J Sheekey

This place on St Martins Court is renowned for its fantastic fish and seafood, with classic plateaux de fruits de mer, lobster, and potted shrimp, all served up in this glamorously old-fashioned but more youthful version of the Ivy.

28–32 St Martin's Court, London WC2 4AL
(+44 (0)20 7240 2565)


Automat

If you're in the mood for modern-day American, this curved wooden dining room in Mayfair is a great brasserie setting for: breakfast (buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup; ham muffins), weekend brunch (eggs over easy with home fries and bacon), lunch (macaroni & cheese; soft-shell crab), or dinner (rack of lamb, rib eye steak and so on). Have a nice day!

33 Dover Street, London W1S 4NF
(+44 (0)20 7499 3033)


Electric Brasserie

This fashionable all-day brasserie next to the Electric Cinema on the Portobello Road has great grill food and cocktails in buzzy surroundings. Book a table for before/after a Saturday night at the movies (see www.electriccinema.co.uk for listings); the cinema has plush leather seats, footstools and – perfect for Mr & Mrs Smiths – two-seater sofas at the back…

191 Portobello Road, London W11 2ED
(+44 (0)20 7908 9696)


L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

The multi-Michelin-starred maestro made his long-awaited London debut here: there’s a choice of casual dining on the ground floor, or a grander approach upstairs. The truffle mash is to die for.

13–15 West Street, London WC2H 9NQ
(+44 (0)20 7010 8600)


Les Trois Garçons

Make a trip to this Shoreditch eatery for the eccentric interiors and classic French cuisine.

1 Club Row, London E1 6JX
(+44 (0)20 7613 1924)


St Alban

This hot trendsetter from the team behind the Wolseley works a modern Mediterranean theme (the Puglian olives are the juiciest in London).

Rex House, 4-12 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4PE
(+44 (0)20 7499 8558)


Mocotó

Head to this super-trendy gourmet Brazilian bar and restaurant, where beautiful people sip caipirinha cocktails upstairs, then fuel up on nuevo latino fare; we love the the moreish monkfish moqueca.

145 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7PA
(+44 (0)20 7225 2300)


Roast

This light, bright restaurant does exactly what it says on the tin, creating wonderful things in the oven using the best of British organic fare, sourced from Borough Market downstairs.

Floral Hall, Stoney Street, London SE1 1TL
(+44 (0)20 7940 1300)


Veeraswamy

If you feel like some flavours from India, this London institution is the oldest Indian eatery in the capital, but it couldn’t feel more contemporary after its very modern makeover. The entrance is on Swallow Street.

Victory House, 99 Regent Street, London W1B 4RS
(+44 (0)20 7734 1401)


Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill

Fantastic for a traditional British experience, with just the right sprinkling of pomp. Slurp oysters or enjoy fishy classics at the marble-topped champagne bar on the ground floor (with pianists tickling the ivories frm Wednesday to Saturday evenings); or head upstairs to the more formal Grill restaurant. Irish wonder-chef Richard Corrigan draws on his childhood in County Meath to inform fantastically to-the-point food (www.bentleys.org).

11–15 Swallow Street, London W1B 4DG
(+44 (0)20 7734 4756)


Indian Zing

This place isn't your common or garden modern take on a posh curry house – it's where you take your tastebuds for a night out they'll each remember. For the full whirlwind-spice-tour, order a thali followed by one of their lick-your-lips-delicious Anglo-Asian desserts.

236 King Street, London W6 ORF
(+44 (0)20 8748 8989)


Mirabelle

This is a longtime London favourite: an elegant stop for great French food turned out by chef Marco Pierre White's top-notch kitchen brigade.

56 Curzon Street, London W1J 8PA
(+44 (0)20 7499 4636)


The Wolseley

In a former car showroom on Piccadilly, this handsome and well-respected restaurant serves superb European brasserie food all day long.

160 Piccadilly, London W1J 9EB
(+44 (0)20 7499 6996)


Hakkasan

We adore the Modern Asian food at Hakkasan: it has to be the sexiest Chinese restaurant ever designed, and it was the first ever to be awarded a Michelin star. Its basement entrance belies a glamorous interior, complete with a Christian Liaigre-designed bar and staff uniforms created by Hussein Chalayan. Don't expect it to be cheap, though…

8 Hanway Place, London W1T 1HD
(+44 (0)20 7927 7000)


Bars and clubs

Ronnie Scott’s


The legendary jazz club may be a lot less smoke-fugged and dog-eared since its recent makeover, but it is still the official home of the down and dirty late-night supper-club jamming session. Take in a live act while you dine – booking essential.

Great for: Live jazz

47 Frith Street, London W1D 4HT
(+44 (0)20 7439 0747)

Cargo

This lively, unpretentious Shoreditch venue offers live acts, world music, cutting-edge DJs, a friendly bar and tapas at its in-club street food café (brilliant when you feel peckish mid-boogie). Check www.cargo-london.com for events listings.

83 Rivington Street, Kingsland Viaduct, London EC2A 3AY


Aura

This louche and lively Mayfair venue – an exclusive members' club, kitchen and bar open Tuesdays to Sundays – serves Pacific Rim for dinner, then transforms into a club where Europe's party folk flash their cash.

48–49 St James's Street, London SW1A 1JT
+44 (0)20 7499 9999


The Pigalle Club

You want to see some burlesque? Shimmy on down to this ‘supper club’ for the retro-swanky cabaret and live acts.

215 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HN
(+44 (0)20 7734 8142)


Loungelover

Pop into this stylishly designed Shoreditch bar for cocktails and a bite to eat. Booking advisable.

1 Whitby Street, London E1 6JU
(+44 (0)20 7012 1234)


Shochu Lounge

If you fancy cutting-edge cocktails with Far Eastern promise, head to this stylish bar in London’s Noho on Charlotte Street, tucked away under Roka restaurant.

37 Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RR
(+44 (0)20 7580 6464)


Annex 3

So eccentric is this kitschly camp West End lounge bar that even the cocktails come in goldfish bowls.

6 Little Portland Street, London W1W 7JE
(+44 (0)20 7631 0700)


Pubs

The Narrow


Set beside the Thames in a grade-II listed dockmaster’s house, Gordon Ramsay’s newest and most laid-back gaff takes his food in the gastropub direction (much as Heston Blumenthal has with his inn opposite the Fat Duck at Bray). Dishes include braised Gloucester Old Spot pig’s cheeks with bashed ’neeps, and Monkfish and chips with marrowfat peas; there are real ales on tap, too.

Great for: Superstar gastropub food

44 Narrow Street, London E14 8DP
(+44 (0)20 7592 7950)


©2008 Mr & Mrs Smith