My London

My London

My London

Places I send friends when they ask where to wonder, be entertained, or disappear for an afternoon.

Places I send friends when they ask where to wonder, be entertained, or disappear for an afternoon.

Places I send friends when they ask where to wonder, be entertained, or disappear for an afternoon.

Outdoor recommendations

Outdoor recommendations

Outdoor recommendations

Highgate

Outdoor

Highgate Cemetery

Highgate Cemetery

Highgate Cemetery

Historic cemetery with winding paths, atmospheric architecture, and some of the city’s best gothic drama.

Historic cemetery with winding paths, atmospheric architecture, and some of the city’s best gothic drama.

Highgate Cemetery, Highgate, London Borough of Camden, Greater London, England, N6 6PJ, United Kingdom

Richmond

Outdoor

Richmond Park

Richmond Park

Richmond Park

For deer-spotting, long walks, big skies, and a very easy way to forget you are still in London.

For deer-spotting, long walks, big skies, and a very easy way to forget you are still in London.

Richmond Park, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Hampstead

Outdoor

Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath

A classic London reset: ponds, hills, views, muddy paths, and the city laid out from Parliament Hill.

A classic London reset: ponds, hills, views, muddy paths, and the city laid out from Parliament Hill.

Hampstead Heath, Gospel Oak, London Borough of Camden, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Richmond

Outdoor

Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens

A generous day out for glasshouses, gardens, trees, and quiet wandering.

A generous day out for glasshouses, gardens, trees, and quiet wandering.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Kew, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Bars, pubs and wine bars

Bars, pubs and wine bars

Bars, pubs and wine bars

Bloomsbury

The Coral Room

The Coral Room

The Coral Room

A grand, colourful room for polished cocktails and a slightly glamorous start to the evening.

A grand, colourful room for polished cocktails and a slightly glamorous start to the evening.

The Coral Room, 16-22, Great Russell Street, St Giles, Bloomsbury, London Borough of Camden, Greater London, England, WC1B 3NN, United Kingdom

Shoreditch

Happiness Forgets

Happiness Forgets

Happiness Forgets

A small basement bar with proper cocktails and no unnecessary fuss.

A small basement bar with proper cocktails and no unnecessary fuss.

Happiness Forgets, 8-9, Hoxton Square, Shoreditch, London Borough of Hackney, Greater London, England, N1 6PD, United Kingdom

Marylebone

Angel in the Fields

Angel in the Fields

Angel in the Fields

A central pub that still feels useful, cosy, and easy to settle into.

A central pub that still feels useful, cosy, and easy to settle into.

Angel In The Fields, 37, Thayer Street, East Marylebone, Marylebone, City of Westminster, Greater London, England, W1U 2QY, United Kingdom

Dalston

The Black Eel

The Black Eel

The Black Eel

A Dalston spot for drinks with a neighbourhood feel and a bit of East London edge.

A Dalston spot for drinks with a neighbourhood feel and a bit of East London edge.

The Black Eel, 41 Kingsland High Street, Dalston, London Borough of Hackney, Greater London, England, E8 2JS, United Kingdom

Islington

Goodbye Horses

Goodbye Horses

Goodbye Horses

A modern wine bar for thoughtful bottles, small plates, and a relaxed neighbourhood feel.

A modern wine bar for thoughtful bottles, small plates, and a relaxed neighbourhood feel.

Goodbye Horses, 21, Halliford Street, Islington, London Borough of Islington, Greater London, England, N1 3HB, United Kingdom

Bethnal Green

The Nelson’s

The Nelson’s

The Nelson’s

A neighbourhood pub near Columbia Road for a relaxed pint before or after a wander through the East End.

A neighbourhood pub near Columbia Road for a relaxed pint before or after a wander through the East End.

The Nelson’s, 32 Horatio Street, Whitechapel, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Greater London, England, E2 7SB, United Kingdom

Live music

Live music

Live music

Trafalgar Square

Larry’s at the National Portrait Gallery

Larry’s at the National Portrait Gallery

Larry’s at the National Portrait Gallery

A lovely stop for drinks, food, and gallery-adjacent evenings in the middle of town.

A lovely stop for drinks, food, and gallery-adjacent evenings in the middle of town.

National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE, United Kingdom

Holborn

Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood

Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood

Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood

Plush, characterful, and ideal when you want live music with a proper hotel-bar mood.

Plush, characterful, and ideal when you want live music with a proper hotel-bar mood.

Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN, United Kingdom

Shoreditch

Troy Bar Shoreditch

Troy Bar Shoreditch

Troy Bar Shoreditch

A low-key Shoreditch spot known for live music, late nights, and a room with energy.

A low-key Shoreditch spot known for live music, late nights, and a room with energy.

Troy Bar, 10, Hoxton Street, Shoreditch, London Borough of Hackney, Greater London, England, N1 6NG, United Kingdom

Marylebone

Oriole London

Oriole London

Oriole London

Inventive cocktails, supper-club polish, and live music in a more theatrical register.

Inventive cocktails, supper-club polish, and live music in a more theatrical register.

Oriole, St Martin's Courtyard, East Marylebone, Covent Garden, City of Westminster, Greater London, England, WC2H 9FB, United Kingdom

Soho

Ronnie Scott’s

Ronnie Scott’s

Ronnie Scott’s

The London jazz classic: intimate, atmospheric, and still very much worth booking.

The London jazz classic: intimate, atmospheric, and still very much worth booking.

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, 47, Frith Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London, England, W1D 4HT, United Kingdom

Soho

The Lower Third

The Lower Third

The Lower Third

A central Soho live music room for gigs, showcases, and late-night energy.

A central Soho live music room for gigs, showcases, and late-night energy.

The Lower Third, 26 Denmark Street, London WC2H 8NJ, United Kingdom

Lesser-known culture

Lesser-known cultural spots

Lesser-known culture

Marylebone

The Wallace Collection

The Wallace Collection

The Wallace Collection

An elegant museum-house full of paintings, armour, furniture, and quietly excessive rooms.

An elegant museum-house full of paintings, armour, furniture, and quietly excessive rooms.

The Wallace Collection, Manchester Square, East Marylebone, Marylebone, City of Westminster, Greater London, England, W1U 3BN, United Kingdom

Soho

The Photographers’ Gallery

The Photographers’ Gallery

The Photographers’ Gallery

A compact, central gallery for photography, visual culture, and a good bookshop browse.

A compact, central gallery for photography, visual culture, and a good bookshop browse.

The Photographers' Gallery, 16-18, Ramillies Street, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London, England, W1F 7LW, United Kingdom

Westminster

Churchill War Rooms

Churchill War Rooms

Churchill War Rooms

Underground wartime rooms that make history feel close, strange, and very human.

Underground wartime rooms that make history feel close, strange, and very human.

Churchill War Rooms, King Charles Street, Westminster, Millbank, City of Westminster, Greater London, England, SW1A 2AQ, United Kingdom

Covent Garden

Hunterian Museum

Hunterian Museum

Hunterian Museum

A fascinating, unsettling medical collection for the curious and not-too-squeamish.

A fascinating, unsettling medical collection for the curious and not-too-squeamish.

Hunterian Museum, 35-43, Lincoln's Inn Fields, St Clement Danes, Covent Garden, City of Westminster, Greater London, England, WC2A 3PE, United Kingdom

A personal, evolving London list.

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