Every time I crossed Oxford Street, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Bridge or Piccadilly Circus, I'd see the swarms of tourists and ponder their London. Was this incredible, vibrant, diverse city really reduced to holiday snaps of monuments and fountains, meals at TGI Fridays and Angus Steak House, and the watering holes and neon 'clubs' of Leicester Square?
I lived in London for ten years and can't claim to have the comprehensive list. But I do have mine. And here it is.
Parks
I once read that London is the largest urban forest in the world. Apparently to qualify as an urban forest, the area must have a certain density of trees of a certain age, and, apparently, London qualifies. With its many garden squares and parks, when you stop to think about it, it makes sense. Here are my favourites.
- Kensington Gardens (Hyde Park): The western end of Hyde Park (London's big daddy of parks), Kensington Gardens is all grass and trees. In summer, you can find a private spot in the long grass. Enter from the north-west end at Queensway (Bayswater & Queensway tubes) and take a picnic and, if it's Sunday, The Observer. Alternatively, enter from the south-western end (High Street Ken tube), picking up something to eat from Wholefoods on Kensington High Street. In winter, stay upright and wander the park, visiting Kensington Palace at the western end, the Albert Memorial and the Serpentine Gallery. Cross the road and enter Hyde Park proper, or drop south and pass the Royal Albert Hall en route to the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum.
- Regents Park: Regents is a pretty park, with ornamental gardens, a bandstand, ponds, rowboats, playing fields and plenty of lawns and shady areas perfect for picnicking. On summer Sundays there's free jazz at the bandstand. There are also tennis courts and an outdoor theatre, home to the New Shakespeare Company. Cross the road at the northern end of the park and meander over the canal to Primrose Hill. Sit at the top of the hill for a great view over the city. You can also pick up the canal towpath at the northern end of the park and follow it east to Camden or to the west for Little Venice. In Camden, if it's Sunday, the brave will appreciate the colour and grime of the markets. I recommend a pint or two at the Hawley Arms, a famous North London boozer where Amy Winehouse used to pull pints on her infamous benders. In Little Venice, stop for a drink canalside at The Waterway or The Summerhouse (only open in summer), or slip back a street or two and visit Idlewild or the Victorian pub The Prince Alfred. For oysters, tapas, British fare, Prosecco and beer, exit at the southern end of the park and follow the Marylebone Road east, turning left at Great Portland Street, to The Queen's Head & Artichoke. If it's Sunday, they do one of the best beef roasts in London. Alternatively, head south down Marylebone High Street and stop for pints or Pimm's at The Prince Regent.
- Hampstead Heath: Hampstead is a nice patch of wild where you can pick blackberries, swim in the scarily green bathing ponds and climb the hill to get a great view of the city. If you're feeling a bit George Michaelesque, you might find some action too. I am a lazy creature so only visited the Heath a handful of times, but I can recommend The Horseshoe pub for great booze and excellent food (especially their brunch of wild mushrooms on toast topped with a poached duck egg).
There are markets everywhere - they have been a part of the city for generations and are an integral part of London. I'll stick to my three favourites, but there are plenty of others (including Broadway Market, Spitalfields, Camden, Sunday Up Market, Columbia Road Flower Market and Borough) that are well worth a visit. There are also lots of good farmers' markets. My old local is Marylebone Farmers' Market (Sundays).
- Portobello Market: Portobello is full of tourists, and for good reason. It is a beautiful, atmospheric market, perfect for meandering. Although many of the fruit and vege stalls are open throughout the week, Saturday is the proper market day. The market pretty much runs the length of Portobello Road. The southern end can be entered from Notting Hill Gate tube (beware the hoards of tourists) and the northern end (much quieter but also much grimier) from Ladbroke Grove tube. The stalls are loosely grouped into the following types (south to north): antiques and bric a brac; food, fruit and veg; new and secondhand clothes and accessories (under the train tracks are where all the designers cluster); and more bric a brac up towards Golborne Road at the northern end. Stop about halfway up at The Tea & Coffee Plant and grab a roadie (they do flat whites). There are plenty of pubs and cafes to stop at along the way. I recommend grabbing some excellent Mexican at Santo at the northern end of the market. Beyond the market, Notting Hill, Westbourne Grove and Bayswater are great areas for shopping, eating, drinking and hanging out.
- Billingsgate Fish Market: Billingsgate is a serious fish market. It's open every day except Sunday, but it starts and finishes early (5-8.30am) so I've only ever been on Saturday. The seafood is fresh and cheap and tends to be sold in bulk so a visit to Billingsgate calls for some serious feasting. Prawns are sold in 2kg boxes. Cook them with shells on in olive oil, garlic, chili and parsley. Serve with aioli. Salmon is sold whole or in sides. Bake it or cure it in vodka and dill. Buy whatever is in season: lemon or Dover sole, clams, scallops, squid...etc. Watch out for the carts being lugged through the aisles and take part in the banter with the vendors. They are predominantly men and get very excited when young women visit the market. The first time I went with my beautiful Swedish friend was hilarious. As we walked through the aisles a ripple of noise moved with us: "Hello my lovelies! What can I get for you today?"
- Smithfield Meat Market: I visited Smithfield (Farringdon tube, open Monday-Friday from 3am - tends to wind up by 8am) for the first time just before I left London. It's been the site of a livestock market for more than 800 years and is housed in a purpose-built Victorian covered market just around the corner from Farringdon tube. Get your meat and then have a proper greasy spoon brekkie at The Cock Tavern (underneath the west side of the market on East Poultry Avenue).
- Notting Hill / Bayswater / Little Venice
- Pints & gastro fare @ The Prince Bonaparte
- Pints & seafood @ The Cow
- Italian food @ The Oak
- Pints & pub Thai @ Walmer Castle
- Pints & food @ The Chepstow
- Browse / shop / eat @ Portobello Market
- Al Fresco drinks & food @ The Waterway
- Drinks @ Idlewild
- Canal-side food @ The Summerhouse
- Pints & food @ The Prince Alfred & Formosa Dining Room
- Lunch or dinner @ Bumpkin
- Browse / shop / food @ Portobello Road
- Walking & lounging @ Holland Park
- Walking & lounging @ Kensington Gardens
- Walking @ Little Venice
- Marylebone & surrounds
- Browse / shop / eat / buy picnic provisions @ Marylebone Farmers' Market (Sunday)
- Culture @ The Wallace Collection
- Breakfast or lunch @ The Wallace Restaurant
- Breakfast @ Carluccio's on St Christopher's Place
- Shop @ Selfridges
- Pints @ The Prince Regent
- Cooking course @ Caldesi
- Browse @ Alfie's Antique Market
- Kebabs @ Church Street Market (Saturday)
- Breakfast @ The Rooftop Cafe (Alfie's Antique Market on Church Street)
- Sunday roast @ The Queen's Head & Artichoke
- Walking, tennis, jazz, picnics...etc @ Regents Park
- Lunch @ The Orrery
- Pints @ The Marylebone
- Shop @ Marylebone High Street
- Dinner @ Il Baretto
- Cocktails @ Purl
- Dinner @ Original Tagine
- Sports @ The Bok Bar
- Sheesha & baklava @ Levant
- Japanese food @ Dinings
- East
- Pints @ The Ten Bells
- Vietnamese @ Mien Tay on Kingsland Road
- Pints @ Big Chill
- Bagels @ Beigel Bake on Brick Lane
- Cocktails @ Lounge Lover
- Drinks @ The Redchurch
- Pints @ The Owl & The Pussycat
- Shop / eat / browse @ Up Market, Spitalfields, Broadway Market
- Waterloo
- Pints & gastro-fare @ The Anchor & Hope (the rib of beef with bearnaise is a must)
- Drinks / burgers / culture @ The Young Vic
- Culture @ The Old Vic
- Coffee @ ScooterCaffe on Lower Marsh
- Views, cocktails & food @ Skylon in the Royal Festival Hall
- Culture @ Royal Festival Hall
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