Liam’s guidebook
Going out
Great cocktails and atmosphere, often has live music
16 recommandé par les habitants
Old Street Records
350 -354 Old StGreat cocktails and atmosphere, often has live music
Cool pub for an evening drink, good music with the perfect balance of sitting down to standing up area.
35 recommandé par les habitants
The Old Blue Last
38 Great Eastern StCool pub for an evening drink, good music with the perfect balance of sitting down to standing up area.
I often go here with friends, if you enjoy a game of pool or snooker this is a great place.
Hurricane Room
2 King's Cross BridgeI often go here with friends, if you enjoy a game of pool or snooker this is a great place.
Burr & Co. London
For a place to have a fancy drink and evening coffee.
Swift
12 Old Compton StBeautiful and classy cocktail bar.
If you're in the area, fun place to hang out with friends or do some shopping. Good to combine with Brick lane and shoreditch!
117 recommandé par les habitants
Spitalfields Market
65 Brushfield StIf you're in the area, fun place to hang out with friends or do some shopping. Good to combine with Brick lane and shoreditch!
When people ask me where do the young locals go out, it's here. Boxpark is the perfect place to take a date or meet some friends for a chill evening out. An assortment of food stands are arranged around a common seating area with a bar.
377 recommandé par les habitants
BOXPARK Shoreditch
2-10 Bethnal Green RdWhen people ask me where do the young locals go out, it's here. Boxpark is the perfect place to take a date or meet some friends for a chill evening out. An assortment of food stands are arranged around a common seating area with a bar.
The One Tun Pub & Rooms
125 Saffron HillGreat pub, good vibe, quiet area. Perfect for a fun but low-key outing.
Food scene
Hipster Shoreditch meets comfort breakfast food at this amazing brunch place. Want the full English breakfast experience? Get the "full monty" (Beware, lots of food, might be enough for 2!)
172 recommandé par les habitants
The Breakfast Club
1 Crossrail PlHipster Shoreditch meets comfort breakfast food at this amazing brunch place. Want the full English breakfast experience? Get the "full monty" (Beware, lots of food, might be enough for 2!)
Camden Market
54-56 Camden Lock PlGreat food and cool shops
Beautiful food market with many food stands from all around the world. Combine with a walk on the southbank of the river for a great outing.
1617 recommandé par les habitants
Borough Market
Borough High StreetBeautiful food market with many food stands from all around the world. Combine with a walk on the southbank of the river for a great outing.
Isolabella
45-46 Red Lion StAmazing Italian restaurant
Roti King
40 Doric WayGreat cheap Malaysian street food
Hiba
113 High HolbornGreat Lebanese place
North Sea
7-8 Leigh StGreat Fish and Chips!
A great Indian chain, booking is essential though
219 recommandé par les habitants
Dishoom King's Cross
5 Stable StA great Indian chain, booking is essential though
Nice, affordable indian, great buffet on Sundays
10 recommandé par les habitants
Diwana Bhel Poori House
123 Drummond StNice, affordable indian, great buffet on Sundays
Amazing fish and chips place in Spitalfields
131 recommandé par les habitants
Poppies Fish & Chips, Spitalfields
6-8 Hanbury StAmazing fish and chips place in Spitalfields
If you're fed up of pubs and want to experience the life of a Liverpool Street banker after the 9 to 5 day, come and choose a glass of wine at grapeshots.
Grapeshots
2-3 Liverpool StIf you're fed up of pubs and want to experience the life of a Liverpool Street banker after the 9 to 5 day, come and choose a glass of wine at grapeshots.
Ye Ye Noodle & Dumpling
Best restaurant on the street. Amazing pork dumplings.
Three Uncles
Great roast Chinese meat and dim sum
Ngon Ngon
144 Clerkenwell RdAffordable and tasty Vietnamese food
Epic brunch place. Essential to book on weekends
70 recommandé par les habitants
Breakfast Club Spitalfields
12-16 Artillery LnEpic brunch place. Essential to book on weekends
Slightly tacky but delicious indian curry. Make sure you ask for it mild if you don't like the spice.
10 recommandé par les habitants
Aladin Indian Restaurant
132 Brick LnSlightly tacky but delicious indian curry. Make sure you ask for it mild if you don't like the spice.
You'll always see long queues at this amazing spanish-italian sandwich place. Big "chapata" bread at a good price makes it a go to for workers in the area.
Dilieto
You'll always see long queues at this amazing spanish-italian sandwich place. Big "chapata" bread at a good price makes it a go to for workers in the area.
Excellent coffee right next to Euston! Fast wifi and comfortable tables, great to get a bit of morning work in.
Gazelle Dates
Excellent coffee right next to Euston! Fast wifi and comfortable tables, great to get a bit of morning work in.
Neighbourhoods
Quaint houseboats along a canal with greenery and nice cafes. Start your walk and Warwick avenue or portobello road market and go as far as you like, if you keep going you will go around Reagents park and get to Candem town market and eventually king's cross.
395 recommandé par les habitants
Little Venice
6 Warwick AveQuaint houseboats along a canal with greenery and nice cafes. Start your walk and Warwick avenue or portobello road market and go as far as you like, if you keep going you will go around Reagents park and get to Candem town market and eventually king's cross.
All the area around South Kensington as well as Sloane square and victoria is full of beautiful houses home to the richest in the world
25 recommandé par les habitants
Belgravia
All the area around South Kensington as well as Sloane square and victoria is full of beautiful houses home to the richest in the world
A fun neighbourhood full of traditional East London Bengali shops combined with hipster thrift shops.
878 recommandé par les habitants
Brick Lane
Brick LaneA fun neighbourhood full of traditional East London Bengali shops combined with hipster thrift shops.
Things to do
Free skyscraper visit! Booking in advance is required. You don't actually have to get a drink if you don't want to, many just come for the free views :)
300 recommandé par les habitants
Sky Garden
Free skyscraper visit! Booking in advance is required. You don't actually have to get a drink if you don't want to, many just come for the free views :)
Beautiful place if you do a City of London visit, look up the Harry Potter leaky cauldron recording location if you're a fan!
47 recommandé par les habitants
Leadenhall Market
Gracechurch StreetBeautiful place if you do a City of London visit, look up the Harry Potter leaky cauldron recording location if you're a fan!
The ultimate botanical gardens, tickets are expensive but it's worth it (if you are spending more than 4 days in London). Worth planing your day around this, take a picnic, a book to read, if you're a fan of nature you'll want to spend the day here.
637 recommandé par les habitants
Royal Botanic Gardens Car Park
The ultimate botanical gardens, tickets are expensive but it's worth it (if you are spending more than 4 days in London). Worth planing your day around this, take a picnic, a book to read, if you're a fan of nature you'll want to spend the day here.
Shopping
Angela Flanders Perfumery
Just across the road, an amazing artisanal perfumery.
Sightseeing
An architectural one-off, if you are into modern architecture I highly recommend checking out the Barbican. You can also see a piece of the roman wall from here.
Barbican
An architectural one-off, if you are into modern architecture I highly recommend checking out the Barbican. You can also see a piece of the roman wall from here.
Conseils aux voyageurs
Se déplacer dans les environs
Pay by card on the underground
Using your debit/credit card on the underground (even with Apple Pay) costs exactly the same as using an Oyster card so save money and hassle by not getting one. You'll be charged a daily maximum after a few journeys, from then onwards you can do an unlimited amount of trips "for free"! So take advantage if there is one day that you want to really go from one place to another.
Coutumes et culture
Is London safe?
Yes! London is not as dangerous of a city as some make it, especially if you're sticking to the "typical" areas to visit. Some areas around South and East London are worse, but it's still a good idea to stay alert, don't talk to strangers/homeless and try to blend in.
Manières d'économiser
Have you heard of the "Meal Deal"?
An iconic British custom among the common people is getting a "Meal Deal", a special offer that every supermarket has (usually around £3.5) which includes a sandwich, a snack and a drink. Quick and easy, although quite a lot of packaging.
Que faut-il apporter ?
Hot and Cold
London can get incredibly cold in the winter and incredibly hot in the summer, all the more so because it is rare for places to have air conditioning. Check the weather and prepare for the worst. If you are from a warm country bear in mind that 25ºC feels like 35ºC in a dry country as humidity is very high.
À ne pas manquer
The real life!
As an adopted "Londoner", one of the first things you notice is that the London of Buckingham palace and Westminester Abbey is very different to the London where people live. Not necessarily geographically, but rather culturally and experientially. If I were visiting London for a week or two, I would try mix in traditional tourist destinations with some more local experiences like the ones mentioned in this guidebook.