Things to do in London
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Public House
This handsome bar adds a lovely splash of boudoir/burlesque to an area better known for its rowdy pubs than sophisticated drinking dens. Everything is obviously fabulous at Public House, from the carefully prepared cocktails (all seasonal) to the exquisite menu and long list of after-dinner drinks (brandies, whiskies, dessert wines).
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Prufrock
Run by 2009’s World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies, this large, serene space is a temple to coffee. Check out the line of equipment that looks like a lab and ask the helpful staff to advise on your choice of filter coffee, with a method chosen specifically to maximise the qualities of each different variety of bean.
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Profile
This American-diner-meets-Soho bar serves an eclectic mix of Absolut vodka cocktails, unremarkable wine, draught beer and dangerously tasty alcoholic milkshakes. The food menu sports such American classics as burgers and Caesar salad. Happy hour is from 4pm to 7pm daily.
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Princess of Shoreditch
Handsome pub with a buzzy atmosphere, frequented by a mix of City suits and media types. Food is gastropub standard but very well done, with daily specials and polite service. There’s a comprehensive wine list and a good ale selection. Head up the spiral staircase to the more refined (and slightly pricier) 1st-floor dining space (reservations advised).
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Prince Regent
With a flamboyant decor of upholstered furniture, regal colours on the walls and gold-framed mirrors, the Prince Regent has gone all out on atmosphere. Drinks are pretty good too, with changing ales, a good selection of draught beers and wines and some decent food. There’s also a small street terrace.
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Prince Charles
You’d be right to think that ticket prices at Leicester Square cinemas are daylight robbery, so wait until the first-runs have finished and moved to the Prince Charles, central London’s cheapest cinema; this is where non-members have to pay only £5.50–6.50 (or £8–10 for new releases). There are also mini-festivals, Q&As with film directors, old classics and, most famously, sing-along screenings of Grease, The Sound of Music and Rocky Horror Picture Show.
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Primrose Hill
Wedged between well-heeled Regent’s Park and edgy Camden, the little neighbourhood of Primrose Hill is high on the wish list of most Londoners – but utterly unaffordable. With its independent boutiques (from interior design to bookshops, children’s clothes to pet accessories, not a franchise in sight), lovely restaurants and good pubs, it has a rare village feel.
The proximity of the gorgeous, eponymous park, with fabulous views of London, is another draw. On summer weekends, it is absolutely packed with revellers enjoying a picnic with a view; but on weekdays, there’s mostly dog walkers and nannies and it’s a lovely place to enjoy a quiet stroll or an alfresco…
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Pret à Manger
London’s most popular sandwich chain, Pret has made its name on freshly made, tasty sandwiches. It also does delicious, chunky soups.
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Portrait
This stunningly located restaurant above the excellent National Portrait Gallery – with views over Trafalgar Square and Westminster – is a great place to relax after a morning or afternoon at the gallery; the brunch (weekends only) and afternoon tea (daily) come highly recommended. Unfortunately, Portrait is restricted in its opening times by the gallery, so dinner is rather early by London standards. Booking is advisable.
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Portobello Green Arcade
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Poppies
Glorious re-creation of a 1950s East End chippy, complete with waitresses in pinnies and hairnets, and retro memorabilia. As well as the usual fishy suspects, it also does jellied eels, homemade tartare sauce and mushy peas, and you can wash it all down with a glass of wine or beer. Also does a roaring takeaway trade.
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Polpetto
This beautiful, tiny Italian bistro serves small plates of meat, fish and vegetables in the tradition of Venetian wine bars. Depending on your appetite you’ll need to order three or four dishes between two. It’s a tad expensive for what it is but the media types of Soho cannot get enough of the place; arrive early for dinner since you can’t book.
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Place
One of the most exciting modern-dance venues, the Place was the birthplace of modern British dance. It concentrates on challenging, contemporary and experimental choreography. Behind the late-Victorian facade you’ll find a 300-seat theatre, an arty, creative cafe atmosphere and six training studios. The Place sponsors an annual dance award, ‘Place Prize’, which strives to seek out and award new and outstanding dance talent. Tickets cost £5-15.
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Pizza Express
After feasting on art at the Dulwich Picture Gallery or cycling round Dulwich Park, this petite two-floor eatery is ideally located at the tranquil heart of Dulwich Village. Other local restaurants come and go or change hands but it may take some culinary imagination to unseat this perennially popular outpost of the chain. Kids are always more than welcome and service is always sprightly and efficient; reservations recommended.
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Piccadilly Circus
John Nash had originally designed Regent St and Piccadilly to be the two most elegant streets in town but, curbed by city planners, Nash couldn’t realise his dream to the full. He would certainly be disappointed with what Piccadilly Circus has become: swamped with visitors, flanked by flashing advertisement panels and surrounded by shops flogging tourist tat.
But despite the crowds and traffic, Piccadilly Circus has become a postcard for the city, buzzing with the liveliness that makes it exciting to be in London. Designed in the 1820s, the hub was named after the street Piccadilly (going west from the square), which earned its name in the 17th century from the stiff…
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Penny Black
Led by head chef Jan Chanter, this contemporary and stylish restaurant stimulates the senses with its combination of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, culinary excellence and highly appetising presentation. The beef Wellington, potato and fennel bake is a standout experience, but the desserts also demand attention. If you’ve kids in tow, the toad-in-the-hole obliges. Service is top of the range.
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Penhaligon’s
Most people’s perfume-buying experience nowadays is limited to picking up their favourite scent at the airport duty-free. Penhaligon’s is the antidote to such an anonymous and soulless process: here, attendants will ask you about your favourite smells, take you on a little exploratory tour of their signature range and help you discover new scents. There is a range of products, from traditional perfumes to home fragrances and bath and body products. All products are made in Devon, England.
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Pavilion
Superb cafe overlooking an ornamental lake in Victoria Park, serving breakfasts and lunches made with locally sourced ingredients, and excellent coffee.
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Painted Hall
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Ottolenghi
This is the pick of Upper Street’s many eating options – a brilliantly bright, white space that’s worth a trip merely to see the eye-poppingly beautiful cakes in the deli. But get a table at this temple to good food and you’ll really appreciate it. At lunch, you can choose from the deli counter, while in the evening there’s à la carte dining, with fusion, meze-sized dishes to share. Weekend brunch is fabulous, though you’ll usually have to wait for a table. Reservations are essential in the evenings.
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Orangery
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Opera Holland Park
This is Ye Olde England, with picnics on the grass, opera on stage and frightfully posh surroundings. Sit under the 800-seat canopy, which is temporarily erected every summer for a nine-week season in the middle of Holland Park, and enjoy a mix of crowd pleasers and rare (even obscure) works.
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Open City
This architectural charity organises architectural tours to one of four different areas (Square Mile, South London, the West End or Docklands) weekly. The tours (2½ to three hours) include lively, well-informed commentary.
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One New Change
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Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
From the mills of Cistercian monks in the 1st century, to the railway hub of the 1880s (from which goods from the Thames were transported all over Britain), the tidal Lower Lea Valley had long been the source of what Londoners required to fuel their industries. But until building work on the Olympic Park began in 2008, this vast area of East London had become derelict, polluted and largely ignored. Creating world-class sporting facilities for the 2012 Games was, of course, at the forefront of the development, but this was well balanced with the aim of regenerating this area for generations to come. More than 30 new bridges were built to criss-cross the Lea, its…
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