London with 17 year old DD, tips and advice please.

[BlancmanegeBunny]

I've booked a three-night (Fri - Mon) trip to London for me and dd in July, she hasn't been there since she was about 10. We are staying in the Tower of London area and so far the only thing we have arranged is tickets to shows on the Friday and Saturday evenings.
Current ideas on things to do include;-
Changing of the Guard
Science Museum
Camden Lock Market
Also plan to walk around Picadilly, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square etc

Any suggestions are welcome, DD isn't into mainstream shopping, she like Charity shops, so we will be giving the big stores a miss.

I would like tips on cheap and cheerful places to eat, noodles and falafel are her favorites, and neither of us is veggie. I lived in London in 80s / 90s and have fond memories of cheap and cheerful Chinese food at Wong Kei on Wardour Street, anyone know if it is still worth a visit?

You’ll find loads of places like that in Camden - she’ll love the markets there. My dcs still talk about an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet we ate at in Camden (think it was £9.99 each!) they’d never been anywhere like that before and were amazed 🤣

Shoreditch and spiralfields market.
Portobello road
Both would probably appeal to a 17 year old.

What about junkyard golf or flight club.

Depends what your budget is but afternoon tea at sketch would be really fun

Stroll along the Southbank from County Hall, street food stalls and entertainers, along to Tate Modern and Borough Market. Riverboat to/from Tower. Covent Garden still has some quirky outlets and buzziness.

Thanks, some great ideas. A walk along the South Bank is a good call, for street food,and entertainers. I had to look up SKETCH, it looks great but isn't DDs kind of place at all ......she is more like a mug of tea in a cafe type!

We love “where the pancakes are”. There’s one not too far from Tower of London if that would work? Also consider the Museum of London - it’s brilliant.

If she is a mug of tea girl (love it!) there used to be a piper old London caff near Borough not sure if it’s still there, pie and mash shop.

Clink museum is different and near where you are staying.

You’ll get proper tea and food here www.manze.co.uk

Sky Gardens, it is free and at the top of the Walkie Talkie Building and is amazing. You have to book tickets a few weeks in advance. Very close to Tower of London.

British museim which is free and very central, a few mins walk from covent Garden.

As others have suggested walking over Tower Bridge along south Bank is fab.

Loads of healthy "trendy" fast food restaurants as in noodles, wraps etc everywhere.

Have a fabulous time!

What about a clipper along the river to Greenwich and book one of the space shows at the Observatory. There was a market last time we were there too. Park is nice too.

Terrys cafe off southbank- old school greasy spoon but done nicely and breakfasts are immense!! Often a queue at weekends .

Nice potter in Hampstead village and walk on heath

Potter in Greenwich and boat back(you can use your tube pass)

If you are around near South Bank then there is an amazing falafel stand on Lower Marsh at lunchtimes. There's a big food stall market every day (definitely week days and I'd assume it is there weekends too)

If she likes charity shops and secondhand/ vintage then there's good ones around Brick Lane too. Worth going to spitalfields for food stalls at lunch as well.

Columbia Road Sunday then walk down to Spitalfields market.

As long as you aren't planning on Camden Market on a Saturday afternoon - it's ridiculous then. Look at going there and perhaps doing one of the canal boat trips for the Friday instead.

Urban outfitters

I grew up in East London where a pie and mash from Manze's was standard. My mum misses it as moved away.

Op, Borough or Spitalfields markets for street food are great. I loved (and still love) Covent Garden.

Primrose Hill is also lovely for a wander. If she's into music then Abbey Road?

In July and assuming the weather is good then a picnic in a park (I love Regents park) and if you want another idea for an evening then Regents Park open air theatre is brilliant.

National Portrait gallery, Royal Academy of art, or tate modern?

I'd also recommend Carnaby Street as the area has got its spark back. Again if she likes music, go to the Third Man records store just off carnaby St is great (it's a Jack White owns it).

How about a visit to the V&A and tea in the cafe? My daughter and I really enjoy doing that together. Also, Tate modern, cross Millenium bridge to St Paul’s. You can walk to the Barbican from there for food a movie or a gig.

Dickins Inn is in St Katherine's dock and really close to Tower Bridge / Tower of London. It's a lovely pub, nice area and reasonably priced food.

Second where the pancakes are, bloody yum. Love getting off at Borough market and wondering up Southbank then crossing the river and walking into Covent Garden. St Pauls Cathedral and Mithraic Temple if that floats your boat. Cambden, walk up Primrose Hill. It is so walkable and interesting, love London. I live in Kent so pop up quite often. Forbidden Planet is great if she likes Geek Merch. Greenwich is wonderful and worth a visit on it's own.

Camden, rogue b there.

My 17 yo DD loves Tate Modern.
A stroll around St Katherine dock is nice if you've got a spare half hour to fill, or there are loads of nice places to eat there
The Oxo tower development has lots of little arty shops to look at (not cheap though).

If you're going to be using the Tube, get her used to planning the journeys and finding the way around the stations - it's a useful life skill!

I like a walk around the City, although a weekday is best for that. Lots of little alleyways and courtyards to poke into and old churches to visit. The City has really come back to life now after lockdown and wfh, it was so nice to see last time I was there.

On a general note, the Museum of London is closing at the end of the year, in preparation for the move to Smithfield, so there won't be many more chances to visit at its present location.

Shoreditch and Spitalfields, definitely. You are staying quite close to it. There is a vibrant student scene and most of the shops are one-offs aimed at roughly her age group. There are some amazing places to eat like Blues Kitchen and Yuu Kitchen and some really unusual food cart options. The fashion markets are still really cheap. I think that Camden has had it's day and is now primarily a touristy experience although the foodie scene has improved over time.

The Van Gogh Immersive experience is really cool and there are loads of oriental options along Commercial Road as well as cheap. good pizza.

Spitalfields sounds good for DD.

For second hand shops, you def want brick lane. Its a nice half hour stroll from Tower of London area. You will walk through loads of cool areas.

I would def avoid picadilly circus, Leicester Square and trafalgar Square. Heaving and unpleasant. You'll get a bit of time in west end when you see shows - i wouldn't hang around for more.

Agree with PP who suggested a Thames clipper. With a teenage girl, I would also consider Tate London combined with a potter round South Bank.

Remember that Central London is quite small and so walking is often the quickest way to get anywhere. Buses are more fun than the tube.